MPG WTF?! How are peeps averaging 30mpg or better?

[chris]

Yes, I know it's a performance car. I wouldn't care about MPG except people keep throwing out high numbers that I can't even approach. I can drive grannystyle. I was hypermiling before the (cornball) phrase was coined. So why can't I break 25mpg?

Generally, smaller throttle openings are the key -- but I was wondering if there's something different about all turbos, or this turbo. (My MS3 is my first turbo car.) Maybe the trick is short and squirty throttle stabbing instead of long and light throttle cracking?

Here's what I'm talking about:

Originally Posted by asall667 My mpg:

(BTW, searching MPG yields no hits. Sample threads or search tips welcome!)

[dizzydtrain]

dont trust the onboard computer, that thing is off by 2-4mpg. Most people on here dont average 30+mpg especially since the majority of the cars on this forum are modded and that makes it hard to stay off the pedal.

With that said, it is possible to get 30mpg but you would have to do that all highway cruising around 60-65 (forgot the sweet spot for this car). If you are doing city driving, I would forget that.

Another thing to keep in mind is the season. During the winter time, our cars are taking in more colder/denser air which requires more fuel--which decreases your mpg. Mix that with fuel that specifically mixed for colder climates and its almost impossible to get anything over 25mpg (at least for me).

I can easily get 28mpg during spring and summer but the winter time leaves a lot to be desired.

[Stealth01]

I'm a few hundred pounds heavier, at 6600' elevation, and can only get 91 octane. I get 17 around town.

[07ms3obrien]

I get about 248 to the tank with harsh backroad driving to work 48 miles aday..

I think its good considering I drive fast. Haha


276 highway cc at 78ish ha

[theschrum]

I average around 22 city and 30 hwy with mods listed below. (hwy with FWD switch on)

This is calculated by me, not an oboard computer. I calculate just about evry other time I fill up.

Cruise control is a big help on saving fuel BTW!

[chris]

My calculations are based on resetting the tripmeter and topping the tank. Tripmeter indicated / full tank gal = mi/gal. I went through a few tanks of 95% highway driving and experimented with various cruising speeds, the instant MPG readout is helpful for determining throttle opening.

Part of what puzzles me is that my granny driving (25mpg) is not much more economic than my madman driving (22mpg). The madman number might be higher on a closed course, but there's only so much I can get away with on public roads.

Anyone experiment with different techniques for reaching/maintaining cruising speed?

[FreeFlyFreak]

Originally Posted by chris Anyone experiment with different techniques for reaching/maintaining cruising speed?

I find that the "floor it" method works best for me, it generally yields 18-19 mpg in mixed driving.

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvvvvvvvvvvv

[IshiKage]

if you are stock, thats why. 25 is highway. shoould avg 18. you get the worst mpg stock. get mods and you mpg will increase

[ms3=evokilla]

In my Evo X I usually get around 17 in the city and 21.5 on the Highway I wished I got 26mpg. When I had my speed I usually got around 24mpg.

[m4tic]

in my legacy gt, i was able to net some extra mileage by dulling down the DBW (drive by wire) mapping...

anytime the throttle opened a certain percentage, fuel would dump for tip in. and in stock form the throttle plate was on crack, opening and closing rapidly on small inputs.


so i just ramped up the throttle real slow, it made the car feel like a dog when driving normally, but i averaged 29-30mpg

[nycMS3]

There are many variables that determine your mpg. Just because someone can get 30mpg doesnt mean that every ms3 will and to be quite honest most members don't care.

Last thing people thought when purchasing a ms3/ms6 is how much will it get to the tank. Just enjoy it and guzzle that gasoline

[tddvrrn]

these are definitely not the most efficient turbo cars. but man they are fun! in my '03 passat (1.8 turbo) i could average 32 mpg. i sure as hell am not getting that with the ms3!
i have no idea how anyone could EVER get 36 mpg in these cars. gotta call bs.

[IshiKage]

this is the thing. with mods on this car, mpg does up. on PI cars, ask the evo guy. their already shitty gas mileage plummets

[ScarMS3]

Summer I was routinely getting 26-28 calculated per tank. Now I am getting around 24-25'guessing it is the winner months....pure highway I got 31.

[chris]

Originally Posted by 240mazspd3 you get the worst mpg stock. get mods and you mpg will increase

I was considering the MS intake for this very reason...

[asall667]

yo chris whats going on...i got 36.1 mpg straight highway driving but i did the math and it was off by 4 mpg cuz my math said i got 32 mpg so....just make sure ur using the right gas, motor is healthy, and ur spark plugs r good and you should be good to go. Also, i was doing 65 CC

[IshiKage]

Originally Posted by chris I was considering the MS intake for this very reason...

intake, tp and tune put me around 26 mixed driving. 32-34 highway

stock it was 17-18 mided. around 25 high way

[Frequentflyer]

Best I've ever gotten was about 31-32mpg on a cross country road trip from Jersey to Oklahoma averaging about 70mph. I'm sure I could have squeezed another 2mpg out of her if I had averaged 60mph, but I can't drive that slow.

I do a mix of 75% highway, 25% backroad driving for my daily commute to work. I usually do 75-80mph to work and usually boosting on the backroads when I can with a heavy foot. I average 24mpg in the winter and about 26mpg in the summer. Not bad, but this car isn't known for its great gas mileage.

[Jinba Ittai]

Does allowing the car to warm up in the driveway at idle for 10 minutes affect this overall estimated number or does that not matter? I get 26 winter and 29.9 summer, never broke the 30 mark, I drive 95% highway.

[forcedinduktion]

i dont think i have ever gotten over 280 on a tank, all city driving hardly ever get on the highway. and that was granny driving. i average about 260 on 93 when i get on it every once in a while

[SIXual Panda]

with my current set-up, believe it or not (in the summer) i hit over 400 miles to a tank on all highway. i ALMOST made it out to girlfriends(south of pittsburgh) and back to my place, which is roughly 210 miles each way. ive only made it that far like twice, but usually i make it to around 300-350 miles to a tank depending on how spirited of a driver i am. that 400+ was babying it and no boost. lol

[skawt01]

My highest MPG (my calcs, not the car's) was ~28.5, but I as driving like my Grampa that whole tank and had my tires pumped to 5psi under max. I expect it'll increase after installing the SRI and the catback exhaust I have on order. Can't wait!

[IshiKage]

yes. always let the car warm up

[Qwik6]

most people on here drive like grandmas

[ms3=evokilla]

Originally Posted by 240mazspd3 this is the thing. with mods on this car, mpg does up. on PI cars, ask the evo guy. their already shitty gas mileage plummets

He is Right I had full bolt on on my speed like I said earlier I was avg 26 if its all highway I usually got 29-31. But the evo the best I ever got it to was 24mpg Babying it on the high in the summer.

[IshiKage]

your avi is sick

[KaiserSoze]

I'm in the process of moving from Nevada to Florida, and my best mpg at 75-80 mph was 33 mpg. That was only for 3 gallons though, but I was avg 28 mpg through most of my fill-ups. Again, 75-80 mph and the car had an extra few hundred pounds of shit packed in. But when I just drive around town I still get 23-24mpg, but I don't drive like a hoon.

[IshiKage]

what part of florida

[KaiserSoze]

Originally Posted by 240mazspd3 what part of florida

Panama City. We stopped for the holidays with our families in Alabama so we won't get there till the 4th of Jan.

[chris]

Any mods besides the SRI?

[bait]

I usually average 23-24 pretty even mix of city/highway... really depends on how I drive. I've done as bad as averaging about 20 on a tank... gonna add a test pipe soon, maybe I'll test whether or not it really goes up with mods...

[461_SS]

I've hit 37.x coming home from my dads work according to the trip meter (mostly down hill + highway).

Right now I've been averaging 23-24 with lots of city stop and go driving + warm up. Hopefully some mods can up that even though it prolly won't since it will just make me go faster. haha.

[Frequentflyer]

None of my mods increased my gas mileage. If anything, they hurt it because I'm beating the shit out the car whenever I can. Theoretically, if you can drive normally, getting mods that lean your air/fuel ratios up and advances timing will get you a few mpg, but you will most likely be upping boost, which means you need more fuel.

[Qwik6]

In my speed 6 I average 19 in the winter and 21 in the summer time. Its a different story in the vette. 15mpg.

[bnoon]

I average MPG out every month, it's how I can tell if I have any sensors going bad/etc. For the first 30,000 miles I've averaged 27.4 MPG and it's getting better since I've been learning ATR tuning because I can force lean outs and stay out of boost easier in cruise zones. Mostly in town diving with an indicated 29 MPH average.

I'm in 6th gear on flat roads by 30 MPH and don't have many stop lights at all to/from work. My mods sure did help MPG, and "MPG to fun" ratio was one of the main reasons I got this car.

[Doc-1]

Fuck the MPG I would just like to get more than 10,000 miles out of a set of tires


That is all

[skawt01]

Originally Posted by bnoon I average MPG out every month, it's how I can tell if I have any sensors going bad/etc. For the first 30,000 miles I've averaged 27.4 MPG and it's getting better since I've been learning ATR tuning because I can force lean outs and stay out of boost easier in cruise zones. Mostly in town diving with an indicated 29 MPH average. I'm in 6th gear on flat roads by 30 MPH and don't have many stop lights at all to/from work. My mods sure did help MPG, and "MPG to fun" ratio was one of the main reasons I got this car.

What is ATR tuning? And 6th gear by 30mph?? I tend to cruise in too high a gear to save fuel too, but that's gotta be luggin your engine a bit, right?

[jracer]

buy a honda FIT if you want MPG.....

[bnoon]

Originally Posted by skawt01 What is ATR tuning? And 6th gear by 30mph?? I tend to cruise in too high a gear to save fuel too, but that's gotta be luggin your engine a bit, right?

It's not lugging the engine at all at that speed on flat ground. Sometimes I even pop it in 6th at 25 if it's really flat. Long stretches I put it in 6th and turn the cruise on and the dash indicates 50+ MPG in those situations in 6th vs high 30's for 5th on the same road.

At or below 35 MPH, if the road goes uphill slightly, I watch for MPG to drop below 30 MPG or so before I downshift to 5th. I've studied the load/fuel tables and that seems to be around the sweet spot to downshift vs lugging it, at least for me. With a stiffer rear trans mount, balance shaft delete, and the PTP Kicker mount, I can really feel when I lug it a LOT easier than stock too.

ATR = Access Tuner Race for Cobb's Access Port (AP).

[Scynfewl]

Hey, new here. I had a 2007 and used to drive 144 miles round trip to work. 99% highway, 60-65mph +two mountains... well 'east coast mountains'. I averaged 32mpg on cruise control. 37mpg was my peak by hypermileing. Lowest I ever saw was 24. All stock.

Picking up another 2007 this saturday. Mechanical upgrades relevant to the mpg's are TBE, FMIC, Shorty Ram Intake, HKS BOV and Straight pipe for cat removal is in the back ready to go. Any speculation on MPG that can be expected. It could get 11mpg and I would'nt care, but just wondering, must be a similarly modded owner here.

Now to get a signature with all mods and find an appropriate forum section for BOV/BPV/RECIRC/VTA question.

/Cheers