Nissan Altima Hybrid Real World MPG
dunkmeister
Member Posts: 3
Got my NAH on December 1st and just filled my tank for the first time. My MPG calculation came out at 29.8, which seems a bit low. The computer's estimate was 31.5. Since I've hardly driven the car this month when the temperature has been above freezing, I was wondering if the cold temperature is to blame for the somewhat dismal fuel economy, given that I've been driving the car rather wimpishly. Driving has been split 60/40 country (45-55 mph)/city (30 mph). Has anyone here made any comparisons of fuel economy between winter and summer driving? And what have you been getting for MPG?
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I've made about 3000 miles so far and did notice lower mpg in cold weather. For starters your engine has to warm up = wasted gas. And if you use heat, then the engine will keep running even if it's warm, while not moving for example. Turn off the heat and the car shuts off. Good thing for the heated seats.
Putting better gas and changing oil won't do much to boost your mpg. Some people have been getting even 36pmg from day one, but looks like they live in warmer climates, ie. CA, with better roads.
I'm in NY, and depending on driving would get 31-36, mostly it's 32-33. That's for 80% highway at high speeds. I make up for it in the city. Still better efficiency then V6.
Enjoy your hybrid,
karolpl7
I also think that winter gasoline formula's make a difference too.
Before the horrific snow commute, about two weeks ago, I was at 37.2 mpg after about 200 miles - after doing the two and a half hour / 20 mile commute the average had dropped to 33.4.
There was a big law suit against Honda and, I think, maybe Nissan as well that previously their odometers were over reporting mileage thus ending warranty coverage sooner so perhaps they're now erring in the opposite direction.
Don't have NAH yet.....just ole 2005 Altima 2.5S. Noticed after I added Nitrogen tires, got about 8-10% better mileage....during spring/summer months.
Also have 2006 Sentra 1.8S.....before Nitrogen, it was at 30mpg consitently....after Nitrogen 32-33 consistently during spring/summer.
If, on the other hand, I was one who let my tires go for long periods of time without checking them, I think I would see less of a decrease in mileage as the tire pressures head south slower with nitrogen.
I have a blog entry about it... Nitrogen: A Noble Gas?
As you nicely explained in your blog, Nitrogen will take longer to escape from your tires since the molecules are larger, therefore your tire pressure will be more consistent... and you will get slightly better gas mileage. Over 3/4 of air is already Nitrogen anyway.
It's just another way for the industry to make money of you. Just keep correct tire pressure, case closed. Paying extra for Nitrogen makes no sense. If it's same price, then sure why not.
My thinking is that this car's mileage is affected by the cold more than other cars and that the CVT is "geared" so that it's more for lower speeds and the maximum "gear" doesn't handle 70 - 75 too well.
On the return from the trip it was warmer and we got our normal 35 or so the last day, but disappointing overall for the trip.
I also don't think that the cruise control is very efficient with this car. I find the mileage is better with a personal touch
I averaged 30 mpg.
Now, last tank I purchased in NY (unfortunately much more expensive then in NJ but had no choice), but on the upside I'm constantly at 34.5 mpg after half a tank driven; same driving habits, same road, same 80 miles daily. What gives?
I'll be definitely making mental note where I get my gas now. Apparently it does make a difference.
On another note, I've read a quick article that car companies plan to put more mpg gages (such as in NAH) into more non-hybrid cars. Apparently drivers learn to save as much as 10% of gas just by adjusting their driving habits, that equals $$$ and brings real mpg to what auto maker advertises, so less complains.
I love the car. I am really glad I got a loaded one with Nav, heated seats, etc. I highly recommend the Tech Package. As neat and polished as the Prius is, I feel this is a much better five-passenger car. And the lease payment I got it identical to the best I could do on a Prius when I was shopping.
I got 19 mpg in my last car. I feel like a saint! Well, maybe like a saint with leather heated seats, Nav, bluetooth and a Bose system.
Driving a hybrid takes some getting used to. If you drive a NAH like you would a normal car, you'll get normal car mileage. You have to be VERY gentle to get the good gas mileage, as in almost too cautious.
What I'd suggest you do to is reset the MPG computer above your steering column and see if it gets better. Additionally, I'd bring up the display of instantaneous gas mileage (it's a little rectangle that indicates what your mileage is doing at any given moment). Check your owner's manual if you don't know what I'm talking about. That little bar display will show you if you're being gentle enough. You'll note that when you're coasting to a stop, or going down hill, the bar is all orange (filled in). If you're accelerating hard or going up a hill, it will be empty (showing you're really sucking the fuel). Make a game of it, and see how much you can keep the mileage high. That'll help you retrain your right foot....
Got my car just yesterday with 7 miles. Now has 410, having made a quick trip to Albany, NY & back (from Providence, RI area)
The average mpg on trip computer started out very low, and, during the course of the trip went from just 5 or so mpg and by the time I got home now reads 31.5 mpg. Not going to fill er up until I go more miles, not sure if it will go higher or not. It has been my experiences, based on every car I have owned last 15 years with trip computers that none of them are accurate, and the actual gas mileasge is usually 1 or 2 mpg lower than the computer states. When I fill the car up I will have a better idea.. Even that way not the most accurate as I purchased the car with full tank of gas (free from dealer) so I am sure when the pump first "clicked off" that stopped putting more in. When I fill up I usually make sure it is full, you can almost always get another gallon or two in.
Based on the miles to go until empty (I think 165 or so) it would appear that I can stretch & go around 600 miles on the first tankfull. I will report to all how I do.
So, maybe because the car is brand new, it will take some time for the computer show accurate average mpg. Just never had a car that took 400 miles to finally reflect it correctly. One other thing that makes absolutely no sense is "mph". Would you believe it started out also at around 8 mpg and after traveling much of the day at highway speeds it now reads about 24 mpg. That makes no sense. I noticed same thing on my wife's car. We got hers & it had a few hundred miles on it as the dealer purchased the car in CT. When I got it said around 33 mpg, now it is down a bit to 30.5. I assume the dealer never touched it so that is mpg since day 1 on the vehicle.
Anyone else out there have similar experiences?
A few months ago my wife made a snide comment about the low gas mileage the car had gotten when I drove it (based upon that gauge). Next time I had the car, I found a long hill near our house, reset the computer, and rolled down that hill with my foot off the gas. Then drove about 1/2 mile to our house, left the mileage display up, so she'd see the mileage when she got in the car. The mileage showed 77 MPG (impossible to get for any length of time unless you're entire trip is downhill). It took her a while to figure out what I'd done.
The average speed is just that. It is accurate. This is one of the great misunderstandings of driving. People think that if you've gone 50 for 100 miles, and then you do 80 for another 100 miles, your average speed should be much closer to 80. In reality, your average speed is 65.
Don't base average numbers on the first few miles you've driven. Zen-like patience my young green car driver, will reveal many mysteries.
I have never had a car that too 400 miles to eventually show the accurate average miles per gallon. Like I said, when I took it first at 7 miles, ave mpg was around 6 or so and average speed was similar. I can understand that having only a few miles on the vehicle. However after two hours, putting on over 100 miles, the computer should have reset the avg speed to at least 40 or 45 miles per hour. After another hour of 65 miles per hour, it should have increased another 5 miles per hour or so. When I returned home yesterday, wiith over 400 miles driven, even with the stop and go a few times it still only shows low 20's. I just hope the thing is taking a long time to break in and eventually will be accurate. I guess I will tell after I press the reset button the first time & see how quickly the system adapts.
It really did take the entire trip yesterday for the mpg to increase from 5 to now 31.5 when I got home yesterday. Half way thru the trip yesterday I had gotten the mpg up to around 25. The last few hundred miles got it back to where it shows now.
With all other vehicles I have owned, once computer reset would b very accurate. There is a long hill down in the Mass Pike near Westfield, MA> I fully understand that if I reset computer & go 6 miles down that hill, at the bottom the mpg will be at the absolute maximum shown (depending on the vehicle). Same thing going up, the absolute minimum. But, aftrer that, drive another six miles under "normal conditions" and the computer will gradually work it's way back to normal.
Oh well, just hoping the actual mileage I get will be close to what is on sticker. Like I said previously, have never owned a vehicle in which the computer information was not influated by 1 to 2 mpg.
Got the car with 7 miles and full tank of gas (although, probably not quite full as why would dealer go out of their way to squeeze in every ounce!
Ok, first fill out was at around 440 miles, per tripcomputer 31.5, actual usage per amount of gas used 29. I figured it probably got a litle better than 29 because I filled it to the brim this time. Today filled up again, 585 additional miles trip computer indicated 35 mpg, I squeezed in 18 gallons so realistic mpg was 32.5.
I am now back home having driven a few hundred more miles & computer says 35 mpg, but actual probably 32 or 33.
I know the 08's are rated at 33 highway and 35 city, and most of my driving so far has obviously been highway, but still hoping it will improve as the car is broken in.
During the first 400 miles, the average mpg on computer was very slow to respond, took just about 400 miles to creep up there to close to actual gas mileage. For the average speed, on those first 400 or so mile I never got about 25 mph, and it should have been a little over 50. However after the first "reset" the computer now responds very quickly.
Curious what other's have to say on gas mileage.
Surprised that the warning light would come on at only 440 miles, at that point even averaging 30 mpg you should still have at least 5 gallons left in tank. You are right about the winter blend when that changes and weather warms up mileage should improve. Also as car gets broken in should improve mileage.
Let's continue to post on this board; perhaps others will do and we all see how everyone else is doing.
Steve
I also read a lot of these message boards an I truly cannot believe some people getting 45 mpg on this vehicle, I don't care how conservatively they drive. Last time I filled the vehicle up I drove out of the gas station in ev mode, slowly up the ramp to the Mass Pike. For a while the computer read 99.9 which is the max. But, sure enough, after just a few miles it was down to 35 mpg, where it stayed pretty much for the next 500 miles of so until the next fill up.
So far, based on the mileage I am getting looks like I could go upwards of 660 miles on one tankful, but also must be very careful not to run out. I hear that is "bad" on this hybrid.
I will keep the board informed on mpg for this car.
Also, and I mentioned on previous boards I purchased, now three weeks ago a NAH for my wife. Pretty much save vehicle, but without tech package. When we got the vehicle it had about 250 miles on it. Dealer supplied with full tank (probably had around 19 gallons in it, why would a dealer stand there and squeeze every last ounce of fuel in that they are not getting paid for?) Computer mileage on her vehicle reading around 31.5 after around 250 miles, so that would be a bit dissapointing if actualy were only that, except that this vehicle not "broken in" yet.
Time will tell,, warmer weather coming, no winter fuel, etc.
Got the '08 NAH last November and was getting between 29-32 during cold NY winter. Now that spring is here, it's between 34-35, much improvement! I do try to drive efficiently as possible highway/city, but do like to step on in now and then.
Now, that's what the computer says. In a real word, you have two subtract 2 or 3 miles from the readout. I always take out the calculator when I fill up. So winter was around 28-29, and spring so far 32 and hopefully will go up little bit more in the summer.
I enjoy bragging about it at work, ha ha. :P
Enjoy the hybrid,
My biggest savings?? (other than gas) Every time I go to gas station I always purchase a $2 scratch ticket. Rarely win.. If I do, maybe lucky to get my $2 back. With the NAH I go much less often now. Really like the 20 gallon tank. Providence, RI to Albany, back to Providence, back to Albany with fuel to spare!
My biggest complaint---the bluetooth system, although the speakers are great and I can hear the phone ring as it interrupts the radio, the people I speak to cannot understand me at all. It is almost useless!! Next time car in for oil change I will bring to their attention. Maybe a faulty mike.
I travel a lot on NY State & if they catch you yappin on the phone with it in your ear, that can cost you.
One other thing... Have had cars with sunroof for many years; would never consider on with out. First car I have had with wind deflector. Boy, does it cut down on the noise. You can just forget the roof is open (not good when you get home at night, forget to close it, and it rains!)
Part of the problem with bluetooth is car is not the quietest at highway speeds. Too much background noise is picked up.
Wife's car has 1200 miles on it, first tankfull although computer indiicated 32.5 actual was 29. However, I am sure that was because I always fill the tank to the brim and "free tankful": from dealer they would not have squeezed every last ounce in. Second tank computer was 37 and change, actual was a little over 35.
For my car now have 5500 miles in in about 7 weeks . Obviously, mostly highway driving and I would say the average mpg is around 34. On two long trips this week averaged 35.8 and 34 (actual) Reason for higher mpg on first trip went up to mid-Maine (from Prov RI) and took route 1 quite a bit in Maine where speed was move 40 - 50 range. Second trip this week out to Albany & back mostly highway at 65 - 70 mpg and a few mpg less. But, after I got home with a few trips in rural areas, mileage went up a bit more.
So, no question at all, best mpg is not 65 - 70 mph but less that that, even stop and go.
Has become a game, almost an obsession to keep the vehicle in EV mode as much as possible. My wife has been driving like a turtle lately (I think even dangerously so at times) in order to keep mpg up there. I seem to use the "push and glide" method when possible, cannot really determine if that way gives mpg or not.
Oh well, just our two cents!
Traveled 665 miles between fill ups and put in 19.3 gallons, that's about 34.5 mpg (both fill ups to the brim so that is a fairly accurate calculation) For the previous few trips, mpg has climbed from 33ish to more like 35. Record so far is 35.8. If I do a lot of highway driving probably getting about what is advertised, 33 mpg. It is the off highway miles that increase the mpg a bit, which can bring my average up a few mpg.
However, like with every other car I have had for past several years, the trip computer is optomistic by about 2 mpg on average. I really don't understand why they cannot be more accurate.
In my old car, I did many things to improve efficiency, including switching the air filter to a K&N filter, and switching to synthetic oil.
Has anybody tried either of these on the NAH?
Thanks!
Eph