View Full Version : Question re: mileage on XB


BoxCarRacer
05-21-2004, 04:36 PM
Just wondering how many miles do you guys get on a XB full tank? i went 241 miles before the gas light went on...does that sound right? freeway/street driving btw

theBriz
05-21-2004, 04:41 PM
yeah ... i've yet to own a vehicle that didn't go over 300 on a tank ... i only made it to 250-ish on my first tank ... i'll know more when i fill up the next time though ... the first tank was from the dealer, so, I don't know if it was really full or not.

Hot_Lava_xb
05-21-2004, 04:59 PM
I've been getting around 170 miles before my low fuel light has come on. I do have a five speed, mostly city like driving.

ScionMikey04
05-21-2004, 05:01 PM
I do about 80% freeway 20% city I am averaging about 31 mpg.I generally get about 290 mile's out of my tank before light comes on but it does very ie if I am using air all the time etc.


04 Xb RS 1.0 #0686 of #2100
17-inch Black Motegi Racing RT-5's with Toyo Proxes All-Season 215/40ZR-17
AEM CAI
PrecisionMuffler.com axel-back
The Box is pretty much loaded out.




ScionMikey04 Let's just all try and get along and live in peace.

Hot_Lava_xb
05-21-2004, 05:10 PM
Sorry I meant 270

xb4wrx
05-21-2004, 05:10 PM
I do mostly city driving in very high heat and my light comes on at about 265.

WagenMaster
05-21-2004, 05:13 PM
I got about 27mpg on my first tank. Got about 260 miles before the light turned on...but we still have what seems to be about 2 gallons left when the light initially turns on, so getting a little over 300 miles is possible for me.

Hopefully the gas mileage will only get better...

snuppy
05-21-2004, 05:35 PM
my light usually hits around 300-310... the farthest i've gone on one tank (although i'll never do this again) is 372 miles... when i refilled it took 11.2 gallons...

theBriz
05-21-2004, 05:52 PM
so it looks like the light comes on pretty early in the mix?

... really it's not good to let your tank get that low anyway ... newer cars i guess it's no big deal, but as they get older, you definitely don't want to let it get too low ... just what i've always heard (maybe a myth?)

Benthead
05-21-2004, 05:55 PM
I'm right in there at 32/33 mpg normally. Best I've gotten is 38.9 mpg on a trip from Ft. Worth to Kansas City. (wind aided)

BlueBox
05-21-2004, 05:58 PM
i have Auto.. but since my exhaust and K&N intake install...i've been averaging about 280 miles on a full tank... the light comes up around 250 mark

snuppy
05-21-2004, 06:18 PM
... really it's not good to let your tank get that low anyway ... newer cars i guess it's no big deal, but as they get older, you definitely don't want to let it get too low ... just what i've always heard (maybe a myth?)

i heard that too... trust me, it'll never happen again... besides it's WAY too nervewracking... :wink:

BoxCarRacer
05-21-2004, 06:23 PM
yeah, my first "full" tank was from the dealer and it was my first time filling up

supervoid
05-21-2004, 06:30 PM
I got 298 out of mine, of course I did the guage mod and now my fuel neddle is off and my light turns on when the needle show a bit more than 1/4, I got to redu this weekend

TheScionicMan
05-21-2004, 06:33 PM
I get real close to 300 a tank. Put 10.9 gals in last night at $2.25! And that was 10-15 cents cheaper than the big ripoff stations...

When people used to make fun of my Echo, I'd say "I'll race you. One tank of gas, see who can go the farthest :twisted: "

breunor
05-21-2004, 07:17 PM
Not exactly a myth, some claim that the emptier the tank, the more air with potential water vapor that can introduce water into the fuel line. Others claim (including the Car Talk radio show) that the lower the fuel level the harder the fuel pump has to work, and that in the long run it wears it out faster. Unless you're crossing the desert for hundreds of miles, it's best to fill up at 1/4 tank or better.

George
05-21-2004, 07:45 PM
Not exactly a myth, some claim that the emptier the tank, the more air with potential water vapor that can introduce water into the fuel line.
Some truth there. but gas contains substances (usually alcohols) that absorb the water and carry it through the fuel system. Unless you get a real big dollop of water you won't notice it at all.
Others claim (including the Car Talk radio show) that the lower the fuel level the harder the fuel pump has to work, and that in the long run it wears it out faster.
Most of the time, the "car talk" guys talk just to fill the airtime. Think about it. The fuel pump produces 50PSI at its output. The tank is about a foot deep. The pressure of a column of gasoline a foot high is less than 1/2PSI. The difference in how "hard" the fuel pump works is about 1% from full to empty.
Unless you're crossing the desert for hundreds of miles, it's best to fill up at 1/4 tank or better.

The real reason that you don't want to run it empty is that debris on the bottom of the tank might get kicked up by sloshing gas and clog the fuel filter. This normally happens when you change your refill habits. If you normally wait till the last quart you will be fine, but if you normally fill at the 1/2 full mark and let the level drop after a few years it might cause a problem.

Our xB seems to get 27-28MPG in suburban driving (very little freeway). We generally refill at around 300 miles. When we get past the 10,000 mile mark I will compile the mileage data for the forum. The xB really needs a 15-gallon tank!

George

WagenMaster
05-21-2004, 08:00 PM
I've heard that going close to empty can harm your catalytic converter. I try not to get too empty, but I don't believe in much that I've heard though either... :?:

mgmlot93
05-21-2004, 09:21 PM
I seem to be dropping a little. When I picked up the Xb I got 38mpg on the return trip. Then I was averaging around 29mpg for about 4000 miles. Now it seems my "normal" tanks are in the 27-28 range and my "trip" tanks are 30-36?? I would chock this up to wind, etc. but I always got 29 every tank for that first 4000. I put 3200 miles on my Xb last week and that's when I got the 30-36. Now I seem to be back to the 27-28?? Any ideas? I thought it would get better as the engine broke in.

Alan
05-21-2004, 09:52 PM
I've been averaging about 29-30 in the city. However my last highway jaunt sank to 27mpg. I wasn't speeding excessively, however I did have 4 people including myself in the car. Perhaps the extra weight and that already struggling 1.5l was to blame. Hopefully it will get better. I'm going to throw an Injen short ram in hopes of eliminating some restriction and creating a bit more gas mileage. After that, I may uncork the exhaust a bit. The more efficiently a motor can move air in and out of the motor, the better gas mileage it will recieve (as long as you keep your foot out of it ;) ).

Nic_Diamond
05-21-2004, 10:12 PM
I think I am able to get more than 300 per tank on the highway...shortly after buying it I drove it to Ohio from Texas, and got as high as 35 mpg across Arkansas. I haven't calculated my day-to-day mileage.

deager
05-21-2004, 11:57 PM
I'm averaging between 32 and 37 MPG in back and forth to work driving with my 5-speed xB. I'm not tryin' to drag race any BMWs tho.

mgmlot93
05-22-2004, 04:29 AM
I don't drive any harder than average either. I have a Injen intake and the Magnaflow Cat-Back and still mileage is dropping. I would think it would be better with the addons rather than worse? I put both of them on immediately after returning from the dealer. So I can't figure out why I am dropping mpg now after 4000 miles of 29mpg?