They are

 

If you plan on really keeping the car for a long time I would do headers, cold air intake and then a good tune. The headers make a huge difference in both perfomance and mileage when you keep your foot out of it.
Just make sure you let the tuner know your not racing and you don't want absolute max power but instead a good all around capability to include good mileage below 3000 rpms.

 

An egg between your foot and the gas pedal also works really well - but I recommend you also get plastic floor mats - the urge to mash it is hard to resist

 

approval over $200...... CEO?

Maybe you should forget modding and put the money in a fund for much needed testosterone shots.

 

Anything to improve your VE(volumetric efficiency) or reduce friction will pick up your mileage.

CAI, FAST, heads, headers, UD pulley, and possibly a cam(depending on overlap).

Good luck with the CEO

 

Here’s exactly what you need.

$200 is NOT going to get it for you ,,, PERIOD!

Mileage comes from engine efficiency. GM tunes the PCM/ECU for a very WIDE range of driving conditions and drivers. The ECU is NOT fully optimized for your car or driving styles. Adding modifications to the engine makes it worse for fuel efficiency but you will gain some power. Adding mods usually makes the engine run more rich than it was already running from the factory.

Your best bet for a sensible increase in HP would be headers and cold air intake that gets cold fresh air from the front of the car like VARARAM. Adding modifications does NOT doom you to less fuel mileage. You can have BOTH!!!

Installing either one of those MODs or BOTH will give you more power but initially reduce your fuel efficiency.
When you get your car professionally tuned, it will optimize the ECU to the mods and make the engine more efficient and even more power. That reads MORE MPG!

I had my car tuned after headers, ported TB and installation of a VARARAM and went from 23-24 MPG highway to 29 MPG highway and got more power from my mods than I had before it was properly tuned.

Professionally tuned does not mean sending your ECU mail order to someone. Unless a WIDE BAND is used to adjust the AFR’s during the dyno and road tune of the vehicle, you not getting the whole deal. Fine tuning the VE and MAF tables puts the tune SPOT ON.
That type of tune cost around $350-$500. The $100 mail order tune will get you more power but, it may not provide you the optimum fuel efficiency that your looking for. Good tuning takes time and skills. That cost MONEY! Its money well spent.

Chuck at Corvettes of Westchester tuned my wifes 06 Coupe and did a fantastic job. Lots more power / throttle response and we get 3-4 more MPG to boot! We are VERY happy with the COW tune!

Save your cash until you can get all the mods that you want and the proper tune you really need.
Enjoy your car until then.
BC

 

The approach I use is to buy your goodies for your b-day, xmas, groundhog day etc. Forget the better mileage angle, it's bogus.

 

Saving gas= no fun

 

Some people have to use there C5/C6 as a daily driver. So,,,,,YES,,, increasing HP and keeping the fuel efficiency at or above where it normally is concerns some of us.

If its a track or drag car, I agree, but, not all of us can build a single use car.

I have an 02 ZO6 and it's 450 RWHP and i still get 26 mpg on the highway driving conservatively.

Its all in the tune.

 

True but the OP doesn't care about better mileage, he wants to make his car faster and he's trying to justify it to his wife. I just suggested that the mileage angle was the wrong approach.

 

He can actually have the best of both worlds. Please the wife with better mileage and the ability to scorch the asphalt.