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Gas Milage... I searched.


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Today for several hours (most of a tank of Shell 93) I was averaging about 13-15mpg. I was running the back hills of SW Wisconsin and pushing rpms to the max the whole way. Was probably making my best mileage sitting idle at stop signs looking over the topographic map looking where to go next. :lol:

 

With the weather warming up some 10-20deg over a few weeks ago, my mileage has improved about 1-2mpg. :) Below freezing economy drops a bit, especially when she gets down around zero.

 

I'll try and throw up my mpg figures when I get a chance. I have EVERY gas stop I've ever done charted by date, location, fuel brand, grade used (highest available pump gas), price/gallon, gallons, miles, and for several how actual mileage compares to what's on the trip meter. I'm pretty anal about this stuff and like my statistics. :p

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yeah I tried to be good about it on this car... I have almost all of my reciepts and milage's recorded... I missed a couple though...

 

Anyway it's still unchanged.. .car idles lumpy as hell and gets bad milage...

 

I'm thinking about trading it in for a GT after another couple of months unless it'll screw me.

 

If I'm gunna be gettign GT milage I might as well be enjoying the miles.

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I can't remember who posted this, but a while back someone said they were hitting like 30mpg in city driving! Their technique was basically 2nd gear starts, shifting around 1500rpms, coasting as much as possible, and braking as late as possible.

 

Well, after driving my morning commute like that, on a fresh tank the computer is saying around 25-26MPG in stop and go traffic. I believe that in slightly better conditions you could get it a little higher. I'm going to keep it up for my commute tonight and see what happens.

 

Oh, in case you didn't know, people get pissed at you when you drive like that too. :)

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Okay, after the trip home, I'm at 21MPG. Screw that. I'm going to take my 16MPG and be happy. I know people say to slow down, but I get more anxious driving slow and knowing that I'm pissing people off than if I just do my own thing. I don't speed, but I do try to get away from packs of cars.
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I'll post it up sometime later tonight for you guys to read up on so maybe some of you guys will stop lead-footing the car and save a few dollars on fuel.

 

Uh, not that I don't agree, but most internal combustion engines actually are MOST efficient at FULL THROTTLE. The open throttle body allows the least pumping losses in getting air into the engine. There was an article talking about this last month in Road & Track, I think. Even a turbo car is at its highest efficiency at wide-open throttle. But...only at low RPMs. High rpms are bad for efficiency, and for best mileage you want full throttle, but low rpms.

 

A long time ago, I remember reading about some guys at Honda who took three civics on an oval track, and ran them at full throttle up to some cruising speed -- I don't remember what speed, maybe 80 mph -- then shut them off and coasted down until 20 mph or so, then bump-started them and repeated. They got over 100 mpg. Then they repeated it, but driving the cars really close together for maximum drafting/aerodynamic efficiency, and got even better mpg. Of course...it's hard to drive like that in real life. ;)

 

--Dan

Mach V

FastWRX.com

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I'll try and throw up my mpg figures when I get a chance. I have EVERY gas stop I've ever done charted by date, location, fuel brand, grade used (highest available pump gas), price/gallon, gallons, miles, and for several how actual mileage compares to what's on the trip meter. I'm pretty anal about this stuff and like my statistics. :p

 

Apparently we have something in common. I keep my stats on a PDA, and have also done it since the car was new. At some point in the future, I'll associate the average temperature to each fill up, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Most of the miles come from my daily commute, which is about 15/5 miles highway/surface street. Most of the highway driving is 75 mph ish, the surface street driving is about half civilized, half "spirited".

 

Sorry about the lousy table. It's my first stab at it - I didn't want to load the actual spreadsheet.

 

http://www.calvars.com/unilat/auto/GTmilage.htm

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I had it all on my PDA but the bat's died and I lost all the info (in the middle of moving didn't synch).

 

As far as adjusting my driving habits... that's just not going to happen... I live in CT and commute on I-95 and for anyone who's ever been on it you know that if you do under 70 you are BEGGING to get hit and or cause an accident... people drive like nuts around here...

 

I also am a MUCH worse driver at lower speeds... I get bored and stop paying attention.

 

As far as what was mentioned about the honda's above...

 

My last car was a 93 civic with a decent amount of mods... and it got 30mpg almost everywhere almost everytime... and I BEAT on that car... all full throttle till I got to cruising speed. at which point the car was usually running an average of abt 2500-3500 RPM...

 

Now I know that this car is SLIGHTLY (it's only like 3-400 lbs) heavier... and it is AWD... but frankly it (the subaru) has a MUCH lower rolling resistance... If I take my foot off the gas in my civic it immediatly starts slowing down... where as the subaru coasts nicely...

 

So I don't get it. the milage shouldn't be this bad...

 

When I took it to the dealer the first time and told them I was getting 23-25 highway they said that there MUST be something wrong...

 

So how is it that the "fixed" the problem and now it's worse?

 

I'm gunna call them after I finish off this tank and change the oil/tranny fluids.

 

One of the only reasons I got the manual was for better milage... but now it seems I might as well have gotten the auto that my wife could've driven.

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I have a 2.5i and noticed that since the car hit the 5K mark, the economy has been getting better even when I push it (which is a lot these days). Have the occasional "impatient speeder" which rides your bumber at 60, you move so they can pass, they pull up beside you and stay at the same speed. I dislike driving in a "herd", so I drop it into third, let out the clutch and take off to get as far as I possibly can get from these freaks. I then look down and realize I am hitting 100 and back off.

 

Oh, did I mention that this thing feels like the old A4 at that speed? Anyways, back to the mileage thing. I notice that I am getting about 26.1mpg now when it was about 24 or so average. Since I changed to the 17" wheels, the gas mileage seems better. I was expecting it to get worse but am happy that it did not. I have been driving harder (normal) since I got the larger wheels installed and thought the mileage would suffer but it seems to ber improving. Have not had my first oil change yet, waiting until 7.5K then will switch to synthetic. Will post more as I see changes.

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Uh, not that I don't agree, but most internal combustion engines actually are MOST efficient at FULL THROTTLE. The open throttle body allows the least pumping losses in getting air into the engine. There was an article talking about this last month in Road & Track, I think. Even a turbo car is at its highest efficiency at wide-open throttle. But...only at low RPMs. High rpms are bad for efficiency, and for best mileage you want full throttle, but low rpms.

 

A long time ago, I remember reading about some guys at Honda who took three civics on an oval track, and ran them at full throttle up to some cruising speed -- I don't remember what speed, maybe 80 mph -- then shut them off and coasted down until 20 mph or so, then bump-started them and repeated. They got over 100 mpg. Then they repeated it, but driving the cars really close together for maximum drafting/aerodynamic efficiency, and got even better mpg. Of course...it's hard to drive like that in real life. ;)

 

--Dan

Mach V

FastWRX.com

 

From a thermodynamics standpoint you are absolutely correct. However, in the real world it is obviously impractical to drive WOT, then coast with the engine off, then go WOT etc... The other thing is that at wider throttle openings/higher loads, the ECU goes into open loop, and runs far richer than when under closed loop. Big difference in consumption when your AFR's are around 10:1 versus 14.7:1.

 

Oh, I get about 21-22 mpg in mixed driving. Best I've ever seen was 24 mpg. I generally try to drive conservatively, but occasionally succumb to the temptations of boost. :D

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On a 50km freeway trip travelling around 110kph most of the time, mostly flat with some hills, hardly no traffic, I got 16km/l or 38mpg (using US gallons - imperial gallons works out at 45mpg). And this was with the aircon on being a hot day. Also, this is with the 2.0L turbo.
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Guest *Jedimaster*
Epitaph- you're going to be in the same boat as with the GTP. Both cars have a little computer display that tells you approx. mileage. I found myself driving to please the computer in the GTP and the same thing in the OB XT. Although I was able to please the GTP easier- the XT is just a hog.
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Our car, '05 Legacy LTD., Auto, is getting 17.5 for 70% city and 30% hgwy. I'm doing better in BMW 530i. My '03 Audi A4 Quattro also did better. I didn't expect great mpg, but I do hope it improves somewhat.
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Guest *Jedimaster*
oh yea? depending on how good i drive the best i've gotten is 16.4 mpg and that was after my airflow mods, before i dropped the pully size on my sc... I thought the legt got like 19-26mpg?

Yeah, I guess some people have gotten that, but real world, it's more like 18.3 for me. Some people must drive mostly downhill, because mine simply refuses to do more than 18.3 in mixed city driving. Best I remember on the highway, and I rarely go on the highway, is around 25 or so with the cruise on.

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My wife drives the Legacy 4eat around town and some freeway and is getting about 20-22 mpg. Using 87 octane since this is recomended for the base model, 94 octane in the n/a engine is not going to help your mileage at all.

We are hoping mpg increases after 10k miles.

 

I drive WRX 5mt in mix of freeway and twisty hills, very spirited at times and get 22 mpg winter and 24 mpg summer with 92 octane.

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Did my first oil change yesterday (6700 miles) and filled the tank. So far I am seeing 24 on the computer which is like when I got the car new. Although, so far I have not done my long highway trips however, most of the driving has been highway, 10 to 20 mile trips. I wanted to switch to synthetic but the dealer added dino oil even though I specified synthetic.

 

Was going to do the change at 7500 but while looking for soe parts at the dealer, I found that they were not busy so I had the oil change done. Will report more as the miles go by with the new oil.

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