is your mileage in the low 20s or worse

[miamisonic]

I have had the Sonic (LT hatch) for 1 week, and so far getting only 23 mpg in mostly city driving, a/c on, 80 degree weather. I don't push the engine too much, but do stop/go a lot with traffic. Reading other posts, hopefully after I "break it in" with more miles this will improve. I'll report back on this after lots more miles.

 

[nov2012sonicLS]

Here are my numbers since I bought my car. I have a 1.8 liter Sonic LS manual. I am in Ohio, so I am hoping the numbers will get even better. I measured my highway mileage once and got 40mpg on a 90 minute trip. Most of my driving is a mix of back road state routes and city. (60/40)



2012 Chevy Sonic MPG

Date miles gallons mpg
12/1/2011 229 5.974 38.33277536
12/7/2011 250.1 7.253 34.48228319
12/13/2011 231.4 6.289 36.79440293
12/17/2011 217.2 6.249 34.75756121
1/1/2012 329.7 9.755 33.79805228
1/6/2012 293.8 8.28 35.48309179
1/12/2012 241.2 6.42 37.57009346
1/20/2012 200.5 6.034 33.22837256
1/26/2012 227.1 6.243 36.37674195
2/1/2012 215.2 5.759 37.36759854
2/6/2012 297.7 8.404 35.42360781
02/10/2012 209.8 5.392 38.90949555
2/16/2012 239.3 6.7 35.71641791

Overall Average 36.01849958

 

[nov2012sonicLS]

Here are my numbers again. The copy and paste from Excel does not keep the format.


2012 Chevy Sonic MPG

Date____________miles____gallons____mpg
12/1/2011________229_____5.974____38.33278
12/7/2011________250.1___7.253____34.48228
12/13/2011_______231.4___6.289____36.7944
12/17/2011_______217.2___6.249____34.75756
1/1/2012_________329.7___9.755____33.79805
1/6/2012_________293.8___8.28_____35.48309
1/12/2012________241.2___6.42_____37.57009
1/20/2012________200.5___6.034____33.22837
1/26/2012________227.1___6.243____36.37674
2/1/2012_________215.2___5.759____37.3676
2/6/2012_________297.7___8.404____35.42361
2/10/2012________209.8___5.392____38.9095
2/16/2012________239.3___6.7______35.71642


Totals___________3182____88.752___36.0185

 

[omniman]

thats 1 gallon of gas for two trips to work my lawn mower uses more then that to mow my lawn.I started going to work 30 min. earlier to avoid traffic it helps.drove from N.J. to N.C. used 1 and 1/4 of tank about $45.00.

 

[knexster]

thats 1 gallon of gas for two trips to work my lawn mower uses more then that to mow my lawn.I started going to work 30 min. earlier to avoid traffic it helps.drove from N.J. to N.C. used 1 and 1/4 of tank about $45.00.

first read this as you drove your lawn mower to work and from nj to nc lol

 

[doreo]

I have had the Sonic (LT hatch) for 1 week, and so far getting only 23 mpg in mostly city driving, a/c on, 80 degree weather. I don't push the engine too much, but do stop/go a lot with traffic. Reading other posts, hopefully after I "break it in" with more miles this will improve. I'll report back on this after lots more miles.

if its miami traffic like i remember it to be it wont get much better, i refuse to make the trip out of broward cuz of the traffic down there lol.

also some people find that 93 gets better fuel esp if you get tuned for it, and manual mode shifting at 1-2.5 helps alot if you dont want to take off like a drag racer lol

 

[LS1notFOUND]

automatic is going to see less MPG in city than a manual I don't car what the sticker says.

Its how a tq converter works.

Also, in 5 miles, your basically accelerating and idling, so your your factoring in 0's and 7's to what ever the coasting gets you.

In all honestly I would guess your getting actually better MPG than what the car is telling you. Do the math yourself and see at fill ups.

 

[sdgdf]

MPG is related to how many miles you go. If you're sitting in stop and go traffic, mostly idling, yes you might only see 20-25 mpg. You must understand, that isn't city mileage. At best its extreme city driving. City mileage is you driving around 25-45 mph with a few stoplights here and there. You moving forward 5 feet, waiting 2 minutes, moving another 5 feet isn't city driving. Now understand, you should only be getting those low mileage numbers if all you ever do is drive it in bumper-bumper traffic. You drive it in some normal city or highway driving and it should jump up to 30 or more very quickly.

I've never seen my Sonic dip below 30 mpg. When I drive in rush hour traffic though, I'm never really waiting. Might stop every once in a while, but its mostly just cruising at 15-25 mph. I've been driving stick in traffic for a while so I have a couple tricks, though. Like, don't ride the bumper of the guy in front of you. You leave some buffer, don't brake constantly, and you get better mpg. In fact if EVERYONE did that, there would be no such thing as rush hour traffic. All the stop and go I see if some *******s tailgating and having to brake/stop just because the car in front of them slows down.

 

[theenico]

Another factor is ethanol content in the fuel. For example, I drove from Detroit to Vermont via Canada a couple of weeks ago. I filled up in Detroit (93 no ethanol) and was averaging 39.8 on the DIC. I ran it almost empty and re-filled between Toronto and Kingston (91 w/ 10% ethanol). From that refill, my DIC avg slowly declined throughout the trip. Subsequent refills in NY and VT were also 91 w/ ethanol. By the time I reached the exit for my destination the DIC avg had dropped to 34.5. This was all highway and no stop and go.

 

[knexster]

Another factor is ethanol content in the fuel. For example, I drove from Detroit to Vermont via Canada a couple of weeks ago. I filled up in Detroit (93 no ethanol) and was averaging 39.8 on the DIC. I ran it almost empty and re-filled between Toronto and Kingston (91 w/ 10% ethanol). From that refill, my DIC avg slowly declined throughout the trip. Subsequent refills in NY and VT were also 91 w/ ethanol. By the time I reached the exit for my destination the DIC avg had dropped to 34.5. This was all highway and no stop and go.

true that. I stopped getting gas on base and my mpg is better than 25 now. highway is good if I follow the speed limit but who does that anymore? lol

 

[Inferno1.8]

Where can you get gas with no ethanol in it ?? Every pump I've seen in chicago since I started driving sates that it has a minimum of 10% ethanol.

 

[Driver86]

People with lead foots get bad gas mileage, end of story. I drive my 1.8L automatic 2LT sedan back and forth to work and the gym daily (all city driving with traffic and TONS of traffic lights) and I get 30MPG. My wife drives it to work 20 miles (15 on highway) and she gets 25MPG. She has a lead foot when she takes off from traffic lights and it's shifting at 3500-4k RPMS. When I drive it, I never let it get above 2K RPMS before it shifts. I expect that when I take it on a long highway trip next month that I will get 37-40MPG. She took it 250 miles and got a best of 36MPG.

Same thing in our HHR. She gets 23MPG out of it in the city and I get 27.5. She gets 27 highway, I get 32.

Quit whining and get your foot out of the gas and you will get the mileage that you're supposed to or better.

 

[Heckels]

most places only sell gas with 10% ethanol in it bp or shell might not...im not 100% sure

 

[JimmyQ]

i drive my car 100% city, has yet to see the highway, and i am getting 27.9 out of the 1.8.

 

[xtremek]

My mileage was pretty low for all the e-way driving I was doing. Driving like granny. Took one day (around 2,000 mile mark) and "drove it like I stole it". Mileage increased 2mpg when I returned to granny style driving.

 

[opsethb]

I have never had mine drop below 33 MPG. Usually average 37 to 39.

 

[EVOX_SPEED3]

Lowest ever for me was 36mpg with a tune, 35mpg stock.

 

[mitdr774]

Since I started keeping track the lowest I have recorded was 33.8 all city. The first fill up recorded was 33.3, but i am not counting that one as it was as I switched to premium and started tracking.

I have tracked it since a little over 2100 miles. Compared to the ratings for the 1.8L 5M I am going damn good. Then again I could pull off 38mpg on the highway with my 98 Z24. I expect an over 40 MPG highway run soon with this car.

 

[Wolfhound]

In the low 22 s in town driving normally. Too bad it has a small fuel tank & has to be driven like a Prius to get decent mileage. I love my driving/car too much for that.

 

[marleyfan61]

To those expecting to get the rated mileage....you need to understand that the ratings are mostly useful for comparison purposes. The tests are done under lab-like conditions (although there have been some changes to make them a little more real-world like). Since the tests are done the same way for all vehicles it gives a good basis for comparing mileage capabilities.

If you drive your vehicle without thinking of mileage (like most people) you are likely to get less than the rated mileage. If you focus on driving with gas savings in mind you are far more likely to approach the rated numbers.

However, one of the big selling features of the Sonic is its fun factor. Driving like a granny isn't exactly fun. (Sorry Granny)