What's your average mpg?
#1
What's your average mpg?
So the 1st week I had my new Maxima (2010), I was hammering it hard, so of course I wasnt expecting much out of my mpg and knew I would need to change the type of driving. Right now i'm 1 notch above 1/4 tank left, and i'm only at about 280 miles and I dont foresee it getting another 120 out of essentially a 1/4 tank left. I'm about 80% highway driving and im doing 70mph with cruise control on. I'm certainly not driving it like a granny, but also not hammering it either, so just curious what everyone else is getting.
The tach toggle is showing an average of 15 mpg.....and while I dont really put much stock into those, I still didnt think i'd be getting this much worse of gas mileage. I use to get about 20-22 out of my 02 Maxima, so just wanting to make sure there might not be some other issues maybe.
The tach toggle is showing an average of 15 mpg.....and while I dont really put much stock into those, I still didnt think i'd be getting this much worse of gas mileage. I use to get about 20-22 out of my 02 Maxima, so just wanting to make sure there might not be some other issues maybe.
#8
Also keep in mind that if you live in the northern states they add an antifreeze agent to the gas that will decrease your MPG, not to mention if your gas station uses ethanol (I only use Shell 93 and that's still 10%).. For the past 875 miles (since I've installed my y pipe and did an oil change) I have been averaging 18.3-.5 miles per gallon driving mostly highway and under 75. In the summer with a led foot I could easily average high 19s and low 20s so I'll wait till about May/June before I really start worrying about my crappy MPG to see if the weather did make a difference.
#13
That's a record of every drop of gas that's gone into my car for the last 24k miles. I drive my car 50/50 highway and city. And I drive probably more aggressive than average, but not racing everywhere. 20.9 mpg.
#15
Also keep in mind that if you live in the northern states they add an antifreeze agent to the gas that will decrease your MPG, not to mention if your gas station uses ethanol (I only use Shell 93 and that's still 10%).. For the past 875 miles (since I've installed my y pipe and did an oil change) I have been averaging 18.3-.5 miles per gallon driving mostly highway and under 75. In the summer with a led foot I could easily average high 19s and low 20s so I'll wait till about May/June before I really start worrying about my crappy MPG to see if the weather did make a difference.
Def wait until spring/summer before worry about bad mileage
#16
I'm getting about 13 MPG these last weeks, figure it's a combination of the above and the fact we've had record snow & it's only been above freezing here in Buffalo a couple of days all winter (extended idling & tire spinning)...
Def wait until spring/summer before worry about bad mileage
Def wait until spring/summer before worry about bad mileage
#23
#24
Ehh probably my tires do slip a lot and tire pressure is at 30psi. I always drive slow cause on post speed limit is 25
#28
I've been averaging between 20.5 and 22 consistently over the last 17,000 miles or so in a healthy mix of highway, city, and some nightmarish stop and go.
I'm a lawyer, so some days I'm driving on open tollways and highways and other days (or sometimes on the same days) I'll head into the city and deal with godawful commutes. The other day I had court in the city in the morning and court in Waukegan in the afternoon. The commute into the city from my house took an hour and 45 minutes in a stop and go nightmare that made me late (and angry), followed by 45 minutes back to the office and then 30 minutes of wide open highway/tollway and 30 minutes back. This is fairly typical commuting for my line of work, so considering the horsepower and luxury afforded by the Max, I'm pretty happy.
My brother drives a VW CC with the turbo four and gets around the same (but he tends to drive a little crazy), so I have no problem with these results. Of course, I was averaging between 27 and 30 in my old Accord, but that was a comparatively weak I4....
There are lots of tips I can provide to ensure you get the best MPG possible, but rather than write the whole deal up (again), I'll leave you with the following:
- you have to get used to the car and as you do, your MPG's will improve. The CVT is pretty efficient and if you drive it smoothly and don't take advantage of all that potential speed and acceleration, the car can be pretty efficient
- keep your head up and try to drive proactively. Some folks never look much further than a few hundred feet in front of their car and don't pay attention to changing lights and traffic conditions. If you see a "stale" green that turns yellow, get off the gas - cars use little to no fuel while coasting down in gear. If you see brake lights on the highway ahead, get off the gas and coast down rather than waiting to hit the brakes. Pay attention to traffic conditions as well as if others are behind you and adjust your driving for minimal braking. Every time you hit the brakes, you are wasting energy which means wasted fuel.
- make sure your oil is getting changed, your tires are slightly over-inflated, and your car is empty. You'd be amazed at how much all the crap people leave in their trunks weighs. I discussed this once with a guy I knew and we headed out to his car. I asked him to open his trunk and made him take every thing out (it was pretty full). This made it easy for him to understand. My trunk has the following: one set of jumper cables (I'm the guy you hope to run into when your battery is dead in the parking lot), my front floor mats (I have weathertech floor liners), and a snow brush/ice scraper. That's it.
If you want, I can write up a more robust list of tips, but only if you really want it.
I'm a lawyer, so some days I'm driving on open tollways and highways and other days (or sometimes on the same days) I'll head into the city and deal with godawful commutes. The other day I had court in the city in the morning and court in Waukegan in the afternoon. The commute into the city from my house took an hour and 45 minutes in a stop and go nightmare that made me late (and angry), followed by 45 minutes back to the office and then 30 minutes of wide open highway/tollway and 30 minutes back. This is fairly typical commuting for my line of work, so considering the horsepower and luxury afforded by the Max, I'm pretty happy.
My brother drives a VW CC with the turbo four and gets around the same (but he tends to drive a little crazy), so I have no problem with these results. Of course, I was averaging between 27 and 30 in my old Accord, but that was a comparatively weak I4....
There are lots of tips I can provide to ensure you get the best MPG possible, but rather than write the whole deal up (again), I'll leave you with the following:
- you have to get used to the car and as you do, your MPG's will improve. The CVT is pretty efficient and if you drive it smoothly and don't take advantage of all that potential speed and acceleration, the car can be pretty efficient
- keep your head up and try to drive proactively. Some folks never look much further than a few hundred feet in front of their car and don't pay attention to changing lights and traffic conditions. If you see a "stale" green that turns yellow, get off the gas - cars use little to no fuel while coasting down in gear. If you see brake lights on the highway ahead, get off the gas and coast down rather than waiting to hit the brakes. Pay attention to traffic conditions as well as if others are behind you and adjust your driving for minimal braking. Every time you hit the brakes, you are wasting energy which means wasted fuel.
- make sure your oil is getting changed, your tires are slightly over-inflated, and your car is empty. You'd be amazed at how much all the crap people leave in their trunks weighs. I discussed this once with a guy I knew and we headed out to his car. I asked him to open his trunk and made him take every thing out (it was pretty full). This made it easy for him to understand. My trunk has the following: one set of jumper cables (I'm the guy you hope to run into when your battery is dead in the parking lot), my front floor mats (I have weathertech floor liners), and a snow brush/ice scraper. That's it.
If you want, I can write up a more robust list of tips, but only if you really want it.
#29
Now for everyone stating an actual mpg, is that based on the computer reading, or how many miles youre getting out of a fillup? My computer rating says 23mpg, and there's no way I'm getting that (and I reset it before my last fill up)
#31
I get 24.1 mpg based on what the computer tells me, and that's been consistent over the 30k miles I've owned car. (Bought it at 55k) I've been driving in sport mode a lot lately and it says 23.2 right now. I live in AZ and use 91 octane.
I can't fathom how people are only getting in the teens for mileage, seems like something wrong??
Also I've had a roof rack with cargo box on a few trips to LA, and never realized how much that drag affects gas mileage. It would drop by at least 5mpg. (Freeway speeds with cargo box)
I can't fathom how people are only getting in the teens for mileage, seems like something wrong??
Also I've had a roof rack with cargo box on a few trips to LA, and never realized how much that drag affects gas mileage. It would drop by at least 5mpg. (Freeway speeds with cargo box)
Last edited by SusieQQ; 03-26-2014 at 12:57 PM.
#34
From when the car was new and for roughly 6 months I saw 24.2 on the dash. Even after resetting it would settle at 24.2. Added a AEM panel filter and disconnected the battery and now I see 25.4 doing the same drive everyday as before. Interesting.
#35
I've been averaging between 20.5 and 22 consistently over the last 17,000 miles or so in a healthy mix of highway, city, and some nightmarish stop and go. I'm a lawyer, so some days I'm driving on open tollways and highways and other days (or sometimes on the same days) I'll head into the city and deal with godawful commutes. The other day I had court in the city in the morning and court in Waukegan in the afternoon. The commute into the city from my house took an hour and 45 minutes in a stop and go nightmare that made me late (and angry), followed by 45 minutes back to the office and then 30 minutes of wide open highway/tollway and 30 minutes back. This is fairly typical commuting for my line of work, so considering the horsepower and luxury afforded by the Max, I'm pretty happy. My brother drives a VW CC with the turbo four and gets around the same (but he tends to drive a little crazy), so I have no problem with these results. Of course, I was averaging between 27 and 30 in my old Accord, but that was a comparatively weak I4.... There are lots of tips I can provide to ensure you get the best MPG possible, but rather than write the whole deal up (again), I'll leave you with the following: - you have to get used to the car and as you do, your MPG's will improve. The CVT is pretty efficient and if you drive it smoothly and don't take advantage of all that potential speed and acceleration, the car can be pretty efficient - keep your head up and try to drive proactively. Some folks never look much further than a few hundred feet in front of their car and don't pay attention to changing lights and traffic conditions. If you see a "stale" green that turns yellow, get off the gas - cars use little to no fuel while coasting down in gear. If you see brake lights on the highway ahead, get off the gas and coast down rather than waiting to hit the brakes. Pay attention to traffic conditions as well as if others are behind you and adjust your driving for minimal braking. Every time you hit the brakes, you are wasting energy which means wasted fuel. - make sure your oil is getting changed, your tires are slightly over-inflated, and your car is empty. You'd be amazed at how much all the crap people leave in their trunks weighs. I discussed this once with a guy I knew and we headed out to his car. I asked him to open his trunk and made him take every thing out (it was pretty full). This made it easy for him to understand. My trunk has the following: one set of jumper cables (I'm the guy you hope to run into when your battery is dead in the parking lot), my front floor mats (I have weathertech floor liners), and a snow brush/ice scraper. That's it. If you want, I can write up a more robust list of tips, but only if you really want it.
#36
Just remember, YOU ASKED! :-)
I found another thread where I listed the following tips and just cut and pasted (and added a bit here or there), so here are some good tips for you to think about:
1) Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check them when they are cold and the car is on a level surface. As temps drop, PSI does too. For the best MPG, inflate 3-5 psi above factory recommendations. I usually run my tires around 35 psi, but go a little higher when I take long trips (I drove to Florida pumped up to 37 all around).
2) Make sure your air filter is clean. Dirty air filters can kill mpg. Seems like most people are already on top of it, but it does get ignored.
3) Make sure you keep your car empty. You'd be amazed at how many people keep way too much junk in the trunk. A friend of mine was complaining about mpg on his car. I popped his trunk and he was lugging around weights, an extra tire with rim, and a ton of clothes/shoes/sports equipment. An empty car is a light car.
4) Make sure your brakes aren't dragging. Dragging brakes can be caused by icy conditions or improper maintenance.
5) Stop warming up your car. Even in the coldest conditions, your car does not need to be in a state of static idle for more than 60 seconds. 30 seconds is adequate in most circumstances. Also, while your engine is warming up during this time, the CVT fluid isn't. If you are going for trips of shorter than a few miles, idle for 30 seconds, then drive gently until the temp needle starts to move. When your care is idling, you are getting 0 MPG.
6) Focus on driving gently. A ton of gas is wasted driving too aggressively. Keep the RPM's below 2000/2500 during acceleration. Keep your eyes ahead and, when traffic permits, coast if you see a light changing to red. When you are stopped at a light, you are getting 0 MPG.
7) If you get stuck at long train crossings or traffic lights that last more than 60 seconds or so, turn off the car. I travel on roads where there are metra stops and freight lines. When the gate comes down, I turn off my car. Instead of burning fuel for 3-5 minutes at a time, I burn no fuel. Yesterday, I got stuck on my way home at a train crossing near my office. When I came to a stop at the light before the crossing, I shut off my car and started the timer on my iPhone. No joke, 4 plus minutes. I wasn't burning fuel. Almost everyone around me was for the whole 4 minutes. After the train passed and gates went up, I started up and got moving, only to come across the second train crossing, which I know to be a freight line. I came to a stop and shut down and activated my timer again. It was a long train and I sat there for 8 minutes with my car shut down. Nearly everyone around me kept their car running, wasting gas and watching their money evaporate.
8) When driving on the highway, keep the speed consistent and below 70. I just drove from the Waukegan courthouse to a gas station and reset, then hit the highway and set my cruise control at 63mph. When I pulled into my office 20 something miles later, the computer said I averaged 30.6 mpg. Not bad. Granted, sometimes people are just in a hurry. I get it. This is why I try to build in at least an extra 15 minutes into any commute I may have.
9) Use cruise control. When I drive on a road with a 45 mile per hour speed limit, I accelerate to 52 or so, and set the cruise control. If you see a light change to red ahead, turn it off and coast down (traffic permitting). When I drive on the highway, I tend to set the cruise control at 62-64 mph (speed limit is 55) and pay attention. When a car or truck hops in my lane going slower, I do my best to change lanes and pass while keeping my speed (aka without disabling cruise control or touching my brakes and then accelerating).
10) Braking. People have different ideas on this. Here's my take. Using the brakes is wasteful. You should only brake in an emergency or when you are stopping. Otherwise, if you use predictive driving techniques, you should use your brakes very little. You'd be amazed at how little you touch the brake pedal if you pay attention, try to predict traffic flow, and keep your eyes ahead. Compared to other people, I rarely touch my brakes. Braking wastes energy.
11) Don't use drive through ATM's/tellers, drive through's at fast food restaurants, and if you are picking up a friend of loved one, don't sit there idling. Idling nets you 0 MPG. I always park and walk in for fast food, bank transactions, to use the ATM, etc. When I am waiting to pick someone up or get to court and park early, my car gets shut off. I spoke with a woman via the Accord forums who was complaining about bad MPG's. Every day, she would wait for her kid to come out of school and leave her car running for at least 5 minutes, sometimes more.
12) Use the correct recommended fuel (and oil). Premium is expensive, but using regular usually results in reduced economy. Also, for other cars, using premium when regular is recommended results in lower fuel economy. People think "premium" must mean "better". Octane is a measure of resistance to detonation. So if your car is designed to be most efficient with 87 octane and you use 93, the fuel is more resistant to detonation. Modern cars like ours are pretty good at adjusting, but the Max will get less power and lower economy running 87 (I most definitely do not want to start that argument again, so take this or leave this, but please don't argue about it. It's boring and no one ever wins these debates ).
13) If these don't help you get better MPG, get your car looked at. A good mechanic can be the best help you'll get here.
Whenever I wrote "traffic permitting", here's what I mean. Don't be the jerk who gets to 35 in a 45 and then stays there because you think you understand traffic flow (you don't). Don't be the guy who coasts down to a stop for over a mile when people are trying to get home. Don't be the guy who screws up everyone else's day because you want to save one or two mpg. Don't be the guy going the speed limit in the left lane for the sake of MPG. Don't be the guy who's actions have a negative effect on other drivers. When roads are empty or there is very little traffic and no one behind you, sure, start to coast down. Otherwise, be aware that the stuff you do in your car can really tick off other drivers. Don't inject yourself into other people's lives to save a few pennies.
Perhaps there is something included above you haven't thought about. Hope it helps. Most of these tips were the result of some experimenting with my old car, an 05 Accord. When I started, I was getting 22 mpg average. After using these tips, my average went up to 27.1 mpg (with some tanks working out to 30 mpg).
Bear in mind, you don't have to use all of these tips, but these are some easy ones to follow. Make it a game and try to have fun smashing old records (seemed to help me stay on track). Good luck!
I found another thread where I listed the following tips and just cut and pasted (and added a bit here or there), so here are some good tips for you to think about:
1) Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check them when they are cold and the car is on a level surface. As temps drop, PSI does too. For the best MPG, inflate 3-5 psi above factory recommendations. I usually run my tires around 35 psi, but go a little higher when I take long trips (I drove to Florida pumped up to 37 all around).
2) Make sure your air filter is clean. Dirty air filters can kill mpg. Seems like most people are already on top of it, but it does get ignored.
3) Make sure you keep your car empty. You'd be amazed at how many people keep way too much junk in the trunk. A friend of mine was complaining about mpg on his car. I popped his trunk and he was lugging around weights, an extra tire with rim, and a ton of clothes/shoes/sports equipment. An empty car is a light car.
4) Make sure your brakes aren't dragging. Dragging brakes can be caused by icy conditions or improper maintenance.
5) Stop warming up your car. Even in the coldest conditions, your car does not need to be in a state of static idle for more than 60 seconds. 30 seconds is adequate in most circumstances. Also, while your engine is warming up during this time, the CVT fluid isn't. If you are going for trips of shorter than a few miles, idle for 30 seconds, then drive gently until the temp needle starts to move. When your care is idling, you are getting 0 MPG.
6) Focus on driving gently. A ton of gas is wasted driving too aggressively. Keep the RPM's below 2000/2500 during acceleration. Keep your eyes ahead and, when traffic permits, coast if you see a light changing to red. When you are stopped at a light, you are getting 0 MPG.
7) If you get stuck at long train crossings or traffic lights that last more than 60 seconds or so, turn off the car. I travel on roads where there are metra stops and freight lines. When the gate comes down, I turn off my car. Instead of burning fuel for 3-5 minutes at a time, I burn no fuel. Yesterday, I got stuck on my way home at a train crossing near my office. When I came to a stop at the light before the crossing, I shut off my car and started the timer on my iPhone. No joke, 4 plus minutes. I wasn't burning fuel. Almost everyone around me was for the whole 4 minutes. After the train passed and gates went up, I started up and got moving, only to come across the second train crossing, which I know to be a freight line. I came to a stop and shut down and activated my timer again. It was a long train and I sat there for 8 minutes with my car shut down. Nearly everyone around me kept their car running, wasting gas and watching their money evaporate.
8) When driving on the highway, keep the speed consistent and below 70. I just drove from the Waukegan courthouse to a gas station and reset, then hit the highway and set my cruise control at 63mph. When I pulled into my office 20 something miles later, the computer said I averaged 30.6 mpg. Not bad. Granted, sometimes people are just in a hurry. I get it. This is why I try to build in at least an extra 15 minutes into any commute I may have.
9) Use cruise control. When I drive on a road with a 45 mile per hour speed limit, I accelerate to 52 or so, and set the cruise control. If you see a light change to red ahead, turn it off and coast down (traffic permitting). When I drive on the highway, I tend to set the cruise control at 62-64 mph (speed limit is 55) and pay attention. When a car or truck hops in my lane going slower, I do my best to change lanes and pass while keeping my speed (aka without disabling cruise control or touching my brakes and then accelerating).
10) Braking. People have different ideas on this. Here's my take. Using the brakes is wasteful. You should only brake in an emergency or when you are stopping. Otherwise, if you use predictive driving techniques, you should use your brakes very little. You'd be amazed at how little you touch the brake pedal if you pay attention, try to predict traffic flow, and keep your eyes ahead. Compared to other people, I rarely touch my brakes. Braking wastes energy.
11) Don't use drive through ATM's/tellers, drive through's at fast food restaurants, and if you are picking up a friend of loved one, don't sit there idling. Idling nets you 0 MPG. I always park and walk in for fast food, bank transactions, to use the ATM, etc. When I am waiting to pick someone up or get to court and park early, my car gets shut off. I spoke with a woman via the Accord forums who was complaining about bad MPG's. Every day, she would wait for her kid to come out of school and leave her car running for at least 5 minutes, sometimes more.
12) Use the correct recommended fuel (and oil). Premium is expensive, but using regular usually results in reduced economy. Also, for other cars, using premium when regular is recommended results in lower fuel economy. People think "premium" must mean "better". Octane is a measure of resistance to detonation. So if your car is designed to be most efficient with 87 octane and you use 93, the fuel is more resistant to detonation. Modern cars like ours are pretty good at adjusting, but the Max will get less power and lower economy running 87 (I most definitely do not want to start that argument again, so take this or leave this, but please don't argue about it. It's boring and no one ever wins these debates ).
13) If these don't help you get better MPG, get your car looked at. A good mechanic can be the best help you'll get here.
Whenever I wrote "traffic permitting", here's what I mean. Don't be the jerk who gets to 35 in a 45 and then stays there because you think you understand traffic flow (you don't). Don't be the guy who coasts down to a stop for over a mile when people are trying to get home. Don't be the guy who screws up everyone else's day because you want to save one or two mpg. Don't be the guy going the speed limit in the left lane for the sake of MPG. Don't be the guy who's actions have a negative effect on other drivers. When roads are empty or there is very little traffic and no one behind you, sure, start to coast down. Otherwise, be aware that the stuff you do in your car can really tick off other drivers. Don't inject yourself into other people's lives to save a few pennies.
Perhaps there is something included above you haven't thought about. Hope it helps. Most of these tips were the result of some experimenting with my old car, an 05 Accord. When I started, I was getting 22 mpg average. After using these tips, my average went up to 27.1 mpg (with some tanks working out to 30 mpg).
Bear in mind, you don't have to use all of these tips, but these are some easy ones to follow. Make it a game and try to have fun smashing old records (seemed to help me stay on track). Good luck!
#37
Great advice. And to remind everyone, for 17k miles he said he earlier he was averaging 20.5-22 mpg. We can't expect our cars to get GREAT mileage. They have big engines. My own experience over 24k miles is that I have averaged exactly 20.90 mpg. For better or worse, those tips provided are excellent. Thanks for the great post jeffislouie.
Edit: And for goodness sakes everyone, if you really care about knowing your mileage, don't trust your car's computer to calculate it out for you. Get a free app for your phone and enter info in each time you fill up. Over those same 24k miles I was talking about, my car's computer says I've been getting 22.1 mpg. That's a 1.2 mpg exaggeration over what I'm truly getting.
Edit: And for goodness sakes everyone, if you really care about knowing your mileage, don't trust your car's computer to calculate it out for you. Get a free app for your phone and enter info in each time you fill up. Over those same 24k miles I was talking about, my car's computer says I've been getting 22.1 mpg. That's a 1.2 mpg exaggeration over what I'm truly getting.
Last edited by Serpent; 03-28-2014 at 10:57 AM.
#38
Great advice. And to remind everyone, for 17k miles he said he earlier he was averaging 20.5-22 mpg. We can't expect our cars to get GREAT mileage. They have big engines. My own experience over 24k miles is that I have averaged exactly 20.90 mpg. For better or worse, those tips provided are excellent. Thanks for the great post jeffislouie.
Edit: And for goodness sakes everyone, if you really care about knowing your mileage, don't trust your car's computer to calculate it out for you. Get a free app for your phone and enter info in each time you fill up. Over those same 24k miles I was talking about, my car's computer says I've been getting 22.1 mpg. That's a 1.2 mpg exaggeration over what I'm truly getting.
Edit: And for goodness sakes everyone, if you really care about knowing your mileage, don't trust your car's computer to calculate it out for you. Get a free app for your phone and enter info in each time you fill up. Over those same 24k miles I was talking about, my car's computer says I've been getting 22.1 mpg. That's a 1.2 mpg exaggeration over what I'm truly getting.
I totally agree, btw. Considering the size of the Maxima and the fact that they run 290 hp out of a 3.5L V6, 21-24 mpg isn't bad at all. My brother's VW CC with a 2 liter turbo motor gets about the same MPG but isn't nearly as quick.
#40