For years I have been getting, rather consistently, 15 - 18 & sometimes 19 MPG's for my city and highway driving. Most recent maintenance items include a new radiator, fuel filter, regular oil changes.....

I had one CV boot tear and so I went ahead and replaced (myself) all 4 boots. Everything has been fine visually (no grease leaks or oozing), but since then..... I now get 12 - 13 MPG. Seriously, the next tank full of gas after the CV boot change is when it happened. I don't feel any drag when coasting in neutral, no motor noise changes, but it does seem like I hear a bit more "road" noise from the front.

Now I am still unemployed and money is tight, so I just can't take it to a mechanic and say fix it. I am hoping for some thoughts as to what this could be and what I should check out. Almost 170,000 miles on the VX and I am pretty solid with preventative measures, but this one has got me stumped.

Thanks for your input in advance.