30th May 2010, 23:16

I love it, I'm just trying to research buying a 99 LeSabre and I find the world bashing us for our use of metric, imperial gallons and drinking beer. I'm so ashamed. Thanks to Pierre Elliot we all get rid of our cars @ 100,000km. I might as well put up a toll booth and charge a loonie for crossing my land.

2nd Jun 2010, 11:51

"A LeSabre that got 39 mpg?"

As a car enthusiast and one highly acquainted with high-mileage driving techniques, I honestly can't say this is not feasible. There ARE ways of getting extremely high mileage out of unlikely engines.

1) What uses gas, primarily, is ACCELERATING. If you can get to top gear quickly by accelerating moderately and easing off on the gas to force the transmission to upshift, you'll save a LOT.

2) In coming to hills, increase speed VERY slightly before starting up the hill, then ease OFF on the gas ever so slightly as you climb the hill. Using the cruise on hills is NOT good, as it forces downshifts.

3) On LEVEL ground, USE the cruise control. It is better at staying at a steady, even speed than you are.

4) ALWAYS coast up to stops, don't blast up to them and brake quickly. This eats up mileage and brake pads. If coming up to a light, try to time it so you WON'T have to stop. Every take-off from a dead stop really eats up MPG.

I have consistently gotten 37mpg highway and 30 city in my Ford Fusion using these techniques. I also do brake pad replacements only every 70,000 to 110,000 miles in all my vehicles, as well as having virtually ZERO repairs (of course all my cars are DOMESTICS, imports won't do nearly as well). I have also gotten 25mpg in our large GM SUV with it fully loaded on vacation trips. It currently has 90,000 miles and has never had a brake job (or any repair).