Fuel Economy Update for June - Single Digits in a Month of Restraint - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term

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Fuel Economy Update for June - Single Digits in a Month of Restraint - 2015 Dodge Viper GT Long-Term Road Test

In June, our long-term 2015 Dodge Viper got single-digit fuel economy. It won't be the last time.

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kirkhilles1

Wow, less than 10 MPG while keeping under their strict engine break in rules. Wow. That's insane. You'll be getting large RV MPG figures here shortly then once you start cranking her up.

Mr_Shiftright

So with gas now at $4.03 a gallon in Long Beach, and getting 8 mpg, it's going to cost you .50 a mile to drive anywhere.

opfreak

why is gas so much more in CA? 2.69 for regular in the Midwest. I know its always been higher, but 50% more?

Mr_Shiftright

Complex set of reasons--- we use a special blend of gasoline which (allegedly) costs more to produce because it isn't used most other places; we have high gasoline taxes; real estate costs make our gas stations worth more than most people's mansions. We also drive Dodge Vipers so that earth will become unhabitable in the near future, motivating us to colonize other galaxies.

stever

Sounds like the price is exceptionally high mostly because the Torrance refinery is broken. (LA Times)

bankerdanny

$4.03 for regular or premium? I have seen premium top $4 here in Chicago recently (my Saab 9-3 requires premium), we have to use the same formulation as CA does (the requirement is an EPA rule based on population) but even the city stations, which gouge the worst, usually have it around $3.99 for premium and $3.49 for regular.

I live in a first ring suburb a few blocks north of the Chicago border, so I can get regular for under $3.00 and premium for about $3.49.

As far as the mileage goes. I've been driving for Uber lately and in the city I average low teens and one day when traffic was very bad actually saw just over 10mpg on my computer, which I have found to be pretty accurate. And my car only has a 205hp turbo 4, not a 600+hp V10.

stever

socal_eric

Many little things add up, especially with taxes and regulations. Our recent "normal" prices have been higher because you have things like the Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) and cap-and-trade for carbon credits that cost something like $.50-60 a gallon that the oil companies have to pay, which if you think isn't passed on to consumers then a class in economics might be in order.

The Torrance refinery did cause a spike earlier this spring but prices slowly stabilized and then spiked really high again a couple weeks ago, conveniently for the busy summer driving season. This time I've heard analysts throwing around other reasons why it happened such as supply problems. The refiners aren't required to keep any reserve capacity in storage so if there's any type of increased demand or market fluctuation the price spikes high very fast and takes forever to drop. Supposedly we (California) are also importing a lot of our "special" summer blend with different oxygenates to help emissions and there aren't many suppliers outside the state that refine for that formulation.

All of it adds up to higher costs at the pump for people living in a state where you drive a lot.