New exhaust/ filter worry wort!

After much controversy and countless emails on this media, i am going to give this a go ahead and put the new K/N drop in air filter and borla exhaust. i have 1700 miles on my 02 with an automatic. i get around 15 city now. i cant wait to see what happens. Anyone with this upgrade with an AUTOMATIC in it, please set my mind at ease. i have to get 20 city / 30 highway or im selling it in the spring.

[Pittsburgh Cruiser]

Get the "FOR SALE" sign ready!!!!

There is no way you'll get those MPG numbers.

[Grouch]

I Have A Box Stock 2002 Automatic With 1000 Miles Got 19 mpg Last Fill Up It Is Only Rated 19 City 25 Highway If Wanted Great Gas Mileage You Better Put The For Sale Signs Up.

Well am i to think that you 2 have made these upgrades and your mileage is not up to 20 city ...30 highway? What is your mileage?
Everyone i have talked to about this upgrade has said i should see dramatic results. I dont want a over noisy exhaust, but more mileage thats it. if this borla exhaust and k/n drop in air filter will not give me what i really want, then ill send it back. Please let me hear from those who have made this upgrade with your new mileage now.

[Scott P]

By the time the engine's broken in and with the exhaust, you shouldn't have any problems seeing above 20 mpg city, but I don't think there's any way you'll see 30 mpg hwy. I think that's a pretty unrealistic expectation and if that's what it's gonna take for you to keep the car, get out that For Sale sign. The highest you'll probably see is 25-26. If you wanted to get over 30 mpg, you should've bought a Honda Civic. You need to ask yourself why you bought this car and whether or not a few mpg less than what you hoped for is enough reason for you to get rid of it.

I have an '01 5 SPD W/ K&N drop in filter and Borla "dual" exhaust. When I run mid grade gas, I get 25 MPG in town and at 70 MPH W/ Cruise on, I get 30 MPG. If I use regular gar (85 octane) however my mileage drops to 20 MPG!
Happy hunting!

Well unlike you, i have the luxury of not paying full sticker price for DC cars. I have the benefit of the DC employee discount. I saved 15% off the sticker. that means i can buy it around $1000 under dealer invoice. THATS WHY! That also means the extra money YOU paid for your car, is the same money i have in the bank that I can spend on other stuff like GAS, new exhaust, tint, sport wing. My point is that a car made off a Neon chassis with a 4 cyl engine in it should get 20 mpg city PERIOD no matter who made it.

[Scott P]

JDsPT (06 Sep, 2001 04:29 p.m.):
Well unlike you, i have the luxury of not paying full sticker price for DC cars. I have the benefit of the DC employee discount. I saved 15% off the sticker. that means i can buy it around $1000 under dealer invoice. THATS WHY! That also means the extra money YOU paid for your car, is the same money i have in the bank that I can spend on other stuff like GAS, new exhaust, tint, sport wing. My point is that a car made off a Neon chassis with a 4 cyl engine in it should get 20 mpg city PERIOD no matter who made it.

Remember that the PT is a lot less areodynamic than the Neon and it weighs a lot more.

BTW, you work for DC and you don't know that the PT is not built on a Neon chassis?

[PTBetts]

I'm sensing a bit of hostility on this thread. I am planning on getting the K&N, but probably won't go for a new exhaust quite yet. If I get a one or two mpg bump I'll be happy. I just filled up yesterday and came in at 22mpg, one of the best marks yet. It's a 5-spd w/4000 mi., but my daily commute is short, stop and go, mostly city driving. Highest mark was 25 mpg, when I did the Cruise the Rockies.

I have to agree with other people on this thread; this ain't the most fuel efficient car on the block, and demanding 20/30mpg is a bit extreme. My wife's Corolla has never dropped below 30, and we got it almost to 40 mpg once. But I'll gladly pay a few bucks extra at the pump to be in my Cruiser. As for the Neon references, I am not one to get into the debate of how Neon-esque the Cruiser is, but I'm pretty sure the 2.4L engine puts out a bit more power, and, who've thought, worse mileage than that compact car. If you want Neon mileage (and performance), why didn't you pick up one of those with your DC discount?

[WCS]

As one of the guys who has emailed with JD about this I am going to put this topic to bed. DC made it known in no uncertain terms what mileage expectations for the PT should be with an automatic transmission. 20 city and 25 highway. It says so right on the sticker and was published in every car magazine known to man. After initially getting 17 city and 23 highway with my automatic after a suitable "break in period" I installed an un-insulated open intake and a Borla cat back system. My mileage ballooned to 22 city and 27 highway. That's while disobeying every posted speed limilt except the ones in school zones. I'm very happy with this and to JD: if you don't want the noise of this set up I would suggest closing the windows and cranking up your Ozzy Osbourne CDs. Good luck and don't worry about this so much. Bill