Honda was still branding the CRX with Civic emblems in the mid-80s, but the little two-seater felt like a totally different car. The HF got a mere 58 horses from its 8-valve 1300 (compared to 91 in the hot Si's fuel-injected 1500), but 58 horses is plenty with a 1,713-pound car.


I've had a couple of these cars, and they'll keep going forever if you don't blow the head gasket (i.e., don't overheat it), change the timing belt when the time comes (interference engine), and can get it to pass the smog test (mind-bogglingly complicated emissions gear). The two-seater part is somewhat limiting, but it will haul plenty of stuff; I've used a CRX to bring home large items of junkyard loot, including a Chevy 350 short block and a variety of transmissions, and you can fit 8' long 2x4s in the car with nothing sticking out (run them from left rear corner to right front corner, between the seats).


That settles it- I'm going shopping for an HF right now... and I'm gonna convert it to run on propane!

Actually, the car was stock. Stock as in standard, from the factory, without any modifications besides the sponsors' stickers. That is, unless you count the extra weight of the couple's luggage as a modification. But that 90 MPG figure is in Imperial gallons. In US gallons, the figure is just 75.6 MPG. Still, it's figures like this that make us scratch our heads and wonder what all the fuss of government-mandated fuel economy standards, panic of rising gas prices, and hybrid hippie hype is all about. If things were really as bad as they're often made out to be, couldn't we all just be driving 90 MPG 75 MPG French hatchbacks? Or are those Freedom hatchbacks? Oh, wait — you have to drive under 30 MPH the entire way? Well, screw that noise. Pass me the keys to the Hummer.
[ABG via TreeHugger]

7) Don't Drive
This is the tip we obviously advocate the least, so of course we're dropping it to the bottom of the list — but it's also at the top of the post. Maybe that's because driving is the worst way to save on gas, so the easiest way to avoid paying big oil is to stay home. Of course that can be a tall order, so you can at least try to stay more local and enjoy the delights of your hometown. Heck, why not just throw a last minute barbeque and make all your friends come to you?

6) Clean all that crap out of your car
Keeping your JV football gear in the trunk doesn't make much sense now that you're 34. Clean your car, ya hobo! While holding on to all those cheeseburger wrappers and empty pop bottles might seem like a good idea, keeping them in the car is not. "Weight is the enemy of performance" as Colin Chapman used to say, it's also the enemy of boosting your anemic gas mileage. Those SUV's are big for a reason — they carry a crapload of crap. So if you're planning a trip, clean the junk out.

5) Air up those tires
Friction between the tires and the road are a healthy source of overall energy loss. The more contact between the tire and the road the more friction. Making sure tires are at the maximum recommended pressure is a good way to see easy improvements in both fuel economy and ride and handling.

4) Keep your car well maintained
Oil in the pan going on 10,000 miles? Wheel bearings all wobbly? Power steering pump groaning under the weight of an uncaring owner? These are all things which are not only dentrimental for the car but also have a negative impact on mileage. If you're mechanically-inclined, get down to your local parts depot and get to wrenching. If you're not, slide on over to your favorite grease monkey and let him fix it for you. Your car will love you for it.

3) Avoid high traffic areas
Idling wastes vast quantities of fuel every year, and running at low speeds in bumper to bumper traffic is just as bad. So if you have the choice, plan your travel times and routes to correspond to times when the roadway is free and clear of the destraction and fuel-wasting of others. Deciding to make the run out to the country from downtown at 4:30 in the afternoon is a sure fire way to waste a quarter tank.

2) Law of conservation of energy

My favorite pastime is getting into a huge SUV and racing all the other cars to the next stoplight. What can I say, I'm an idiot. If this sounds like you, congrats because you get terrible fuel economy. Try to work with — instead of against — stop lights. Most of the time lights are timed to match posted speed limits and if you work things right, you may never have to use your brakes. Brakes of course being the easiest way to transform the power derived from gasoline into heat, which, generally doesn't do any good for you. More importantly however will be the gas burned getting yourself back up to 75 MPH. What do you mean the speed limit on Woodward's only 45 MPH near 13 Mile?

1) Slow down, you maniac
Here's a better idea to those of us who are of obsessed with the cult of cars than tip #7, because at least you'll be driving. That shiny new car of yours may be fast as all get out, but mashing the gas and doing 80 MPH on the freeway will ensure cars are the only thing you're passing. Going posted speeds or below is boring and tiresome, but it pays dividends on the fuel mileage side. You know this and we know this, neither of us have to like it.

You should also check out Popular Mechanics top ten ways to save gas by hypermilling if you're looking for more tips — you know we're fans of that particular game. But above all, have a safe and enjoyable weekend everyone.

In Russia, gas prices are apparently not as big of a deal. At least not to this person, who may or may not be the nephew of an oil oligarch. [Russian Fun via CarScoop]

The proposed regulation would require the industry to meet a target of 31.5 mpg by 2015. In effect, it would force automakers to speed up their development of lighter, more fuel efficient cars and trucks. The current law requires automakers to meet an average 35 mpg between 2011 and 2020. The new regulation means that car makers would have to meet more than half of that savings in the first half of the phase-in period.

Environmental groups have long maintained that improvements made in the early stages will add up significantly over time. The Union of Concerned Scientists has been particularly vocal about the benefits of moving quickly on the new standard. The question unanswered is whether the auto industry will challenge the new regulation in court.

Image: DOT

Fuel costs make up about 1/4 of expenses for truckers, now surpassing the cost of labor. With most trucks carrying two 300-gallon fuel tanks, we can see why they'd want to conserve. Industry experts report that slowing from 75 to 65mph can reduce consumption by as much as 1mpg, a considerable percentage for vehicles that achieve less than 10mpg.

The AP goes on to report that truck companies are relaxing delivery times for drivers and lowering governed speeds, all in an effort to save money. Apparently, every one-cent increase in the price of diesel costs the truck industry $391 million. [Via Yahoo! News]

By using good old fashioned common sense. Really, there isn't anything surprising here — The modifications include the following:

• chopping the top (reduction of frontal area)
• stripping out all unnecessary weight - giving us that sexy camino shape
• using super hard tires (reduction of rolling resist)
• shifting the 4 cylinder engine to a mid mount and replacing the driveline with a chain (improvement of driveline efficiency)
• And perhaps most shockingly - driving slow. 30 mph during the test.

In a recent study, CNW found that the interior conveniences held a higher priority, at 73 percent importance, than fuel efficiency, which came in at 67 percent. See? This is what Al Gore was talking about! [Forbes]

I was tempted to pull out the Econoscope apparatus and add it to Wanky the Safety Cat, in order to enhance my driving safety.

The good news for Super Duty truck owners, other than having to fill up only every 23 miles, is this shouldn't have an impact on towing capability for either the F-250 or F-350. PickupTruck.com has a full rundown of the changes to the "Job 3" Super Duty. [PickupTruck.com]

The new and improved routes will reduce the delivery routes by 28.5 million miles and reduce CO2 emissions by 31,000 metric tons. The new system begins at the sorting facility. A special software will load packages onto trucks in a method to maximize the amount of right turns and eliminating unnecessary left turns that requires the trucks to sit idle wasting gas and pissing off Al Gore.

I'm sure the lazy UPS drivers will continue to cut corners (like when they throw my package of fragile gadgets 20 feet) by making unnecessary left turns, but regardless, UPS gets a gold star for the effort! Now stop double-parking to drop off packages and the world will be a better place. [New York Times]

As we already said, Toyota has this option on its hybrids and is looking into including it on all their vehicles. Nissan will be including this type of gauge on all vehicles. Ford, Chrysler and GM have this feature on select models and even some Hondas have a glowing light that indicates efficient driving. We personally can't wait to see this show up on job sites as pickup owners start vying with each other over how little to carry in their bed or tow-hitched behind them in order to not lose their precious high MPG figure.

Vehicles are supposed to love, not judge, but I for one welcome our new judgmental car overlords — or at least until such a time as the crushing weight of guilt eventually succeeds in destroying my will to live. [Freep via Kicking Tires]

In addition to establishing standards by size and weight, a plan to give fuel economy credits for producing ethanol-capable flex fuel vehicles has made the bill more platable to automakers. It is anticipated that the bill will require ethanol consumption to increase by billions of gallons along with other alternative fuels while accelerating the implementation of new fuel-saving technolgies. By the middle of the next decade, more than half the cars in production are expected to make use of advanced technologies. So does the new bill mean the end of rear-wheel drive and big V8s before the Muscle Car Wars even got started? The full impact won't become clear until the deal is completed, all of the details are revealed and the experts have weighed in. For now, just remember: if you can't afford a $35,000+ V8, do your duty and buy a disastrously slow subcompact so the rest of us can buy that sweet gas-guzzling brute. [The Detroit News]

The Marathon station on Fort near Springwells dropped its price to $2.93. That angered Jawad Bazzi, whose regular gas was priced at $2.96.

Bazzi walked across the street with a couple of employees to confront the Marathon owner and his posse.

The groups argued, then began throwing punches. One of Bazzi's employees hit a Marathon employee with a baseball bat, injuring him.

That's when the Marathon owner grabbed a handgun and fired three or four times. Bazzi, 45, of Dearborn Heights was shot in the head.

The Marathon owner, whose name wasn't released Friday, was arrested. He's identified as a 51-year-old Warren man.

"When we're facing a future of global oil wars and economy-killing gasoline prices, perhaps having single commuters drive 5,000-pound SUVs is something we'll just have to learn to live without."

While we'd agree that a 5,000-pound SUV may be a bit much for most drivers, we're wondering how exactly a heavy-duty pickup for use on a job site's going to meet a 35 mpg requirement. Just askin'... (Hat tip to Eltonito!) [Detroit News]

Snagged! In a recent speech, John Edwards told Americans to sacrifice their inefficient cars, and specifically, to give up their SUVs. But the presidential hopeful is driven around in a Cadillac SRX Crossover, which guzzles gas at 15 miles per gallon. His spokesman says that he drives a hybrid SUV in North Carolina, but reports say the Edwards family has a regular SUV and a small truck as well.

Press Release:

SANTA MONICA, Calif., August 1, 2007 —The Automotive X PRIZE (AXP), a competition designed to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles to help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change, announced today that over 30 teams have signed a letter of intent to compete once the prize is officially funded and launched.

The international competition, in which qualified teams will compete head to head, aims to dramatically increase consumer access to ultra-efficient, clean, affordable and desirable vehicles. The 30 plus teams include diverse groups from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland. More than 300 additional teams have inquired about joining and are actively considering entry.

"We are thrilled with the wide variety of teams and technologies from around the world that have expressed an interest in joining the competition," said Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, CEO and Chairman, X PRIZE Foundation. "We are confident that the Automotive X PRIZE will motivate and bring visibility to a range of non-traditional solutions from both traditional and non-traditional players. The time for incremental change is over. We need radical breakthroughs to stem the consumption of fossil fuels. An X PRIZE can help make this happen."

The independent and technology-neutral AXP competition is open to teams from around the world to prove they can design, build and bring to market 100 MPG or equivalent fuel economy vehicles that people want to buy. Industry experts will scrutinize team plans. Those that qualify will race their vehicles in rigorous cross-country stages that combine speed, distance, urban driving and overall performance. The winners will be the vehicles that exceed 100 MPG equivalent, fall under strict emissions caps and finish in the fastest time.

"In just a short time, we have seen a tremendous enthusiasm for the Automotive X PRIZE," said Donald J. Foley, executive director of the AXP. "We believe this enthusiasm reflects the strong interest among the car-driving public for new options of super-efficient vehicles. It is clear energy legislation in Congress will fall far short of encouraging the type of breakthroughs that are needed to provide a new generation of ultra-efficient vehicles. We have designed AXP to be a technology-neutral competition to help provide this new generation of vehicles, and we are pleased that the fairness of our competition guidelines has been ratified by the interest among a wide variety of teams and technologies."

The competition is expected to travel through multiple cities while broadcast to a global audience in 2009 and 2010, building consumer demand for vehicles in the competition and demonstrating many practical, clean and affordable vehicle options. Cities involved in the competition route have not yet been chosen.

Reflecting the nature of the non-partisan effort, two leading members of Congress on energy issues, Senators Richard G. Lugar (R-IN) and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), have expressed their support for the AXP.

The AXP has also received support and encouragement from several government agencies that will help the privately-funded organization conduct the competition and test vehicle compliance, including the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory; the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway, Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHA); the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality (OTAQ); and the California Air Resources Board (CARB).

In addition, non-governmental organizations supporting the AXP include the National Resources Defense Council, Union of Concerned Scientists, the Apollo Alliance, the Consumer Federation of America, Global Green USA, CALSTART and Greenpeace among others.

The AXP has recently finalized a supporting sponsorship from Adobe. Other early AXP sponsors and donors include Idealab, Ray Sidney of Big George Ventures, the Elbaz Foundation, and the Jack D. Hidary Foundation.

Once fundraising for the prize purse and administration is complete, the AXP will officially launch. "We are seeking assistance from major foundations, corporations and philanthropic individuals to help bring about this revolution in transportation," Diamandis said. "Visionary individuals and organizations have risen to this type of challenge before by backing the Ansari X PRIZE for personal spaceflight, and the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics. We're confident we can build a financial base for this competition as well, and expect one or more heroes to rise to this challenge."

The following 30 teams have signed a letter of intent signaling their intent to apply for the AXP competition:

* Aptera Motors - California, USA
* Commuter Cars Corp. - Washington, USA
* Cornell University - New York, USA
* DEHyds - Washington, USA
* Delta Motorsport - Northants, UK
* Desert Fuel - Arizona, USA
* Disruptech - California, USA
* Dragonfly Technology LTD - Northhampton, UK
* Fuel Vapor Technologies - British Columbia, Canada
* GreenIt! - Oregon, USA
* Herf Duo - Berlin, Germany
* HyKinesys - California, USA
* Kinetic Vehicles - Oregon, USA
* Kuttner Doran Inventions - Virginia, USA
* Loremo AG - Munich, Germany
* Maine Automotive X - Maine, USA
* MDI, Inc. & Zero Pollution Motors LLC - New York, USA
* Michigan Vision - Michigan, USA
* MotoTron Corporation - Wisconsin, USA
* Phoenix Motorcars - California, USA
* Porteon Electric Vehicles, Inc. - Oregon, USA
* Prometheus Systems, LLC - Arizona, USA
* Psycho-Active - Georgia, USA
* Roane Inventions - Texas, USA
* Society for Sustainable Mobility - California, USA
* Spirit One - Alberta, Canada
* Valentin Technologies - Wisconsin, USA
* Tesla Motors - California, USA
* Velozzi - California, USA
* X Tracer - Winterthur, Switzerland
* ZAP Motors - California, USA

ABOUT THE AUTOMOTIVE X PRIZE

The goal of the Automotive X PRIZE (AXP) is to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addiction to oil and stem the effects of climate change. The multi-million dollar AXP purse will be awarded to the teams that win a stage race for clean, production-capable vehicles that exceed 100 miles per gallon equivalent fuel economy. For more information please visit auto.xprize.org or email autoprize@xprize.org.

ABOUT THE X PRIZE FOUNDATION

The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational nonprofit prize institute whose mission is to create radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity. On October 4, 2004, the X PRIZE Foundation captured world headlines when Mojave Aerospace Ventures, led by legendary aircraft designer Burt Rutan and Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen, built and flew the world's first private vehicle to space twice in two weeks to win the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE. The Foundation has since expanded its mission beyond space exploration to offer new prizes for breakthroughs in the life sciences, energy and the environment, education and global entrepreneurship. In October of 2006, the X PRIZE Foundation announced the $10 million Archon X PRIZE for genomics, which will reward the first private effort to map 100 human genomes in 10 days ushering in a new era of personalized preventative medicine. For more information please visit www.xprize.org or email press@xprize.org