Im just a bit surprised at the low MPG. The ride is a lot stiffer then I would like. Not at all dissapointed with the performance

 

Many factors may influence MPG. What is the terrain like where you live? What octane do you use? Do you do a lot of sprinted driving?

As far as the suspension, its all a matter of personal taste. I thought it was floaty honestly.

 

Too Stiff??!! That's the first time i've heard that from a SE owner, personally, I think it rides like my grand father's buick, but I've been in sports cars since '89. It's so floaty, the best word to describe its handling is "vague", IMHO. But hey, my wife loves the way it rides, I guess that's why she talked me into it For the price and given it's a 4 door, you just can't beat these cars though, a lotta bang for the $$$

Best mileage I've gotten to date is 22 mpg, I can get about 340 miles on 14-15 gallons. The trip says I average 27 -- HA that thing is so wrong. TRIP MPG

I'm also in a 6 speed which should get about 2 MPG better than an auto, I'm guessing there.

It's winter, if you live in the NE, the cold is hurting everyone's mileage.

 

yeah...it can suck. combine spirited driving with city traffic, and cold boston winters, i get about 15 mpg nowadays. oh well. as for the suspension, it's all a matter of what you're used to. i learned to drive in a big *** buick, and the car i was driving most prior to this one was a lexus. so even my GLE suspension can seem a bit stiff, comparitively. i don't mind so much driving on the worst roads in the northeast (boston is worse than NYC, IMO). however, when i get on the highway, or even when i drive on local roads near my parents' home on long island, i see what everyone else means about the floaty, numb suspension.

 

Judging by your profile, you may live in one of the areas with RFG. Your mileage will suffer because of that, especially if you do alot of short trips.

 

I'm a fairly new 5th generation owner (had a 95 GLE before it was totaled in December), and I've been a little disappointed by gas mileage. In the recent, incredibly cold Massachusetts weather, I've been averaging between 21 and 22 MPG. I just came back from northern NJ, and I got a little over 23 MPG in mostly 75 MPH driving with lots of stop and go around the GWB. Compared to what I'm reading about, here, I guess I'm happy with my MPG.

On a related note, Boston roads may be worse than those in NY, but nothing's worse than Route 95 in CT (around New Haven and Bridgeport).

 

check your tire pressure. i checked mine this afternoon and found them to be at 28 psi. although i've been getting better mpg, i think it could be better with properly adjusted tire pressure. i set mine at 34 psi.

 

Last winter i would drive up to my Vermont house, and on the Thruway and Expressway i would get about 390mpg. I could not believe it. I would usually drive between 65 to 90mph. That is with Mobil Super. I have notice a bit of a decrease this season, but it is still not that bad.

 

 

my bad, not mpg, DUH!!!!!

 

i was getting around 440 miles per tank on highway cruising from MN to CO and averaging 30 mpg (according to comp. anyways) but i don't think i've ever been as low as 18 mpg, even with consistent spirited driving

 

I honestly get around 12mpg in my 2002 maxima se 6 speed.. sparkplug are fine and I metered that when I drove the highway for an a few hours over 2 days. Got 220 miles on the 18 gallon tank.. what the hell?

 

^^Damn are you driving a Maxima or an 84 Suburban lol

With 12 mpg, you should inspect everything, including tire pressure, MAF, PCV valve, spark plugs, ignition coils, injectors, etc. Only use prem gas. Heck even look at your gas cap. Cracks on the gaskets cause fuel vapor to escape, decreasing MPGs.

 

My 2000 maxima gxe auto gets 24 to 25mpg on average. My 03 auto get 22mpg on average and only have 2 tanks on the 03 6 speed and getting 30mpg but it's been mostly highway milage. My autos never get that kind of milage.
Worst milage had been with the 03 auto and that was 17 mpg for a tank but I was very hard on it for that tank

 

AT is way less efficient than the MT

 

The odd thing is I have no engine codes. Only engine issue I've actually had was a misfire due to an ignition coil. And ofcourse I burn oil from leaking out of the front valve cover, and other unknown sources. Just a PIMA

 

Don't forget the 02-03 use a 3.5L engine and fuel economy and "efficiency" wasn't exactly on the top of the list... 19 - 20 mpg is normal according to EPA fuel economy ratings

** CONTEXT **

 

19mpg would be glorious to me. The 18 gallon tank times 7 more each gallon would give me 126 more miles.each tank? Damn.. if only my car wasn't such a pos lol

 

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/noframes/17739.shtml

You're looking at 20 mpg combined driving under "ideal" conditions so 18 - 19 mpg is not that bad especially for a AT maxima.

 

I understand. I traveled 220 miles all highway miles on 18 gallons of gas.. driving 70ish with cruise on on flat roads, no hills, in 6th gear... (12mpg)

 

that would be cause for concern... 12 mpg on a MT maxima isn't good

 

I just got 30.2 mpg today coming back from Atlanta Georgia(doing 75 to 80mph). Got 28.7 going(hit a bunch of traffic and was more abrupt with the throttle ). 26.1 driving around Atlanta (hour or so of that tank was still highway ). This was with my 03 with the 6 speed. I'm very happy with its gas mileage.






To think i thought the 29.7 was optimistic on the computer. 30.19 mpg is was it came out to be

 

I wish my 5.5 had only 100k miles

 

I thought the digital gauge was not that accurate from what other org members have said, has anyone with these astronomically great gas mileages done the calculations manually? Right now, I get between 14-18MPG and I still haven't sorted out the problem, so i'm lurking these posts like crazy lol

 

Well, I'm new out here, and this is my first post. Yesterday I ran out of gas in my car with 188 miles in my 2003 Maxima GLE, and it started with a full tank of gas. I have a 18.5 gallon fuel tank capacity. That comes out to 10.16 mpg!!!! That's horrible. And it's an automatic. After reading your posts, I see that my gas mileage sucks!!!! I have new plugs with one new ignition coil, because I was given a code, also I put two new dealership Camshaft sensors on the car. It rides great to have 160k miles on it, but the mileage just sucks. I'll check my tire pressure, but I don't think that could account for that much of a loss of mpg. My check engine light is no longer on after the new ignition coil and two new camshaft sensors. I'm stuck....

 

The MAF could be bad, or maybe you have a fuel injector that is leaking gas.

 

You could also have lazy O2 sensors.