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Saturn Vue Real World MPG
My Vue is nearly 1 year old. Overall, it's fine. There are a couple of things that are weird, like iron screws that rust and wind noise on the passenger side.
I'm lucky to get 22 MPG! Why the window sticker showed a range from 23 to 29 escapes me. I'm no speed demon, but I'm not a slug either. I recently took two trips to a neighboring state and it was freeway all the way. What gives with the 22 MPG?? It seems the EPA "Estimated Fuel Economy" is completely misrepresented.
Anyone else have this issue?
I'm lucky to get 22 MPG! Why the window sticker showed a range from 23 to 29 escapes me. I'm no speed demon, but I'm not a slug either. I recently took two trips to a neighboring state and it was freeway all the way. What gives with the 22 MPG?? It seems the EPA "Estimated Fuel Economy" is completely misrepresented.
Anyone else have this issue?
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Comments
Thanks for the reply. I tend to run 87 octane. I'll give the mid-grade a try. I do also run the occasional fuel system cleaner in. Guess I'll try octane booster also! The screws are on the mud flaps. I fail to understand why any car manufacturer would use any material that would rust. I was told by Saturn that they are iron screws. A couple had fallen out and they were replaced. I'll take my vehicle in and have the wind noise looked at. I can't believe you get 24 to 28 MPG!! Another friend suggested using a K & N air filter. His mileage increased by 2 MPG by doing that and nothing else.
Thanks for your reply. :-)
Loriann
Steve, Host
Yeah, I guess you're faring far better with the Vue vs. the F150! I'm just glad I don't have to pay CA prices anymore. The hybrids will surely take a beating with the ratings MPG, but then again, it should have been an honest estimate anyhow! Can't trust the G-Men!
I had to push it for 30 miles and got the other 20 when the engine was still running !
I totally agree with some of you with regards to this SUV's shortcomings. I can honestly say that I will not buy another Saturn. On a positive note though, I like the direction the company's going with it's future model.
If any of you were serious about gas mileage, you would not have bought the VUE with the V6 engine--you would have bought one with the 4 cylinder. Or, you would have bought an economy car. But, since you post you do 75 mph on the highway, you announce you crave speed over conservation.
To brltam, if you get 22 mpg on the road, something is wrong. I get 21-22 mpg in the city in my 2005 4 cylinder 5 speed VUE.
To jclnick, huge changes are on the way. The next VUE will be smaller and a lot different from the current VUE. This is due to the larger Outlook that is on the way.
I believe it is foolish not to buy the honda V6. First it is a far superior engine and transmission than the 4 cyl. Plus, I get 28 mpg hwy and 20 straight city. Mixed driving nets about 25 mpg. About the same mpg as the 4 cyl. Plus, I get way more power for towing and a much more fun vehicle.
Anybody, who doesn't spend the extra $1,500 to get the Honda engine and transmission, is truly missing out on the Vue experience. What a vehicle the Vue V6 is.
Why would anyone not by the V6 is beyond me. What a great performing vehicle, great mpg, with absolutely incredible performance for an SUV.
My third tank was 20.8mpg which was mostly city, "Spirited" driving, I thought was pretty good. I'd be lucky to get 14-15mopg driving like in my GXP or the Canyon I traded for the Vue.
I think the V6 is fun - it is a totally different driving experience than the 4 cyl. I tried.
"really disappointed in mpg."
"i don't know if something is out of adjustment or what, very disappointed though."
This is what I am talking about.
The EPA is supposed to be revising the testing method to try to make the ratings more realistic. That should help lessen the surprises and increase the pressure on the auto makers to raise the mpg.
Steve, Host
My GM vehicles have consistently met/beat the EPA in hwy driving. This VUE having a Honda motor might be different.
So far my tanks fills on my 06 V6 FWD have delivered consistent 21+mpg verses my Canyon which got 17-18 in the same driving. So I calculated my estimate for the Vue on Hwy using this delta and I should get 26-28 on the hwy. That's okay by me for the room and size of this rig. I haven't had the opportunity to do a road trip yet and just hit 1k miles, so I'll keep checking.
What other SUV could I buy that has 250hp and continually returns 24 mpg. Straight hwy, I have hit 29 mpg!!!! This is beyond all expectations.
Getting a Honda V6 and the polymer non rust body panels is the best of all worlds. This is the best vehicle I have ever owned.
So, to sum up: If you are upset with your mileage, yell at Honda; and, compared to the Honda offerings with the same engine, the VUE does well.
So, to sum up: If you are upset with your mileage, yell at Honda; and, compared to the Honda offerings with the same engine, the VUE does well.
ummm, did it ever occur to you that the vue is smaller and much lighter than all the other vehicles you mentioned? apples to oranges.
I believe that I can support the EPA mileage estimates of 28 mpg Highway for the most part.
Total miles driven 4286 and we used 167.6 gallons petrol. This equals an average of 25.6 mpg for the entire trip. (A total of 16 stops to add gasoline.)
Best mileage: 28.5 mpg on two tanks: Rawlings, WY to N. Platte, NB & Rawlings, WY to Tremonten, UT
Worst mileage: 21.4 mpg: Cheyenne, WY to Rawlings, WY
We ran consistently 70-75+ mph through Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska & many areas of Missouri. (Speed limits are 70 or 75 mph in most areas we drove in these states.)
The killer seemed to be wind. On the tanks we got the lowest mileage, we were bucking strong 25-30 mph head winds.
I’m very happy with the mileage as we cruised loaded at 70 -75 mph for 12+ hours on 4-5 of the days we traveled. Two adults, two kids and all our stuff; 700 – 800 pounds of people and stuff.
If we had taken it easy and cruised 60 – 65 mph; I’m betting the mileage would have pushed 30 mpg on several tanks. (We got 4 tanks @ 27.96, 28.5, 27.8, 28.5 mpg and 26 mpg or better on 7/16 tanks.)
The VUE was a pleasure to drive - comfortable and I could even walk after all those hours in the driver's seat. I've logged hundreds of thousands of road miles and I can say that about only a few of the vehicles we've owned.
With regards to mpg, it might not get what's advertised but it doesn't fall that far short. On the highway it'll managed 25-28 and around town between 17 and 18. Again, we bought it for its utilitarianship, not its economy, although we did consider that in the equation when comparing to others in its class. One of the biggest sellers was the ride, however. It was by far the best riding of the vehicles in its class.
There are so many factors when considering, or creating mpg that not one issue can decide the outcome. Proper tire inflation is very, very important. If you don't mind a bit harsher ride you can put a couple extra pounds in all around. That may improve you mileage a bit. Tire wear will be abnormal, but if you're after that all important extra 1-2mpg, give it a try. And I'm a firm believer that the makeup of the tire itself has a lot to do with the resistance to roll. Just a bad belt in one of them can cause some rolling resistance and upset the mpg. And what if more than one tire has that problem?
Driving habits can be the biggest culprit. Leaping away from a stop sign/traffic light is the worst offender. And believe me the V6 has a lot of capability to do that.
Someone on the forum mentioned wind resistance. We've found a 2-3 mile drop in mpg if we're fighting a wind on the road. Not much we can do about that, unless we travel at night when the wind is generally not as predominant.
If great mpg is your major desire in a vehicle, you bought the wrong vehicle - we didn't.
There are all kinds of tricks to improve the mileage, but basically it's common sense driving and good vehicle maintenance.
I also was surprised that my low fuel light did not come on this morning. I ended up getting over 14 gallons; I would have thought having only 2 gallons left would have triggered that. Good thing I got gas before going to work!
Granted, her commute is about 15-20 miles of most two lane highway that she drives at 55-60MPH, but I suspect that your mileage will increase once you've got a few thousand miles on it.
But the Honda V6 does about the same with 70 more horsepower.