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Mike :shades:
1. New cars DONT give good MPG because the engine is not "broken in" so there is a lot of friction in the engine especially the pistons which reduces the MPG and gives that feeling of car NOT being smooth so don't fret. It will become a LOT smoother after your first oil change. I recommend changing oil even if your car has not done 3000 miles. Just get it changes after 3 months.
2. My new Altima 2012 S was giving me 16mpg to start with then slowly it crept up to 19mpg and then after first oil change it has gone up to 23mpg (combined) Please DONOT expect good MPG before 5000 miles due to reason described above.
3. You can get the ECCU (engine computer unit) reprogrammed by the dealer but the engine re programs seeing your driving pattern for last 30 MILES. So just drive whatever way you want and it will reset it self.
Happy with the description?? hope it helps.
i have owned about 8 cars in my life and everyone - every single one of them got what they were rated at- andi mean using the old pre 08 ratings.. the new rating on my blazer is 14- 20 not the 15-21 pre 08 but guess what? i get 15-21 plus or minus a half// always air on - air off - 1000 pay load - doing 60mph doing 95mph doesnt matter- i did the whole florida TP at 95 mph i got 21 - i did all of nebraska 10% grade up hill going west for 600 miles.. got 22.5 mph with full load and ac going and uphill all way.. there is so little differnce in the gas milage between my blazer and the nissan - its so negligible we dont concern ourselves anylonger with the way we use each and for what trips.. yet the altima is rated at about 170% of the milage rating as the blazer - and we are far far from that - its about 15% more than blazer - negligible in the grand scheme. on the bright side - its not worse than the blazer.. but make no mistake - the altima is not economical car it was made out to be - and many many people here are attesting to it - and i have read posts here about people who are heavy footed and drive dense city and getting good combined.. this are people who self admit their driving habits and get good - mpg and yet i am very tame with my habits.. also i am mechanical engineer - -so trust me - when i tell you there is somethign wrong with the car and not the driver - and that is to the idiot - that said make sure your brakes are not draging and freewheeling downhill and blah . omg - believe me and the rest of the people with crap milage - we use real gas from shell and Exxon bp. etc - i dont know if think we are making it from corn mash in the backyard or what .. anyhow - i am with the poor bastards here that are getting crappy milage- there are some little bettter than me - most about what i get - the dreaded 26-27 max on interstate - and 18- 21 in city ..... but it appears there some even getting worse.. being that it has been suggested that some have experienced significant increases in milage with altitude.. and some like me experienced better milage before servicing - would suggest there is somethign about some comp management of the fuel - that may be in play. the good news is this is fixable - we need to get our act together compile the data in a way that nissan can investigate and remedy the problem .. - because i just don t think it can be anythign else - the comp controls all this - and i agree an engine like this just cant burn fuel to this amount of consumption - without making miles.. - so my guess its not burning it .. or at least completely ..... somethign is wrong with the mix.. and sensing the environment.. - maybe they got a lot of cheap comp chips - or static eproms. that are bad.. just not saving the appropriate settings.. or perhaps its a group of bad trannys that came off line - that somehow - are using a lot extra.. inefficient gearing... though mine seems way to low - and seems to have adjusted itself this way over time perhaps from babying the gas pedal - which tooo me would seem to be more effiecient so long as their is no heavy labor to get the car going - but the car seems to have ample torque so - i dont feel its tranny.
though , in my case, i feel its just a comp setting that has gotten goofed up somehow.. never the less its poor quality control and not user error ........ i am comfortable reading these people testimonials and dont believe they are fruit cakes or incompetents and drive poorly or dont know anythign - i pretty much agree with all of them - and am shocked that people come here and tell how tehy are getting great milage - its shocks us almost - but it also puts salt in the wound because not only are you getting what you are supposed and we dont - you make it feel like its our fault.... double injury.. well i think we start a petition and some documentation and maybe do like with hyundia and start a class action suit - but more i would prefer just to have my car fixed. anyhow i think its time to collaborate - - if anyone wants to be contact for this - i suggest they make it known here.. i am not sure what the forum rules are regarding this..
i hope nissan makes good on this - because i am for one never buying another nissan and probably never another foreign job again - they just are not as good a american cars- and i know all over the net you will here about how bad americans cars are - but i suggest you go and read the reliabilty reports on the 97 blazer - and you see its poor - but i have news for you - mine is now 16 years old in two months.. and its like mint - it drives perfect as new - everthing functions 100% and it has cost me almost nothing in repairs - i put a 495 ignition switch in it - a new radiator - per the dexcool thing- cost total of 111 dollars ( nice about domestics much cheaper to repair ) sisters lexus 750 dollars.. i put one alternator less than foreign again.. and one winsheild wiper motor which chev paid for outside of warranty. 16 years less than 1000 bucks.. oh just last yaer - i put new ball joints because i had to pass inspection in utah - one of few states with rigorous inspection.. this maintenance not repairs.. cost me less than 350 .. oh also i get about 45- 50 k miles out tires on the blazer never had car that was this light on tires - and i dont mean i road them till steel - i mean the tire wear indicators were not full showing at this milage - no rotation necessary too. and i know what a lot of people are thinking - they are truck tires they have lots of rubber - well no - the stock tires that came on my blazer were infact car passager tire
anyhow - its a shame - that somehow the mileage can be this off- like i said i have owned 8 cars all got exactly what they should on the old rating system .. and if this one was rated 26 35 it should get it - even if the changed the rating . to be more conservative - i think they had to because the real world - roads are busier then they were 20 years ago.. but not because the ratings were wrong we are justspending mroe time ni traffic.. however - my trips n the altima used - for mileage purposes here were done free of any traffic as a control.. - and for anyone here who thinks we are all stoned and the way we maintain or use our cars- come drive mine for a week - you will have nice enlightenment.
19 city .. 26 hwy .... car.... its not awful its par for a midsize car..in the pre 2.50-4$ gallon days - or maybe late 90s.. era car... but for post ..3 bucks .. to suggest this is 25 city car - and plus 30 hwy car is a joke.. its criminal..
its better to take the 1990 caprice classic full size chevy and put a 50mpg sticker on it.. by they way 1990 chevy caprice classic was rated at 19- 26 at the time - which i thought was amazing - and it head plenty of power was a huge car.. and did get this - back in 1990 - so .. 19 26 out of smaller car 16 years laters - and published and maketed in a 3$ per gallon era - is criminal- we be better have a car 50% large and this old chevy engine......... there is somethign way way way wrong here/////////// again - this gets what my truck does - or slightly better.. my truck would get this - with aerodynamics of altima.... maybe i will dump an old chevy 4..3 engine in the damn car..
cars that i have owned that got better milage than my 07 altima:
1983 camero (151 4cyl)
1983 mazda 626
1985 subaru turbo awd
1990 ford mustang GT
cars that i have owned that got less mileage than the altima ( only by 15% less)
1978 ford granada (302 V8 manual tran) 18 city hwy 22
1997 chevy blazer (4.3 4wd) 15 city 21 hwy..
chances are if you stepped out on I80 in chicago in 1985 and open fire with an automatic weapon - chances are what ever you hit.. would have gotten better gas milealage than the 2007 nissan altima..
We live in a semi-rural area where a lot of homeowners have a lot of older vehicles, off-road vehicles, farming vehicles, and watercraft, some of which take diesel and others (particularly boats) that don't take kindly to ethanol. Thus, we have a lot of no-ethanol stations around here.
In fact, as we drive down to our largest lake area, there are signs all over the place advertising ethanol-free gas.
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She gets right at 30 mpg average, due to little in-town driving, and that mpg mirrors the mileage I got when I was driving it before she got the car from me.
I believe you when you say you don't get that, and I have no explanation why.
All I can say is that is indeed the mileage her Altima gets. It now has about 50K miles.
Back in 2005 I bought a Chevy Aveo hatchback new, and for the 3 years that I owned it, it never came anywhere close to the EPA estimates, either city or highway. It was a real disappointment...
I just happen to believe some cars, for whatever reason, just don't get the mileage others get...
i use many major brands....... states i havent been in more than 10 years - northeast - south west north west and pacific coast - and texas.......states i have bought gas with only some undisclosed % if ethanol.. is wisconsin , illinois, indiana, iowa and nebraska ( special high % ethanol) colorado , whyoming, utah, nevada , oklahoma, georgia, missouri, tenn, alabama, florida, southcarlolina.. kentucky and ohio...... pls tell me what states u can get ethanol free gas? i have never seen a sign advertising ethanol free gas.. why would some states force ethanol gas - its not a smog thing - i dont live in smog areas - except knoxville has some bad air though because valley - but the main reason is not to add it because of smog - its to add it to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and foreign oil .. they add the % they feel is safe to use in cars designed for gas.. though it can affect mileage - i guess - the truth is it doesnt in other cars- so what is special about the nissan that it cant use the same gas everyone else uses. again ethanol is added not because region but because oil consumption in general . so why woudl they be special to allow you to use pure fossil fuels anywhere ?? they dont.. i don tbelieve it.. never seen a sign for ethanol free. anywhere .. i think its more likely that some local laws dont require them to disclose additives less than 10% that is more like it.. anyhow - again i am tryign to tell you - this not well my gas is cheap - i have bought it rural places in city - in several states - all same.. i am sure u can get gas that can vary 1- 2 mpg or 5% or less of total milage - but we are talking i cant get city rating on the highway with ac off.. while peopel are driving the same car in the city getting mroe than i get i straight hwy.. this is not logical at any degree.. again i am saying its somethign broken with the car- not driver or gas- you can put of 2 - 3 or even 5 mpg for usage and gas - but i am talking i get combined wich is about 70% hwy at about 21 mpg - and my blazer gets about 19.. it geting 70% of hwy rating in this usage - i should be getting about 31 with car as others state they get here - so you chauk this up to gas??? comon - get a brain..... i get suv type mileage - i thought i was buying an economy car - per the ratings and yes comparing to other cars.. - oh and by the way i believe for first 3k i feel like i go tthis great milage without breakin even - it was right after first oil change it got bad and way bad - my wife said it first tank after service - so its possible they reset somethign if they checked it with comp. that is what i am feeling - and by the way the first mo i bought the car - when had almost no mileage on it - i taught my nephew to drive in parking lot and to park the car at the mall - according to the comp i got about 19 and some change mpg driving around a pakring lot - i was amazed...... we where averaging something liek 5 and some change mph .. according to comp now my car says - i average 26 mph and 20 and some change mpg............ - so tell me if this make sense.... somethign is breaking on these cars...
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=SC
Also, ethanol has roughly 33% less energy per unit as compared to gasoline, if I remember correctly.
anyhow - read my post - i said its more likely that some states have different labeling laws. and that nice link u posted has a link on it to a site called fuel testers that states not all states are required to label this - and some states have different rules for what % they have to label as eth-free gas - exactly as i stated ... in post above../ and to the following poster about SD AND Iowa - its exactly as nebraska the mid grade is a special super high - eth gas because they produce it there - and infact is cheaper than the other grades.. - infact the other grades have it - they just arent required by law in those states to list it because of the % ---
and oh by the way - the link you sent me - is a site where users submit gas stations - these are people who think they are buying eth-free but are not because they are not required to label - based on state laws and if they are not required to disclose they can advertise it as such - and by the way i looked at those stations listed there most are off brand and unbranded gas- and yet everyone here is saying to use branded gas - not the cheap - that is why u have poor milage - now you are sayign to use the cheap gas - not knowing where it comes from and what is in it..? right?? i got it - perfect sense - for a lowly 100IQ.. sorry - i am sorry you people are so gullible , no wonder the dumb states are republican - i am sure u are replubincans no doubt..
i get horrible hwy mileage too - peopel here are getting blended at 31 - and i cant get 26 on the hwy....... and u tell me driving habits - dont be silly. u get a perspective- half of us have lemons are we are getting screwed good - it wouldnt be so bad if all the caars were the same but think how we feel that half these cars achieve good milage. so we know its somethign broken - and then in the honda hyundai suits - they used other peple testimonies to dissmiss the case holy [non-permissible content removed] . common - what does it have to do that your car gets good milage - that mine is broken - that makes u think u dont have to fix it or pay for it.? tzhe problem is they are using the excuse its our driving - trust me - there are way too many people stating grandma drriving habits and ultimate conditions getting crap mileage yet peopel with heavy feet and fair blended conditions getting great mileage.. somethign is up .. u need to read all and digest and not just assume - .........no pespective.. pls get one
I made no comments on the mpg you get, or don't get.
I simply gave you a reference point to find non-ethanol gas, which YOU said didn't exist any more... Your post # 269.
While I'm sympathetic to those that, for whatever reason don't get the expected mpg they hope for, I'll make an exception in your case.
Good mileage to all of you,
Especially if he continuously informed them of his "superior" intelligence...
Your posts are unreadable.
Making short trips is bad for your gas mileage.
Apparently a catalytic converter needs to be hot to do its job properly, and your car would produce drastically more air pollution if you drove around normally until it warmed up. To meet pollution standards, when you first start your Altima (and presumably most modern gas engines?) the car invests a surprising amount of energy idling fast to quickly heat the catalytic converter. So for the first couple of minutes you are in the car it is in a gas-expensive but pollution-reducing mode, and if you only drive for two minutes every time then you will get abysmal gas mileage. If you generally take five or ten minute trips, your mileage will still be noticeably worse than if you drove the same distance in one trip, because you burn extra gasoline each time you start driving.
I want to point out that polite persistence can be very helpful in situations like this. I spent a lot of time talking to my dealer, and got to meet "the expert from Nissan" who explained that my car is perfectly capable of getting 35+ mpg driving on an empty freeway etc. He insisted that he couldn't tell me why I would consistently get half of that without being there to watch my driving habits, and waited for me to accept that I must be doing something strange and walk away.
I spent an extra 20 minutes patiently restating that I needed to figure out what the problem was because it was costing me a lot of money, so would he please list the things that I might be doing wrong. He reluctantly tried thinking of a few, and was impatient when I told him that each one didn't happen to apply in my case. In frustration he eventually said "the only person I've ever heard of getting such low mpg is my wife, but she only takes the car for short trips of a mile or two."
How to take advantage of this information is a whole separate problem, since I live in L.A. and am therefore legally forbidden to walk anywhere that a car could take me.
One thing I can't understand in all this is that all I hear from Nissan is that the CVT is supposed to be so much better for MPG than conventional transmissions. But when you compare the other top midsize cars to the Altima(ie Sonata, Camry, Accord, etc) they are comparable in HP, weight and MPG. You would think if the CVT was that big of factor the Altima would kill the rest but that's not the case.
I understand the new 2013 Altima has jumped in MPG but the older model Altimas have had the CVT for years and have never been ahead or even equal to some of the other midsizers with conventional transmissions. Just wondering why if the CVT is all that wonderful.
24.4 (mostly town/some highway)
20.0 (all city, heavy stop/go, 3 mile or less trips, two weeks)
40.0 (yes, 40 - all highway, cruise set at posted limits of 65, 75)
35.0 (75/25 highway/city, 560 mile trip)
That's right. These were calculated using fillups. And I mean filled to the TOP. All are with the climate control set on auto, usually A/C running.
Car has 1900 miles to date and the mpg avg on the screen is 27.2.
Engine RPM's at speed are very, very low - 1400 to 1750 depending on speed, holding cruise. Around town, with a light foot, you can keep it well under 2000 all the time.
The car responds well to careful driving, paying attention to RPM's.
Of course if you floor it, all bets are off, and the 3.5 certainly delivers with acceleration (I've read that it does the quarter mile in 14.3 and I have no reason to doubt it) that's impressive for a car at this price point.
So, to date, I couldn't be happier with the MPG. We'll see how winter affects it with heavy snow and city driving.
Also, the seats and stereo are outstanding. This is quite the car even for sticker price.
Of course, an expert driver paying attention only to his mileage, filling up the tank literally next to the onramp and and then the offramp so that he drove 99% on a freeway, was always going to get great mileage. He proudly showed me his receipts, proving he got 35mpg in my car. But I have effectively tried the same experiment, driving a couple of hours each way almost entirely on freeways . I got 32 mpg. (My OBC said I had been getting 35 mpg if you trust that more than my own fill-drive-refill-divide calculation.) Yes, my car can do it; no, I'm not an inherently gas-wasteful driver.
So why *have* I been getting between 14 mpg and 19 mpg on almost every tank of gas since I got the car (new)? The one surprising answer I have been given is that really short trips give really terrible mpg. So a (very) short commute does save me money on gas, but not quite as much as I would have thought.
It had never occurred to me that my car would burn significantly more gas in the first mile or two, revving fast in a fuel-inefficient effort to warm the catalytic converter quickly. It may not even be true. But I figured it was worth sharing the idea here.
Comparing a car that is ten years old or older may not be a great comparison as these new cars are tuned a lot differently to get that high MPG in normal situations. If your situation is well off of normal than you may even get worse MPG with your newer car than with an older one if that makes any sense to you.
Just had another almost 600 mile trip - came in at 32 mpg, mixed driving, over steep mountain passes.
I have my altima for 2 weeks now and the guage shows me 28.4 mpg (may be bcs all of my driving has been in city and yesterday was stuck in traffic for 45 min due to acc) how to reset those numbers? I've yet to take a long trip on freeway and than see how the mpg numbers behave
One of my relative adivsed me to use premium every 4 - 5 fill ups that will extend engine life. Is that true? Can I do that? Has anyone any exp of how it affects engine?
I am frustrated by its performance and the consumer Affairs of Nissan is of no help.
Any suggestions?
I am frustrated by its performance and the consumer Affairs of Nissan is of no help.
Any suggestions?
Short trips = lower mileage. Having driven in NYC myself, I'm not surprised that its so low. You obviously make very short trips or you'd have more than 13k miles on a 2 year old car.
FYI
Page 2-18 of the owners manual
Average speed mode
The average speed mode can be selected to
display the average miles per gallon and miles per
hour since the last reset.
Mike :shades:
Screen average is 25 point something.
Several long highway trips consistently give 34 mpg.
Not much to complain about for the power!