Yes, your driving habits / how you drive matters greatly.
Buy a Scangauge II, and it will give you second by second read out of what you are getting MPG wise.
Shift quickly, don't shift above 4k rpms , feather the accelerator (don't be a lead foot the majority of the time). If it's real steep grade maybe 4th gear, rolling hills maybe 5th gear, long and flat = 6th gear. The faster you get out of 1st, 2nd, 3rd ….. the better, shift up.
A narrower tire ( 205 or 215) , with higher PSI , and lighter wheels also helps MPG. Properly tuned up car also helps. Use synthetic gear / engine oil, it's worth it and last longer then dino oil.
Buy better gas (Mobile /Exxon or Shell) , and the more you have your AC / defroster on = that also eats gas. The less idling you do…better mpg, more idling = worse mpg.
**Pay attenstion to your local routes where you drive daily, to get more efficient (ex. I take a road to work in the morning that is more downhill, then coming the opposite way = climbing hills hurts mpg). Left turns = tend to eat more gas. Avoid stop lights when at all possible. Keep the car moving…… being in 2nd, 3rd gear, is better then not going any where. When you see road construction happening, avoid that route if possible.
We can also talk drafting as well… if you'd like. Some people think it's dangerous. You can actually benefit from drafting by being in the opposite lane as a semi (big rig) , behind them about 15-50 feet , cruising at their speed.
I learned a lot about MPG driving my Scion xA , for over 9 years now
