Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

borsos · December 1999

Just returned from a 2,300 mile trip in recently broken-in Sienna. Averaged 22.8 mpg (range 21.5-24.4) on mostly flat interstate roads at higher than posted speeds. Fuel was "mid grade", 89 octane from brand name stations. Used A/C approx. 15% of time and was heavily loaded.

jlangford · December 1999

After reading some posts here I'm going to ask the
dealer to check it. Something must be wrong.

shekharpatel · December 1999

Averaging 25 mpg on 91 octane. 40 mile commute 50/50. Very Happy.

alexis5 · December 1999

What does the manual say to use as far as octane level? I know people have been all grades without a problem.

maxima · January 2000

my dads safari gets 7-15 due to his braking habit
(brake way too soon then acclerate again and brake.... and HARD and soft soft soft then acclerate hard then soft almost there and REALLY HARD to a stop!!!!!!!!

tom3k · January 2000

Got just over 18mpg on the last tank (mixed driving). Have been averaging around 14mpg. We'll see if this was a fluke or the start of an upward trend. Driving habits (especially from a dead stop) seem to have a larger-than-usual effect on gas mileage in this car.

dlgoodrich · January 2000

Min MPG 15.0
Max MPG 27.6
Total average MPG 20.6 MPG (10,000 miles)
Highway Avg MPG 25.2

Highway trips from Nashville, TN:
Florida, 25.4, 25.8
(Large Sears cargo carrier installed, fully loaded)
Indiana, 25.1, 27.6
North Carolina, 23.7

maxima · January 2000

wow thats close to a camry V6 rated @ 26 highway
(with 500 less?)

swampcollie · January 2000

99 Dodge GC with 3.8 engine. only about 3500 miles. Has slowly improved and now getting 23.7 on last tank. This is nearly all highway at 70mph on hilly (not mountains) terrain. Has one of those trip computers and really interesting to watch the change in mileage as you go up and down the hills. varies from 12 to 40 mpg. Absolute worst is pulling away from a stop when it drops to single digits. Also makes considerable difference if you drop the speed back from 70 to 60. engine runs at 2000 rpm at 67 mph (analog gauge so that is an estimate). Stands to reason the velocity makes a big difference since as I recall from physics the resistance is proportional to the square of the velocity. Wonder what we would all be getting if we were back at 55 mph?

maxima · January 2000

PM did a road test on pontiac montana they got 6mpg traveling @ 115mph the car lasted 125miles then fill up... then again.......

must be cool!!

Pinkfloyd · January 2000

I've got a 2000 Windstar LX in Canada. Anyone own a 1999/2000 Windstar and use anything above 87 Octane(Regular) with noticeable differences ? Owner manual advises to use 87 Octane only. Manual also said higher octane levels could cause the engine to ping. I put in a tank of Octane 95, didn't see any difference in performance. Did notice the gas goes a bit faster.

greg32 · February 2000

I get around 17 mpg in city driving. Highway ranges from 21 mpg to 27 mpg depending on conditions. 21 mpg in mountains doing 75 mph. 27 mpg on flat highway doing 65 mph.

lynne29 · February 2000

We always use 93 Octane, as per Owners manual's "91 or over" recommendation.

During first 2,000 miles mpg was 19/20, mostly driving under 30 minutes each trip and not at any speed for too long. Now, at 3,000 total miles, averages 20-22. We are taking longer trips, since gentle break-in is over.

rac8 · February 2000

99 Odyssey LX: 16 - 20 mpg around town; 22-24 on the freeways (65 - 75 mph)
89 Accord LX 5-speed: 28 - 30.
Use 87 octane gas in both.

jjackson43 · February 2000

1989 Chevy Van G20 5.7 V8 getting approx 16MPG running 70 MPH, and pulling 8,000 Lb RV get 10 - 11 mpg running 60.

owncav01 · March 2000

I have a 2000 Grand Caravan SE and have just hit the 3,000-mile mark. It has the 3.3ltr V6 engine. I have been calculating fuel mileage since day one when I drive it off the lot with 7 miles on the odom.

Over the course of 1 1/2 months it has avg. 19-21
mpg highway, and with the little bit of city driving it has an avg. of 16-18 mpg around town.

My real question to any one that might know is
why the 3.8ltr V6 coupled with the same 4 speed
tranny (hopefully, a better refined transmission for the 2000 year) averaging 2-3 mpg better than the 3.3ltr V6?
You would think that a "bigger" engine with more
torque & horsepower the gas mileage would be less.
In fact, the manufacturer even rates the 3.8ltr
with better mileage than the 3.3ltr...go figure..
Could this be because of the fuel injection system, the camshaft, or valve train design between the two? Someone HELP ME HERE!!! ;-0

With all the darn homework I did before I made
this purchase, I over looked this vital statistic...They both have good reliability and are trustworthy engines.
But if you were in the market for a Grand CV, it would be an inexpensive upgrade to get the 3.8 instead of the 3.3. With only a 20 gal tank (hope that the 2001 will have a 25gal upgrade)
an extra 40-60 mile cruising range on a tank can add up to some great gas savings...especially with
today's fuel prices!!

jjackson43 · March 2000

It might be that the 3.8 has different gearing, coupled with more hp, perhaps meaning less effort to move the vehicle, might add up to improved fuel effeciency..?

I know my full sized Chevy van got improved miliage when I put a lower rear gear in it, meaning I'm actually turning the motor a little faster, but with less effort in moving the 5,500 Lbs through the air.

John

owncav01 · March 2000

Interesting scenario jjackson. Thanks for the response. It makes sense that different rear gearing for a rear wheel drive vehicle will directly effect the rpm of the engine thus increasing or decreasing the actual fuel mileage even when the transmission remains the same.

I'm still a bit confused on this issue when it comes to a front wheel drive vehicle. If the engine is directly coupled to the transmission drive train, and from there to the drive shafts, then to the wheels with no other gearing in between as there is with rear wheel drive....?
Could there be a difference in the size of the lock-up torque converter between the two engines....fly wheel size....? Maybe it's because the 3.3ltr just has a higher rpm speed overall than the 3.8ltr at acceleration and during cruising speeds and takes more effort to maintain the speeds....

However, it does make sense to me that a higher hp
engine will move a 4000lb van with allot less effort, which can equate to improved mpg. So many
factors play on the end solution!!

Why the hell am I complaining for anyway...I have
friends who have recently purchased SUV's with
V8 engines and boy are they hating life with these
outrageous gas prices!!

jkrolak · March 2000

I get about 16-17 in heavy city driving and 21-24 on highway at 70-75 MPH. The difference between driving 70 instaed of 50 is about 20% (so sayeth Consumers Guide).

chevysucs · March 2000

14 mi. per gal. very poor. it is 2 wheel drive with 3.42 rearend( I ordered 3.23 but did not get it) in first 500 mi. it was in the shop 3 times. not right yet. No more GM for me.

shekharpatel · March 2000

recently in Honda ODY LX. All freeway miles (Trip to ORLANDO FL

regualr gas, 72-79 mph, AC ON.

lynne29 · March 2000

During our recent 900 mile highway trip, our Seinna averaged 23.7 mpg, using 93 octane. Everyday use averages out to be around 20-21, after 8,000 total miles driven so far. Great ride, love our Sienna.

hegarty2 · March 2000

to town 22-23
freeway 26-27
3.0L engine

lindeman1 · April 2000

Always got good mileage with this van...after recent tuneup (platinum NGK plugs, magnacor wires, cap and rotor) mileage has improved considerably. Recent results of mixed city and highway driving were 21.8, 22.1 and an incredible 23.5 mpg! That's economy car territory with a much better ride! Van is at 53,000 miles and not driven hard.

dudleyr · May 2000

What kind of economy car gets only 23.5 mpg?

anhydrite1 · June 2000

3000 miles on odometer (bought in April 2000)
in town mileage 12.8 miles per gallon. Do not
have stats for hwy yet.

Am I correct in understanding that this is
way below normal ?

vrybicki · June 2000

If you measured the gas mileages of 1000 identical cars off the end of the assembly line, some would measure above average and some would measure below average. I think my 2000 Honda Odyssey may be above average.

For the first 10,000 miles my Odyssey has had the following mpg:

Minimum 18.2 Winter Stop & Go driving
Average 25.1 10,000 mile overall average
Maximum 33.2 Non-stop Interstate driving

This was with mostly 87 octane gas with a few 89 octane fill-ups. (With the Maximum I had a good tail wind on I69 in Michigan.)

anhydrite1 · June 2000

No, I do not have to stop at every block.
But, I tell you what I DO do. Almost every morning, I pull over in a nearby parking lot
and run the engine with A/C while I play my
guitar. (It's like the only chance I get, cause
there's no place to get away at the house...).
I sit there for about a half hour. OBVIOUSLY,
this is going to cause a reduction in gas mileage,
as I am sitting there comsuming gas, but adding
no miles. Frankly, I doubt this practice is
solely responsible for bringing me down to
12.8 mpg, but I know it is not helping.
I am now repeating the experiment without
pulling over in the morning.

I certainly appreciate everyone's comments on this
issue. This website is great !

ghost7 · June 2000

With 1400 miles on our vehicle here are the results. All gas is 87 octane in flat conditions. weather is consistently 75 to 95 here in SE Texas.

Worst: all city, school lines, bank lines, etc. 14.8 MPG.
City/Hwy: about 50/50 split, got 18.95 MPG.
Best: All I-10 to Houston and back cruise at 71 MPH with a 10-20 mph side wind: 24.8 MPG with 5 adults, 2 kids and a picnic cooler packed along with backpacks, shoes, clothes, etc.

jimkarenva · June 2000

From Charlotte, NC to Richmond, VA via interstate - 26.1 miles per gallon...

mike1331 · June 2000

Took delivery in Sept 99. Currently 10K miles. Recent trip from Orlando Fl. to Augusta Ga. with stop in Savannah and return. Approx 950 Mi. mpg was 24.7. Driving around town mpg 19-20.
Great Van overall so far.

1611man · June 2000

I purchased a 1996 Windstar from a local Ford dealer in Feb. 2000. During the first two tankfuls I averaged 15 - 17 mpg, however, the check engine light kept coming on. After finding nothing wrong, the dealer suggested that he follow advice from service bulletin and down load a complete new set of instructions into the van's computer. The check engine light has not come on since however, my mileage dropped to 13 - 15 mpg and with the A/C running I now see a steady 12.5 -12.8 mpg. That is a lot worse than I expected with a MINI-van . The engine is a 3.8L, total mileage is 38500.After reading some other Windstar problems, I am fortunate.

mcsap · June 2000

Low top van with the 350 and a 3.42 rear end. 9.5 mpg towing a 27 ft travel trailer going about 60-65 mph from PA to FL with the A/C on most of the time. Otherwise about 11-12 around town and 14-15 on the highway.

fuelpoor · June 2000

My 2000 Odyssey LX gets terrible gas mileage. Picked it up in December '99, so it's now six months old and has 2400 miles on it (so not out of break-in period). On 87 octane (as instructed by manual and service techs) and with original tires, I average 12-14 mpg in city driving with no AC, and the best I have ever gotten for all highway was 20 mpg, driving flat freeway at speeds of 65 - 75. I don't make sudden stops and starts, or use long warm-ups or periods of idling. I have achieved above (EPA) average gas mileage in every vehicle I have owned previously, so I doubt it's my driving habits! A terrible disappointment, since one of the reasons I chose the Odyssey was to get the (relatively) good gas mileage.

Has anyone out there had any luck in getting a repair or replacement for such a problem? So far the dealer tells me to wait for the 7500 mile break-in to be over, but at the rate I drive, I won't clear that before the 12-month period for Ohio lemon law runs out, so I really have to pursue it right away. Any relevant experiences would be helpful!

benf · June 2000

I have a 00 Odyssey with about 8M miles on it. It is driven mostly in a mix of city/hwy miles. I have yet to get 20 mpg on any tankful, even with one tank with about 2/3 highway miles. Granted, most of my miles have been logged in a Minnesota winter, but I have just now reached the bottom end of the EPA estimated range with my cumulative mileage being somewhere around 15 mpg.

On a possibly related note, we had our vehicle in for warranty work for an engine light that kept coming on. On the second trip in, they replaced the computer. However, this has not dramatically improved our gas mileage.

jamesk9 · July 2000

I recently purchased a 1998 Grand Caravan LE with 18,750 miles. I recently filled the tank and calculated 29 Imperial/25 US miles per gallon. The mix was probably 70 highway and 30 city driving. I was wondering if changing the plugs to the Platinum +4 and the paper filter to a K&N oil type would improve the mileage. Any thoughts or other ideas to improve.

h20guy · July 2000

july 4th trip to tucson arizona via san diago logged 22.4 mpg worst and 24.0 best all freeway at 80 to 90 mph 87 octane in our 00 lx. ran like a sports car !!

h20guy · July 2000

trip to tucson originated in northern cal. and drove 2300 miles. see your dealers there is somthing very wrong with your mpgs. good luck

crv6 · July 2000

Just took long trip, averaged 24.7 mpg. Only has 2k miles on it, so this should improve a little bit more as it breaks in. Have been getting 22 mpg in mixed driving.

siennaboy · July 2000

We've owned our Sienna for 1 1/2 years and we still LOVE it!! Its still just like new--drives great, roomy, reliable (no problems whatsoever so far, etc.) We just returned from vacation and drove over 800 highway miles. Our average mileage for the trip was just over 29 miles per gallon. Last year, we drove over 4,000 miles on vacation and it averaged slightly less but there was a little more city driving on that trip. In the city, it seems to get about 20-21 miles per gallon. We LOVE our Sienna and can't recommend it enough to other people who are looking at minivans!!

tbavis · July 2000

24-25 MPG commuting to work, about 25 mi each way. I don't think I've ever checked the milage on a trip (no calculator...), but should do close to 30. My Dodge Spirit with the same drivetrain did 27/34.

spangler1 · July 2000

My MPG is highly dependent on where the gas is purchased. Interstate driving Southwest Virginia Gas 28+ MPG, Maryland gas 25 MPG, Ohio gas 20 MPG. All have been trips of 350 miles or more of interstate driving with a load of six adults and luggage.

mykidsdriver · July 2000

so far, it's 18.4-19.8 city
24.0-25.4 hwy
some of hwy was at night, without front/rear AC blasting. almost all city driving was with AC on.

mrnimmo · July 2000

but its slowwwwwwwwwwww

zveb01 · July 2000

We purchased a new '99 Sienna XLE in May '99,we have gotten poor gas mileage; ranging from 9.5 to 14 mpg in city (Houston-flat & hot with a/c on, but not long traffic standstills) and the highest for highway/country was 18.5 mpg. The van has also had a "gas rich" exhaust smell. We have asked Toyota's service department on several occasions to check into this when we have taken the van in for a continuing "moldy smelling" a/c problem-(I will post about this problem in another forum), they stated, "We put the gun (? analyzer) to it and everything checks out OK". What can we do about this problem? How do we document our warranty work, showing we have performed or had performed all required maintenance/upkeep such as oil changes, et al...so if there is ever a question Toyota will not state we did not do all required maintenance? Thank-you!!!

vandad · August 2000

I get 16-18mpg around town and recently got 23mpg
on the highway. This is with 87 octane fuel. With 93 octane my milage around town tends to
be a mile or so better per gallon. Next trip
I'm going to fill up with premium to see if I
get an increase there too.

blatch · August 2000

My LX with 1700 miles and city and freeway driving I have been getting 22.5 - 23.0 mpg. I'm happy!

eickmeier · August 2000

We recently did a 3400 mile round trip from Nashville to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This included much interstate driving but also a significant number of miles on two-lane and gravel roads in the mountains. Overall average was 26.00 mpg on the button. The van's mileage is now at 25k. It has the 3.3L V6 with 4-speed transmission with front air only.
Last year an almost identical trip to the same destination taken with about 8k miles on the van yielded a mean of 24.68 mpg. This year the only differences, other than the increase in mileage on the van, were: 1) use of Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic motor oil (last year I was using Pennzoil 5W-30) and 2) the use of a standard replacement K&N air filter.
Prior to last year we did the trip three years in a row in our old '90 Caravan with 3.0L V6 and 3-speed transmission. I didn't keep detailed notes but average mpg's were in the 25-26 range.
Given the amount of gear and the dogs we drag along, and the comfort level of the Caravan and Grand Caravan, I have been most satisfied with fuel economy. One other thing I should mention, a few years ago the cheapest grade on unleaded regular out in Colorado only had an octane rating of 84-85. I had no problems using this gas. This year it seems that the cheap pumps all had the typical 87 octane.

jimkarenva · August 2000

We're still EXTREMELY pleased with our new(3,200 miles) purchase. With 3 adults, 2 kids, a minivan full of luggage, and the AC at a chilly 69F, we got 23 mpg from Richmond to Outer Banks, and 25 mpg on the return trip, 23 mpg roundtrip to Baltimore(4 adults, 2 kids). We use 89 octane, and have averaged 20 mpg around town!!!!!!!!

kranjec1 · August 2000

I'm getting 15 to 16 in city with air on most of time. However, 17 to 19 seems more reasonable. Any suggestions from anyone out there on improving mileage?

Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles