Significant Jump in MPG After Freeway Drive

[carma143]

Before my freeway drive and back I was getting about 19 mpg driving around where I live. After driving ~30 mi on the freeway and resetting the avg. mpg after arriving home, I'm now getting ~26 mpg around where I live. Go figure.

Edit: This was my first trip with my BRZ where it was more convenient to travel on the freeway. Perhaps the transmission or engine needed to breathe? I have reset the avg. mpg recorder multiple times in the past, so that can't be the cause.

[menikmati]

SquadRogue, is that you?

[Speed2th]

i am lost. what? I had been getting 34mpg on freeway.

[kberkel]

Mine says about 28.2 combined, haven't checked for accuracy.

[carma143]

Originally Posted by Speed2th

i am lost. what? I had been getting 34mpg on freeway.

Driving around the city I live in, I used to get an average of 19 mpg. Now, after my first freeway drive with my BRZ, driving around the city I live in nets me around 26 mpg, using the sensors in the BRZ, after resetting it after I came home from the freeway drive.

[superleggera]

Originally Posted by kberkel

Mine says about 28.2 combined, haven't checked for accuracy.

My indicator is hilariously inaccurate. When I fill up it is usually 2 mpg higher than actual.

[BRZnut]

I look at what the BRZ's dash states is the MPG and I do a manual calculation each time I fill up. The dash is usually 0.5-1 MPG higher than my manual calculation, but never too far off.


I always get 27 MPG around town (short trips , some times less than 5 miles) in the summer and 25-26 in the winter. On the highway, always 38-42 MPG.


So OP, surprise you were getting 19 around town, unless you drive very aggressively!

[flippy]

yeah highway mpg is better almost every time on every car on cruise control
...unless you're going 120mph

[kdmBRZ]

I consistently get 30~33mpg around town, on freeway I usually get 34+....go easy on that pedal!

[chaoskaze]

I did some experiment & found out u get the absolutely best mpg on highway by doing 68-69 miles on cruise control.... I was sitting at almost low 40s lol *maybe tail wind helped + it was on a traffic-less road in the desert...

[carma143]

Originally Posted by BRZnut

I look at what the BRZ's dash states is the MPG and I do a manual calculation each time I fill up. The dash is usually 0.5-1 MPG higher than my manual calculation, but never too far off.


I always get 27 MPG around town (short trips , some times less than 5 miles) in the summer and 25-26 in the winter. On the highway, always 38-42 MPG.


So OP, surprise you were getting 19 around town, unless you drive very aggressively!

Well there are lots of hills where I live. My home sits at around 400 ft above the ocean, while one of the middle schools in my city sits at around 1260 ft above the ocean. My old preschool sits at 115 ft above the ocean. Driving up a hill in 5th gear nets better mpg than in 6th because, since the small amount of torque in 6th, requires to press more on the gas pedal.

Edit: I will say that it is VERY cool to drive on roads entering the fog layer, and then after 1 minute of not being able to see more than 20 feet on front of you, exit the top of the layer to tranquil sunshine and a beautiful view of the surrounding ocean. :P

The endless switchbacks required to go nearly anywhere in town probably have to do something with the mpg as well.

[strat61caster]

You're still seeing the effects of the highway trip on your dash computer. Reset it again and I guarantee you'll be back to ~20 mpg for your standard city driving.

[mav1178]

The dash gauge on all the cars I've owned have consistently read 10% better MPG ratings. Only accurate if you take 90% of it.

-alex

[GreenMonster]

Yes. Cars get better gas mileage on the highway vs. in the city.