has anyone else noticed their mpg drop when driving with their top down?? the weather's been really nice here this past month or so, so i've been driving with the top down almost all the time day and night. unfortunately, i've also noticed that my mpg has dropped from around 18mpg to 15mpg around this time. now, i don't think my driving style has changed; in fact, i find myself using 6th gear more often than i've ever in the past, so the only difference i can pinpoint that can attribute to this is the lack of aerodynamics with the top down. i suspect that there is a significant more drag with the top down because i've noticed that when you lift off the throttle (especially at higher speeds) with the top down, the car slows down a lot more than with the top up. i really don't mind paying for the extra gas, it's just that i find it annoying to have to visit the gas station so frequently.

 

the s2k is less areodynamic with the top down. more drag = more fuel consumption. on and 15 mpg I usually get atleast 20mpg with the top down. shift into 6th at 36mpg to save gas.

 

There is more drag; top speed is reduced because of it. In a car with a fixed roof, if you open the window you generate more drag. It is actually more efficient to use the AC then have windows down.

 

I never thought about that. It's obvious now though. I pretty much have my top down all the time and I usually only get about 240 miles per tank. But I Vtec a lot too.

 

240 isn't all that bad, but that really depends on how much freeway driving is in there as well.

 

Jeez, my car never got less than 20MPG, no matter how I drive it.

There's about a 3-4MPG difference between top up and top down.

 

Does the top go up?!?!?!?!

 

I vtec all I want with the top down and still get over 20 mpg. maybe i'm not VTECing all that much.

 

I have noticed that my MPG's go up as the weather gets warmer. It has little to do with top up or down as I drive with the top down the majority of the time. I usually get 25 in winter and 27 or better during the summer.
Haven't quite figured out why.

 

Def. more aerodynamic drag with top down but drag is only one factor in gas mileage. There's no way that running topless would drop mileage from 18 to 15, all other things being equal. You might get a 1.0 drop, 1.5 tops, when cruising at freeway speeds but in around town driving difference would be minimal, perhaps 0.5 mpg.