Don't Hate Your MPG!

[Johnny Alien]

I have no idea about breaking in time or if it's a rela thing but I never got less than 28 MPG even in straight city driving since the first day I bought it with less than 10 miles on it. That is in a 1.8 Automatic and even with a 10% ethanol blend.

My guess is for those that routinely get less than 30 MPG highway/combined that it's largely due to driving style and less about the engine breaking in.

 

[slitzell]

i average 36 driving city but since i work overnight there is less traffic but still plenty of lights. I get on throttle hard sometimes. Mostly shift around 3500, but ive gotten 40 on my drive using the eco mode of the tune. Car def gets good gas mileage even when driven harder

 

[GeneralZod]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and hope I can pass on what I have learned in the 9 years of owning VW TDIs squeezing as many MPG as I could. While diesels are slightly different in some areas, many of the driving skills are the same for gasoline engines. On both of my VW (manuals), I averaged over 45 MPG. I have gone as high as 56 MPG on the 2003 and 51 MPG on the 2006.

After I bought my Sonic I topped the tank off to start tracking my MPG. My Sonic is not broken in and I used the AC like crazy. I commute about 82 miles per day. I filled up today with 245.3 miles and saw 35.3 MPG (The DIC was dead on). I find that to be very good with the automatic transmission.

With the AC on you lose about 10%, so I lost about 3.5 MPG. I am also getting use to the car and the tires and engine are not broken in. I can see that 40 MPG is very possible. Much of what determines your MPG will be weather, driving style, and type of commute.

Idling is one of the biggest areas that can be improved. Do it as little as possible. A cold engine will also use more fuel. If you have a manual coasting in neutral while warming up will cause some great gains as long as it is safe. If not slow acceleration is a must. You can lose between 1 and 2 MPG a tank not being mindful of cold operating temps. I know this using a scan gauge II for 7 years.

While driving around town and on the highway use the brakes as little as possible. When you use them it is wasted energy (fuel). Try to anticipate what traffic is doing and let the car coast in gear to stops. On the highway mashing the go pedal to pass cars can ruin a tank average. On commutes I try to judge what is the faster and slower speeds of the current traffic. I then pick the average. Normally I am around 70 MPH with my commute. Slowing down and accelerating is wasted fuel. I am not talking about driving like a granny either. If you view driving like that of flying a glider, you will save energy and use the car's inertia or engine to slow down or maintain speed.

Solid driving techniques can raise a car's MPG by 5 or more depending.

Hope this helps!

 

[2FR35H]

Hello all,

I am new to this forum and hope I can pass on what I have learned in the 9 years of owning VW TDIs squeezing as many MPG as I could. While diesels are slightly different in some areas, many of the driving skills are the same for gasoline engines. On both of my VW (manuals), I averaged over 45 MPG. I have gone as high as 56 MPG on the 2003 and 51 MPG on the 2006.

After I bought my Sonic I topped the tank off to start tracking my MPG. My Sonic is not broken in and I used the AC like crazy. I commute about 82 miles per day. I filled up today with 245.3 miles and saw 35.3 MPG (The DIC was dead on). I find that to be very good with the automatic transmission.

With the AC on you lose about 10%, so I lost about 3.5 MPG. I am also getting use to the car and the tires and engine are not broken in. I can see that 40 MPG is very possible. Much of what determines your MPG will be weather, driving style, and type of commute.

Idling is one of the biggest areas that can be improved. Do it as little as possible. A cold engine will also use more fuel. If you have a manual coasting in neutral while warming up will cause some great gains as long as it is safe. If not slow acceleration is a must. You can lose between 1 and 2 MPG a tank not being mindful of cold operating temps. I know this using a scan gauge II for 7 years.

While driving around town and on the highway use the brakes as little as possible. When you use them it is wasted energy (fuel). Try to anticipate what traffic is doing and let the car coast in gear to stops. On the highway mashing the go pedal to pass cars can ruin a tank average. On commutes I try to judge what is the faster and slower speeds of the current traffic. I then pick the average. Normally I am around 70 MPH with my commute. Slowing down and accelerating is wasted fuel. I am not talking about driving like a granny either. If you view driving like that of flying a glider, you will save energy and use the car's inertia or engine to slow down or maintain speed.

Solid driving techniques can raise a car's MPG by 5 or more depending.

Hope this helps!

Will not work for me I mash on the pedal but even with that said I am at around 300miles a tank when full and averages at 25.6 mpg that better than any other car I had.

 

[jim_de_hunter]

Just turned 4k miles on my 1.8 Automatic. Getting 34.5 to 36.6 mpg per tank.

 

[Larry]

You guys are lucky, I average 34MPG in my Honda Fit and even driving until the gas light comes on I've never gotten over 300 miles to a tank. It has a 10.8 gallon tank I think.

 

[Eric Smit]

If you've never gotten over 300 on a 10.8 gallon tank, you weren't getting over 30 MPG.


-Eric Smit

 

[Larry]

First tank I ever drove my new turbo sedan manual and the gauge is reading 42.4MPG average. That's with the AC on and about 80% interstate (65-75MPH, no cruise control). I'm sure with 93 octane it will get even better. Oh and trust me, I've been banging some gears

 

[HADES20]

My 1.8 auto started out with crappy MPG in the city but I have noticed a slow increase plus using the manual mode and shifting to six when its mot there kinda helps I think

 

[Larry]

If you've never gotten over 300 on a 10.8 gallon tank, you weren't getting over 30 MPG.


-Eric Smit

I don't drive it until the light comes on

 

[Smartdave]

I can usually pull out more than 400-420 miles on my tank. I have the 1.8 5speed. Even my lifetime after 17k miles is still 35mpg

I just filled up, drive 205 miles and this is what I see. Still 231 miles left

 

[mitdr774]

I don't drive it until the light comes on

I direct you to this post you made..

You guys are lucky, I average 34MPG in my Honda Fit and even driving until the gas light comes on I've never gotten over 300 miles to a tank. It has a 10.8 gallon tank I think.

Dave, is that 35 MPG what the vehicle is calculating (as shown on the screen shot) or does it hand calculate out to 35 MPG as well? My DIC is a bit optimistic at 37.2.

 

[Larry]

I direct you to this post you made..





Dave, is that 35 MPG what the vehicle is calculating (as shown on the screen shot) or does it hand calculate out to 35 MPG as well? My DIC is a bit optimistic at 37.2.

The light comes on at 9 gallons. I don't even know why we're arguing about this.

 

[mitdr774]

You contradicted yourself. Even if you went 300 miles on 9 gallons it still isnt 34MPG. Never said I was arguing with you, just pointing out an error.

 

[Larry]

You contradicted yourself. Even if you went 300 miles on 9 gallons it still isnt 34MPG. Never said I was arguing with you, just pointing out an error.

I'll re-phrase then, I got 34MPG and never exceeded 300 miles in a fill up. Hand calculated, not DIC.

 

[Smartdave]

My hand calc is inline with the DIC. For example I am on a road trip to nj from mass, it is 400 miles round trip. I have made this trip a few times. I fill up at home and by the time I get there I am at 1 bar over 1/2. By the time I pull In my driveway the light is just turning on. So that's 400 BEFORE the light turns on.

The above image was just taken. Trip was reset when I fueled up yesterday

Dave

 

[d.p]

I struggle to get 30mpg a tank in my 1.8/5spd

 

[Smartdave]

Ok just got home ~400 miles rt. filled up before I left. Just got home. Started with trip at 0 and a full tank. Again this is a 1.8 m/t and not even a low fuel light

Just filled up. 10 gallons for 401.9 gives me 40.2 mpg and DIC read 41.1

Either way I think it's great

Dave

 

[Leverus]

I struggle to get 30mpg a tank in my 1.8/5spd

Did you check your spark plug gap? After I set mine correctly I got a few more MPG with my 1.8.

 

[fatboypup]

200 miles city/hiway mix ..... 1.8 auto not bad