My 2007 Azera limited has given me 12 mpg in city and 20 mpg in highway, and 15 mpg in average consistently during the last one year, which is 8,000 miles in distance. I thought my mpg is low compared to what the other drivers said in this forum.
After seeing the warning sign in "Check Engine" in the dashboard, I went to the dealership and they replaced the rail in fuel injector, because there is very little gas leaking. I thought I found the culprit. However, the technician said my mpg is in the perfect normal range, even after I mentioned that I am a gentle driver, and the car has only one passenger and no other heavy loads. They also mentioned that 10% ethanol gas gives a lower mpg. After the warning signal is fixed, the mpg remains the same.
Hey guys, you are boasting about your mpg that is not true. Right? 30 mpg? You are kidding me.
I calculate my MPG based on actual gas fill ups, and miles travelled, not by the dashboard gauge. 2007 MPG ( pretty much all city-suburban cold climate driving was 21.65 mpg. 2008 MPG so far for 4535 miles is 25.16 including RT from MN to FL--using 10% ethanol gas. Would think that your dealer is a little off base in what they think is normal mpg. 2007 Ltd Azera. Good Luck
I agree with #195. I have about 16,000 miles on my 07 and have been averaging about 26 mpg after using the old method of gas purchased and actual mileage. I have never gotten below 21 mpg. on any driving. I use 10% ethanol from time to time and yes you loose about 10% mpg. What a scam about using ethanol. It cost more to produce and less mileage. + it drives the cost of food prices up. E85 is even worse. One test on a GM truck showed a MPG drop of 6 mpg using E85
Wow. I can maybe see the city mileage if it's all stop and go in heavy traffic - but 20 MPG on the highway? I would expect that at 100MPH, but not at normal speeds. I have not reset my mileage computer for the past year and it reads 21.5. The winter here ( Michigan ) has dropped it since its November reading of 21.8. I have taken it to Biloxi and back ( about 2300 miles ) and it returned 26.8 for that trip. Try this: find a level uncongested freeway where you can leave the car on cruise for a few miles. Get it up to 70MPH, set the cruise, and then reset the MPG readout. You should see a mileage reading of 29-30 MPG. If you don't, something is seriously wrong with your Azera.
I don't think they're boasting. I changed jobs in January and went from a short commute to a 45 mile each way commute. 95% is parkway/interstate. When traffic is moving well, and I can cruise 65 - 70, I'm in the 27 - 31mpg range. Even with the occasional 20 minute traffic snarl, it only drops to 25 for that day. Around town, she'll average only 16 - 18mpg. Sounds like you're getting quite a bit lower, so you may want to print these posts & show them to the service manager, or try another dealer if you get no satisfaction. Best of luck.
I rented a 2008 Azera yesterday form Hertz. I went straight to a gas station to top off the gas tank, only added .4 gallon. I then drove it for 172 miles and re-fueled just prior to returning. I went to the 3rd auto cut-off when re-fueling and it came to 7.53 gallons added.
This came to a disappointing 22.8mpg. 85% of this trip was interstate driving at 70-75 mph, the other 15% was on secondary roads with speeds 45-55mph.
I really liked the Azera better than the Taurus but the fuel mileage was the deal killer for me. You can see my mpg report on the Taurus/Sable thread, the Taurus got 30.8mpg on the same course. I was hoping the Azera was going to be in the 28-29mpg range but didn't come close.
85% highway, 15% secondary roads and a dismal 22.8 mpg!!! First of all, the car isn't even broken in. Secondly...cruising at 70-75 on the highway will only net you about 27-28 mpg, mixed in with the driving on secondary roads...22.8 is about right!!! If you had done all highway driving at those same speeds, you probably would have bested the posted numbers...probably could have pulled off anywhere between 27-29 mpg...maybe.
I have a 2006 Azera with over 47K miles on it. With about a 50/50 mix of highway/city driving, my overall average falls around 17-18 mpg.
I'm not sure why you're disappointed, the Azera has never been touted as a gas miser, however...it's no worse than the current Maxima either. Not sure what you were expecting, but it sounds more like you were expecting numbers you would get from a Camry/Accord or something of that nature.
It is rare, but there are a few Azera owners that have posted FE numbers of 30 mpg that I've seen. It definitely had to be all highway driving, but the numbers in any literature either by Hyundai or other sources concerning the Azera post the mileage at 17/26 and the numbers posted for the Taurus are 17/24.
Not sure what you did or didn't do, but it would seem almost impossible to come up with numbers THAT far apart if both cars were driven under the exact same conditions, in the exact same manner. With what you've posted...the Taurus is getting better FE than an Avalon!!!
Seriously...I would take your findings with a HUGE grain of salt.
You can take my numbers with whatever you want. First, your Taurus numbers of 17/24 are for the AWD model not a FWD, Taurus FWD is 18/28. I drove the Taurus and Azera on the exact same trip with the same style of driving and the numbers are what they are in my one experience with each vehicle. 30.8 mpg vs. 22.8 mpg . That is a substantial difference.
As for the "not even broken in" statement, the Azera had approx. 3400 miles on the odometer and the Taurus had approx. 8600 miles on the odometer when I rented them.
The Azera is a fine automobile and more luxurious than the Taurus. If I was a low mileage driver I would probably buy the Azera over the Taurus, but I drive 28-30k miles a year and at todays fuel prices I have to pick the Taurus.
Well...it's kind of hard to get details right when you don't post all of them. What year Taurus were you driving and what model of Azera were you driving?
As far as broken in, a vehicle really isn't broken in until around the 15-20K mile mark to be honest.
I bought a used 2007 limited about a month ago. It had 14,491 miles on it. I have put about 1200 miles on it. I just averaged 23.3 mpg on a tank that was 85/15 city/highway travel. By city I don't mean stop and go. About 30-35 mph average for the city driving, and 65-70 on the highway. I have averaged 27 mpg on a trip that was 100% highway at an average speed of 72 mph. I am very pleased with the mileage. I don't drive it hard, but I "get on it" as needed, and sometimes for fun. I also have a 2006 Sonata ltd. and it gets about 21 mpg, mostly city driving. I have averaged 26 mpg on all highway driving on several trips in the Sonata. My 2 cents on the topic.
Won't say anything about your mileage it is what it is but we just made our first long drive, 1200 miles round trip, in the car, Dallas to Nebraska on I-35, I-135, and I-80. Basically a straight shot up and back. Going up with a 10-20 mph tail wind, by computer best was 29.3 for half the way, average 25.4 by the car's computer. Average was affected by a change in wind direction in Kansas to a headwind of 20-30 mph. At one time in head wind was 20.4 mpg. Calculating it the old fashion way, fill up in Kansas showed 30.6 mpg. Coming back averaged via computer 27.3, old fashion way fill up in Okla. 28.9 mpg. I don't just take the initial stop pumping when fueling, I add at least an additional .5 to 1gal . We had an initial tail wind on the way back of about 10 mphs, changed to headwind in Okla. We averaged via computer overall 65 mph. Set cruise to 70-75 mph. Around town 19.5. Used regular gas, no EtOH mix. Carried an extra 150 lbs coming back.
Lets see......... I rented the Azera and Taurus within the past 2 weeks from Hertz. The Azera had 3400 miles and the Taurus had 8600 miles. Wouldn't common logic mean they were 2008 models? The both were Limited models FWIW.
Considering I didn't know when you rented the Taurus...no, common logic wouldn't mean they were both 2008 models.
Anyway...I could believe that your FE numbers could better than those reported IF...you were simply doing all highway driving. It is possible to better the numbers that various sources come up with. However, you have claimed to literally SMASH the numbers. If you take the average of city & highway driving (as posted on Edmunds), you're looking at 22.5 mpg (50/50 city/highway driving). So, even if you move some numbers around and do something like 85/15 highway/rural...then number would be closer to between 25-27 mpg...30.2...come on man.
We just bought our '07 Azera a month ago. We now have about 2400 miles on it. So far we are averaging 26.6 mpg. That is the computer calculated value and it agrees with a miles driven divided by the actual gasoline put in the tank. We live in a rural area and typically drive 25 miles to anywhere. We use the Automatic mode on our AC/Heat system. We haven't turned it off. Most of our roads are farm to market types and some US and state highway driving. We tend to hold our speed to about 50-55mph. on the farm roads and to 55-60 mph. on the better roads. I have seen fuel mileage increase to around 29 mpg. when I reset the computer and drive longer distances at more steady speeds. My wife and I are retired, so getting somewhere at a specific time is not as much of an issue for us as for working people. We always try to move over and let people pass that want to go faster.
We live in north central Texas near the TX/OK border. Our winters get down to the teens and summer temperatures rise to about 104 or so. Our dealer had the side and rear windows tinted darker for us. We found that it makes the car much more comfortable than before and the AC can easily keep the temperature where we set it. When our granddaughters ride in the back, we can partially close the two center dash vents and provide them with more air through the rear vents while keeping our comfort the same.
I am looking forward to getting better gas mileage after about 5,000 miles on the odometer. I think I will be able to get around 29 mpg. for much of our driving.
Previously, I had a poor mpg (15 mpg in average) for my 2007 Azera Limited. After the warning sign was ON on the dashboard, a dealership changed the rails on the fuel injector due to a slight gas leakage. I expected a higher mpg, but no change. The dealership condoned me that 15 mpg is in the perfectly normal range. After one week, a new warning sign was ON again. This time, they changed one catalytic converter. Since then, mpg has been greatly improved. I think the new oxygen sensor can optimally mix fuel with oxygen. My family (three peoples) traveled from Boston to Pittsburgh in 70 miles/hr in average and came back last week. The mpg gauge showed 27.6 mpg. When I drove 55 mph, it indicated 29 mpg.
To whom having a similar poor mpg like me, go check the catalytic converter. A day and night difference.
I am now wondering if my cat is bad. I have been tracking my mileage since I bought my 07 Azera and I'm getting 13 - 14 in town. Highway is like 16-18. I'm not using the computer but am doing the math from fillup to fillup. The car had 200miles on it when I got it and it now has 1300. I've heard there is a break-in period that will affect gas mileage? Is that true, and if so, when should I see my mileage increase?
I don't know about the cat being bad. If I'm doing strictly city driving, I too get about 14-15 mpg. When I have some mixed driving, then it's up to about 17-18 mpg. If it's straight highway...I'm seeing about 26 mpg.
Now...I can tell you I'm sorta heavy footed, so the numbers could be slightly better if I weren't.
Typically, I pay attention to how many miles I'm getting by the time the fuel gauge shows 3/4 of a tank left and then 1/2 a tank. Under normal commuting driving during the week...I will usually have driven 150 miles on 1/2 a tank of gas. When I am on the road, driving the highways...the car will easily get about 250 miles on 1/2 a tank. So, doing the math...for city driving, that puts me at about 15 mpg and for highway...about 26 mpg. If you take the average of that, you would get 20.5...and for mixed driving, I'm off a couple mpg.
Well my wife drives the Azzie most of the time and her driving style isn't agressive but not turtle speed my any means. Almost all of the driving is in-town stop and go driving. This last tank I got just over 250 miles out of. My guess is that I'm still in the break in period and I should see better gas mileage once I get 3-5K on it.
I would suspect something is not right. I have had my 07 Limited since 11/06, now with 25+K on it. I have never seen below 22+ mpg on it, and usually it is well above 24+ mpg, with about 50/50 hwy/city driving. For the last 3,000 miles it has remained at 25.5 or better mpg. Longer trips (1000 + miles) easily are 28+ mpg at sustained 75mph or higher.
I use the shiftronic ability a lot in the mountains and cruise control whenever possible. Typically, I don't have to use A/C a lot here in Denver, but even during the summer, I still will see the car stay in the high 23 to low 24 mpg range. Despite my posting of taking the car above 140mph on one occasion, I would say I try for better mileage, but the power is always there if I need it, and I occasionally use it.
My last car was a 2002 Hyundai XG 350L and it got about 22.5 -23 mpg versus the 24-25 mpg I am normally seeing in my Azera over the last 16 months, as a comparison. Also, as I have posted before, I use synthetic oil and keep the tire pressure at 35 psi or higher (for a trip, I go to 38 psi).
If I were a bit lighter on my gas foot, I could easily better my current numbers, but it is what it is.
Sounds like you're doing pretty good though. Also, being up in Denver at that higher altitude, there's less resistance due to thinner air. Bring your Azzy down to sea level and your numbers will drop a bit more.
Like you...on long trips, i have witnessed very good numbers. Down to Florida and back, cruising at an average of about 75 mph, with 3 adults and 2 kids, loaded trunk and A/C...my FE was at about 26-27 mpg.
OK folks, I now have 3700 miles on my 07 Limited/ultimate Azera. I just got back from a 1,112 mile trip from DFW to 3 different cities in 3 different directions here in Texas. Speeds 67-70, air on 50% of the time, It used 40 gallons even. This is not by the computer, it is actual miles and actual gallons of gas. 27.8 MPG ain't too shabby if you ask me. I believe I could squeeze 1 to 3 more mpg by driving 55 or 60 but I just can't choke down driving that slow.
I love this car, I am glad I bought it. Pearl white w/ black interior...looks good.
Actually, mpg is a lower at altitude. There is about a 10-14% drop in power due to less oxygen (check any drag strip records). So, you have push harder to get lower altitude performance. And, while I don't know if it makes any FE difference our gas is a lower octane than most of the country.
On trips of a couple of hours each way, I get 30.2 mpg!! Conditions :Level terrain using cruise control extensively with set speed at 65 mph. That means I am in the right lane most of the time. (Also provides escape route if an emergency occurs). Really don't want to use any of the available 8 air bags. Seems to make sense with gas at $3.75 and going higher. Next action to improve gas mileage when gas exceeds $4 per gallon will be be to slow to 55 MPH and stay in the right lane. Might have to drive a little longer to destination but it will be economical and safe.
Notice when my wife drives without cruise control and going between 65-70, MPG drops to about 29.5. We regularly get about 24 mpg on short trips around out town. Key to good MPG during around town driving slow and smooth acceleration.
Proof that it can be done! I crunched some numbers and found that a 15 mile freeway trip takes less than 2 minutes more at 65MPH vs 75MPH. It's also much more relaxing because you rarely have to change lanes - just sit back and enjoy the great stereo. I haven't reset my trip computer for a year or so and it reads 21.5MPG for city/country/freeway mix. Pretty good, IMO, considering the power, weight, and size of the car.
I got up to 30MPG at 65 MPH going through the Smokey Mountains on I-40 a few months ago. AC on auto and cruise on. Most efficient speeds are around 45-60 MPH per what I read, assuming you are not stopping and starting or slowing down and accelerating. Using the shiftronic really eats up the gas. I average 26 MPG driving around a small town to the stores and so forth with a few trips of about 10 miles over two lane country roads. Consumer Reports (if you believe them) tested and discovered opening windows on interstate does not affect MPG in a Camry and using the AC might drop it one MPG. If really concerned about gas, drive the speed limit - it really pays off and may add 5 minutes to a 3 hour trip based on my experiences.
We live in the country like you. Our roads are probably a little more flat in our area of TX. My wife and I drive 50 mph. on some of the farm to market roads and then 55 mph. on other highways. So far (with 3100 miles on the car) we are getting an average of 26.5 to 26.7 using the on-board computer and cruise with AC running. Today we made a trip to/from Plano, TX partly on US 75 and coming home by a different route with some stop and go traffic. The highway mileage (after a reset) was 31 to 33.8 mpg. After we did the stop and go plus the return home it dropped to 29.2 mpg.
Our altitude here is about 800-900 ft. There are mainly gentle rolling hills in our area and some flat stretches of highway. I increased the Azera's tire pressure to 32 instead of 30 and the ride is still just as comfortable. The cornering actually improved too. I am wondering if going to 34 lbs. pressure will be OK and not cause the center of the tire tread to wear out. Anyone have any experience with extended driving at 34 lbs. pressure in their tires?
I keep our tires at 37 PSI cold at all times, and with over 10K miles on the car, the Michelin tires appear to be wearing evenly.
You will observe that the maximum tire pressure allowed by Michelin is 44 psi as stated right on the sidewalls, but when I tried that, the ride became rather harsh.
With a steel belted tire, it is very hard to get the tread area to bow and to wear the centers.
I usually run mine at 32 and measure the wear every couple of months - appear to be wearing evenly. Not sure, but these tires seem to be more subject to change as temperatures change as with other cars I own/owned. I had a Camry with recommended PSI of 29 and discovered that 34 was the optimum wear PSI. At recommended pressures, I find the outside wears faster and many dealers use this as an excuse to do an alignment when it has nothing to do with alignment.
Max pressure imprinted on the tire is from the manufacturer...Check the sitcker on the driver's side "B" pillar for exact pressures for your particular vehicle...44 psi is too much pressure....you'll get a rough ride and the center of the tire will wear faster that the rest of the tread..
Just made a 1000 mile plus trip in my 06 Limited. Mixed roads - 300 plus miles interstate, 700 plus miles US & state hwys. MPG 28.0 A/C was on the last 250 miles- speed 65-72. 36 lbs of air pressure (cold) in tires. Terrain was rolling to hilly. Not bad !!! The best I have recorded was 29.2 on a 680 mile one way trip driving 72-76 for 550 miles and 60-62 for 130 miles.
Question for all you Azera owners: I recently took a round trip from Phoenix to Las Vegas, and no it was for business, not gambling! On the way back from LV, with cruise engaged at about 70mph, I noticed that the transmission would shift down from 5th to 4th gear when I would be approaching an incline. The car would get back to the set speed but would normally stay in 4th until I was over the top of the incline. I put the gear selector into shift mode, and let the cruise manage it. The car stayed in 5th, the slippage in speed was only a few mph, and again when the top of the incline was past, speed would go back to normal.
OK, now the big question: Would leaving the car in 5th using cruise be better for mileage, as long as the engine isn't lugging, as opposed to leaving it in automatic mode? I am interested in your thoughts......
Hi What engine do you have ? 3.3 or 3.8 I just completed a 2800+ trip from Wi. to Fl and noticed no downshift through the hills of KY. and TN. I have the 3.8 engine. I ended up with a 28.3 mpg during this trip using total mileage divided by gas purchased. (paid an ave. of $3.77 per gal. - YUK) If you have the 3.3 eng it doesn't have as much torque as the 3.8...this might cause the dropping to a lower gear. I don't think leaving it in manual would hurt the engine if it isn't lugging but I don't think you will gain much in gas mileage either Just enjoy the ride :=)
I have the 3.8L engine. I don't see much luggin geither, and speed stayed pretty consistent, just dropped a few mph where the transmission would normally shift down. This is probably one of those topics where it doesn't much matter, just was curious
Our car is an '07 Azera Limited, 3.8L V6, Prremium package. We made a trip a couple of weeks ago to/from the Texarkana area. I reset the trip mileage setting before we left. On the trip we obtained 29.2 mpg with the cruise control on driving 55 and 60 mph. That was the average developed during the round trip. I had changed the oil and filter the first time at 3K miles before we left. We now have about 4500 miles since we returned with our usual shopping and school trips etc. The average has dropped down to 28.0 on the computer.
In addition to changing the oil filter, I had also put in a K&N air filter. They are supposed to breathe easier and provide slight power and economy improvement (I am not expecting miracles). We are quite pleased with the car's performance.
Yesterday I had to punch it to get out of the way of some fast approaching traffic. Wow!! This car really has get up and go!
A more open throttle in a higher gear, i.e., staying in 5th rather than downshifting, should return better fuel economy. I won't get into the science of it, but it should be so. Sometimes what we perceive as a downshift is actually the torque converter unlocking, not an actual change in gears - this ( the unlocking ) will probably occur even if you have your shifter locked in 5th.
"A more open throttle in a higher gear, i.e., staying in 5th rather than downshifting, should return better fuel economy. I won't get into the science of it, but it should be so."
Perhaps it "should return better fuel economy" but that is not so. The computer either downshifts or unlocks the T/C because it "knows" it is better for fuel economy for the motor to be under a reduced load and rev a little higher than to be under an increased low and revving less. How do I know? Some cars have a computer that will give you an immediate fuel economy reading at any instant, whereas the Azera does not have such a feature. With those vehicles that do have that "instant fuel consumption feature" you can see what the F/E is at any speed as when under an increased load. With my daughters 2002 6.0L Escalade, when on a grade under load, with the T/C locked up and still in overdrive, F/E would drop to as low as 7 or 8 mpg. If F/E got any lower than that, the computer would cause the transmission to either unlock the T/C or command a downshift to third speed or direct drive. This would lessen the "load" and the F/E readings would rise even though the motor was turning faster.
Interestingly, when running regular, this would occur on every grade, but when I used straight premium, this did not happen! Why? Someone wrote somewhere that when using the lower octane fuel, the motor produced less horsepower due to the computer and the "knock" sensor "hearing" the engine ping and adjusting the ignition timing lower causing as much as a thirty horsepower reduction in power. Reduced ignition timing caused less power and caused poorer F/E and the computer "figured" downshifting the tranny and letting it rev would improve both the power and the F/E. I test drove that vehicle 5000 miles during our annual summer trip and discovered why Cadillac recommends premium fuel. Some tank fuel economy averages were as high as 19 mpg compared to 14 or 15 mpg when running regular and using the cruise control at all times.
Needless to say that with premium fuel way over $4.35 per gallon, I will not be borrowing her Caddy for making that same 5K mile jaunt to my camp on the WPG river at least for this summer.
I recently visited http://ecomodder.com/ for tips on hypermiling. They mention an item called ScanGauge which just plugs into the OBD2 connector under the dash and shows continuous miles per gallon. That way you can tell instantly how what you are doing is impacting the fuel economy. The website also discusses a "home brew" kit project for older vehicles. I looked at that as a possibility, but way too much complexity for me to consider doing that. The ScanGauge is by far the easiest for the average person.
I started using the "Drive with Load" technique for up and down hills on our last trip to/from Sherman, TX. I managed to pick up another tenth of a mpg. by doing that instead of using the cruise control.
We regularly use a Wal-Mat shopping card to buy gas at Murphy when in town. We put money on the card with a Discover card that gives us 1% back, so all together we can save about 7 cents per gallon at the Murphy station. I figured that in a year's time it will save us about 1/2 to 3/4 of a month's expense on gasoline.
Our average mpg is now at 27.3 with a little over 5K miles on the car now. Average roads here are farm-to-market asphalt with some flat and some rolling hills. We usually drive 50-60 mph.
So you bought and are using ScanGauge? I thought about one of those but cannot afford one at this time.
Have you tried using second gear starts and making the tranny upshift as early as possible, and also allowing the T/C to engage as early as possible in fourth and fifth? I am wondering if this helps or hinders F E ?
In other words, is it better to let it does its own thing or try and control the transmission yourself? :confuse:
Snaglepus wrote: "So you bought and are using ScanGauge"?
No, I haven't bought one yet, but I am considering it. You might look for a local dealer and find one at a lower price. I found one in my area that was about $30 cheaper than the manufacturer's website price.
"Have you tried using second gear starts and making the tranny upshift as early as possible, and also allowing the T/C to engage as early as possible in fourth and fifth? I am wondering if this helps or hinders F E "?
No, I have just been letting the transmission do its own thing. I notice that with the gradual speed-ups that I do it drops into TQ-lockup fairly early (around 40 mph). One other trick that the hypermiling site mentioned was to shut off the engine at stop lights. I did start doing that because some of the lights we stop at are pretty long.
We got caught in a traffic snarl in Frisco a while back and at the time our mpg average was sitting at 29.0 mpg after return from a 300 mile trip. We were stuck in that jam for nearly 30 minutes and you could literally watch the mpg average drop as the minutes ticked by. Of course, we need AC operating here most of the time, so we were not willing to turn off the engine. Hindsight is always better than foresight and we probably should have gotten off of the tollway and used the access road.
I would like to use the ScanGauge as it reads instantaneous mileage instead of average. That way you get feedback on how your techniques are helping or hindering fuel economy. :shades:
Incidentally the same hypermiling website did a test of a pickup with tailgate up and down to see if there was any change. It was only one tenth of a mile per gallon different and the person doing the test said that it was within the range or error. One man developed a "fastback" shell for his pickup and got 4 mpg highway improvement. The design allowed for raising it when carrying large loads or camping. Unfortunately he does not have the financial backing to manufacture his design.
Could be me (probably is), but the BP station I use now has 10% ethanol and I have read that ethanol lowers MPG. I did get 32 MPG at 55 on cruise on a road with gentle hills the other week. Seems to me I was doing better than this is the past, but I don't keep records.
Recently returned from my first long trip (SW Florida to Tennessee to NJ and back to Florida) and my best mileage was 30.4 mpg derived from holding my max. speed to 65 mph in Virginia where radar detectors are illegal... :shades:
Have a feeling that $4.00 plus gas will make us all become slower and more fuel efficient. Filled my tank yesterday for $55 at $3.79 per gal. Talk about sticker shock!
I truly wish I could see $3.79/gal. around my area (MD/DC/VA). I had driven it till it was 2 marks from the "E" and it cost me $70 to fill up...gas was $4.03/gal. at the time, it's now up to $4.09/gal. Now...I try to make sure I fill up when I hit half a tank!!!
Talk about driving habit changes...I baby the car off the line from stops and on the highway...I do my best not to exceed 65 mph. With these tactics, I've noticed a gain in FE of about 2-3 mpg and my driving is 75/25 (city/highway).
I thought $4.13 at my local Costco was a crime! I know it dates me, but I used to work in a gas station where for .32 cents a gallon, we would pump the gas, wash the windows, check the oil and put air in the tires.....and, before someone posts it, that .29 is akin to $2.12 in 2007 dollars.
Guess I'll have to be an old f*rt and tell my kids the stories of how during a gas war, prices got down to 20 cents.
I can remember in the late '40s as a teenager when my dad went balastic when regular (leaded) gasoline at a Golden Eagle station on PCH right across the street from the Standard Oil refinery in El Segundo was $0.149 per gallon.. You'd have thought someone had a gun to his head and was robbing him.
I recall filling my Rocket Oldsmobile 88 with premium for $0.359 at the Mobil station where I worked back in the mid-fifties part time for $1.50 per hour.
So it really wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now. If there were people still being paid to pump gas now (actually there are in Oregon . . It's the law!) they surely aren't getting $19 per hour for that job especially up there.
I don't understand how the less fortunate people can get by. :sick:
As an old timer, I too remember those much lower prices for gas, in the $.20+ ranges, and the increases that have come along. More to the point, your comment re the less fortunate getting by (?). My experience as a 26 yr retired military person, with disabilities now onset, is that it is extremely difficult to "get by" financially. I find that anyone on a fixed income is going to find it even more difficult as time passes. I feel that I am very fortunate, and yet my income can't keep up with today's increases. I am at or barely above (?) the government poverty level. Were it not for good investments, and auto buying, I wouldn't be as well off. I bought the Sonata as a vehicle that would help me save money in the long run, and so far it is doing that. I am well pleased with that purchase. Now, if it would only get 100mpg.........hmmm. van
I can nurse my 07 Limited Azera to 30 MPG highway if I use the good driver techniques. I have actually noticed 30.3 between 60-70 MPH on flat terrain after driving several hours. I like to think that there is an egg under the pedal when accelerating from stops and other times. I can maintain not less than 27 around town if I accelerate slowly and smoothly at stoplights. I am very happy with Azera mileage. (Will check car computer using gallons used with mileage attained and report back if a significant difference is noted)
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After seeing the warning sign in "Check Engine" in the dashboard, I went to the dealership and they replaced the rail in fuel injector, because there is very little gas leaking. I thought I found the culprit. However, the technician said my mpg is in the perfect normal range, even after I mentioned that I am a gentle driver, and the car has only one passenger and no other heavy loads. They also mentioned that 10% ethanol gas gives a lower mpg. After the warning signal is fixed, the mpg remains the same.
Hey guys, you are boasting about your mpg that is not true. Right? 30 mpg? You are kidding me.
about 26 mpg after using the old method of gas purchased and actual mileage.
I have never gotten below 21 mpg. on any driving. I use 10% ethanol from time to time and yes you loose about 10% mpg. What a scam about using ethanol. It cost more to produce and less mileage. + it drives the cost of food prices up.
E85 is even worse. One test on a GM truck showed a MPG drop of 6 mpg using E85
Try this: find a level uncongested freeway where you can leave the car on cruise for a few miles. Get it up to 70MPH, set the cruise, and then reset the MPG readout. You should see a mileage reading of 29-30 MPG. If you don't, something is seriously wrong with your Azera.
This came to a disappointing 22.8mpg. 85% of this trip was interstate driving at 70-75 mph, the other 15% was on secondary roads with speeds 45-55mph.
I really liked the Azera better than the Taurus but the fuel mileage was the deal killer for me. You can see my mpg report on the Taurus/Sable thread, the Taurus got 30.8mpg on the same course. I was hoping the Azera was going to be in the 28-29mpg range but didn't come close.
I have a 2006 Azera with over 47K miles on it. With about a 50/50 mix of highway/city driving, my overall average falls around 17-18 mpg.
I'm not sure why you're disappointed, the Azera has never been touted as a gas miser, however...it's no worse than the current Maxima either. Not sure what you were expecting, but it sounds more like you were expecting numbers you would get from a Camry/Accord or something of that nature.
It is rare, but there are a few Azera owners that have posted FE numbers of 30 mpg that I've seen. It definitely had to be all highway driving, but the numbers in any literature either by Hyundai or other sources concerning the Azera post the mileage at 17/26 and the numbers posted for the Taurus are 17/24.
Not sure what you did or didn't do, but it would seem almost impossible to come up with numbers THAT far apart if both cars were driven under the exact same conditions, in the exact same manner. With what you've posted...the Taurus is getting better FE than an Avalon!!!
Seriously...I would take your findings with a HUGE grain of salt.
As for the "not even broken in" statement, the Azera had approx. 3400 miles on the odometer and the Taurus had approx. 8600 miles on the odometer when I rented them.
The Azera is a fine automobile and more luxurious than the Taurus. If I was a low mileage driver I would probably buy the Azera over the Taurus, but I drive 28-30k miles a year and at todays fuel prices I have to pick the Taurus.
As far as broken in, a vehicle really isn't broken in until around the 15-20K mile mark to be honest.
AvonDan
Don't know about Hertz, but Enterprise has been know to still
be renting out cars that are not the current model years.
As an example, we rented a '06 Hyundai Sonata in June 07 because it
was the closest car to an Azera that the local location had in stock.
Anyway...I could believe that your FE numbers could better than those reported IF...you were simply doing all highway driving. It is possible to better the numbers that various sources come up with. However, you have claimed to literally SMASH the numbers. If you take the average of city & highway driving (as posted on Edmunds), you're looking at 22.5 mpg (50/50 city/highway driving). So, even if you move some numbers around and do something like 85/15 highway/rural...then number would be closer to between 25-27 mpg...30.2...come on man.
We live in north central Texas near the TX/OK border. Our winters get down to the teens and summer temperatures rise to about 104 or so. Our dealer had the side and rear windows tinted darker for us. We found that it makes the car much more comfortable than before and the AC can easily keep the temperature where we set it. When our granddaughters ride in the back, we can partially close the two center dash vents and provide them with more air through the rear vents while keeping our comfort the same.
I am looking forward to getting better gas mileage after about 5,000 miles on the odometer. I think I will be able to get around 29 mpg. for much of our driving.
To whom having a similar poor mpg like me, go check the catalytic converter. A day and night difference.
Now...I can tell you I'm sorta heavy footed, so the numbers could be slightly better if I weren't.
Typically, I pay attention to how many miles I'm getting by the time the fuel gauge shows 3/4 of a tank left and then 1/2 a tank. Under normal commuting driving during the week...I will usually have driven 150 miles on 1/2 a tank of gas. When I am on the road, driving the highways...the car will easily get about 250 miles on 1/2 a tank. So, doing the math...for city driving, that puts me at about 15 mpg and for highway...about 26 mpg. If you take the average of that, you would get 20.5...and for mixed driving, I'm off a couple mpg.
I use the shiftronic ability a lot in the mountains and cruise control whenever possible. Typically, I don't have to use A/C a lot here in Denver, but even during the summer, I still will see the car stay in the high 23 to low 24 mpg range. Despite my posting of taking the car above 140mph on one occasion, I would say I try for better mileage, but the power is always there if I need it, and I occasionally use it.
My last car was a 2002 Hyundai XG 350L and it got about 22.5 -23 mpg versus the 24-25 mpg I am normally seeing in my Azera over the last 16 months, as a comparison. Also, as I have posted before, I use synthetic oil and keep the tire pressure at 35 psi or higher (for a trip, I go to 38 psi).
Sounds like you're doing pretty good though. Also, being up in Denver at that higher altitude, there's less resistance due to thinner air. Bring your Azzy down to sea level and your numbers will drop a bit more.
Like you...on long trips, i have witnessed very good numbers. Down to Florida and back, cruising at an average of about 75 mph, with 3 adults and 2 kids, loaded trunk and A/C...my FE was at about 26-27 mpg.
I love this car, I am glad I bought it. Pearl white w/ black interior...looks good.
Notice when my wife drives without cruise control and going between 65-70, MPG drops to about 29.5. We regularly get about 24 mpg on short trips around out town. Key to good MPG during around town driving slow and smooth acceleration.
I haven't reset my trip computer for a year or so and it reads 21.5MPG for city/country/freeway mix. Pretty good, IMO, considering the power, weight, and size of the car.
Most efficient speeds are around 45-60 MPH per what I read, assuming you are not stopping and starting or slowing down and accelerating.
Using the shiftronic really eats up the gas.
I average 26 MPG driving around a small town to the stores and so forth with a few trips of about 10 miles over two lane country roads.
Consumer Reports (if you believe them) tested and discovered opening windows on interstate does not affect MPG in a Camry and using the AC might drop it one MPG.
If really concerned about gas, drive the speed limit - it really pays off and may add 5 minutes to a 3 hour trip based on my experiences.
We live in the country like you. Our roads are probably a little more flat in our area of TX. My wife and I drive 50 mph. on some of the farm to market roads and then 55 mph. on other highways. So far (with 3100 miles on the car) we are getting an average of 26.5 to 26.7 using the on-board computer and cruise with AC running. Today we made a trip to/from Plano, TX partly on US 75 and coming home by a different route with some stop and go traffic. The highway mileage (after a reset) was 31 to 33.8 mpg. After we did the stop and go plus the return home it dropped to 29.2 mpg.
Our altitude here is about 800-900 ft. There are mainly gentle rolling hills in our area and some flat stretches of highway. I increased the Azera's tire pressure to 32 instead of 30 and the ride is still just as comfortable. The cornering actually improved too. I am wondering if going to 34 lbs. pressure will be OK and not cause the center of the tire tread to wear out. Anyone have any experience with extended driving at 34 lbs. pressure in their tires?
Joe
I keep our tires at 37 PSI cold at all times, and with over 10K miles
on the car, the Michelin tires appear to be wearing evenly.
You will observe that the maximum tire pressure allowed by Michelin is 44 psi as
stated right on the sidewalls, but when I tried that, the ride became rather harsh.
With a steel belted tire, it is very hard to get the tread area to bow and to wear the centers.
I had a Camry with recommended PSI of 29 and discovered that 34 was the optimum wear PSI.
At recommended pressures, I find the outside wears faster and many dealers use this as an excuse to do an alignment when it has nothing to do with alignment.
I recently took a round trip from Phoenix to Las Vegas, and no it was for business, not gambling! On the way back from LV, with cruise engaged at about 70mph, I noticed that the transmission would shift down from 5th to 4th gear when I would be approaching an incline. The car would get back to the set speed but would normally stay in 4th until I was over the top of the incline. I put the gear selector into shift mode, and let the cruise manage it. The car stayed in 5th, the slippage in speed was only a few mph, and again when the top of the incline was past, speed would go back to normal.
OK, now the big question: Would leaving the car in 5th using cruise be better for mileage, as long as the engine isn't lugging, as opposed to leaving it in automatic mode? I am interested in your thoughts......
What engine do you have ? 3.3 or 3.8 I just completed a 2800+ trip from Wi. to Fl
and noticed no downshift through the hills of KY. and TN. I have the 3.8 engine.
I ended up with a 28.3 mpg during this trip using total mileage divided by gas purchased. (paid an ave. of $3.77 per gal. - YUK)
If you have the 3.3 eng it doesn't have as much torque as the 3.8...this might cause the dropping to a lower gear. I don't think leaving it in manual would hurt the engine if it isn't lugging but I don't think you will gain much in gas mileage either
Just enjoy the ride :=)
This is probably one of those topics where it doesn't much matter, just was curious
In addition to changing the oil filter, I had also put in a K&N air filter. They are supposed to breathe easier and provide slight power and economy improvement (I am not expecting miracles). We are quite pleased with the car's performance.
Yesterday I had to punch it to get out of the way of some fast approaching traffic. Wow!! This car really has get up and go!
Happy Motoring.
Perhaps it "should return better fuel economy" but that is not so. The computer either downshifts or unlocks the T/C because it "knows" it is better for fuel economy for the motor to be under a reduced load and rev a little higher than to be under an increased low and revving less.
How do I know? Some cars have a computer that will give you an immediate fuel economy reading at any instant, whereas the Azera does not have such a feature.
With those vehicles that do have that "instant fuel consumption feature" you can see what the F/E is at any speed as when under an increased load.
With my daughters 2002 6.0L Escalade, when on a grade under load, with the T/C locked up and still in overdrive, F/E would drop to as low as 7 or 8 mpg. If F/E got any lower than that, the computer would cause the transmission to either unlock the T/C or command a downshift to third speed or direct drive. This would lessen the "load" and the F/E readings would rise even though the motor was turning faster.
Interestingly, when running regular, this would occur on every grade, but when I used straight premium, this did not happen! Why? Someone wrote somewhere that when using the lower octane fuel, the motor produced less horsepower due to the computer and the "knock" sensor "hearing" the engine ping and adjusting the ignition timing lower causing as much as a thirty horsepower reduction in power. Reduced ignition timing caused less power and caused poorer F/E and the computer "figured" downshifting the tranny and letting it rev would improve both the power and the F/E. I test drove that vehicle 5000 miles during our annual summer trip and discovered why Cadillac recommends premium fuel. Some tank fuel economy averages were as high as 19 mpg compared to 14 or 15 mpg when running regular and using the cruise control at all times.
Needless to say that with premium fuel way over $4.35 per gallon, I will not be borrowing her Caddy for making that same 5K mile jaunt to my camp on the WPG river at least for this summer.
I started using the "Drive with Load" technique for up and down hills on our last trip to/from Sherman, TX. I managed to pick up another tenth of a mpg. by doing that instead of using the cruise control.
We regularly use a Wal-Mat shopping card to buy gas at Murphy when in town. We put money on the card with a Discover card that gives us 1% back, so all together we can save about 7 cents per gallon at the Murphy station. I figured that in a year's time it will save us about 1/2 to 3/4 of a month's expense on gasoline.
Our average mpg is now at 27.3 with a little over 5K miles on the car now. Average roads here are farm-to-market asphalt with some flat and some rolling hills. We usually drive 50-60 mph.
Good luck to all!
Joe
So you bought and are using ScanGauge? I thought about one of those but cannot afford one at this time.
Have you tried using second gear starts and making the tranny upshift as early as possible,
and also allowing the T/C to engage as early as possible in fourth and fifth?
I am wondering if this helps or hinders F E ?
In other words, is it better to let it does its own thing or try and control the transmission yourself? :confuse:
No, I haven't bought one yet, but I am considering it. You might look for a local dealer and find one at a lower price. I found one in my area that was about $30 cheaper than the manufacturer's website price.
"Have you tried using second gear starts and making the tranny upshift as early as possible, and also allowing the T/C to engage as early as possible in fourth and fifth?
I am wondering if this helps or hinders F E "?
No, I have just been letting the transmission do its own thing. I notice that with the gradual speed-ups that I do it drops into TQ-lockup fairly early (around 40 mph). One other trick that the hypermiling site mentioned was to shut off the engine at stop lights. I did start doing that because some of the lights we stop at are pretty long.
We got caught in a traffic snarl in Frisco a while back and at the time our mpg average was sitting at 29.0 mpg after return from a 300 mile trip. We were stuck in that jam for nearly 30 minutes and you could literally watch the mpg average drop as the minutes ticked by.
I would like to use the ScanGauge as it reads instantaneous mileage instead of average. That way you get feedback on how your techniques are helping or hindering fuel economy. :shades:
Incidentally the same hypermiling website did a test of a pickup with tailgate up and down to see if there was any change. It was only one tenth of a mile per gallon different and the person doing the test said that it was within the range or error. One man developed a "fastback" shell for his pickup and got 4 mpg highway improvement. The design allowed for raising it when carrying large loads or camping. Unfortunately he does not have the financial backing to manufacture his design.
Happy motoring!
Joe
Talk about driving habit changes...I baby the car off the line from stops and on the highway...I do my best not to exceed 65 mph. With these tactics, I've noticed a gain in FE of about 2-3 mpg and my driving is 75/25 (city/highway).
You lucky people!
The least expense regular grade gasoline here in Riverside County is $4.419
(Arco, Costco) with many other stations as high as $4.599 in this area.
With the low fuel light not on yet, 20 gallons X $4.419 is over $88.
See what I mean?
Guess I'll have to be an old f*rt and tell my kids the stories of how during a gas war, prices got down to 20 cents.
Don't feel like the loneharanger.
I can remember in the late '40s as a teenager when my dad went balastic when regular
(leaded) gasoline at a Golden Eagle station on PCH right across the street
from the Standard Oil refinery in El Segundo was $0.149 per gallon..
You'd have thought someone had a gun to his head and was robbing him.
I recall filling my Rocket Oldsmobile 88 with premium for $0.359 at the Mobil
station where I worked back in the mid-fifties part time for $1.50 per hour.
So it really wasn't nearly as bad then as it is now.
If there were people still being paid to pump gas now (actually there are in Oregon . . It's the law!)
they surely aren't getting $19 per hour for that job especially up there.
I don't understand how the less fortunate people can get by. :sick:
van