Rats - much harder to get great MPG with the automatic. But you have to work with what you've got.

29 city is pretty decent for an auto Aveo in 100% city driving. You're beating the EPA rating -- a sign you're probably already a decent eco-driver.

Do you think a cold air intake would help?
Nope. Colder, denser air is good for power, not necessarily for fuel economy. A warm air intake might be slightly better for MPG.

But I wouldn't really worry about that. The change would be pretty tiny.

Does anyone have any advice to increase the MPG to 30+ city?
The simplest vehicle mod that will improve your city fuel economy is upping your tire pressure to reduce rolling resistance.

I know this gets people riled up, but I go to at least the max rated pressure on my tire's sidewall. (Disclaimer: may have implications for tire wear and handling. It could help or hurt in both -- depends on the car & the tires. But I've never seen unusual wear by running higher tire pressure on any of my cars, and I've done it for decades.)

Consider getting a fuel economy computer.

Something like a Scangauge or an OBD-II bluetooth device that talks to a phone app, whatever. Anything with instant MPG + resettable trip MPG. Live feedback will keep you on task much more than tank-to-tank calcs.

Make your commute into a challenge to get the best possible "score". Track every tank on Fuelly or a similar site. Track every commute if you're hardcore.


But without a doubt, the biggest bang for your buck is modifying the nut behind the wheel.

Play the momentum game.

I used to teach defensive driving, and sometimes still teach "economy driving" for friends & family. And the number one best way to improve city MPG is to avoid rushing into avoidable slowdowns & stops. How? Look well ahead and anticipate changes in traffic flow so you can back off the accelerator as early as practical. Keep the car moving as much as possible so you don't waste momentum with unneccessary or hard braking. In city driving, the brake pedal is the enemy of good MPG.

EG #1: Is that traffic light ahead already red? OK, stop accelerating towards it. Can you adjust your speed so you get there when it turns green and you don't have to brake at all? Make it a game.

EG #2: Is there a bus ahead in the right lane that's making frequent stops? Cars slowing to make right turns into driveways, etc.? Which lane has the most predictable flow? Constantly evaluate & choose the lane of least resistance.

EG #3: Caught in "stop & go" traffic? Drive like a big rig: increase your following distance and try to crawl along at a relatively constant speed instead of repeatedly starting & stopping. Yes, that means other drivers will sometimes cut in to the open space that you leave in front of your car, but that's not really a big deal.

When I take people out to teach them this stuff, we typically see their city MPG improve by 10-20%.

If you want to go nuts, check Ecomodder for many more tips & tricks in terms of vehicle efficiency mods & eco-driving techniques that range from mild to hardcore.