Fuel Efficiency and the Yaris

[BailOut]

Advanced FE (Hypermiling) - For educational purposes only - attempt at your own risk:

FAS: Forced Auto Stop

P&G: Pulse and Glide

DWL: Driving With Load

DWB: Driving Without Brakes

Close-In Draft (Allow me to quickly debunk the myth that drafting makes the front-runner use more fuel. They already burned the fuel to move the air out of the way and you are merely riding along in their turbulent wake.)

Distant Draft

Surf Draft

Ridge Riding

- Grill blocks & engine blankets. A warm engine is a happy engine, and the Yaris' target temperature is 184F. Anything you can do to help maintain that temperature without causing an overheating scenario is a pure benefit. You can block the grill(s) with cardboard (paint it to match if you like), and you can also use things like sectioned water heater blankets to insulate the top and sides of the engine compartment. Please search the Net for more discourse on these things as the subject is diverse. I may post a DIY next Winter.

- Leave Jack at home. Replace your spare tire, jack, etc. with a patch kit and small, 12V air compressor, or even just a cell phone and road service membership. Also look for other ways to drop weight from the vehicle, such as seat removal.

- Advanced aerodynamics. This is yet another topic that could have its own thread, but I'll touch on the salient points here. Every vehicle has a coefficient of drag (Cd), and the lower the Cd the less drag the vehicle creates as it moves trough the air. You can change your Cd with things like body kits, lowered suspension, etc. Some folks take it to the level of creating custom add-on forms, wheel skirts, etc.