Real world mpg.. Do you track your gas mileage?

[Fumesucker]

What's your ride and what kind of mpg?

94 Nissan Altima, five speed 2.4, 29 mpg combined with basic hypermiling techniques while driving at or above speed limits.

97 Expedition, 22 hwy and about 16.5 city with basic hypermiling techniqes, same as above. The family member that owns the Expedition gets about 11.6 city with it driving "normally".

89 Yamaha FZR400 crotch rocket, 60 plus with basic hypermiling blah blah and around 50 if I go over 80.

[NJmaverick]

1. What are you "hypermiling" techniques?

[lutefisk]

4. I can't decide if "hypermilers" are a menace or not. Here's an interesting short article:

"As we take off—or, more accurately, as the vehicle rolls forward really slowly—I notice that all four windows are closed and the AC is off. I'm sitting in one of the most technologically advanced cars in the world, and it feels like I'm trapped in a fanless tollbooth in Biloxi, Mississippi, in August. We take the interstate to Wayne's house. The speed limit is 55, and most of the traffic is zipping past at 75 or so, but Wayne hovers around 50 mph. He's riding the white line on the right side of the right-hand lane.

"Why are you doing that?" I ask from the backseat. "It's called ridge-riding," he explains, using another term he's invented. He ridge-rides to let people behind him know that he is moving slowly. I imagine it's also a way to avoid dying plastered to the grill of a semi. Ridge-riding, Wayne explains, saves gas in the rain, as it gets the wheels out of the puddly grooves in the road created by more, let's say, traditional drivers. "People are burning fuel to throw water in the air," he says, adding that you can hear if you're driving in the road's grooves or out of them. That's interesting, but I'm having a hard time concentrating, because my back and butt are beginning to stick to the seat. "Is anybody a little warm in here?" I ask.

I don't think Wayne hears me, because, as a Chevy Tahoe whizzes by, he notes, "I imagine that it's getting 10 to 13 miles per gallon climbing this hill. We're getting about 80. It'll drive you crazy." I'm thinking that hypermiling consists of driving like a 90-year-old in a mobile sweat lodge..."

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html

Nothing like being behind a hypermiling Prius on an on ramp to a busy, fast-moving freeway.

[Fumesucker]

11. You can take anything too far..

Going too fast, going too slow..

Most cars there isn't that much average mpg difference between slight and moderate acceleration, moderate acceleration uses more gas but it does so for a shorter length of time.

It's the brakes that kill gas mileage, use the brakes as little as possible..

[lutefisk]

12. Agreed. I think it's mostly driving smoothly and reasonable top speeds.n/t

[Kindigger]

14. Rural roads

I've started driving "to town" the way you describe. The car that comes up on me about once every 10 miles, gets unhappy, but oh well.

I've been experimenting with regular vs. ethanol- expensive gas vs. cheap also.

Buying 93 octane, and dropping my speed from 55mph to 40-45mph has increased my mileage from around 34mpg to 42 mpg.

Toyota Tercel.

[caraher]

36. At some point it becomes an obsession

and the sad part is that it makes FAR less difference if you get 60 MPG vs. 40 MPG than it does if we get someone from 20 MPG to 30 MPG for the same amount of driving.

I wish economy were quoted in something like gallons per 100 miles. Then it would be obvious what the fuel saving is for the same amount of driving:

40 MPG -> 2.50 gal/100 miles
60 MPG -> 1.67 gal/100 miles

Difference: 0.83 gal/100 miles

20 MPG -> 5.00 gal per 100 miles
30 MPG -> 3.33 gal per 100 miles

Difference: 1.67 gal/100 miles

[Fumesucker]

38. Yeah..

But when gas gets to be $5 a gallon then 0.83 gallons is going to be $4.15 .

Of course there is a point of diminishing returns, but that doesn't mean that it's stupid to strive for better numbers.

[caraher]

55. True

I guess my main point is that moving the SUV drivers into something reasonable will make a lot more difference than people already driving efficient cars jumping through hoops to make them a bit more efficient.

But yeah, a buck's a buck, and CO_2 not released is all to the good. Two good reasons to strive for better efficiency

[Fumesucker]

8. Accelerate gently to moderately

Limit your speeds and try to drive such that you use both the brake and the throttle as little as possible.

Cruise control as much as possible.

Take corners wide, slow down as little as you can, every mph you slow down you have to use fuel to regain.

That's in addition to tire pressures, engine tune and so forth.

[bullwinkle428]

15. Check out "www.cleanmpg.com" - everything you could

ever possibly want to know on the subject!

Honestly, it's an excellent site, and I've learned a great deal from the long-time posters there...

[Fumesucker]

21. Cool.. thanks for the link n/t

[MercutioATC]

2. 2 cars...Audi S8 and Porsche 911

2001 Audi S8, automatic (with Tiptronic) 4.2, 17 mpg combined driving (about 21 highway and 14 city)

1983 Porsche 911, five speed 3.0, 25 mpg combined driving

[madinmaryland]

3. Two cars:

2001 Nissan Altima, Automatic, 29.5 hwy, 20 in town.

2004 Ford Focus, Automatic. 30.5 hwy, 22 in town.

[sailor65]

5. Several

2007 Jeep Patriot, 26 combined
2007 Jeep wrangler, 20 combined (Not the DD)

1975 ChrisCraft 33, twin 350.....oh, never mind that one. :-)

Edited for spelling

[JackintheGreen]

6. 01 Kawasaki EJ650

45+ city. Not awesome for a bike, but all i ever do anymore is city commuting. It does much better highway, but it's been a long time since I spent much time there. I wish I had a 350...or a diesel

[Night_Nurse]

7. My ride...

is a 2007 Toyota Yaris hatchback, and I get 35-40mpg :-) It has an 11 gal gas tank, lol.. I love it.

An FZR? Nice ride. I used to have a Ninja, I miss it.

[madokie]

9. just a tad over 5 miles per dollar

[Fumesucker]

13. Ouch..

I know people with 454 dually pickups..

:(

[riderinthestorm]

42. Yup, I've got a 454 dually pickup. 9 mpg tops

When I'm driving the rig loaded with 6 horses, it's worse. We never take that out now unless it's going to a competition or the vet.

06 VW Beetle, manual transmission, 30 mpg.

Yamaha Riva scooter gets 85 mpg; we drive this almost exclusively April - October.

We have a pony who is broke to a cart and with the new Woodman's opening less than 2 miles down the road, we're going to experiment taking the pony cart to the grocery store. 4 - 5 miles per hour, no gas required (other than the gas she puts out!), just grass pasture. :evilgrin:

[lutefisk]

10. Only check once in a while.

Infinity G20 28-35
Honda Odyssey 22-27
Land Cruiser 14-16

[Fumesucker]

20. The G20 is a nice little car..

I've had one of those and it was a great little car.. Great mileage, drove like it was on tracks, comfortable with a big trunk and peppy too.

[LeftHander]

24. I got one...28-31 mpg....1995 G20t

If I drive hard...24-28...

I blew the engine and put a JDM roller rocker. Just fixed axle.

158k miles...been my daily driver for ten years now. Intake and exhaust. (going back to stock muffler this summer sick of the noise.)

I'll miss it when it poos....It is now just starting to get a little rust on the wheel wells.

[Fumesucker]

16. I found a real world test of a BMW 650G ..

67 mpg.. And then over 80 mpg with a basic aerodynamic windshield on it.

They are $7500 msrp

[guitar man]

17. 1999 Harley Sportster 883

...highway, about 50-55mpg depending on how hard I ride/45 city

1995 Lincoln Mark VIII 26mpg highway/21 city

2003 Dodge 1500 shortbed pickup, V6/5 speed, 22mpg highway/18 city.

the bike is getting a lot of use these days :D

[Squatch]

18. 07 Suzuki DL-1000.

I get about 42mpg consistently. And, that's including Givi luggage and my penchant for being heavy on the throttle.

[bullwinkle428]

19. I've been tracking mine for years, long before the prices

started shooting up (i.e., when * took office).

I have an '02 Accord, with a 5-speed manual and a 4-cylinder engine, and have been seeing tanks over 35 mpg since the weather began warming recently. I was closer to 32 overall over the winter. In fact, I'm approaching 600 miles on my current tank - the warning light came on just a few miles from my workplace this morning. Tank capacity is right around 17 gallons, and the light is supposed to come on with ~2 gallons remaining. I should probably be somewhere over 38 for this particular tank, which is a new record for me!

The car was EPA rated at 26/32 using the original estimates (the ones that were changed last year because too many complained they couldn't be attained), and to me that's proof that there were no problems with the original estimates. The only problem is a lack of education in economical driving techniques...

[KillCapitalism]

22. Yes I track & sorta hypermile.

I have a 2008 Mazda 3 that gets right around 31 mpg.

I don't do anything extreme like shut off my engine while moving as far as hypermiling goes, but sometimes I do coast in neutral down long hills.

Here are some things I've done to get better MPG:

- Switched to 0W-20 synthetic motor oil.
- Keep all tires at the max air pressure rating on the tire's sidewall.
- Installed a cold air intake.
- Take it easy & accelerate like you have an egg between your foot and the gas pedal. :D

[Two Truck]

23. We've only one car that's driven daily so the fuel bills aren't too bad

2006 Malibu SS 25MPG combined (Daily Driver)
2005 2500HD pickup 16MPG combined (Not Daily Driver)
85 Monte SS 4GPM of Methanol (Race Car)
I've wondered about those that "hypermile". How do you excpect to brake or steer properly should something happen with the engine shut off? No engine means no power assist, the effort is greatly increased over simple non-power steering or non-power brakes. Is it worth risking a life over an extra mile or two? What if you blow a tire or have to swerve around something in your path.
Don't shut off an automatic transmission car while driving over a couple MPH. No engine means no trans fluid moving in the transmission. They can/will/do overheat and burn up the internals due to the cooling circuit not flowing.

[Fumesucker]

27. I agree that you should not turn off the engine..

With an automatic..

I would consider turning the engine off to be an advanced technique.

[Gold Metal Flake]

47. Correct info on automatics.

Only really old transmissions had rear pumps. Modern automatics and automatic transaxles should not be coasted with the engine off. Nor should they be towed with the drive wheels turning.

As for engine off coasting, if I had a standard I would have no problem with doing so. yes, the vacuum for power brakes and the hydralic pressure for the power steering assist are not present, but one can get used to that with a small or medium sized vehicle. I would not want to do it in a large car or truck.

[taterguy]

25. Gary Fisher mountain bike

Unlimited miles to the gallon.

Life is good.

[Fumesucker]

29. I have a mountain bike too..

Pretty nice Mongoose..

My problem is too many mountains.. ;-)

And too many years now.

Life is preferable to the alternative.. At least some of the time.

[Speck Tater]

26. My tractor gets about 1.5 acres per gallon.

Don't know about my car. I think the gas evaporates faster than I burn it, since I drive so little.

[Mountainman]

28. Do you track how much gas you burn? You should.

Screw mileage, if you are talking about you carbon foot print or being green then talk about how many gallons per week you burn not how many miles to the gallon you get.

You can drive a 40 mpg car and still pollute more than someone who gets 16. Efficiently is not the measurement to use unless everyone drive the same amount of miles each week which is ludicrous.


Why is that so fucking hard to understand. We are so hung up trying to prove how fucking liberal we are we become just like the freepers believing in their ideology even when it is proven false.


Common we are smarter than that. Stop patting yourselves on the back and find alternatives to burning gasoline.

[Fumesucker]

30. What, exactly, is wrong with trying to conserve fuel?

When and where you go is a separate issue from your fuel efficiency.

I'm interested in the mechanics and kinetics, you wish to address the sociology.

[Mountainman]

46. Nothing is wrong with conserving fuel, That's what we should do.

Drive less and you conserve fuel. The less efficient car needs to be driven less than the efficient car to conserve the same amount of fuel.

I'm trying to say to people that you need to think about how much fuel you burn also. If you commute a long distance every day, even though you drive a fuel efficient car, you could be putting more pollutants in the air than someone with a less efficient car. So look at the gallons of gas per a time period when you want to consider how you are effecting the environment. Don't feel smug because you get 40 MPH and the SUV next you you gets 18. That SUV driver may be burning less fuel per week than you do.

A couple of people on this board understand what I'm trying to say but most just look at the vehicle and make value judgments about the driver. That is what the right does. They have their foolish ideology and the judge everyone by that ruler. We should be smarter than that.

[kineneb]

35. I try to have "no drive" days

If I don't need to drive into "town" (10+ mi), then I stay home and use my bicycle. When Hubby and I chose the property, I insisted that it be within walking/biking distance of basic necessities: the P.O. (no delivery here), and a grocery store (locally-owned old-style small grocery).

[MadinMo]

31. 91 Toyota Camry, 4 cyl , automatic

I get 30 - 32 mpg if I'm extra careful. I try to use the brakes as little as possible, and drive smoothly. I make folks behind me mad, but they are usually in SUVs or pick ups. Its kinda fun experimenting with various techniques to see what will help with the mpg.

I have noticed more people driving slower.

We made a road trip over the weekend to help celebrate a niece's graduation. There were SOME bat outta hell drivers on the highway, but much fewer than usual.

[sinkingfeeling]

32. Here' s my two:

1991 Subaru Loyale Wagon, manual 5-speed, 4 cyclinder. Highway - about 36MPG Town - about 29 to 30 MPG

1999 Saturn, 5 speed manual, 4 cylinder. Highway - 39MPG Town - about 31 MPG

[kineneb]

33. 2000 Huyndai Elantra wagon, 30-32 mpg, 5 -speed manual trany

mostly rural roads...no city driving, because there are no cities here...finally replaced original brakes at 154,000 mi... use engine for braking and still get the same milage...

gods, I sure like driving the mountain roads when there is no traffic, like slalom skiing, but in a car... wheeeeee!

[Fumesucker]

37. You ought to try the mountain roads..

On a crotch rocket.. :evilgrin:

[kineneb]

39. used to ride them on a bicycle

hill-bombing was fun...especially after the grind up the hill...

Motorcycles are Verboten since Little Brother's accident (driver didn't see him). Now I would like to get the Mazda Miata running again and be able to drive it (gets about the same milage, but more fun).

[Samurai_Writer]

34. Here's my mileage

1984 Ford Bronco II

Highway - 25mpg
City - 22mpg
Mountains - 18mpg

I drive maybe 10 miles a week in my Bronco during a normal week. I do go up in the mountains about once every two months or so and put probably 100 miles on it during a weekend trip.

I live 1/2 mile from work and 2 miles from any store I need to go to. Which is why I bought...

2007 Giant Suede DX-w
Pedal power only!

[Cheap_Trick]

40. I'm driving an "08 Ford Focus

the onboard system says I'm averaging 29.9 MPG right now. It fluctuates as I do more city or highway driving. Before we went out of town yesterday it was 29.6. When we road trip to Iowa in a couple weeks, I expect the mpg to get to at least 30.5+

[flvegan]

41. Yes. 2007 Mazdaspeed 3.

6 spd, 2.3 turbo, 20 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway.

I'm heavy on the gas pedal, too.

[taught_me_patience]

50. Damn I want that car so bad!

Thanks for the report on the gas mileage. I've got a 40 mile commute and was concerned. Not anymore :evilgrin:

[flvegan]

52. It's everything you might have read about it.

And then some. At a production run of 5k a year, it's nice to have a car you don't see at every turn, too.

I highly recommend it. Mine's red.

[NickB79]

43. 2005 Scion xA

Automatic, 32 mpg combined, 39-40 mpg highway. I practice basic hypermiling techniques like rolling to red lights when traffic is light, gentle acceleration, trailing semi-trailers at a safe distance, driving 65 in a 70, etc.

[Orsino]

44. Prius. 50-56 mpg. n/t

[rexcat]

45. 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid...

I am getting about 46 mpg per tank of gas!

[Gold Metal Flake]

48. 2007 Ford Focus wagon

30-31 mpg on 20 mile each way commute, some street & some freeway. Some coasting, easy acceleration and I kill the engine at long lights.

[taught_me_patience]

49. 2005 Honda Accord Coupe - 30mpg

in mixed driving. This weekend, I hit my all time high of 40mpg while doing pure flat highway driving at 75mph (with AC on). I had 200 miles on the odometer and wanted to top off. My jaw dropped when I could only fill 5 gallons.

[noonwitch]

51. 2005 Focus-gets about 30-32 mpg on the freeway, about 28 city

About as good as american cars get.

[matt007]

53. '06 RSX........32mpg highway

I'm happy. I walk around my neighborhood too for groceries, for a beer, etc.

[matt007]

54. and thats the type S six speed

[GRLMGC]

56. 27 to 30 MPG with my 2006 Corolla

I'm trying not to drive so much since I have very little money and goddamn gas sucks up about 45% of my weekly budget.

[aquarius dawning]

57. 2006 400 hp Corvette-30-32 mpg at 55 mph. 26-28 mpg at 65 mph.

2000 185 hp Chevy Blazer 4x4--maybe around 20 mpg at highway speeds. I don't drive it much anymore.

[TBF]

58. 2001 Subaru wagon - avgs. about 25 mpg

The new ones are actually a little worse - 20-26 mpg. It's a great little car otherwise but I do wish it were a little better in that department.