A funny thing happened on the way to production. It’s not that priorities changed, it’s that economic reality reared its ugly head. I’ve wanted to kick our new fuel-economy focused video series Ain’t Fuelin’ off with a Honda Civic HX Coupe for the longest time. But the fact is that we didn’t raise enough funds to make that happen right off the bat. I set the funding bar just high enough to cover expenses, but not high enough to cover the acquisition of a suitable vehicle. To do this right, we need to start the Civic project with an unmodified vehicle. The original engine, suspension, and lightweight (Enkei) wheels need to be intact.
Our goal is to measure the improvement from stone stock to MPG-modified. Simply put, too many of the HX manual Coupes have been either butchered with questionable parts and hideous mods or the mileage has run around the clock twice. We can’t waste funds returning cars to stock form. Continue reading →
MPG-o-Matic 2013 Ford Escape Review Summary:The 2013 Ford Escape battles it out with a host of worthy competitors in the highly popular small crossover segment, from the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, to the Hyundai Tuscon and Chevy Equinox. While some may lament the exit of the traditional Escape SUV, the new crossover design is a more pleasant vehicle overall and is sold worldwide as the Ford Kuga. The Escape’s torquey EcoBoost engine and tightly designed cabin set it apart from the competition.
Thank you kindly for getting us to the starting line! The Kickstarter campaign for Ain’t Fuelin’ hit its funding mark last Friday and it’s taken me a week to recover and gather my thoughts about where it’s going. The three week campaign was a wild ride, and until the closing week, I was unsure whether it would fund. Locking down key sponsorships was crucial, but things didn’t start popping until the clock started ticking.
I’ve had this project on the back burner for more than three years. Over that time, I’ve had the good fortune to speak with a range of automotive professionals, from mechanics and race car drivers, through engineers and top-level executives. The premise of what we seek to prove is sound. The toughest part of this endeavor is producing compelling video on an extremely tight budget. Simply put, this has to be something that you want to watch and share with your friends.
MPG-o-Matic 2013 Azera Review Summary: The 2013 Hyundai Azera is slotted between the Sonata and Genesis in Hyundai’s line-up. It aims to upset the apple cart, by delivering a whole lot of luxury at a rather remarkable price. Whether you’re in the market for a large Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Buick, or Lincoln, you’d do well to cross-shop the Azera. While it’s not as thrifty with fuel as a Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, or Volkswagen Passat TDI, the Azera’s comparatively low acquisition costs and 100,000 mile warranty make it a compelling choice for budget-minded folks shopping for a large luxury sedan.
Suffice to say, I don’t usually sit back, watch the press releases roll over the wire and shovel out posts. But when I saw that Honda was showing an integrated vacuum cleaner in the new 2014 Odyssey at a New York Auto Show media preview, I got a bit steamed. Not to suggest that they should have added a steamer as well (who wants to arrive at their destination covered in crumbs and wrinkles), but it all seems a bit supliferous, considering the shape we’re in (lay off the out of shape jokes, kids). It’s just hard to understand why Honda continues to withhold their excellent clean diesel engines from America, knowing that they could provide a thirty percent improvement in fuel economy.
