SUV gas mileage - Feel free to participate

suvshopper4

The CR-V and the RAV4 will fit the bill "best, most reliable mini-SUV that will be useful for fishing and light backcountry trips but also get better than 25 mpg on my daily 25-mile commute" if your commute involves a lot of highway driving.

Resale prices are high, though.

ateixeira

Add the Subaru Forester to the list. I have a '98 and have tracked my mileage for years. My worst ever was 20.7 mpg on a week I spent on the beaches (literally, 7 days on the sand) in Rodanthe, Outer Banks. Best ever was 30.4 mpg, with a lifetime running average of 25mpg.

You can get a '99 for about $12 grand on up, depending on the mileage and options. I have a '98 and it's still under the powertrain warranty. It's only been to the dealer once in 5 years. It's at the very top of the ratings in CR's reliability in last April's car issue.

CR-V and RAV4 probably also meet your criteria, but check out the IIHS crash test results and bumper basher tests, and only Forester is safe and sturdy.

-juice

suvshopper4

Why do you say "and only Forester is safe..."?

ateixeira

In the context of the results from the IIHS tests for the 1999 models. The Forester earned a "Good" results in the offset crash test, while the CR-V and RAV4 were rated "Marginal" for safety.

Here's a link:

http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_smsu- v_earlier.htm

Among the new models, the Forester and CR-V are "Best Picks" and the RAV4 is still just "Average". But he's shopping used, so the earlier results are what'll matter to him.

If you look at the bumper basher tests on the same IIHS site, you'll see that Honda and Toyota had problems back then and actually still have problems now, both were and still are "Poor".

-juice

stevation

Hey, I appreciate the advice from you guys on small SUVs. You know, the Forester sounds OK, but it is a bit like a tall station wagon. The RAV-4 wasn't as good looking then as it is now, and it seemed dangerously tiny. Perhaps the CR-V is my best bet. Do you know if it has a factory rack on top that could handle a canoe?

Thanks,
Steve

ateixeira

That was optional, not standard, but you might get lucky and find one that has them.

Forester has roof rack plus cross bars standard. On RAV4 those were also optional.

-juice

paulgrace4

I am only getting about 14 mpg over my past couple of tanks - I'm EXTREMELY disappointed with this. Was getting about 17 mpg.

I live in the DC Metro area - most driving is "city".

Anybody have ideas about what could be the cause of my decreased mpg???

ateixeira

MTBE in the winter fuels, maybe? Also, it's been severely cold, so it takes a little extra energy just to get the engine up to operating temps. I bet mpgs are in the single digits until the engine is warm.

-juice

ekunst

mtbe is certainly part of the problem with winter economy. this oxygenator additive will sap atleast 1 mpg from your mpg. it is supposed to help reduce the emissions from your engine but the downs side is that it robs economy and has been proviven to cause cancer. what a trade-off! cant wait till april 1st.

jogiba

It is the best SUV on the planet.
http://photos.thedieselstop.com/showphoto.php?photo=8709&papa- ss=&sort=1

2000tundra

JOGIBA-you've got to be kidding?! 20mpg? What do you get in the city, non hwy driving? (What state are you in?) Do you have the 7.3 or the new 6.0 diesel? Please, more detail!!

stever

Anyone check their mileage lately? Especially in a new SUV, like the Element or Outlander or RX330?

Steve, Host

cotmc

We have a 2-month old RX330 2wd. The rated mpg is amazing for a mid-sized SUV: 20 City, 26 Highway. It's a little premature to draw any conclusions, but it seems to be meeting those ratings, as long as we keep the lead foot off the gas pedal. During a full round trip between Flagtaff and the Grand Canyon we averaged 25mpg. We have been getting 20-21mpg around town with 87 octane.

paisan

Haaaa You crack me up. Using the word SUV + FWD referring to the same vehicle. What pre-tell is SUVish about a FWD vehicle! Hee Heee Needed some comic relief here at work

-mike

stever

I think you're confusing Sport Utility Vehicle with off-road trucks again, Mike :-)

Steve, Host

paisan

I'm not saying it has to be off-road, but FWD!!!! I mean if we are gonna have FWD SUVs then I guess we can consider a corvette an SUV too, since there is obviously ZERO definitions involved!

-mike

stever

Ok, will AWD count?

Steve, Host

paisan

I'd be happy, even with a crappy AWD system!



-mike

stever

Tried to set you up, but you didn't take the bait:-) Here's what we say in the New Vehicle Pricing Pages:

Select a Type of SUV

A vehicle that offers available four- or all-wheel-drive and raised ground clearance in combination with a two- or four-door wagon or convertible body. (link )

There's probably a few other definitions on site that contradict this one, but it's too late for me to go dig around any more.

Steve, Host

paisan

rpnuge

I have and 03 Sequoia SR5 that I bought in June 03. Consistently it gets 14.x MPGs. Never 15 or 16. I got 17 on a highway road trip to the mountains of NH in July. I guess this is all in line with the mfr 14-17 MPG range they advertise. I wish gas prices would come down!

stever

Ok, it's Spring, prices are up and the summer blends are being made.

Let's have another round please, and maybe a report of your worse winter tank/mpg if you know.

Thanks!

Steve, Host

ateixeira

'98 Subaru Forester, 2.5l, AWD, 5 speed MT

Worst: 21.8 mpg
Best: 25.2 mpg

For me winter is the least efficient season. Lifetime average is 25 mpg, so even my best tank only matched my year-round average.

I'm not complaining, though.

-juice

cwalker29

Great truck, decent mileage. 6000 miles

Best (straight hwy) 22 MPG
Average (city & hwy) 17 MPG
Worst (all city) 14 MPG

Not bad, i guess, i love the inline 6 engine. Awesome, and smooth. But i wish that DOD was here now for GM midsize SUV's. I dont want full-size, but after switching from an accord, gas mileage is def hitting my pocket book. late.

ateixeira

Guess I should update this to compare the seasons. This spring I did very well, in fact I had 6 tanks in a row above 26 mpg. Even bumped up my average a tad.

Even with A/C, my mileage is better than it is during the winter.

-juice

capers

I get never less that 20 in city and 23-24 on the highway consistantly.

And i have the 4WD model Escape. Bugs me car companies advertise SUV MPG and the numbers are for the 2wd models! Or the stinking 4Cyl, which are a joke for a SUV!

tomsr1

First tank 20mpg,mixed city,freeway and mountains.01 Acura TL mixed city freeway 21 mpg with premium fuel.

ateixeira

Interesting, so the HL probably costs you less given it burns regular. Is that right?

-juice

tomsr1

Yes,it burns regular and since premium cost on average 10% more it's about even. One surprising thing is my TL is a rocket taking off compared to the HL but the HL only has 500 miles on it.If the HL wears as gracefully as the TL I won't be in the market for a new car ever.One item on the HL that takes the fun away is a computer that
gives you instant mpg and if you rev it up it drops to single digits fast.It also gives avg so you can target 20mpg by not doing 80.

danpf1

My 1998 Honda CR-V EX Automatic AWD gets on average 21 mpg. My 2001 Pathfinder LE gets about 18 mpg average. The Honda uses regular and the Pithy uses premium.

ateixeira

I won't be in the market for a new car ever

LOL

I bet some times they wish they didn't produce such good cars!

-juice

anthonysbmw

I have had the Expedition since new. The three year average is 13.3 mpg. The best I have gotten is 18.2 (all highway). The worst, 9.8 (driving in 20 inches of snow, in 4 wheel drive). All is regular fuel.

jeff88

Family car:

'04 expedition w/ 4x4, 5.4 v8, 5000 miles
around town = 14 mpg
best highway = 18.1 mpg
overall, 1st 5000 miles, mixed driving 16.4

Company car:

'04 impala, v6, 2000 miles
around town = 26 mpg
highway = 30 mpg
overall, 1st 2000 miles = 28 mpg

ateixeira

My last 10 tankfuls, per my mileage chart:

27.67979844
24.74275023
25.92815724
26.60467698
26.13312359
27.20528828
24.66649673
26.30769231
25.80353685
27.79787234

Not bad, EPA says 21/27 for this 5 speed manual 1998 Forester L 2.5l with permanently engaged AWD.

The 2005 model is now rated 23/30, maybe I should get one of those! )

-juice

tidester

8 decimals? Wow! I had no idea that odometers were accurate down to the Angstrom level! I'm impressed! ;-)

tidester, host

ateixeira

Sorry, I copied and pasted from my Excel spreadsheet.

I basically input the miles driven and the gallons per tankful and that's the output. It's not that accurate for each tank, but you do get an idea of the running average.

-juice

catam

Will it take before the first suckers to buy an Escape Hybrid start posting here that they are not getting anywhere near the EPA estimates and they'll never recoup the extra cost of buying the vehicle????

tourguide

They'll probably start posting here around late summer, but all the while I'm going to enjoy driving every gass guzzling mile in my new Expedition. I'd go for a hybrid Expy though.

stever

Come on Juice - I want to see you get that coveted 30 mpg too :-)

Steve, Host
(another 8 decimal pointer<g>)

ateixeira

Gotta slow down to do that well. We've broken 30 once, but my wife was driving, probably about 55-60.

-juice

jeff88

Would prefer a clean-running diesel to a hybrid. For some reason, I am not conviced that running two separate systems is as efficient for power. If I could decrease the fuel usage by 30% with a quiet, clean diesel, I'd be happy with less over road performance.

That would give me 18 mpg local, 24 mpg highway with our new expedition. for an 8 passenger 4x4, that would be pretty good.

paisan

That's why i'm going with a Duramax Diesel 4x4 Crew Cab with Cap.

-mike

ateixeira

It'll be interesting to compare the Liberty diesel to the Escape hybrid. Real-world accounts, that is.

-juice

norrmanndo

I haven't kept track of gas mileage since I was in college 20 years ago, but do occasionally do an estimate based on trip odometer and gallons added. I usually get 20 mpg in my Mazda Tribute V6. I guess I need to keep a pad and paper like an obsessive-compulsive anal retentive.

paisan

Yeah that will be a good comparo. I wish they had pricing out on it that will be interesting to see too.

-mike

emetz700

04 Accord EX = 37 pure interstate, 29-31 Avg
04 CR-V EX = 27 pure interstate, 24-27 Avg

Previous cars (me and wife).
01 Blazer LT = 20 pure interstate, 14-18 avg
96 Altima GXE = 32 pure interstate, 26-28 avg
95 Neon = 34 pure interstate, 27-29 avg
88 Berreta GT V6 = 30 pure interstate, 20-24 avg

ateixeira

Just keep the receipts and write down the mileage on the trip odo. I actually save up a dozen or so receipts and then plug in the data much later on, it's takes no time at all.

-juice

stever

I keep a little book handy instead of trying to keep track of the gas receipts (although I do keep that stuff too). Maybe it's because I've been keeping track in little books since '74. I do the Excel transfer about once a year. The book is a handy place to make maintenance notes too instead of digging through those receipts or waiting till I get back to the pc.

I wish I had kept all those little books instead of leaving them with the cars when I sold them - I could really have a good handle on my lifetime mpg!

I was getting 27.62754425 mpg back in September, 1982 in my Toyota Tercel Angstrom LTD :-)

Steve, Host

jeff88

even if it is done in your head after each fill up is not a bad thing. For one thing, if you fill up and the mileage is drastically bad, or steadily worsening, it means you may be ready for a tune-up or engine check.

bewildered1

I just started driving my wife's old Suburban. Here are my MPG findings thus far.

at 174,556 miles - began observation
at 174,873 miles - 15.4 mpg
at 175,239 miles - 15.7 mpg
at 175,658 miles - 14.7 mpg
at 176,046 miles - 14.9 mpg