Why isn't the fuel economy better?

[Purdue FR-S]

I think it really depends on the speed limit. On standard 55mph highways? Very good MPGs.

Once you start crossing the 70mph interstate speeds then you start to lose out on the "additional speed per additional rpms" equation.

[emontes33]

I'm getting 21.9 mpg......I think I'm doing something wrong.aha

[rice_classic]

A/T get's better mileage than M/T because it has longer 5th and 6th gears so on the freeway it turns fewer RPMs.

My car is stock and I drive a territory for work. Lots of start/stops and stuck in traffic, even when I'm on the freeway. I typically drive between 2k-3k rpms. Over 35mph I'm in 5th, over 45mph I'm in 6th. All mileage calculated per tank after fill up using trip ODO and calculator. I do not use the dashboard avg mpg calculation for this because it's usually 1-2mpg wrong in either direction.

Tank 1: 29.8
Tank 2: 31.23
Tank 3: 34.2
Tank 4: 29.7
Tank 5: 30.4
Tank 6: 30.3
Tank 7: 31.5 (E0)
Tank 8: 32.2 (E10)
Tank 9: 31.7
Tank 10: 27.4 (With track time)
Tank 11: 30.46
Tank 12: 30.3
Tank 13: 30.9
Tank 14: 27.9
Tank 15: 31.9
Tank 16: 30.2
Tank 17: 30.8
Tank 18: 31.3
Tank 19: 31.7
Tank 20: 30.6
Tank 21: 32.3
Tank 22: 31.4
Tank 23: 31.9
Tank 24: 27.7 (Gymkhana)
Tank 25: 30.0
Tank 26: 29.1
Tank 27: 30.3
Tank 28: 29.7
Tank 29: 30.3
Tank 30: 28.3
Tank 31: 30.2
Tank 32: 29.5
Tank 33: 30.1
Tank 34: 30.2
Tank 35: 29.9
Tank 36: 29.3.
Tank 37: 26.3
Tank 38: 28.8
Tank 39: 31.12
Tank 40: 30.8
Tank 41: 32.0
Tank 42: 31.6
Tank 43: 29.0
Tank 44: 31.6
Tank 45: 31.22
Tank 46: 31.8
Tank 47: 30.2
Tank 48: 30.65
Tank 49: 30.57
Tank 50: 30.07
Tank 51: 32.00
Tank 52: 28.3
Tank 53: 32.4
Tank 54: 31.8
Tank 55: 31.02
Tank 56: 31.1
Tank 57: 30.9
Tank 58: 32.2
Tank 59: 29.8
Tank 60: 30.3
Tank 61: 30.44
Tank 62: 27.65
Tank 63: 31.1
Tank 64: 28.9
Tank 65: 28.11
Tank 66: 27.2
Tank 67: 29.2
Tank 68: 24.25
Tank 69: 27.3
Tank 70: 28.7
Tank 71: 26.9
Tank 72: 27.3
Tank 73: 28.68
Tank 74: 33.1
Tank 75: 30.22
Tank 76: 27.8
Tank 77: 27.5
Tank 78: 29.8
Tank 79: 29.4
Tank 80: 29.4
Tank 81: 27.2
Tank 82: 30.5
Tank 83: 28.0
Tank 84: 30
Tank 85: 29.7
Tank 86: 29.4
Tank 87: 28.5
Tank 88: 29.4
Tank 89: 29.75
Tank 90: 27.4
Tank 91: 30
Tank 92: 29.7
Tank 93: 33.2
Tank 94: 31
Tank 95: 26.5
Tank 96: 30.4
Tank 97: 29.6
Tank 98: 28.4
Tank 99: 30.8
Tank 100: 27.8
Tank 101: 28.5
Tank 103: 31.1
Tank 104: 28.9
Tank 105: 30.4
Tank 106: 28
Tank 107: 29.4
Tank 108: 30.6
Tank 109: 28.7
Tank 110: 29.4
Tank 111: 29.1
Tank 112: 31.0
Tank 113: 31.5
Tank 114: 27.5

Average for lifetime of ownership: 29.531 MPG

[Jrryjms07]

I drove from Madison, wi to plover, wi and averaged 34.6 mpg. It's 180 round trip and I was going 72mph

[swpbrz]

Originally Posted by rice_classic

A/T get's better mileage than M/T because it has longer 5th and 6th gears so on the freeway it turns fewer RPMs.

My car is stock and I drive a territory for work. Lots of start/stops and stuck in traffic, even when I'm on the freeway. I typically drive between 2k-3k rpms. Over 35mph I'm in 5th, over 45mph I'm in 6th. All mileage calculated per tank after fill up using trip ODO and calculator. I do not use the dashboard avg mpg calculation for this because it's usually 1-2mpg wrong in either direction.

Tank 1: 29.8
Tank 2: 31.23
Tank 3: 34.2
Tank 4: 29.7
Tank 5: 30.4
Tank 6: 30.3
Tank 7: 31.5 (E0)
Tank 8: 32.2 (E10)
Tank 9: 31.7
Tank 10: 27.4 (With track time)
Tank 11: 30.46
Tank 12: 30.3
Tank 13: 30.9
Tank 14: 27.9
Tank 15: 31.9
Tank 16: 30.2
Tank 17: 30.8
Tank 18: 31.3
Tank 19: 31.7
Tank 20: 30.6
Tank 21: 32.3
Tank 22: 31.4
Tank 23: 31.9
Tank 24: 27.7 (Gymkhana)
Tank 25: 30.0
Tank 26: 29.1
Tank 27: 30.3
Tank 28: 29.7
Tank 29: 30.3
Tank 30: 28.3
Tank 31: 30.2
Tank 32: 29.5
Tank 33: 30.1
Tank 34: 30.2
Tank 35: 29.9
Tank 36: 29.3.
Tank 37: 26.3
Tank 38: 28.8
Tank 39: 31.12
Tank 40: 30.8
Tank 41: 32.0
Tank 42: 31.6
Tank 43: 29.0
Tank 44: 31.6
Tank 45: 31.22
Tank 46: 31.8
Tank 47: 30.2
Tank 48: 30.65
Tank 49: 30.57
Tank 50: 30.07
Tank 51: 32.00
Tank 52: 28.3
Tank 53: 32.4
Tank 54: 31.8
Tank 55: 31.02
Tank 56: 31.1
Tank 57: 30.9
Tank 58: 32.2
Tank 59: 29.8
Tank 60: 30.3
Tank 61: 30.44
Tank 62: 27.65
Tank 63: 31.1
Tank 64: 28.9
Tank 65: 28.11
Tank 66: 27.2
Tank 67: 29.2
Tank 68: 24.25
Tank 69: 27.3
Tank 70: 28.7
Tank 71: 26.9
Tank 72: 27.3
Tank 73: 28.68
Tank 74: 33.1
Tank 75: 30.22
Tank 76: 27.8
Tank 77: 27.5
Tank 78: 29.8
Tank 79: 29.4
Tank 80: 29.4
Tank 81: 27.2
Tank 82: 30.5
Tank 83: 28.0
Tank 84: 30
Tank 85: 29.7
Tank 86: 29.4
Tank 87: 28.5
Tank 88: 29.4
Tank 89: 29.75
Tank 90: 27.4
Tank 91: 30
Tank 92: 29.7
Tank 93: 33.2
Tank 94: 31
Tank 95: 26.5
Tank 96: 30.4
Tank 97: 29.6
Tank 98: 28.4
Tank 99: 30.8
Tank 100: 27.8
Tank 101: 28.5
Tank 103: 31.1
Tank 104: 28.9
Tank 105: 30.4
Tank 106: 28
Tank 107: 29.4
Tank 108: 30.6
Tank 109: 28.7
Tank 110: 29.4
Tank 111: 29.1
Tank 112: 31.0
Tank 113: 31.5
Tank 114: 27.5

Average for lifetime of ownership: 29.531 MPG

Damn I wish my job was drive around an 86 all day . Rock on!! Very cool to see your mileage.

[navanodd]

Drove from New Brunswick to Cape Breton and back for the long weekend (about 1300km round trip), averaged about 6.4 L per 100km, which is about 37mpg.


Summer vs winter tires (drove home to put tires on and then drove back to NB) made about a 3% difference as far as I can tell.


I'm finding the efficiency of this engine linked extremely closely to how warm the engine is, much more than any vehicle I've driven in the past. Driving style seems to matter less than operating temp. My worst tank this winter was about 17mpg because of the cold runs to and from work each day.

[johnnyfast11]

try driving an evo. mixed 16mpg. stop complaining. =]

[Jond63]

Originally Posted by johnnyfast11

try driving an evo. mixed 16mpg. stop complaining. =]

Serious -- same for my STI. 16mpg city, 19-21mpg on the freeway!

[The206]

Got this Tuesday morning on my commute from San Diego to Camp Pendleton.

[Michael]

As you can see in my sig, I average above 34 MPGs atm simply because I don't need to push my car all of the time, or much at all as of yet. I spend at least half of my tank driving on the highway. Better fuel economy can be had as it has been proven by many members. It just comes down to your driving habits, traffic, etc...you know, the usual.

[regal]

Because the car is heavy and has short gears.


Think back to when the S2k was first released at 2800 lbs, it was heavily criticized for being overweight. I never thought I would live to see the day that a 2750 lb car is considered light, that is GT weight in my book.


There are a million examples but the original GTI weighed 1800 lbs and out handled our twins even handicapped by FWD. The Lotus Elise in England weighs about that.


Its time Ralph Nader and his Corvair crash standards be re-evaluated, cars weigh too much today and its just wastes gas and kills performance. Might save a handful of idiot drivers lives a year. I never felt unsafe in my little rusted out GTI.


But I don't think we will ever see lightweight cars again, the twins will probably be the last attempt at good balance and medium weight. The future is heavy DIT (gas and desiel), and really heavy electric crap.

[Rio]

So let's see who drives their car like a sports car? My average since Nov '14 is 19.5MPG.

And guess what? I am NOT complaining

[ntron1]

Originally Posted by Tromatic

People claiming upwards of 30MPG are FOS.

LMAO...Perhaps some of us have a broader skill set than you sir.

[speedrye]

Originally Posted by ntron1

LMAO...Perhaps some of us have a broader skill set than you sir.

It all depends on what you're doing with the car. Some tanks, I'm in the upper 20's while pretty much driving like a hooligan, while my current tank is running close to 40mpg while driving extra conservatively back and forth to see a family member in the hospital. No highways, 20% city and 55mph back roads otherwise with a good number of hills on two-hour one-way trips. Even with that, there are still some 0-60 runs and the tail isn't always directly behind me either... I'm real curious what it will do in warmer weather.

I don't think I could get under 20 unless it was 100% road course mileage with lots of idling in between.