Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

hansienna · November 2004

Thanks for confirming my observations. Most new vehicles can easily exceed EPA Highway rating when driven responsibly.
I would prefer your 3.8L over my 2002 T&C 3.3L. Almost same gas mileage but more power with the 3.8L. Chrysler goofs by not offering the 3.8L on every DC minivan.
BTW, the Trip Computer in my 2002 T&C is VERY accurate.

jipster · November 2004

"Most new vehicles can easily exceed EPA Highway rating when driven responsibly"

I would say most new vehicles can MEET EPA Highway ratings when driven responsibly.If they could "easily" exceed the EPA Highway rating then the manufacturer would list their expected MPG to be higher. Useing the higher MPG in their advertising.

stickguy · November 2004

they can only list the EPA numbers by law.

I have a '99 Quest also. It gets about 15 MPG most tanks, but that is heavy short-hop around town driving. Lots of stop/starts, etc. On the highway, I usually average about 22 overall (best ever tank was about 25, sometimes I get 20). But, that is usually on the NJ turnpike and NY Thruway, so a combination of traffic jams, running at 75-80, and (in NY) lots of hills, plus some around town during the trip.

I think if I did a straight run south (where it's flat), at around a steady 67, I might get 27 mpg or so (like thats ever going to happen!).

jipster · November 2004

Stickguy, then why would EPA set the numbers so low if they could easily be exceeded by people who drive their new vehicles responsibly?(per Hans)If EPA sets mpg at 18 city/25 highway on the new Quest you just bought. And Nissan says no way...it easily gets 20 city& 28 highway when driven responsibly.Couldn't they sue EPA saying they are hurting their new car sales?
How exactly does the EPA arrive at mpg?

dudleyr · November 2004

The EPA subtracts 22% from their measured highway numbers (you have to add 28% to get the original number) because people generally drive to fast, or include some city driving with their highway driving and hence complained. It is very easy to exceep the EPA numbers. You really have to drive carefully to get the original numbers though (1.28 x the EPA).

stickguy · November 2004

the epa test is run on a treadmill, and is very arcane in the way they measure mileage, and what they consider city and highway. All cars run under the exact same profile. Real world results vary partly becuase some cars are designed to do better on the test than the road, and vice versa.

Its what we got, and a better comparison than each manufacturer posting their own fantasy numbers.

jipster · November 2004

If it's so easy to exceed EPA..why are so many posters complaining about poor mpg? Do they all have lead foots, keep their vehicles poorly maintained etc?

dudleyr · November 2004

Yes. People post to complain much more than to compliment.

stickguy · November 2004

most people don't drive under ideal conditions. Traffic, jack rabbit starts, running 80+, etc. all hurt MPG.

Driving for max economy is possible, but very hard to do.

psides · November 2004

To say the mileage stinks is an understatement. I live in North Alabama. Around town, we are lucky to get 15 mpg. On vacation with all interstate driving at 75 ... 20 mpg. This is my first and last Mopar unless its a Viper and who cares about mpg. That ain't gonna happen so don't worry.

navyair · November 2004

I like the part about the Viper. Include me in your test drive.

As the sticker says...mileage may vary....

hansienna · November 2004

My 2002 T&C LX 3.3L V6 has AVERAGED 26.1 MPG since I got it used a few months ago.
I drive responsibly with most of the driving on open road (Interstate or state highway with few stop signs).
The gas mileage will probably drop now winter is almost here.

dtownfb · November 2004

Wow! That is the best mileage I have heard from anyone with a minivan. I tend to average 18-20 mpg in very mixed driving. Nissan Quest S.

hansienna · November 2004

Previous owner told me his long term average was just over 22 mpg. I obviously don't have as much stop and go as he did.

steine13 · November 2004

Driving conditions, driving habits, and weather have a huge influence. Especially in a two-ton vehicle with 200+ hp and automatic transmission.

My wife has gotten 25-26 mpg with our 03 Sienna on two-lane roads. I have gotten as low as 12-13 mpg in January on a short commute.
Reasonable drivers, same car, different circumstances.

-Mathias

dtownfb · November 2004

I understand all the variables that effect your gas mileage but to AVERAGE 26 mpg in a minivan is amazing under any conditions. Esp. for a minivan that is not know for it's gas mileage.

hansienna · November 2004

But the majority of my driving in the van has been highway, non-stop driving. If driven exclusively in the city in the winter, the average would drop to as low as 10 or 12 MPG or even lower.
My VW beetle got as low as 12 mpg in the winter when driven around town.

colemanr7 · November 2004

We easily got 29 to 30 mpg on the interestate driving between Tennessee and Florida. I checked it on three different refills. Only averaged about 60 mph since we were following my inlaws who were towing a camper. That made a world of difference I guess.

96 Dodge Gr. Caravan -- 3.3L

samnoe · November 2004

Hans, why do you think winter conditions will hurt your mileage? And summer with A/C on isn't hurting your mileage?

Also, 26 mpg "AVERAGE" means that you can sometimes get more than that! Is it true? Or you meant to say you successfully squeezed out once or twice 26 mpg? I think EPA for Chrysler/Dodge van is something like 19/25 mpg (but "may vary").

If what you say is true, I'm excited. I'm going soon to replace my '02 Windstar (horrible mileage!) with an '05 Grand Caravan (SXT, the 3.8L engine). I hope my mileage will be better than in the Windstar.

craigmri · November 2004

I imagine he suspects winter mileage will suffer possibly due to the reformulated gasolines used in the winter hurt mileage??

Craig
'04 Sedona EX

samnoe · November 2004

Hans, you seem to be right. In the following article, there is evidence to your claim of 26 MPG, even from the bigger 3.8 engine.

http://www.allpar.com/model/m/grand-caravan-2005.html

sxdesant · November 2004

This car was purchased 18 months ago and has 28,000 miles on it. My wife consistanly gets 19-19.2 MPG with surburan driving, measured by miles divided by gallons and not by the car's calculator. On a recent long drive, 1400 miles, we averaged 23 MPG, with a high of 24.3 and a low of 21.2. I believe this is what the sticker said, 19 to 24.

sf_sienna · November 2004

Hi--

My 2004 Sienna XLE FWD has 13,500 miles on it now (after 15 months of use) and the trip computer is reporting 21.5 MPG. It's mostly used around town and commuting 15 miles roundtrip to work. We've never taken it more than 100 miles from home. Less than half of the miles are freeway/highway miles. This is about what I expected.

--Steve

deepan · November 2004

its driven mostly on the highway. with winter fast approaching and with small boys we soemtimes "warm" the vehicles for about 5 mins which will definitely eat into the MPG equation.

azkid2 · November 2004

Anyone have experience with a car top carrier on any type if minivan? My son's new '04 Sienna is getting less than 19 MPG on a 12 hour trip. Car has less than 5K miles and I know it will get a little better wtih time.

navyair · November 2004

Recommend use of soft top carrier if you must. Hard top is constant drag coeffficient and dead weight subtracts from useful load (30 lb frame = ~70lb useful contents) I've used both, but went to a cage on the back that slides into my trailer hitch. I can get more on it, and don't have to worry about exceeding the 100-110 lb limit on the luggage rack, or changing my van's center of gravity, esp if driving through mountains in cross winds.

sdaniel105 · December 2004

Don't hold your breath. I was told the same thing about my 2004 Odyssey. At 5K I took it in prior to a 2000 miles trip because we were avg around 11-13 mpg in the city and around 21mpg on the highway.

Now at 16K I am still getting no more than 14 mpg in the city. Last city tank was 11.6. This is while keeping the rpm at 2500 max before shifts. Get passed by nearly everyone when accelerating from a light.

Anybody have a fix?? If the EPA estimate had stated 13 mpg I would have never bought this Honda product.

Please help!
Sean

sdaniel105 · December 2004

I would be thrilled with 17-18 with mainly town driving. I am getting between 11-13 mpg in the city. A far cry from the supposed 18 mpg in the city.

stever · December 2004

I don't know if I should post this or not!

Odyssey Is Best in Fuel Class

Steve, Host

hansienna · December 2004

Yep. Mileage dropped in cold weather to only 23.4 MPG last fill up. I also had more days between fill up and a lower percentage of road vs stop and go driving. Overall mileage since I purchased it has now dropped to 25.8 MPG.
The 3.8L does NOT give gas mileage as good as the 3.3L under normal driving conditions. I think the new 2005 Odyssey will give the best gas mileage of any recent minivan of comparable size while also having the most power.

garandman · December 2004

Some amazing, amazing numbers here, right up with my friend who gets 20 mpg "average" on the highway with a Chevy Suburban - while everyone else I know gets 14.

Most cars get slightly worse mileage in winter because they run extra-rich during warmup; the fluids are thicker greating more drag; most people don't bother to reinflate their tires; the air is more dense; and the fuel is reformulated for cold weather starting and operation. I clocked it fairly precisely in a couple vehicles and it was in the neighborhood of 5% in mixed driving.

We live in Boston and drive mostly in total urban traffic. We have a 99 Caravan Sport (not Grand Caravan) with 3.3l engine. In total urban cycle we get 15.5-16 mpg, both on the trip computer and by calculation.

Highway driving 72-80 mph with a Yakima RocketBox (20 cu ft box) on the roof and five people we got between 21 and 22.5. You're moving a lot of air at the higher sppeds, but if you adopt the truckers approach of speeding up to 80 downhill and backing off to as little as 65 mph uphill you can get 22-23 instead of 21.

Driving 65 or less the mileage goes up above 25 mpg on the highway.

All the new vans are around 200 inches long, have 3.5l OHC V-6's, and weigh over 4,000 lbs unloaded. And their EPA #'s are pretty close. So don't expect them to get much diferent mileage unless the rules of credulity or physics are suspended.

craigmri · December 2004

What Garandman said :-)

Craig
'04 Sedona EX

sdaniel105 · December 2004

I think many people are doing well with their Odyssey mileage. I am not one. I have 3 friends all with 2004 Odyssey's and they are get around 17-19 mpg in the city.

I get 11-13. I know something is wrong with my Odyssey and all the dealer can say is the computer says everything is OK. My pocketbook knows otherwise and I would not have bought the van if I thought it would get around 200 miles to a tank in the city.

hansienna · December 2004

To get an accurate idea of your Odyssey, fill it up and take a round trip of at least 300 miles with Interstate highway driving only. If you keep the speed at 65 MPH or under, you will get between 26 and 30 MPG.
City driving KILLS fuel economy. I can watch the fuel economy drop after a 500 mile trip while waiting for a stop light. (One advantage of having an accurate trip computer in a DC minivan).
The Odyssey will deliver the best gas mileage of any minivan if all are driven in the same manner. DC minivans deliver great fuel economy but do not have as much power as the Odyssey.

samnoe · December 2004

Hans: How do you know that the Odyssey gives you that great mileage? Did you ever driven and tested the Ody? or you base your comments on Hondas advertisements? or EPA ratings?

carzzz · December 2004

First, Make sure all the maintance is on schedule...

The term, "City Driving", can have many meaning to it!
if you are driving in route that has just a few traffic light, your mpg should be higher!
If the route you travel with many stop signs and traffic lights, with congested slow traffic, (low average speed), then 14 mpg is not bad!

I drive a van too, and i am being light foot, too! Not pass 2500rpm in city, i still could not reach to EPA mpg...
It is all because of the "time" i travel. I drive about 28 km away from home to school everyday!(8:00am) the traffic is very congested and slow, and it takes me over an hour drive to get there! If I leave my home an hour earlier (7:00am), on the same route, the time it take me to get there is 30 mins, I surely do avoid a slower traffic, and the mpg also went up!

greg_y · December 2004

I think we are expecting too much MPG from our minivans. With the newest generations of minivans form Honda, Nissan and Toyota, these vans are not all that mini anymore.

Our lust for extra features and more room have driven up the size and weight of these vans. This absolutely has to take a toll on their gas mileage.

My 2004 Seinna LE will average around 20-21 mpg on my weeekly commute and weekend driving mileage. This is basically mixed driving with 35% city and 65% highway.

I have never driven through an entire tank of fuel on highway mileage so I don't know what my true highway mileage would be.

I have driven tanks that have been 75% highway and 25% city. On my latest such excursion I calculated around 24.3 mpg. This is not bad.

The best gas mileage I have calculated on this van was 25.2, the worst was 19.3.

Based on my limited knowledge, I would guess that if I only made short trips around the neighborhood, I should only expect from 15-17 mpg.

hansienna · December 2004

EPA mileage estimates are computed and then reduced by 10%.
     Most people forget that the highway rating is for highway driving only with no stop and go. It is very easy to exceed EPA estimates while driving on the highway.
     However, once you leave the highway, the stop and go and waiting at lights KILLS the mileage. Warming up in winter also kills gas mileage.
     A 2004 Sienna LE can easily get 28 to 30 MPG if driven on the highway ONLY and keeping the speed at 65 MPH or lower.
     It is impossible to actually conduct a fair test of any 2 vehicles driving within the city as no one can control the stop and go and waiting at lights. A strict round trip highway test on the same test distance with NO stop and go is the only really accurate comparison of gas mileage between any vehicles...although the EPA testing is the most practical, legitimate test available.

stickguy · December 2004

that's one reason I never see high mileage on the highway (with a '99 Quest) like some people report. Most of my highway is in the NE corridor, and includes plenty of time at 75+, frequent speed changes, and lots of hills.

Still, I can usually average 22 mpg round trip from Phila. to upstate NY, even with hills, speed, and some local highways (not all interstate).

We get about 15ish around town, but that is real short hop driving (lots of 1-3 mile trips, lights, start/stop). basically everything that kills mileage.

I could probably take a trip south at a quiet time (ie flat roads, low traffic) and keep it on cruise at 65 and maybe get 26-28mpg. Lot that's ever going to happen.

jipster · December 2004

I have read many posts of members who have the same vehicle( make and year)..but significant differences in MPG. Often under similar driving conditions. Any theroies on if vehicles are coming out from the manufacturer this way.One vehicle maybe tuned or machined slightly different than another?

dudleyr · December 2004

Yes city EPA is reduced by 10%, but highway is reduced by 22%.

greg_y · December 2004

I would think that driving styles would have as much or more effect on gas mileage as differences in manufacturing tolerances. Some people (cough/Edmunds editors/cough) appear to ride around in high traffic areas with the accelator matted to the floor. Other people in less congested areas with lighter feet may get better gas mileage.

stickguy · December 2004

agreed. Cars are sophisticated enough these days (all electronically controlled and all) that it isn't likely that 2 identical units will vary very much. Location and driving style are key, along with such basic things as keeping air in your tires.

Some people also exagerate (inaging that on the internet), or trust the trip computer #, or whatever, which can skew the results.

In any case, a 4,000 - 4,500 pound box on wheels just isn't going to get the mileage of a Prius, especially around town. In local driving, weight is a killer.

hansienna · December 2004

THANKS for the correction to EPA numbers.

karlg · December 2004

Does anyone have any suggestions. Our 2005 T&C only gets max. 15mpg (town&highway) and only 20-21 mpg on the freeway using the cruise control. We had it at the dealer when it used 12mpg and they found that the temperature sensor for the transmission was reading only 3F. After this was fixed it gets approx. 13mpg in town and with some highway driving goes to an average of 15mpg. I logged the mpgs for the last 2000 miles and the consumption is constant. Chrysler does not want to check the car under warranty. By the way the exhaust is always black.

Any suggestions?

hansienna · December 2004

Something drastic is wrong. It may have a bad computer that runs all engine functions or it could be one or more other sensors.

A friend had a VW Bus that got 11 MPG on the road. After the cylinder head temperature sensor was replaced, it got 30 MPG on the road.

Take it back every time you check the mileage and do not get AT LEAST 25 MPG on the road if you keep the speed 65 MPH or less. Get the problem in writing so you can sue under the lemon law.

hlmrspd · December 2004

I have a 2005 Odyssey EXL with RES (this model includes the variable cylinder management system) with 4.5 k miles and I recently did a 200 mile round trip with the cruise set at 70. The roads were relatively flat and the outside temperature was in the 50's with little or no wind.

My gas mileage was 22.1 mpg (the EPA rating on the highway is 28 mpg). The Honda dealership told me that 22.1 mpg was within the acceptable range, and since my vehicle did not have any fault codes there was nothing they could do.

I understand there may be a variance from the EPA estimate but 6 mpg or over a 20% difference is not an acceptable variance.

I have owned approximately 20 vehicles and have never had a problem getting close to or even greater than the EPA estimate. So I am not sure what the problem could be, and Honda doesn't give a hoot.

samnoe · December 2004

I also have the same problem with my new 2005 Grand Caravan - trip computer shows an average of 13.3 miles per gallon!

But I don't complain just yet, for many reasons: 1) the car is still new, less than 500 miles, so as I read all over I may have to wait a few thousand miles; 2) I am doing mostly city driving with the heater on; 3) I do warm up my car every morning for about 3-6 minutes and that helps kill mileage.

But I really hope it will improve over time. That was one of my major reasons I chose the Caravan to replace my old fuel-lover Ford Windstar.

karlg · December 2004

Continuation of the saga:

We had the T&C at the dealer. Chrysler says they won't touch the car until we have 7,500 miles. They claim that the piston rings need to run in. Well, that disagrees with all my data as the mpg has not changed from 200 miles - 3000 miles. Today I paid $200 to have the sensors checked and the dealer claimed they couldn't find anything wrong. Miraculously the car went to 24 mpg on the freeway on the drive back home (approx. 60 miles). This is the best it ever had. Something most have happened when they made the test. I suspect that connectors were disconnected or the computer was initialized.

Could it be that the computer is set for the first 7500 miles to a different program? Where would that magic number of 7500 miles come from? It is true it is the oil change and service interval but why would that have anything to do with the mpg?

The dealer told me something of a sudden mpg increase after 5000 miles - has anyone experienced that?

Good look with you new Dodge. Please check the following.

1) Are your front rims very black with break dust?

2) Does the car seem to "push" more than you think it should?

3) When you drive in cruise does it switch the gears down?

4) Does the van use all gears?

If the answer is: 1) yes; 2) Yes; 3)No ; 4)No then the connector to the temperature sensor on the transmission is not connected well. Please let me know if this is the case. If so, it happened twice with new Caravan's and that suggests that something is wrong with the connectors.

More in another 3000 miles when I am either happy or will invoke the lemon law.

good_van · December 2004

Dear hansienna,

I too have a similar problem. I bought a Nissan Quest 2001 from a dealer with Powerterrain warranty. The gas mileage is very poor averaging around 15 for 70% highway, 30% city driving. The outside temperature sensor either reads 140F or -40F always. The dealer had ordered part to replace this sensor.

I read in your post, that changing Cylinder head sensor increased mileage for your friend's VW.

Could you explain this in detail, so that I can ask the dealer to check it. Not sure if changing

the outside temperature sensor is related to this.

If I don't talk to my dealer with enough details, his answer would be 'They found no fault with the vehicle and so can't help me'. Thanks for your help.

Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

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