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Awesome Car - 31.8 MPG @ 216K miles

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Old Jun 19, 2008 | 03:56 PM
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Awesome Car - 31.8 MPG @ 216K miles

I just took my car on a 700 mile road trip this week. I usually take my wife's newer car when I go out of town to reduce the chance of a breakdown. What was I worried about?!

I couldn't use her car on this trip and ended up getting 31.8 miles per gallon going 70+ miles per hour on the highway. My 12 year old car has over 216K miles and is still running great.
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 03:58 PM
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thats pretty awsome!!
I have a 95 se with 146,xxx but have yet to take it on a road trip.
around town it gets about 20 mpg
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 04:09 PM
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yeah man.. the maxis will run FOREVER... and the good gas mileage... nice man
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 06:24 PM
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take that prius!
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by ddurandd
I just took my car on a 700 mile road trip this week. I usually take my wife's newer car when I go out of town to reduce the chance of a breakdown. What was I worried about?!

I couldn't use her car on this trip and ended up getting 31.8 miles per gallon going 70+ miles per hour on the highway. My 12 year old car has over 216K miles and is still running great.
Thats awesome... !!!
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 07:03 PM
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yea, my brother still gets well over 30mpg on the highway in his 96 w/ 157k on it.
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 07:28 PM
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mine gets good gas mileage too, even though i shift above 4000RPM quite often....
Old Jun 19, 2008 | 08:03 PM
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I got 30-31mpg on a road trip from NC to TX.
The 95 maxima at the time had 280k miles on it =)

Last edited by runyun972; Jun 22, 2008 at 09:02 AM. Reason: 95 not 96max - had 280k miles not 268k =)
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:27 AM
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I get about 22mpg highway/city mix.
I recently installed k&n drop filter. I think it made the mpg go down. is that suppose to happen?
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 02:59 AM
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Originally Posted by runyun972
I got 30-31mpg on a road trip from NC to TX.
The 96 maxima at the time had 268k miles on it =)

WOW!
what great cars huh??
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 04:47 AM
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nice bro
*** you civics! lol
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 09:01 AM
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Originally Posted by MDeezy
take that prius!
Prius on highway trips = lose.

They get worst mileage on hwy.

S
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by ddurandd
I just took my car on a 700 mile road trip this week. I usually take my wife's newer car when I go out of town to reduce the chance of a breakdown. What was I worried about?!

I couldn't use her car on this trip and ended up getting 31.8 miles per gallon going 70+ miles per hour on the highway. My 12 year old car has over 216K miles and is still running great.
any mods? auto or manual? stock or aftermarket wheels?

i gotta say, i am suspicious of people getting "well above 30mpg" on the highway. my guess is that most of you are not calculating the numbers correctly.

if you did get 31.8 mpg for that one tank, and if you did indeed drive it dry, that means you would have gotten 589 miles on 1 tank of gas.......or if you drove it to the orange light (@ 3.5 gallons left) that means you would have gotten 477 miles for that tank.

when you filled it up after that drive, how much did it take? 16 gallons? 17? 18?

considering the stock values for a 97 maxima are 19mpg city and 24mpg highway, with a combined mpg of 21, you getting almost 32 is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by alset2
thats pretty awsome!!
I have a 95 se with 146,xxx but have yet to take it on a road trip.
around town it gets about 20 mpg
yea thats about right. ive been driving SOFT for the past month or so (keeping rpms under 2k), all city, and ive managed about 22mpg.

Originally Posted by AEMAXIMA01
yea, my brother still gets well over 30mpg on the highway in his 96 w/ 157k on it.
read above

Originally Posted by maximase86
Prius on highway trips = lose.

They get worst mileage on hwy.

S
yes thats true. a fact i learned just last week.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 10:14 AM
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I typically get 26 - 27 in my 4AT.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 10:34 AM
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Originally Posted by NmexMAX
I typically get 26 - 27 in my 4AT.
Is that to say: Your 4AT with Traklites?


Last edited by soseihin; Jun 20, 2008 at 10:34 AM. Reason: Punctuation
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:00 AM
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ROCKART- do you refuse to believe anyone who can get over 30mpg in their max? There are soooo many factors that go into gas mileage. A lot of it depends on your driving style, but if you get one that doesn't have any bad o2 sensors, etc it is definitely possible.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:26 AM
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Originally Posted by ROCKART
any mods? auto or manual? stock or aftermarket wheels?

i gotta say, i am suspicious of people getting "well above 30mpg" on the highway. my guess is that most of you are not calculating the numbers correctly.

if you did get 31.8 mpg for that one tank, and if you did indeed drive it dry, that means you would have gotten 589 miles on 1 tank of gas.......or if you drove it to the orange light (@ 3.5 gallons left) that means you would have gotten 477 miles for that tank.

when you filled it up after that drive, how much did it take? 16 gallons? 17? 18?

considering the stock values for a 97 maxima are 19mpg city and 24mpg highway, with a combined mpg of 21, you getting almost 32 is ridiculous.
I gotte say I agree... I dont get how people get 8 more MPG's then the manufacturer claims on a brand new car. If these cars can indeed do 30+ mpgs highway, why isnt it advertised as so? Would make for better sales.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:33 AM
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Rockart shifts his auto way before 3k so he gets great mileage and knows more than anyone about that

The Obama avatar just makes him look foolish
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:34 AM
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Hey Rockart, Come on up to St. Pete and we'll go for a drive in my wife's 95SE w/ auto and I'll bet your trip expenses I get 29/30 MPG at steady/expressway 70 MPH. Let's use your thread calculator...I also calculate mileage travelled over gas entered/used. It's a fact. The car does it consistantly when we (regularly) go to Orlando/return. MPG has actually gone up from when we first got the car to now with 188K+. The auto OD is better than my 5speed 96 for highway- it ONLY gets 28MPG. Oh, by the way... the 95 runs on regular only Yes, you can doubt it but we do it! edit: I also might add that the (rear) O2 sensor has been throwing the "check engine" light for about.... well a long time; although I don't think we've found a new "miracle" mileage product to sell on TV.
I can't explain why I (others, also?) get, consistent, better gas mileage than manufacturer claims (EPA window sticker)...but I DO.
I don't know what both of my cars got when they were brand-new and, apparently, not everyone gets the same good gas mileage as I (others) get... I'm sure much depends on driving habits...
I'm just stating (my) factual experience with my 95 and 96...and... CERTAINLY NOT complaining! Actually, I'm a bit hesitant to admit I only burn regular and ignore the light in my wifes car... but she gets better MPG!

Last edited by packerZ; Jun 20, 2008 at 12:44 PM.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:35 AM
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reccent road trip, 90mph+ most of the way=29-30 mpg. 172k on the clock!!!! 4th gen FTW!!!
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:50 AM
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Originally Posted by jblinga
reccent road trip, 90mph+ most of the way=29-30 mpg. 172k on the clock!!!! 4th gen FTW!!!
Now I call BS on this. No way a car, especially a v6 traveling at 90+ gets 29-30mpg.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by packerZ
Hey Rockart, Come on down to FL and we'll go for a drive in my wife's 95SE w/ auto and I'll bet your trip expenses I get 29/30 MPG at steady/expressway 70 MPH. It's a fact. The car does it consistantly when we (regularly) go to Orlando/return. MPG has actually gone up from when we first got the car to now with 188K+. The auto OD is better than my 5speed 96 for highway- it ONLY gets 28MPG. Oh, by the way... the 95 runs on regular only Yes, you can doubt it but we do it! edit: I also might add that the (rear) O2 sensor has been throwing the "check engine" light for about.... well a long time; although I don't think we've found a new "miracle" mileage product to sell on TV.
on the regular gas. my bro only puts 87 in his 96 and gets the 30+ i've been talking about. His also throws an o2 code occasionally, but the light never stays on for more than 3 or 4 days.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 11:56 AM
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some of u may find this very helpful:
http://www.milesgallon.com/
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:08 PM
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Got to agree on that... both the 95 and my 96 suffer mileage (badly) when tach hits above 2700 and (significantly/progressively) worse over 3.5K!! 2.5K is right at 70 in the auto and 2.7K in the 5speed. Also, anything over 70/75 on I-4 and you have to start driving erratically (change lanes/ speed to pass/ slow to move over-follow, etc.). It can be a challenge to stay (keep) 70/75 MPH pace but it really does work- it really can/does produce consistent 29/30MPG in our 95 auto (w/regular and O2 light)...with stock wheels and stock size tires. And; I don't think we have the ONLY one!
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:14 PM
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Originally Posted by udienow
I gotte say I agree... I dont get how people get 8 more MPG's then the manufacturer claims on a brand new car. If these cars can indeed do 30+ mpgs highway, why isnt it advertised as so? Would make for better sales.
/thread
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:20 PM
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Best mpg ive gotten on my 99 Max. with 120,xxx miles is 29 mpg. and that was goin 80mph. i had cruise control set. and i live in south texas so heat kills me.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by clint240sx
Best mpg ive gotten on my 99 Max. with 120,xxx miles is 29 mpg. and that was goin 80mph. i had cruise control set. and i live in south texas so heat kills me.
I bet if you cut your speed down to 65, your mpg would be above 30, easy.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:30 PM
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I have seen 33mpg with my old 95 automatic max. I used acetone 2.8 oz for every 10 gallons.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:30 PM
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30+ mpg??? I think some of you guys must be on something or calculating it wrong. Cars this old like ours don't improve on gas mileage. They only get worst. Ever since I own mine new, I've never been able to get 30mpg on highway or city driving and I don't have lead foot. Like a few members said, manufacturer's numbers are usually estimated to be higher than real world driving and they're only 19 city and 24 highway. 30+mpg is insane. The only reason I can see you guys getting that number is constant coasting downhill with minimal braking for a short distance only or driving way below the speed limit for a short distance.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:38 PM
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Originally Posted by imports_only1
30+ mpg??? I think some of you guys must be on something or calculating it wrong. Cars this old like ours don't improve on gas mileage. They only get worst. Ever since I own mine new, I've never been able to get 30mpg on highway or city driving and I don't have lead foot. Like a few members said, manufacturer's numbers are usually estimated to be higher than real world driving and they're only 19 city and 24 highway. 30+mpg is insane. The only reason I can see you guys getting that number is constant coasting downhill with minimal braking for a short distance only or driving way below the speed limit for a short distance.
im a math tutor, i believe i know my calculations....

and yes AEMAXIMA01, if i went 65 im sure i'd be 30+ but i drive a heavy foot...hehe
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by clint240sx
im a math tutor, i believe i know my calculations....
a math tutor.....hehehe....
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:45 PM
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this thread is starting to sound like the UFO phenomenon...lots of people see ,but no one believes! haha
I dont know, honestly i believe it is possible to get around 30mpg on the hwy given the right circumstances.
I am a little skeptical of the high milage at high speeds though.Its been my experience that above oh, 75mph or so, milage seems to take a nose dive.
I am not surprised that we get better gas milage than what nissan claims, theres a lot more to it I think. also they probably have to be conservitive with their numbers as to not invite any "false advertising" claims.Besides,its not un-common for numbers on paper to vary from real world applications. example-helicopters.
just my 1/2 cent
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 12:54 PM
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Originally Posted by imports_only1
a math tutor.....hehehe....
So, im curious, what makes you SO SURE that ALL of our calculations are wrong???

and since we DONT know how to calculate can i try this?...reset your tripometer, drive with a full tank of gas from full to empty, re-fuel. then do math...
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 01:00 PM
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Umm "Imports", Not to argue my stated facts.. I wish we did have some hills to coast-down here in FL. Maybe I do wish I had something to smoke, but at 52: "no no no I don't do that no more" What car have you owned that got it's BEST gas mileage when it was brand-new? I'm not flamin' ya, but every car I've ever owned got its WORST MPG when brand-new but then again, my cars' break-in is an easy life with regular basic maint. (oops...except the "wonder MPG increaser" O2 thingie
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by alset2
this thread is starting to sound like the UFO phenomenon...lots of people see ,but no one believes! haha
I dont know, honestly i believe it is possible to get around 30mpg on the hwy given the right circumstances.
I am a little skeptical of the high milage at high speeds though.Its been my experience that above oh, 75mph or so, milage seems to take a nose dive.
I am not surprised that we get better gas milage than what nissan claims, theres a lot more to it I think. also they probably have to be conservitive with their numbers as to not invite any "false advertising" claims.Besides,its not un-common for numbers on paper to vary from real world applications. example-helicopters.
just my 1/2 cent
yea thats true, the numbers would vary, but NOT by 7 or 8 mpg.

i think if 4th gens were truly and universally capable of 30+ mpg, Nissan would most definetly have changed their projected MPG on the sticker.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 01:37 PM
  #36  
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31 hwy and now 27.5 city. 289+k miles.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 01:48 PM
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on the MPG note.
There are SO many factors that affect MPG that it's ridiculus to argue that someone is getting too high.
I see absolutely no reason for a max to have trouble breaking 30mpg highway.
My minivan does 27mpg on the highway fairly easily. I can get 30+ out of it if I really try. so why wouldn't a 10% smaller motor in a lighter car do better.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 02:06 PM
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Originally Posted by internetautomar
on the MPG note.
There are SO many factors that affect MPG that it's ridiculus to argue that someone is getting too high.
I see absolutely no reason for a max to have trouble breaking 30mpg highway.
My minivan does 27mpg on the highway fairly easily. I can get 30+ out of it if I really try. so why wouldn't a 10% smaller motor in a lighter car do better.
Thank you! Someone who finally agrees that there are way too many factors that contribute to mpg. There is just no way that every single maxima will get 30+ mpg, but there are some lucky ones who can.
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 02:09 PM
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Originally Posted by AEMAXIMA01
Now I call BS on this. No way a car, especially a v6 traveling at 90+ gets 29-30mpg.
umm...full tank...475 miles later 16 gallon fill up, not completly empty. DO THE MATH NUMBNUTZ!!!!!!!!
Old Jun 20, 2008 | 02:44 PM
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My spreadsheet from 86k to 152k 99 5 speed

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?k...obygkbVw&hl=en

This 99 Max just has a Budget Y-pipe and stock intake for mods. Best mpg I got was 31.3. I think you could get 32+ with an Auto!!

Last edited by PLUMMAXSE; Jun 20, 2008 at 04:16 PM.



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