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Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

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  • pdobrottpdobrott Member Posts: 5
    edited August 2010
    Last month my VSA modulator failed. Dealer replaced it and while the van was in they updated the judder (transmission firmware). Since then I have noticed the torque converter does not lock in OD until 52mph. Unlocks below 52. RPM jumps 200-300. Overall the RPMs run higher. First tank had 240 hwy miles and 127 city. Most of the city driving is 40-45. Even in 35 zone I run up to 42 to shift to OD and back down to 40. Then keep a light foot on the gas so the eco light stays on. I was expecting 22-23mpg but only showed 19.
    Second check was at 187 miles with 140 hwy. Some of the hwy was FM roads that varied from 60-45. Very annoying to see the rpms jump at 51mph on flat roads. MPG was 20.
    My hwy mpg has been as high as 30.7. Varied from 26-29 mostly. Now I doubt it will ever get to 25 unless the trip is constantly above 52mph.

    Has anyone had the judder update and noticed a decrease in fuel economy?
  • cccompsoncccompson Member Posts: 2,382
    Odyssey mileage typically increases with miles. It may take as many as 10,000 miles to optimize. In-town mileage, regardless of mileage, is never going to be great.

    Was delighted that the first tank on my new '10 EX-L yielded about 22. Although many of the miles were on the highway, I did lots of varying the revs in the process of breaking in the motor. Although some may poo-poo that notion, I still adhere to the idea of avoiding steady RPMs for the first 500 miles.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Two tanks on my 07 Sienna LE FWD:

    First was 29.9 mpg, all highway, from DC to the shore. Light traffic helped. Can't believe I didn't get 30!

    Next I got 22.9 mpg driving around town, while at the beach.
  • gmwellsgmwells Member Posts: 2
    i too just purchased 2010 odyssey ex-l, and thought that the dealer didn't top it off very well so I went to put more gas in. When the pump initially clicked off, i proceeded to put another gallon in. after driving it only 110 miles, the gauge showed just above 1/2 tank-- this concerned me-- i thought that i was only going to get about 10-11 mpg. I went back and re-filled the tank but this time took my time to fill it up until I saw the gas. This is what surprised me-- after the pump turned off initially, I was able to put in an additional 5 gallons!!! So now we'll see what my actuall mpg is.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Wonder why that's happening.

    Mine doesn't need to be topped off - it fills up every time, the first time.

    It's risky because you can damage emissions equipment if you top off too much.
  • azkid2azkid2 Member Posts: 47
    I would like to know how close the new 6 speed mileage figures are to the window sticker numbers. I know a new engine mileage won't be quite as good as later, but I would just like to get a feel for the real world numbers. Thanks.
  • tsu670tsu670 Member Posts: 293
    Returned a week ago from 11-day road trip from Twin Cities, MN to Colorado Rockies and plateau regions of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah. Lots of mountain driving including numerous stops for trails and overlooks. Averaged 25.58 mpg for trip including 3 tanks at over 28 mpg. Very nice ride.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    2007 Sienna LE FWD.

    Driving up from MD to CT, in heavy rain, at a brisk pace since traffic was light, we got 24.6mpg. I must have averaged 78mph, though.

    Coming back we took it slow, my wife drove a bunch. Managed a much better 26.2mpg.

    Van was pretty loaded up with gifts and gear.

    Funny, though, how much better the mileage is when you're doing 65-70 instead of 75-80.
  • tsu670tsu670 Member Posts: 293
    Like ateixetra, I also discovered what a huge difference only a few miles per hour makes on gas mileage. Since we had an easy schedule, I did some experimenting and discovered ours loves 69 mph at 1750 rpm. Even with the speed limit at 75, we found lots of other drivers doing the same thing (which is what made me try it, too) and we never held up anyone. If we were passing a truck and someone came up fast behind, I stepped on to finish the pass and get out of the way, but those occurrences were few and far between.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    These vans have bad aerodynamics (relatively)...the large frontal area adds an increasing drag at highway speeds.

    I too find a large difference between 65 and 75+ (05 Quest SE).

    I recall a test a while ago...which showed how UNUSED roof-racks can cause a decrease of ~10% mpg.

    It's hard to 'hold back' when you have the last few miles...you're tired, kids are whiny, wife keeps asking to stop to get a drink, you're getting close to midnight and you have to work the next day. A quick calculation in your head...ok...i'll spend the extra $3 and push it to 75 :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    For me, the trick it to be going fast enough that it stays in the tallest gear, no downshifts required, and the torque converter remains locked up.

    My Sienna goes in to overdrive at about 46mph with no load, but up hills it will often shift down. So you really need to be going 55-60mpg or so to keep it in overdrive.

    I'm sure the speed will vary for any given model, but that's the sweet spot for me.
  • tbanks204tbanks204 Member Posts: 3
    Never has gotten over 20mpg. We are very disappointed.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    Overall mpg?

    I never see over 20mpg in combined driving (05 Quest SE).

    The only time my average is over 20mpg is when there is a lengthly highway trip.

    We have too many short trips where you 'gun' it to highway speed only for a couple miles; as well as too much time sitting idling.

    If I were to guess what the 'trip-mpg' reads right now it would probably show16mpg or so.

    Usually the Sienna highway mpg posted here is pretty impressive...usually higher than I get.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2011
    Something is wrong - I have never had a full tank average less than 20mpg, not once. Even in winter, in-town driving. 2007 Sienna FWD 3.5l V6.

    Have your previous cars done OK relative to what other were getting?
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    Maybe you've gotten lucky :)

    Your EPA shows 17/24

    If you sit idling you're getting 0 mpg (suppose I'm stating the obvious)...so I can see getting in the teens if you're idling waiting for kids, fast food, prescription, atm, etc...

    Not to say something isn't wrong with the Van...could be.
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I own a 2006 Dodge Caravan SE (4 cyl). I have got as high as 32 mpg on the highway (60 mph and flat highway). Combined city/highway is around 24 mpg.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You can always turn off the ignition at a long traffic light.

    Or plan your route so you have more right turns than left, avoiding even more lights.

    I'm no hyper-miler, but I am practical when it comes to stuff like that.

    EPA revised and lowered the numbers. Those are correct today but IIRC it was 19/26 on the Monroney.

    It's easy to beat the new EPA numbers.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    You can always turn off the ignition at a long traffic light.

    heh...I had a flash-forward of what my wife would say..."You're doing what?!"

    But that is what some vehicles do (especially in Europe)...not sure how the AC cutting off would be handled in the summer heat of TX.

    I 'can' beat the EPA for highway...but I have to keep it at the speed limit. My mpg really suffers every few mph I go over the limit; huge frontal area...roof rack...running boards...tones of junk in the back we don't need -- all come into play a little.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yup, my wife likes to take cases of drinks from one place to another, I try to tell her it costs us more in gas vs. what we paid for the drinks in the first place. Liquids are heavy.

    Beer is exempt, of course. :D
  • badgerfanbadgerfan Member Posts: 1,565
    Recent trip to East Coast got overall 23.17 MPG. Best was 27.56 on way home. Worst was 20.95 which had about 1/3 of tank used in stop and go suburban driving.
  • mantax2006mantax2006 Member Posts: 2
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    I live in northern Ontario and make 2 to 3 trips per year to the southern U.S. Average 23 to 24 MPG on these trips, travelling at 70 to 75 MPH. Local winter driving with snow tires, average is 17 to 18 MPG. Best gas mileage was a trip to Duluth, MN; averaged 25.5 MPG. Engine is 3900 V6 with 240 HP and 4 speed automatic.
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    Just finished an approx 1000 mi trip in an 05 Quest SE...22 mpg average.

    I've found over the years the 80ish mph kills the mileage...most of the trip was a 75mph posted limit.
  • kagedudekagedude Member Posts: 407
    edited January 2013
    Calculated the old fashioned way (filled up, reset the odometer, then refuelled and calculated by dividing miles travelled with gallons put in) so its 314 miles / 9.62 gallons = 32.6MPG. This is 99% highway driving @65mph on i-95 between Northern VA and NC.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sweet!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited March 2013
    At 182,040 miles, my '99 Quest is getting 21.58 combined mpg. Best tank last year was 26.54, worst was 19.06.

    The scary number is $21,090. That's approximately what I've spent on gas over the years (assuming $2.50 a gallon gas since '99).

    Steve, visiting host
  • ivan_99ivan_99 Member Posts: 1,681
    That's really not too bad of a price...you could have driven around the world over 7 times for only $21k...

    Assuming such a perfectly round road existed...
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