Official: What are your real world MPG Numbers

[GeneralZod]

I had three gapped around .026 or less. The #4 if I was .018.

After I gapped them to .028-.029 it ran much smoother. Like when I started using 93 octane.

If your slow speed is 60 mph and normally drive in the mid to high 70s you will be in the mid to low 30 mpg. If you are using the accelerator a bunch in stop and go, it hurts the mpg.

As much as environment can have an effect on the car, so can the driver. Slow and steady with mild temps will get you in the 40 mpg range.

 

[chivalryder]

Reading through the last few posts have been interesting. I drive primarily "highway" (country highways, very little restricted highway usage) and I can get close to 40mpg on winter tires, in cold conditions, on 87 with 10% ethanol... if I feather the throttle and coast to the lights as much as possible.

Even on the tanks where I flogged the heck out of the car (WOT as much as possible, redlining first and second - flying down the roads as fast as I dare without getting attention) I got 32mpg. My regular commute is just shy of 100 km/day (65ish miles) with 20-25% of which is city miles. Steep hill climbs too! I don't understand how anyone can get any worse than that, unless they drive like a maniac in the city all the time.

I can't wait until I've got my summer times on the car! I'm going to feather my way through a tank and see if I can hit 50mpg! I'll also be switching to 91 (I haven't seen 93 around here) and I'll be avoiding ethanol.

 

[GeneralZod]

Options and trans have a pretty large effect on mpg.

Seems the LT with manual, stock rims, and 1.4t are the mpg monsters.

 

[joe truck driver]

over 40,000 now . At fill up, 50 degrees out, 1 st leg high milage(49.3 gauge). got to 2nd,3rd,and 4th leg 25 to 32(dropped to 41) and final 5th and 6th at 35 plus degrees. notice quite the change in milage on meter. finish tank at 43.2mpg actual. temp has more to do with our milage than winter or summer gas combinations i'm observing.

60mph-1500shift points. 10% city/90% highway-87 octane/10% achol. 2012 Lt 6sp manuel turbo no after tune yet.

 

[jrogers13]

2012 LT turbo 1.4 stock 6sp

2012 LT 1.4T 6sp bought new in February. After nine tanks of 87 octane top tier gas (BP and Shell) with ethanol and 3000 miles on the odometer, I am getting a consistent 31 mpg with mixed driving, pretty conservative most of the time. The DIC is reading about 1-2 mpg higher than my calculated mileage. Have gotten a little better the last couple of tanks. Will switch to 93 now for comparison.

 

[giro]

I get 24 in city, short 3 mile commutes to work. This past Tuesday, I went to Northern VA on a trip and got right at 35mpg using 87 with 10% ethanol. Last Summer, I went to Big Stone Gap, VA, about 300 miles, and got 37.4mpg on way to and back using 93 octane with no ethanol.
I used the non-ethanol 93 until the past February when a rough idle/ check engine light came on. The dealership changed plugs and coil packs and cleaned fuel/combustion system. All is good now. Don't know if bad gas or not, but I was buying it from a local feed store so who knows if it was top tier or not. Trying 89 now, won't go higher very often.

 

[Kuntryboy865]

Since I haven't been getting on it much im getting about 25/26 city.

I get 24 in city, short 3 mile commutes to work. This past Tuesday, I went to Northern VA on a trip and got right at 35mpg using 87 with 10% ethanol. Last Summer, I went to Big Stone Gap, VA, about 300 miles, and got 37.4mpg on way to and back using 93 octane with no ethanol.
I used the non-ethanol 93 until the past February when a rough idle/ check engine light came on. The dealership changed plugs and coil packs and cleaned fuel/combustion system. All is good now. Don't know if bad gas or not, but I was buying it from a local feed store so who knows if it was top tier or not. Trying 89 now, won't go higher very often.

Top tier or not, it shouldn't have hurt your car because federal law requires all gasoline (from a feed store or shell) to have a certain amount of cleaning agents in them. The difference between a feed store and a gas station like shell is that shell adds extra cleaning agents to the gasoline and they tout that as the best gasoline, using that gasoline might help your engine last longer. A feed stores gasoline won't do your car any harm though.

 

[giro]

Since I haven't been getting on it much im getting about 25/26 city.


Top tier or not, it shouldn't have hurt your car because federal law requires all gasoline (from a feed store or shell) to have a certain amount of cleaning agents in them. The difference between a feed store and a gas station like shell is that shell adds extra cleaning agents to the gasoline and they tout that as the best gasoline, using that gasoline might help your engine last longer. A feed stores gasoline won't do your car any harm though.

I agree with you. I think the store may have gotten a bad delivery in or maybe it was too rich to run in my car for a long period of time (7-8 months).

 

[joe truck driver]

:banana: pics show end of sixth leg (was not ready take pics on trip so had to wait till arrive home) and will be able to make 7th and 8th leg this tank (a first). Temp has big influence, or 3 oil change with Mobil one final took....don't know but wow. gauge reads 55.1. don't know what order the pic will be in but one will show 55.1 @414.3 miles; 190 miles left with 414.3 on tank; and one will be the time 7 hours 50 minutes driving. have 43,017 on car.opcorn:

60mph-1500shift points. 10% city/90% highway-87 octane/10% alcohol. 2012 Lt 6sp manual turbo no after tune yet or air filter change.

 

[joe truck driver]

51.89

:banana:7th and 8th leg took me to 550.1 miles and at fill only used 10.6 gal. (10.604 gals. $38.80 @3.659 per gal.) gauge read 55.5 at end and calculated got 51.89.... yup about 52.... can't give reason except for temperature. maybe oil...

now have to recreate again to see if it was a fluke.

no changes to motor or car. Mobil one oil is only thing not stock.

pic 1- 550.1 final 55.5 mpg on gauge
pic 2- 499.9 miles 55.1
pic 3- 530.4 miles said I had 62 more miles to go

 

[AndrewGS]

My lifetime average is now 33.8MPG with 88% of all miles being city. I'm about to take a road trip next weekend and I'll see if she can still pull 42MPG on the highway.

 

[sx sonic]

eeking out this tank. that pic is in 6th gear. I found a way to accelerate from 2nd to 6th without touching the gas.... and if conditions are right I can get 60-90mpg instantaneous while accelrating.

 

[mitdr774]

Its only a 1.8...

 

[RobbyS]

I've averaged 28.9-29.1 throughout the 2500 miles on my car. That is probably 90% city with me driving it decently hard.

 

[joe truck driver]

outside temp

temp matters . after great numbers on last tank, i was following up with 52.2(guage) on first leg(temp 60). on 2nd leg (returning home) temp dropped to 45. i lost mileage no mater how i drove. down to 50.6. 3rd leg started at 36 degrees. down to 46.7 by end. on return leg (4th) temp was 57. got gauge to 50.1 ..... outside temp matters alot. on these legs no rain no wind same roads same driving style. wondering if trans fluid vicosity can explain numbers. 6sp mt on turbo Lt hatch

 

[sx sonic]

temp matters . after great numbers on last tank, i was following up with 52.2(guage) on first leg(temp 60). on 2nd leg (returning home) temp dropped to 45. i lost mileage no mater how i drove. down to 50.6. 3rd leg started at 36 degrees. down to 46.7 by end. on return leg (4th) temp was 57. got gauge to 50.1 ..... outside temp matters alot. on these legs no rain no wind same roads same driving style. wondering if trans fluid vicosity can explain numbers. 6sp mt on turbo Lt hatch

cooler temps means more aero drag, cooler intake temps usually means worse MPG, more time spent getting the engine up to temp (big mpg killer), and more viscous fluids when 1st starting out and also for longer periods.

Ive had the same observations with temps.

 

[sx sonic]

So I finally filled up after Hypermiling the crap out of this tank. It's actually lower than I'd expect for as much as i worked for it. All rural roads with only 1 trip on the interstate (school) and only hit 55mph maybe a dozen times on other roads to avoid being a hazard.

55.16 hand calculated on 10.xx gallons of gas and 560ish miles (dont have my log shee handy)

 

[MartyH]

I have 12,000 miles and an indicated 35.8mpg on 2013 1.4 turbo/6 speed manual since new. I have the belly pan. I have the LTZ with the 205/50-17 tires. As soon as these are worn out I'm going to Low Rolling resistance Yokohama Avid Ascend's at the same size. They're US made and under $130 each. Short shifting, not exceeding 66mph on the hwy and shutting the engine off (thank you electric power steering!) on long downhills just can't help inch up the milage. I'm guessing the lower trim level Sonics with the narrower tires do better.

 

[AndrewGS]

I was disappointed with my mileage over the weekend. Over two tanks I averaged only 35MPG at 85% highway. I'm taking another trip in June and I'll try it again.

 

[joe truck driver]

Username: joe truck driver
Style: hatch
Trim: Lt
Engine: 1.4T
Transmission: Mt
Tune: none-mobil one engine oil
Octane: 87
E85: no
Miles: 470.7
Gallons: 8.948
Tank behavior: 10% city /90% highway(interstate) - temp over 50

52.6 mpg:banana:

if it hadn't rained i might have hit 53 but....

very little hypermiling. to work and back, mostly 60 mph.