So when I first bought my '83 245 off the lot a year ago, I was running an average of 230 miles to a tank of gas (translating to about 17mpg, since I hadn't pushed my tank all the way down to dry yet). Nowadays I'm amazed at the distance I can go. I just took it on a trip and managed to pull out more than a half thousand miles before I had to use the reserve tank in my trunk, meaning 34mpg (nearly hybrid quality)!

The secret? Simple. My three F's of great mileage:

1 - Be like a (F)eather on the gas pedal. And I DO MEAN LIGHT! It takes me at least a full minute to accelerate to 40mph. Sounds crazy, but believe me, it pays off. Why jackrabbit yourself over to the next red light when you can just as easily turtle your way there? And yes, FOLLOW THE SPEED LIMIT!
2 - Drive (F)ifty on the freeway. Yeah, the minimum's supposed to be 55, but seriously what cop is really gonna be checking for those going 5 under as opposed to 5 over? The "disadvantage" is it takes twice as long to get places as opposed to driving 100 like I used to when I was 18. :)
3 - (F)uck what everyone else thinks of your driving. That's right, turn down that rear view mirror and turn up the stereo and forget about those people behind you who are desperate to drive their SUV's and monster trucks like racecars. This is by far the hardest rule to get used to, but once I did, I found myself appreciating my good stereo system even more and actually enjoying taking my time to get places.

Of course there are other things that benefit mileage too, like using premium gas (with the mere 25 cent difference between regular and premium still around, it more than pays for itself in the extra mileage I get) and a bottle of STP injector cleaner, maintaining the car well (changing fluids and filters when appropriate, etc.), and (if you have a manual) not over-revving the engine. Trust me, you WILL see a difference of at least 100 miles a tank if you are a stickler for the rules. I've found having a turbo gauge on my non-turbo engine works well in letting me know how efficient I'm being on the gas pedal. I pick a low spot and basically don't ever let it get above that line (except on hills of course).

But there are a couple questions I have for any experts out there who know more about the effects of certain tactics on the wear and tear on the car, and I'll post them in another thread. Oh, and if any of them also have comments, like I shouldn't be doing this or that to the car for these reasons, please let me know because I certainly don't know all the lasting reprocussions of low-revving and STP every tank. Thanks! Happy driving!
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-jp ('83 245 DL, 210k, 4+OD, no A/C, piss yellow color - but hey, it's got a computer in it)