Not cheap at $170. For less I would imagine you could jack the car up and take a look for some grease fittings in the usual spots (tie rod ends, ball joints, etc).
While some people get MORE mpg than the epa claims they should get, most vehicles get less. A lot less. I think it was a "PRIMETIME" or a "20/20" show that tested a Jeep vehicle rated at 22 mpg and the actual figures were 11 mpg. Still, you should be getting more on your particular vehicle.
It's all about moving weight around. My car weights 3800 lb, add 18 gallons of fuel, you've got 2 tons.
Otoh, I weigh 200 lb. 1/20th of the vehicle weight.
What we're really doing is moving the VEHICLE WEIGHT around...up hills, overcoming friction, throwing out 70+% of the fuel BTU's on engine heat, and there's us in the passenger compartment...almost an afterthought.
There is no WAY to improve gas mileage in the sense that you _have_ to move this weight around, and overcome aerodynamic drag. It is easier if you think of a car as just a cubic block of steel/iron/plastic/slag. Or just a rock.
If it has a MASS of such and such, and you have to do X amount of
*work* to move it from point A to point B, forget about *magical numbers.* Until the laws of Physics change.
If you want to know how much economy your vehicle is going to give you, think weight and aerodynamics. Forget the sticker on the window...it is a Ruse.
Shep, it's all Physics 101. Acceleration of Mass X from zero to Y mph in Z seconds. Moving 2 tons up a hill, i.e. elevating that 2 tons, or in effect, Lifting it, whatever the height of the hill is. There isn't any magic to it, except you've got a frictional component in there along with aerodynamic drag.
Depending on your acceleration demands ( how hard you push down on the gas pedal ), you can watch the amount of WORK being done right in front of your eyes if you keep tabs on the fuel tank gauge.
Hwy mileage estimates are easy, because it is presumed you're doing the predictable speed limit, and they know the coefficient of aerodynamic drag at that speed. They know what gear the vehicle will be in. All very predictable, since they're not taking into account stop and go driving, just a state of steady cruise.
If you want economy, get a lighweight vehicle. The trade off is, you'll die in it if you hit a squirrel crossing the road. And handling a light vehicle in a strong wind is a complete PITA. And you'll most likely feel every pebble in the road that you run over.
I traded in economy for comfort, and am not sorry for my decision. And I am not surprised *they* can predict, with reasonable accuracy, HIGHWAY cruising mileage. It's all the other stuff that's going to empty your tank. Like for example you know that 1.5 ton truck you're driving? Put a 1.5 ton load in the back and get back to me on the mpg.
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