how to get better mpg?

[dbarrett231]

so I have had my sonic for about 6 months now and I can not get good gas mileage at all. the best I got was 28 for a short period of time. but then I got the tune and I drove the car like I stole it for about a month and got like 19 mpg. so now I am looking to get my mpgs up and I am wondering how you guys on here drive ( where you shift, how you take off, anything that will help) I drive 100% city if that helps at all. thank you

 

[SuperFudd]

Keep your RPM under 3k.
(Yeah, right)

 

[dbarrett231]

Keep your RPM under 3k.
(Yeah, right)

its so hard to do that! haha i love pushing this little car.

 

[ahtoxa]

The secret to great mileage is this:

- long trips
- warm weather
- little to no stop signs/lights
- speeds between 45-60 mph.


I hit mid 40's on my DIC driving DFW to Austin and back (so, over a full tank), and yet when I commute 4 miles to work and back, I get about 28 on those trips. Sometimes even less, when it's colder out.

 

[Swordsmith]

I did one tank of a long trip on 93 octane and got 44 mpg. I did one tank driving around normally on a route around Dallas and Fort Worth, complete with some stops for food and game stores, then did another trip as identical as I could make it, only driving carefully, both on E85. First trip, 22 mpg, second trip, 33 mpg. Similar trips to my 44mpg experiment, I average about 33 mpg on 93, and a little worse on 87. Proof of concept, the car will get good mileage if I don't jackrabbit start, don't exceed the speed limit by more than a couple mph, shift early... little stuff. This was by no means "hyper-mileing"

Having proved my point, I went right back to my natural ways, enjoying the zip and to heck with the money. Still cheaper than my 14mpg F150!

Point is, there's nothing wrong with the car, except it has a nut loose behind the steering wheel.

 

[dbarrett231]

I did one tank of a long trip on 93 octane and got 44 mpg. I did one tank driving around normally on a route around Dallas and Fort Worth, complete with some stops for food and game stores, then did another trip as identical as I could make it, only driving carefully, both on E85. First trip, 22 mpg, second trip, 33 mpg. Similar trips to my 44mpg experiment, I average about 33 mpg on 93, and a little worse on 87. Proof of concept, the car will get good mileage if I don't jackrabbit start, don't exceed the speed limit by more than a couple mph, shift early... little stuff. This was by no means "hyper-mileing"

Having proved my point, I went right back to my natural ways, enjoying the zip and to heck with the money. Still cheaper than my 14mpg F150!

Point is, there's nothing wrong with the car, except it has a nut loose behind the steering wheel.

yea my silverado 4x4 gets about 12mpg. so even if i drive the car how i want i still get better gas mileage than my truck

 

[sx sonic]

If you look in the "mpg discussion" part of the forum you'll find a thread on how to get better fuel economy.

It's stickied and near the top of that section. Links to it are also plastered all over the forum... Anywhere I've posted to be exact... Link in my signature...

 

[Ever Victorious]

The secret to great mileage is this:

- long trips
- warm weather
- little to no stop signs/lights
- speeds between 45-60 mph.

You forgot one.

- don't live in Alaska. Or anywhere remotely mountainous, for that matter.

I can tell the difference that even modest hills make in my fuel economy. I've had a couple tanks where I didn't have quite my usual commute pattern, and it avoided one particularly large hill. 1.3 MPG difference over average on both of those tanks. And I'm sure the hills I encounter are nothing compared to what's around most of Alaska.

Sorry, bud... these cars love flat, warm, low-speed cruising.

 

[sx sonic]

Sorry, bud... these cars love flat, warm, low-speed cruising.

That's the best summary I've ever heard lol. All the above 55mpg tanks on this forum were done on hot, flat ground, and going ridiculously slow.

 

[mowcowbell]

Terrain, altitude, and humidity can play a big factor in mileage. I have logged some really crazy mileage numbers in the high plains of eastern New Mexico and the high deserts of northern Arizona. Hit over 45mpg in a rental Toyota Camry (4 cyl auto) in northern Arizona. Got over 37 mpg in a 1991 Chevy Corsica (3.1L V6) in eastern New Mexico driving a steady 65mph between Raton and Clayton.

OP: There are a million posts all over the internet about how to get better mpg. You are asking a question that has been asked (and answered) millions of times already.

 

[attrapereves]

My mileage has increased a lot since the warmer weather has arrived. In the winter, I was lucky to get 22 in the city. I blame idling, running the defroster, and cold temps.

I drive a mix of city and highway and have been averaging 28-31 in my manual LT.

 

[Swordsmith]

Difference between the manual and hatch?

 

[TopazLT14]

28 isn't bad for 100% city driving. Avoid jackrabbit starts, and try to keep your speed down as close to the speed limit as practical. If you use regular gas, try the higher octane mid-grade or premium.

 

[ChrisJ]

Several things.

I've never seen less than 39MPG on an entire tank of gas the 39,000 miles I've owned my LT. I don't drive slow, but my launches are 90% time nice and easy.

The next thing I have to say is if you were even remotely concerned about gas mileage, why did you buy an RS? If I recall, you're taching the same thing at 70mph as I would be at 100mph. This automatically means much worse gas mileage.

 

[krakenredbeard]

I can get 39/40 on an rs in the right conditions here lately around 36/37. When I first got it. Was around 34


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[NR552]

so I have had my sonic for about 6 months now and I can not get good gas mileage at all. the best I got was 28 for a short period of time. but then I got the tune and I drove the car like I stole it for about a month and got like 19 mpg. so now I am looking to get my mpgs up and I am wondering how you guys on here drive ( where you shift, how you take off, anything that will help) I drive 100% city if that helps at all. thank you

Run the econo mode for around town, if you have an android phone get the bluetooth ob2 adapter + torque app (or get a scangauge) so you can see your instant mpg and drive accordingly, and finally-- don't use your AC...

I started a 102 mile round trip commute a few weeks ago and my mileage went from ~32 mpg in my haul butt commute to 38-42 mpg in my drive 64 mph on cruise (in a 65 zone) routine for now. 441 miles on 1st tank of gas driving that way, 424 on the 2nd (driving a little faster)... Being able to watch your instant mpg makes a big difference to see what works for you in your area.

 

[ChrisJ]

Run the econo mode for around town, if you have an android phone get the bluetooth ob2 adapter + torque app (or get a scangauge) so you can see your instant mpg and drive accordingly, and finally-- don't use your AC...

I started a 102 mile round trip commute a few weeks ago and my mileage went from ~32 mpg in my haul butt commute to 38-42 mpg in my drive 64 mph on cruise (in a 65 zone) routine for now. 441 miles on 1st tank of gas driving that way, 424 on the 2nd (driving a little faster)... Being able to watch your instant mpg makes a big difference to see what works for you in your area.

Not using your AC is fine as long as you don't put the windows down, if you do you're not saving anything.
Instant MPG is worthless, our Cruze has it and honestly all it tells you is the less you step on the throttle, the better the gas mileage you will get. Seems like that would be common sense, no?


I am curious, NR552, are you driving an LT or an RS? With those numbers I'd be impressed if it's an RS as they are similar to my own though I can squeak out 48 if I try but 39-42 is typical AC and all.

 

[sx sonic]

My 56mpg tank was with the Windows down most of the time. Be hard pressed to ever get that with the A/C on.

 

[krakenredbeard]

I have a UG to help with instant mpgs where it helps is muscle memory to know how much to give or not give. Helps me tremendously.


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[mowcowbell]

I'm going to try one of the ODBII Bluetooth adapters with my Android phone and see how it works out.