SUV gas mileage - Feel free to participate

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  • ejzejz Member Posts: 18
    First 1800 miles average is around 12-13 MPG mixed driving. Last 700 was a highway roundtrip to Texas doing 75 most of the way and got 15 MPG. Next big test is 2000 roundtrip to North Carolina next week. Unfortunately around town I can't help but let the 5.4L V8 scream occassionaly (and visibly see the gas gauge go down).

    Long ago I had a 1990 Montero 4 door 4X4 with a 5-speed stick. Got 20 MPG unless it was totally highway and then would get 25 MPG.

    In the past I had always been able to get better mileage performance out of my cars than the EPA stickers said on completely stock vehicles. I wonder if there tests need updating.
  • greg116greg116 Member Posts: 116
    But I'm sick of people complaining about how their giant 4x4 guzzles gas when it should have been obvious when they first test drove it and watched the fuel gauge go dowwwnnn right before their eyes! I'm about to take a job offer where i'll be making enough money to buy pretty much whatever I like, and mileage isnt going to be much of an issue. Oh sure, an efficient motor would be an incentive, but i'm not gonna buy it if it doesent match my "accelerative needs" heh heh heh...
  • onalaskaonalaska Member Posts: 21
    2000 GMC Yukon 5.3L with 3.42 gears, 27,000 miles. Average 17.5 MPG with about 50/50 city highway driving. Best 22 MPG all highway. Worst 15 MPG city.

    1991 Chevy Blazer 4.3L with 3.41 gears, 207,000 miles. Average 20 MPG with 80% city and 20% highway driving. Best ever 24 MPG. Worst 17 MPG. What a fine truck and still going strong!

    Steven
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Thos #s on the Yukon and Blazer (mostly the worst milage ever being 15mpg and 17mpg city?) You should teach your driving techniques and/or maintenance on those trucks, cause they are way above those listed for the trucks. :)

    -mike
  • dardson1dardson1 Member Posts: 696
    hard as it is to believe, Chevy seems to know how to do engines that get pretty good milage (considering size and weight)...had a 96 Tahoe that consistently got 14mpg straight city driving and 18-20mpg highway. Traded for a 98 Expedition that never did better than 12.5 city or much over 15 on the highway.
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I own a 97 Rav 4 AWD & 01 Tribute LX v-6 AWD. The Rav gets 30 mpg. on the highway at 70 mph & my Trib gets from 26-28 at the same speed. This is in canada with a Canadian gallon. For the US guys that would be 24 mpg for the rav & 22.4 for the Trib.
  • michaelm13michaelm13 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2000 Forester 4cyl 2400cc with 52,000 miles (approx 400-1200 miles per week). The window sticker advertised 27 MPG way 22 MPG City but the car never gets better than 18-19 MPG, approximately the same as some big 8 cyl Fords!
    The fuel tank is only 12 gals, for a range of about 220 miles per tank. Subaru service techs tell me that 18-19 is "typical" for Forester. What is the experience of other Forester owners?
  • kingdudekingdude Member Posts: 12
    After 18,000+miles on my Trib, I'm averaging 22.31 overall. Approximately 60/40, hiway/in-town.
  • skipjack2skipjack2 Member Posts: 29
    Hiway, 12.8 city 6.5 towing 8000 LBS 8.7.

    Skipjack
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Michael: it's actually a 2.5l engine, and the gas tank holds 15.9 gallons. Sounds like your fuel gauge is a bit conservative.

    I do not think under 20mpg is typical. 22-25mpg is more like it. I'm just over 25mpg on average, with one tank last month hitting my all-time high of 30.4mpg. A friend of mine from Atlanta did better than 33mpg (wow!).

    Though driving style and road conditions are a big factor, I would have the 60k mile service done early. Make sure they do the spark plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter, PCV valve, oil and filter, air filter, and a four wheel alignment. I'd also rotate and balance the tires, or change them if they're worn. Finally, I'd have the entire fuel system cleaned. Something is out of spec.

    Hop over under Owners Clubs, then Subaru Crew - General Maintenance & Repair. It's a topic dedicated to the type of question you're asking. We also have a live chat tonight (every Thursday) at 9pm eastern, 6pm pacific.

    -juice
  • speterson1speterson1 Member Posts: 228
    Michael: I agree with Juice, I've got about 4400 miles on my 2001 Forester L (AT), and the worst mileage I've ever gotten is about 18 mpg. With city driving I always get 22-24 mpg and on our interstate trips we get 28-31 mpg. I don't think the 2000 Forester should be that much different from the 2001, so your 18-19 seems low.

    Good luck and I hope your mileage can be improved! If you can, don't be afraid to go to a different Subaru dealer for maintenance, some are better than others.

    Steve
  • jackickjackick Member Posts: 12
    OUCH! 14.5 MPG average (50/50 city highway) on premium (92 octane) fuel- climate control on- although you should consider it is always in 4 hi and it weighs about twelve thousand tons!!!!!! It was either the LR or the Yukon, so I think we fared similarly with the abysmal gas mileage on the LR.
  • div2div2 Member Posts: 2,580
    average: 18.00 rural/suburban driving
    worst : 14.75 4X4 ambient temperature <20F
    best : 21.25 summer interstate cruising <70 mph
    Notes: Truck has 126000 miles on it. All drivetrain lubricants are synthetic(Mobil 1). Tires are Pirelli Scorpion A/Ts inflated to 35 lbs. cold
  • rleethalrleethal Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2001 FWD Santa Fe GLS auto doing 50/50 hwy/city and I have been getting 21.5 mpg
  • djdjdjdj Member Posts: 111
    Bought it this June with 19K miles, 21K now. Tracked mpg for kicks though I consciously decided that I was prepared to buy unlimited tankfuls of premium for the pleasure of this vehicle.

    Worst - 11 mpg. This was half a tank, purely intown driving, in an area where nothing is flat (all hills and valleys) while showing off the car to friends.

    Average for me - 19 mpg. About 80% highway driving, some at 65 mph but some stop-and-go, no pedal to the metal at the lights, relatively flat terrain.

    Best - 21 mpg. Driving on route 80 from one end of Pennsylvania to the other around, doing between 70 - 80. This was better than I expected for that speed.

    I'd like to see what the mileage is when driving a tankful at 60 mph but its so smooth at 75-80 that I can't control myself.

    Always with 92 octane.
  • exzaveexzave Member Posts: 16
    City driving with lead foot about 18 mpg. Really not too bad.

    Highway 75-80 mph 19-20 mpg.

    Highway 65-70 mph 20-21 mpg.
  • dohc32vdohc32v Member Posts: 60
    Surprised me. 14 MPG around town with A/C turned on and over drive disengaged and 17 MPG on the open highway with Cruise Control set at 75 MPH and A/C on.
  • 390gt390gt Member Posts: 17
    Short stop and go trips less than 15 miles, 10 - 11 mpg, Mixed highway/city 12 -13, all highway around 75 mph 14.5 - 15(ac on). 20K miles on vehicle. Using K&N air filter, Mobil semi-syn oil 5w-30 changed every 3k, running BFG A/T KO 265's(stock size tire).
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    4x4 auto, 3.3 V6, 21 highway, 16 to 17 around town.
  • lambdaprolambdapro Member Posts: 51
    2WD, 3.73, 5.3L Suburban base models. 4900 trip, mainly highway.
    19.6 mpg loaded, six passenger Suburban
    12.5 mpg loaded, nine passenger Suburban towing kayak trailer with 17/20 kayaks
  • dustyonedustyone Member Posts: 262
    2.0 to 0.5 gpm, but hope to get better perhaps in the 1.0 to 2.0 mpg range
  • textruckrtextruckr Member Posts: 22
    2WD with the 700R4 Auto OD, 3:08 rear end, 2 adults, 1 kid and 2 dogs, pulling 2200# trailer averages 15 on the interstate at 62-65 mph. At 70 hauling only the family it still only gets around 16! In town driving we get around 13-14.
    This is with a rebuilt engine (~22k on it) and we had some "goodies" put in it when built. Best adder was the RV cam by Crane - adds more power at lower RPM so the tranny stays in OD longer. True duals and turbo mufflers increased mileage and lowered hwy temps too.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    Just had my first fill-up on my new '01 Escape and I calculated that I'm getting 22.4 mpg and that was about even with city/highway driving. But you also have to take into consideration that is on Pennsylvania roads, where potholes are the size of VW bugs and Construction is one of our 4 seasons ( Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction)

    Odie
  • astrolann1astrolann1 Member Posts: 8
    I got a 1999 Blazer 4 dr. 4x4, I have the MPG computer, I get 21 to 23 mpg on the highway. Some people think they should get better mileage, but what they don't think about is the high gear ratio. You can't get the same mileage as a car because of that.
  • 1badsidekick1badsidekick Member Posts: 135
    I have a '98 Sidekick (by the way, read my complaints about it on post #307 under Suzuki Grand Vitara), and it has a 1.8 liter four cylinder, and the last time I took a long distance, highway trip, and I do mean the LAST trip I took in it, running at about 70 mph, I got about 23 mpg. The car is rated to get 25-26mpg, so 22 isn't much below it, but my dad owns an '84 Mustang GT with a 5.0 liter 302 and he gets 25mpg when driving it over rough terrain. It makes me mad to think that a car with that much power, versus a little *PUSH IT HARDER* four cylinder, the 4 gets less than the 302. Thats my 2 cents.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Experts tell how to stretch cash spent on expensive gasoline

    Steve
    Host
    Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • 5greyhounds5greyhounds Member Posts: 338
    I have 5k on my XL-7 and at 50% city and 50% highway I got 21.7 on my last tank. Not bad since the EPA said 20 highway and this was a combined figure.
  • briany3briany3 Member Posts: 3
    24.50 mpg combined, about 85% highway driving.

    Ford Escape XLT, 3.0L engine, NOT 4x4.

    My secret: Don't drive too fast on the highway, coast to lights in the city, keeping momentum so I don't have to reaccelerate at every light. It takes discipline to drive this way, but my mileage is better than the sticker, and I actually get where I'm going faster. And alive.

    -- Brian, somewhere near Philly
  • romulandmzromulandmz Member Posts: 7
    Combined Highway/City 21.25
  • varmitvarmit Member Posts: 1,125
    Been tracking for 23 months with an overall average of 25.6 mpg. Highway average is 27+. Best tank was 30+. Worst was 23+, which included half a tank on dirt trail driving. My daily commute is 65% hgwy and 35% town roads.
  • hatton3hatton3 Member Posts: 13
    In the UK most SUV's are sold with diesel engines. In the last 4 years or so diesel technology has come on so far that modern engines are quiet, clean, powerful and economical (as well as long lasting). I drive a Land Rover Discovery Series II with a 5 cylinder 2.5 litre diesel which gives 30 mpg and is only marginally slower in acceleration than a V8 and actually pulls better. Off road it is every bit the equal of a V8, indeed it is far better in really wet conditions as there is no ignition system to let you down. I understand in the US there are few if any diesel engines in cars and SUV's and the fuel stations and maintenance centres are not geared up to handle such diesels. However I predict that within 5 years that will change - you really dont know what you are missing !
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Very nice to see some posting from the other side of the ocean :-) Is that 30mpg in British gallons? IIRC, a British gallon is smaller than a US gallon, so it would be less than 30 mpg.

    The problem with our diesels (or lack thereof) is that the oil companies have not been willing to lower the sulphur levels in the fuel to European standards (ours are 10X higher). As such, the high sulphur renders the advanced emission control devices useless. The companies will not lower the levels till the government mandates that, but that won't be for a while. Eventually though, this will hopefully change.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    If a British Gallon is less than a US gallon, it would actually be more than 30mpg if converted to US Gallons (you'd get more fuel in that one gallon providing 30mpg)

    -mike
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Scared to check.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    LOL! :D

    At least you have a sense of humor about it, and gas prices have eased a bit.

    -juice
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Yeah-

    I figure, what can I do? So I enjoy! If I could get 3-5 more miles per gallon, that might save me a couple hundred a year... not as much as I'd lose by selling it and buying a good mpg car that doesn't get me to the rougher lands.

    And hey, just because MPG is bad, doesn't mean emissions are high. Many older higher mpg cars have high emissions in spite of the mileage.

    I feel darn good. And also, what would the government do without all that gas tax revenue- sock it to you somewhere else- then you're getting soaked by the tax and can't even drive off road!!

    I sure am doing my part. :)>
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    I always thought a US Gallon was 4 L and an Imperial gallon (Overseas and Canada) was 4.5L. Using these number on my last all city driving tank of gas, I got 19mpg US or a little over 21mpg Imperial in a '01 Cherokee. Hotcoffee, I'm actually interested in what you're getting becuase these vehicles were compared to each other.

    Oh, current gas prices here (some of the lowest in Canada) are currently 68.9c/Litre or about $1.80/US gallon in US Dollars.
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Yeah-

    I figure, what can I do? So I enjoy! If I could get 3-5 more miles per gallon, that might save me a couple hundred a year... not as much as I'd lose by selling it and buying a good mpg car that doesn't get me to the rougher lands.

    And hey, just because MPG is bad, doesn't mean emissions are high. Many older higher mpg cars have high emissions in spite of the mileage.

    I feel darn good. And also, what would the government do without all that gas tax revenue- sock it to you somewhere else- then you're getting soaked by the tax and can't even drive off road!!

    I sure am doing my part. :)>
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Wait a minute - a US gallon is 4 quarts, not 4 liters. It's actually something like 3.7l.

    -juice
  • vin_weaselvin_weasel Member Posts: 237
    I just looked it up:

    1 US Gallon = 3.785 Litres
    1 Imperial Gallon = 4.546 Litres

    A quick revision and I get 21.3mpg Imperial and 17.7 mpg US.

    And the 30mpg above translates to 24.97mpg using US Gallons.
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Those conversions gave me an Imperial headache!
  • rs_rogersrs_rogers Member Posts: 16
    Just back from a 3000 mile vacation in 2 month old vehicle. Best highway mileage tank (actually about 3/4 tank ~19 gal.) was 21.9 MPG. Average highway mileage was approx 19.7 MPG at 72-75 MPH. Truck was loaded with people and to the roof with cargo.

    Changed factory oil fill 5-30 Amsoil synthetic about 500 miles before trip.

    These recent mileage results are better than the EPA estimates and higher I than what I had observed before the switch to synthetic, but I don't know if it is a result of "break-in" or not.
  • suvlookinsuvlookin Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking hard at the 2002 Trailblazer or Envoy. I travel quite a bit and am interested in real world gas mileage numbers.

    Anyone that owns one, please comment.

    Thanks.
  • abc246abc246 Member Posts: 305
    Last time I saw the sulphur content in fuel the US and European standards were close to the same. You are right that the emission controls need a 10 times reduction to be effective and this is to start in the US in 2004 and be complete by 2007. CA emissions are the most strick in the world.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Sulphur content in N.American gas is actually significantly higher than in Europe...as much as 10-20 times higher! This is the reason why the high tech diesel engines in many European cars cannot be brought over to our continent. They cannot be made to comply with emission standards since the sulphur renders the advanced emission control devices virtually useless. IIRC, European standards call for 15-30 ppm. In the US, 300-500 ppm is the norm.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • minn_tbminn_tb Member Posts: 25
    I have a 2002 TB LTZ.

    I have kept track of the mileage since day 1.

    Overall, I have averaged 18.5 mpg (using actual gallons and miles, not the computer).

    Average miles per hour for the entire time is 35.5 (there is a timer on the control center). On long trips I have gotten over 20, and the lowest I have seen for in-town commuting is about 17.1.

    Love the vehicle!

    minn_tb
  • larrys7larrys7 Member Posts: 35
    Just finished two trips 2000/900 miles. Computer was showing 18.8 on the interstate in IL & 16.7 in the hills back in MO. NOT BAD... Found best to run 70-72 mph. When your at 75-76 drops 1 mpg & around 80 mpg 2 mpg drop. Still miss my 97 burb w/5.7ltr 19-23 mpg and less stops with that large fuel tank. Next trip I'm going to double check at the pump to verify mpg...
  • ukkonen7ukkonen7 Member Posts: 22
    Here are some examples of the gas mileage on the MDX:
    The best I have recorded was 25.1 driving around 60 mph going down wind. All highway.

    The mileage really drops whenever I kick in the after-burners.

    Usual highway mileage, going around 75 mph is around 21 or 22.

    I hope this helps someone.......... Cheers!!
  • osvaldoosvaldo Member Posts: 11
    My '01 Expedition with 4x2, 4.6 engine gets 13mpg in stop and go traffic and 19-21 mpg on the highway at 75mph. Worst tank was 9mpg-ouch and best was 22mpg all hway at 65mph in the rain. All this in flat Florida.
  • suvshopper4suvshopper4 Member Posts: 1,110
    Last 2,000 miles averaging 25.4 mpUSg, usually 50/50 suburbs/highway. Daily commute driving in sometimes 'competitive' I-95 freeway flying.
    Best tankful was 30+, mostly highway but heading slightly uphill (flatlands of NJ to PA's Endless Mountains).
    EPA numbers on sticker are 23-27.
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