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Real world gas mileage for sedans
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I want any other arizonans or anyone else in extreme heat areas to tell me the difference in their mileage when the heat begins and also what is worse the hot air or the a/c?
Save Money on Gas
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/220458_mileage16.html
- Ray
Happy to achieve EPA - occasionally. . .
City: 16-18 mpg
Highway: 22 mpg (100-110 mph), 25 mpg (70-80 mph), 29 mpg (65-75 mph)
(All figures taken from topping off the tank and dividing miles by gallons used.)
Average miles per gallon for entire trip was 25.80 Car has 10,000 miles on it now.
I'm very happy with that fuel economy under those conditions.
3.5 liter motor, 194 horsepower.
I am a 14 year old(sadly isnt able to drive legally). My dad is planning on changing his '92 Toyota Camry. He isnt really sure on what he wants but he has test drived the Acura TL(Awsome), Infiniti G35(Awsome Car), Nissan Maxima (Not as Awsome car). Im pretty sure y'all are probably thinking why is this guy's son writing this and not him? Well my dad is lazy and i just want to help get his new car since i am a auto freak and i want him to make a good choice. Now back to "choices". Now that the gas price has went up by 30cents+, my dads choices have almost gone to 'step 1'. I would like to know what are your average MPG(or if possible since i am canadian how many liters it takes you to get 100 Km) for these models that i think are smart choices for my dads needs:
Acura TL
Infiniti G35x
2005/6 VW Passat
Volvo S60
and Toyota Avalon
Thanks in advance,
Tom
I average approximately 15-17 mpg in moderate city and mixed driving, up to 28-30 mpg on pure highway driving at 70-75 mph. Overall, since I've had the car, I have averaged about 20.3 mpg with a 50/50 mix.
This is not as good as I expected. My TL 6-speed was rated at 20/30. My previous sedan, a 1995 Nissan Maxima SE 5-speed was rated at 22/27 and managed to get at least 20-22 mpg in the mixed driving and upwards of 27-29 on the highway for an overall average of 23.9 mpg in 153,000 miles. That's nearly 20% better fuel economy than the TL. The TL is more powerful on paper (270 vs. 190 hp), but in reality, not a heck of a lot quicker. The 1995 Maxima was capable fo 0-60 in 6.7; the 2004 TL 6-speed in about 6.2.
So, in summary, I am quite pleased with the TL's 28-30 mpg highway fuel efficiency; but for mixed driving, at least with the 6-speed, 15-17 mpg is below my expectations and well below the EPA rating. In almost all other respects, the TL is a very nice car that I am quite happy with.
I'd convert all of these figures into liters per 100 kilometers for you, but as a dad myself, I am inclined to have you practice your math. Post your answers and I'll let you know if they are correct.
Good luck.
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, September 14, 2005 with a few thoughts on the subject.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com
LOL! You are just MEAN!! :shades:
per Km. Two answers. Why the first one is an actual conversion i found online
and the second one is mine done on paper. But if we were to round them they
would both be 12Lper 100Km... Happy Now!
Your "grade" is pending.
P.S. If it's any consolation, I credit my 9th grade math teacher for beating (literally) algebra into me (he was also the wrestling / boxing coach) about 35 years ago. I went on to have an easy time in undergraduate and gradute business school and last night picked up a new 911 S convetible. Before my 7 and 10 year old daughters can ride in the back seat, they will have to complete their math homework every night. Exercising your brain now will bring you many good things in the future.
I commute in the '02 Passat, and get remarkable mileage--I haven't had a tank under 33 mpg, and am usually closer to 35. My commute is 75 miles round trip and 95% freeway, although I climb over an 8000 ft. pass each way (Salt Lake City to Park City, Utah). The '02 Passat is the same as the '05, so that might be some indication. I haven't had a true mixed driving tank yet--I bought the car to commute in, and that's about all I use it for.
Hope that helps...
I just bought (2 weeks ago) a 06 Avalon XLS auto and so far am averaging 26-27 mpg with regular unleaded over the same roads and driving conditions as the TL above.
Hope this helps.
My auto 89 900S (also turbo) got 23 city and 28-3- highway going at fast speeds. I do drive fast but drive smoothly on the highway.
Acura TL
Infiniti G35x
2005/6 VW Passat
Volvo S60
With that list, I would also consider the latest Audi A3/A4 and the Jetta (TDI or 2.0TFSI).
I recently drove in the Sierra (high altitude, spirited driving uphill but mostly coasting downhill because of speed limits) with my 2000 V6 Passat AWD Wagon and two friends in other cars (Honda Element and Honda Odyssey). I got above 30mpg average on the trip, the Element got 26, and the Odyssey got 22. And that is including the additional drive train loss with my permanent AWD, and a Yakima 3-bycicle rack (w/o bicycles) on the roof. So, folks, all I can say is don't trust advertised mileage. Until official test procedures improve, ask a lot of trustworthy people what they are getting under similar conditions that you are driving ...
By the way, when the engine is cold and I drive in the city for short distances, I get perhaps 15-18 mpg. Fortunately, I don't do that very often...
My new 2005 XLS Avalon got up to
34.4 MPG on super unleaded (91) with 4 passangers and luggage.
not too bad. huh?
I did take a picture with my cell phone to prove it
if you guy and gals like to see I will post it soon.
Like too know if any one has gotten a higher MPG.
Thank's all
How did you figure the mpg on this trip? Is this from the trip computer or fill-up to fill-up? Thanks
I wonder if a 17 year old "central valley, california" student can figure out his actual MPG, period? It's true. I'm not kidding.
My wife's 2001 Cherokee (4.0L 6cyl, 4spd auto, 4x4), on the other hand, averages about 19 MPG in the same mix, which goes up to 21-22 on the highway (65-70 MPH) and at worst 10 MPG (mud crawling). There is no difference with roof-rack bike carriers (once a brick, always a brick).
catlady 44
Best full tank has been 19.78.
That is calculated (with Excel) not DIC indicated.
Now, the EPA rating for the GXP, as everyone here likely knows, is 18 \ 27.
If I fill my tank, with a warm engine (as I did this morning) and then immediately jump on the Interstate and head from North East of Atlanta toward Mid-Town at 6:00 AM, the DIC (proven fairly accurate) showed 28.2 AVG MPG when I pulled off I85 after approx. 18 miles. That included a couple of short WOT bursts to merge into traffic. Traffic was typical for that time of morning, and the fast lane was moving at 70 to 75 most of the way. A couple of times, I briefly touched 80. A couple of times I needed to slow to 60 or so. [[ NB: The EPA highway test STILL limits vehicles to a ** maximum ** speed of 60 MPH!! ]] By the time I pulled into the parking lot of my office, including a couple of miles of surface streets, the DIC showed exactly 27. Ambient air temp. was below 70 – so I was quite comfortable running with the sunroof open to ‘vent’ and the A/C compressor off. (A/C can cost 1.0 to 1.5 MPG under most driving conditions.)
Point here is that I believe one could achieve very close to (or even more than) the reported EPA highway mileage, IF one drove under essentially the same conditions as the EPA assumes for their testing. (IE: A/C off, do not exceed 60 MPH, travel only on relatively level limited access highways with traffic light enough to not significantly impact speeds.)
In the now current ‘real world’, where speed limits are 70 MPH in many areas outside metro districts, traffic often travels at 75 to 80 MPH in such areas, A/C is much more common (than it was when the EPA test parameters were defined) and on and on – I think 25 MPG would likely be an excellent number to average over a full tank – even one that includes primarily such driving.
My gas mileage ‘problem’ with the GXP is likely 3 pronged:
[[ Emphasis = MY PROBLEM. Not really the GXP’s problem . . . ]
Prong 0.5 = I live near and commute into Atlanta. Traffic is terrible. (Not quite LA terrible, but really, really bad almost all the time.)
Prong 1 = I am soooo tempted to bury the throttle, to feel and to hear that V8 rumble and rush. I do try to restrict that activity. Sometimes, resistance is futile. I really enjoy it – and even with gasoline prices as they are (and have been recently) it is worth an occasional blast.
Prong 2 = I am afraid that my typical commute just does not allow the DoD feature to engage often enough and \ or long enough to provide much benefit for me. My commute into Mid-Town is typically early enough that I am running 65 to 75 \ 80, but there is enough traffic even before 6:30 that I am rarely running at a steady speed for long. Also, the trip begins and ends at roughly the same elevation, but there is generally up and down all the way – relatively gentle during the Interstate 85 leg, but still not ideal. My trip home in the afternoon is typically too late in the afternoon to be in light to moderate traffic. (sigh) Thus, I am almost certain that I have never been in DoD mode during my afternoon drive home . . . I am either accelerating or decelerating – and I am often in first or second gear from I85 \ I285 (spaghetti junction) to my house. That is 4 to 5 miles. Sometimes the acceleration rate is mild, as all traffic is held back – but that combination of slow \ go \ slow \ stop kills my average.
Prong 3 = When I do cruise in relatively light traffic, as I did driving to Braselton and back this past weekend, I do NOT stay below the maximum speed limit during the EPA highway test (still 60 mph!) that resulted in the 27 MPG rating. Cruising up I85 on Saturday morning and back early afternoon (over 20 miles of Interstate each way) I was running at 75 to 80. As was most other traffic. Clearly, the difference between 60 and 75 \ 80 is non-trivial.
If I am ever able to drive on a relatively level freeway outside metro Atlanta traffic of an extended trip, and I decide to maintain a ‘reasonable and prudent speed’ (below 80 MPH) I expect that I can average 25 or so MPG. If I can set the Cruise Control & maintain a steady speed and the roads are relatively level. We’ll see. I don’t expect to have an opportunity until Thanksgiving weekend (planning a run to see friends in the Florida Panhandle) to run for a long distance away from the typical traffic in and around Atlanta.
- Ray
Overall, still quite content . .
My 2006 Infiniti M45 Sport automatic gets about 17.5 mixed mostly city with the A/C on, uses 92 oct.
My record tank was 941 miles and 69.2MPG, calculated.
Not bad for a 5 passenger 4 door car!
1) 1995 Nissan Maxima SE 5-speed - rated 22/27: After 11 years and 155k miles I still get 28-29 mpg on the highway at 70-75 mph with A/C on.
2) 2002 Honda S2000 - rated 20/26: Only did the trip twice, averaged 29-32 mpg on each of the 4 legs. On the last one, got 31.2 mpg for a 240 mile stretch going 75+ mph with the A/C on and top down.
3) 2004 Acura TL 6-speed - rated 20/30: Average 29-31 at 75 mph, A/C on
4) 2005 Acura MDX - rated 17/23: Average 22.5 - 24 at 70-75 mph, A/C on and fully loaded.
5) 2005 Porsche 911 S Cab - rated 19/26: I'll let you know after this weekend. Only has 1,200 miles so far, so not fully broken in.
In each of the first four cars above, I usually match or beat the EPA estimate at 70+ mph. Doesn't seem to depend on A/C use, since some of my best mpg has been in the summer. The Honda S2000 was easily capable of beating the highway EPA rating by 20% at average speeds approaching 80 mph.
If your car is not getting the highway EPA under normal highway driving, either something is wrong with the car, or the EPA estimate was an overstatement.
The Passat so far is getting about 23 around town and has shown as much as 33 on the highway, but we've not had it long enough to get a good idea.
We also have an 04 Mercury Mountaineer 2WD with the V6. It stinks. 14.5 around town and 19 on the highway. Best I ever got was 23 on a long trip. If you're shopping for one (or an Explorer), go ahead and get the V8, or buy an Expedition. The bigger SUV will do just as good in 2WD version around town and there is enough room for an adult in the third row.
EPA ratings were 38 on the highway and, I believe, 32 in the city. I try to drive in such a way that I avoid much braking, rapid acceleration, etc., consistent with the traffic flow around me, coast occasionally, travel 65-70 on the highway. Highway mileage in this model seems to drop off more rapidly at high speeds than in other cars I have had. The transmission is manual 5-speed. I suspect that a sixth gear would squeeze out a few more highway mpg. I would have preferred to get an HX for the mileage, but they only come in a coupe and I preferred a 4-door. Also very few dealers carried them or showed any interest in ordering one in my area (Mass.). Thanks for your interest.
Polymorpha
This entry is directly from the 2005 EPA pamphlet:
Each vehicle in this guide has two fuel economy estimates.
City represents urban driving, in which a vehicle is started in
the morning (after being parked all night) and driven in stop and-
go rush hour traffic.
Highway represents a mixture of rural and interstate highway
driving in warmed-up vehicles, typical of longer trips in free flowing
traffic.
EPA miles-per-gallon (MPG) estimates are based on lab testing
and are adjusted to reflect real-world driving conditions for an
average U.S. motorist. Vehicles are tested in the same manner
to allow fair comparisons.
According to JOSEPH B. WHITE, Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL:
The EPA said methodology used to calculate city and highway gasoline mileage estimates includes a highway mileage segment, during which vehicles average 48 miles per hour. The EPA method assumes motorists spend 55% of their time in city driving.
And: The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a Washington-based trade group, spokesman Eron Shosteck said "Current (EPA) test procedures provide motorists with generally reliable estimates of what their gas mileage will be... They take into account various factors that motorists may encounter in typical driving situations, in both city and highway traffic."
When doing nearly 100% of city driving, my 1998 Mercury Sable gets around 12-14 mpg (rated for 19/28).
I know there is nothing wrong with the car as I do get close to and sometimes over 28mpg for extended highway driving.
I have a friend who at 10k miles was getting 27mpg until he reached the 15k mile mark then, it went up to 30mpg with the same driving pattern.
I'm thinking the engine is very tight and efficient so any new engine friction creates drag that will reduce with time.