Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Dodge Magnum MPG-Real World Numbers
With the price of fuel being what it is, the mileage you're getting is becoming more important. This is the place to discuss the mileage performance you're getting out int he real world.
0
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Mine had only 1500 miles when I took a 1200 mile trip about the same speeds as you and quite a few spurts to get around people. My first tank got 20mpg but my second got almost 23. Both using manual figuring. I have also noticed much better acceleration since I passed 2500 miles, give or take a few.
does somebody has a realistic gas mileage for an 2006 SXT AWD ???? :confuse:
Any tips for getting better MPG other than:
- having proper tire air pressure
- getting rid of excess weight
- going easy and steady on the gas pedal
- having a clean air filter
Chrysler keeps sayng the window sticker is average mileage not actual and won't stand behind their numbers as the numbers attained "depend on personal driving style".
I baby this thing in terms of take-offs which is a shame since it's al ot more fun to take off fast. On a recent 500 mile trip at an avg speed of 82mph the maggie got a whopping 14.9mpg.
Anyone have similar experiences and were you able to get Chrysler to do anything (the local dealer says there's nothing to be done - mileage will get better as the car gets older)?
THanks
Unlike the poster above who has had mileage problems from the start, this Magnum has been flawless, and aside from the first 500 miles of driving slow, it's been a dream, and the MPG has been very consistent.
The vast majority of my driving is on the highway, travelling 55-75 MPH, and I average around 22-24mpg on the highway. If I use the cruise control on a long empty stretch of road I've gotten as high as 26mpg. When I'm in the city it drops down significantly to around 15-17, but at that point I'm usually just enjoying the car - the speed it takes off is just SUCH A RUSH, I love the beautiful purr of this motor.
Not a single thing has gone wrong with this thus far and I just couldn't be happier. I'm glad I took the advice from the people on this forum and bought the RWD instead of AWD; though the wet-weather traction seems a BIT lacking, so when it comes time to replace the tires, I'll probably go with a more wet-weather-friendly tire, as I live in rainy South Florida.
Peace!
My 2005 R/T AWD with an AFE cold air intake gets 22-23mpg on the highway when cruising between 65mph and 75mph. At 80mph and above I get 19mpg. Around town I get 16mpg to 18mpg. While the gas mileage is not good compare to my previous car, a Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon, the Hemi is just too much fun. As a volunteer firefighter it gets me to the fire house real fast!
Dodge recommends removing the roof rack cross bars when you are not using them.
The principal determinant of fuel mileage is vehicle weight, regardless of all other factors (of course, hybrids are a special case). Notice that the 3.5 V6 and the 5.7 V-8 get identical mileage (if driven in an identical manner). Once you stick your foot into it, that's another story.
But the brochures say that the Hemi, at least, has two detonation sensors, so that shouldn't be a problem. I don't hear any detonation with my '06 Hemi.
(My '87 Grand National has a detonation sensor, also, and retards the spark if it senses any. You lose a little power with lower octane gas, but no harm done).
On limited hwy miles, I have gotten around 21-22 MPG at 65-70 MPH (so much for the 4-cylinder shutdown mode).
Compared to this car, my '87 Buick Grand National is an economy car. Like someone said, if I get my foot into it with the Grand National, mileage suffers, but I could easily get 18-20 all-around if I lay off of the turbo.
These Magnum numbers are WAY below even the revised, lower EPA figures.
One thing I noticed is that there is soot in the tailpipes of my Magnum (none of my other modern cars do this). You can feel it with your fingers, it is a greasy-feeling black powder. Soot, not oil.
I think that I am going to take the car to an independent shop and ask him about this; maybe have him run an exhaust-gas analysis. If he doesn't have an analyzer, I think that I might pay for a full emissions test (with the all-wheel drive, it will only be a two-point idle test, since they can't do a full dynamometer test with AWD).
I also have a new 2007 Toyota Sienna (minivan). Both cars weigh about 4,200 lbs. Of course, the hemi is a larger engine, and is geared down a little more. Then there is the issue of the increased friction of the AWD system. Still, I can easily get 18 mpg with the Sienna with just a bit of hwy miles mixed in, and can get 24 MPG cruising at 70-75 MPH.
Remember, the Sienna is both much higher and wider than the (narrow) Magnum, so the frontal area is much greater. So the disparity in mileage just doesn't make any sense.
To me (a virtual lifelong car guy and mechanical engineer), the critical clue is the exhaust pipe soot. I am going to have that investigated.
Maybe it doesnt have the throaty tone to impress drivers. Who knows.
I would bet that it weighed at least a 1,000 pounds more than that.
My Magnum is nearly as fast as a stock '87 Buick Grand National, which is as advertised. With AWD, you don't get any wheelspin/sliding action, which makes the car seem tamer than it really is.
My impression of the hemi is that it feels more like an old '60s V-8 than anything I've driven in a long time. But the "snap" that your '68 has is largely due to the high compression ratio it has. Is your '68 a stick? That would make it seem even wilder by comparison.
I'll tell you this: when I put my foot down, traffic disappears pretty fast in my rear view mirror, and in the few brief "jousts" I've had so far, no one has pulled on me (I don't actually race on the streets anymore; it's just too damned dangerous).
My 68 Weighs 3,800lbs. The magnum Weighs 5,100 according to the door sticker. Compression was increased to 10.1 in the Charger. So you are correct on some point that I have already factored in. I have driven 3 new hemi's and find every one of them has the same lag when accelerating at certain speeds and then the motor kicks in WOT after a momentary delay. At that point it is satisfying but that is the worst 340 I ever drove. And I have driven many high HP cars.i.e Porshe 930 Andile inter cooler waste gate turbo.98 Corvette 350HP. Many 65-69 Mustangs. And now poor maggie
Gotta love the car despite it's lack of EXPECTED power.
Every one I speak with is happy with the performance. Has any one ever driven a real 340hp car before to rate to this one?
I may have to chip the ECM to get some more hamsters out of this car.
Happy driving to all!!!!
Thanks for trying!
I am going to beat the [non-permissible content removed] out of this car tonight an see what she has to offer.
FYI: I have only lost a mild race to one car. Newer Porshe Cayman or 911. I took him from 60-110 and then he kicked in and took a half car leadfrom 110-125. I think I could have maintained lead if I were to get used to the auto stick to gain ground. But the Charger would have eaten him up.. Yum Yum Yum.
Thanks to all!!
Where in the world did you get that a Magnum weighs 5,200 pounds? It would only weigh that much if it were carrying 1,300 pounds of load.
The V-6 Magnum that Consumer Reports tested back when weighed, I believe, 3,950 pounds. A Dodge Ram pickup Hemi might weigh 5,200 pounds. Add in the hemi, 5-speed and AWD, and loaded with other options, and it's about 4,200 pounds.
(If you were talking about a 1972 Cadillac, then 5,200 pounds would be correct. But cars were huge back then. Just check the weight listed in any Magnum , Charger or Chrysler 300 road test (see below)).
I was guessing that the 68 Charger weighed at least 3,500 (the 2,500 pounds cited plus the 1,000 pounds additional I stated). So your figure of 3,800 certainly sounds reasonable.
But if you're going to challenge someone else's information, you'd better get your ducks in a row first.
Just where did you get a curb weight of 5,200 pounds for the Magnum? That is SO WRONG!
Here are some other sources:
The Family Car website:
2005 SE (2.7 liter V-6) = 3,855 SXT (3.7 liter V-6) = 3,903 RT AWD (Hemi) = 4,142
roadandtrack.com = 4,200
canadiandriver.com 2008 RT = 4,179 RT AWD = 4,393 SRT8 = 4,260
thecarconnection.com 2006 SRT = 4,260
motortrend.com 2008 SRT = 4,250
autos.yahoo.com 2008 RT AWD = 4,393
U.S. News 2008 Chrysler 300C RWD Hemi= 4,046
So the cited weights vary slightly (also, it looks as though the weights have increased slightly since 2005). But the highest (admittedly a stretch) is less than 4,400. 5,200 pounds is just silly.
By the way, after flowing several tankfulls through my Magnum with drygas, injector cleaner and gasoline stabilizer, my mileage has stabilized (pun intended) at 17 MPG around town, with perhaps just a sprinkling of highway mileage. So it appears as though my initial fears re a N.O.S. 2006 with aged gasoline were well-founded. It’s good that it was so easy to remedy.
As for throttle response, my Hemi is quicker than anything I have driven in a long time, but it won’t match that of a 60s-era high-compression V-8. Recently, I read somewhere that there was another reason for slow revving in modern cars, having to do with the computer control.
Between 110-130 there is nothing there. Just a slow creep to 130.
To my friend. I have re-checked my ducks and find on was not in its row. I have reprimanded this duck and he promised to stay in row in the future. According to my door sticker my Maggie does weigh 4,142. The 5,500 figure was actually the GROSS weight rather than taking the CURB weight.
So back to the fuel rating.
Best numbers 23 highway driving like granny in the breakdown lane with no traffic and worst 17 highway opening it up in stretches of my 96 mile round trip with some occasional challenges.
That’s it for me problem solved poor gas mileage driving it moderately as the car should be. And poor mid range and no upper end.
I went down to the garage, fired up the Magnum, and could not detect any lag at all when blipping the throttle. End of problem.
I have heard that the computer controls of modern cars can lead to throttle lag. I just don’t see it in my car. Perhaps I’m just lucky.
I’ve said this before, and probably no one will care what I think, but if you are talking about street racing, it is just too damned dangerous these days (I’ve done a little, but not for years). First, there is just too much traffic in most places I frequent. Secondly, the law is serious about enforcing traffic violations these days, including wildly exceeding the speed limit. And they don’t stop at merely suspending your license and fines. They will throw your [non-permissible content removed] in jail. And God forbid anyone is seriously injured or even killed during one of your races, you are potentially looking at a long prison term. Think about how much fun that will be. You will be literally trying to cover your [non-permissible content removed] there.
Keep in mind that your Magnum has an event data recorder (EDR) on board, continually recording things such as vehicle speed, engine RPMs, throttle position and a host of other data. In the event of a crash occurring during your racing, this information can and will be used against you in a court of law, helping to send you to said prison. At least your ’68 Charger won’t tattle on you.
In ND I use the blended gas 10% ethanol 89 oct.
We test drove a 3.5 liter and found it to be under powered and the gas mileage was about the same so we went with the Hemi. I feel it was the right choice for us and the driving conditions for what mother nature dishes out here on the northern plains.
I bought the car for road trips and we love it! Went on a trip to Denver with two other adults and all were happy with the ride.
50 k and still sounds like the day we brought it home from the dealership.
If I drive it like I want to, about 12 is what you get!