[fredjacksonsan]

"Heavy Foot": giving a lot of gas to start off, etc.

If you're consistently getting poor mileage, I'd start with the O2, or oxygen sensor. I've seen several posts where poor gas mileage was caused by a bad oxygen sensor. The easy "backyard mechanic" way to check, is to have a look/feel at your tailpipe. Is it black, shiny and wet inside after driving? It may also smell a little like gas. If so, then your car is running too rich and the extra gas isn't being burned, but being put out the tailpipe.

Also, how many miles do you have, and do you have good plug wires and spark plugs? Those can reduce mileage also.

Check your tire inflation, too. If they're off they can contribute to lower mileage.