Real world MPG?

[hanabie]

Originally Posted by chrisl

Your best reaction is almost always to brake. Swerving risks loss of control, and might put you in a worse situation, but braking hard in a straight line is a fairly safe bet. If you can't avoid hitting the animal, it sucks, but you're best off hitting the animal as slowly as possible.

I must agree with you. I don't think I'd be able to accelerate if that is a living thing. I just can't.

[uEih]

Originally Posted by Marchy

i cannot validate 42 mpg on an automatic, however if you're on a road trip across the flat boring ass parts of the US, car is hot, you fill up and don't stop until you need fuel again, you are going to get over the EPA estimate. Heck i did a trip from seattle to spokane and back earlier this summer and did over 33mpg in my manual. I set the cruise control to 70 most of the way, didn't draft anybody and got bored on the way back and hit triple digits speeds so i could have gotten better than 33. If i had done 60 the entire way, and didn't have a mountain pass i'm positive that i could have bettered 33 by a few mpg. steady speed/throttle response and a flat road will net some really higher mpgs, add in some safe drafting and even more can be had.

another example is on my old speed 3, highway it's rated for 25mpg, my best tank was 35mpg on the stock tune, all highway doing 60-65 and yes i did draft trucks and stayed about 2 car length behind.

Oh I do believe that 33 is possible with all highway driving at the right speed. I just don't believe a person responded with 42MPG is valid at all. I wouldn't question it at all even if someone said 35, they're just driving all highways at the critical speed.

[uEih]

Originally Posted by Marchy

why you should stick behind a truck when driving on freeways at night.

Whoa, that was scary but avoidable. Depending on the driver if he was scanning the horizon he could see a group of deers on the left side. But of course not everyone does that. Even worse when they jump out from the woods or something onto the road. Luckily I live in CA cities and we don't have deers running around like that.

[uEih]

Originally Posted by Marchy

The auto is rated for 34, if you can top the 30 the manual is rated at by say 3 to 5 what's to say the auto can't either.

True but the user who said ~42MPG has a manual.

[Tgionet]

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Yeah I average around 24...these kids are throttle shy.

Seriously. The 0-60 time is meant to be tested every time you stop, just to make sure everything is working properly. And for best results stay above 4500 at all times.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by s0sl0w

You people must drive like my mom....

If so, I'd like to meet your Mom!

Originally Posted by OrbitalEllipses

Yeah I average around 24...these kids are throttle shy.

Most of it has to do with your average speed I think. I'm always first off the light, and usually hit 60 in second gear, speed limit allowing and I've never met a curve I didn't transverse at about twice the recommended speed.

My commute, which is 90% of my miles, is all back roads with speed limit of 55, with a couple of shorter sections of 35/45. I usually hover under 10MPH above the speed limit when driving because I don't need the tickets.

It has its share of stop and go, but nothing close to what would be considered "city" driving. If I do drive in Atlanta, I see the mileage drop significantly downtown as you would expect.

On the open road at 80MPH I still see around 30 on average.

[kuhlka]

Originally Posted by uEih

True but the user who said ~42MPG has a manual.

Might be possible... downhill... with a tail wind... or *****footing in cruise mode at 55-65mph or less for a full tank of gas.

That's the key, maintaining momentum with no stops or changes in speed. Long straight flat roads on a clear day with little wind are how people get crazy fuel economy. Of course the MPG nuts fail to mention those key points when posting up 40+ mpg numbers.

Then again, there was a Crawford STI a while back that managed to squeeze out 42mpg during a magazine shootout. I wouldn't be surprised if a REALLY lean (as close as you can get without burning up valves and injectors) tune on an 86 could manage at least 40.

[OrbitalEllipses]

Originally Posted by Tgionet

Seriously. The 0-60 time is meant to be tested every time you stop, just to make sure everything is working properly. And for best results stay above 4500 at all times.

Precisely.

[Kiske]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

On the open road at 80MPH I still see around 30 on average.

I had round trip last July, 450 miles all 70mph (drove between 75-80mph) hwy minus 1 gas stop. Whole time was in 6th gear just maintaining speed. Flat as can be road (KS) with no traffic. The rpms were easily just below/right at 4k which seems high to me. I still only managed 26.5mpg.

[randel_07]

I get on average 33.9 mpg combined. I drive in the SF Bay Area, climb a good sized hill, and sit in traffic every day.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Kiske

I had round trip last July, 450 miles all 70mph (drove between 75-80mph) hwy minus 1 gas stop. Whole time was in 6th gear just maintaining speed. Flat as can be road (KS) with no traffic. The rpms were easily just below/right at 4k which seems high to me. I still only managed 26.5mpg.

Could be a difference between the AT/MT if you have manual. AT has a better "cruising" 6th gear.

[qqzj]

that is strange. on flat road at 70mpg and 6th gear, i only got 3k rpm.

Originally Posted by Kiske

I had round trip last July, 450 miles all 70mph (drove between 75-80mph) hwy minus 1 gas stop. Whole time was in 6th gear just maintaining speed. Flat as can be road (KS) with no traffic. The rpms were easily just below/right at 4k which seems high to me. I still only managed 26.5mpg.

[qqzj]

surprise surprise, MT 6th gear is more powerful than AT 5th gear. go check it out.

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Could be a difference between the AT/MT if you have manual. AT has a better "cruising" 6th gear.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by qqzj

surprise surprise, MT 6th gear is more powerful than AT 5th gear. go check it out.

That was sort of my point. Different gearing...