Ok, so here's the deal:
I have a scion tC 2005 model. I moved to SD, CA about a year ago. When I first moved here, I was getting around 25-26 MPG. About three months after moving here, my car was hit at a stop sign by an industrial flatbed truck on the driver's side near the front wheel. After a couple of months of wrangling with the insurance company, they agreed to cover it and I took it to a repair shop. It looked great when I got the car back. Shortly after this, I took my car in to the Kearny Mesa dealer here and they gave me an oil change and I asked for my free alignment. Afterwards, things started to go downhill. My mileage dropped to 19-21 MPG, even though I a) haven't gained weight, b) had properly inflated tires, and c) didn't really change my route. I didn't use any AC either. So my question is, what can possibly be dragging down my mileage? I just got an oil change (synthetic oil), but that didn't change anything my mileage is still around ~20 MPG. Could it be a bad realignment or maybe the car wasn't fixed exactly so there is extra drag? When my car gets to the 3/4 fuel full meter on the gauge, my odometer used to read ~95 miles at the worst and ~120 at the best. Now it's reading more like ~70-80 miles. I took my car into the dealer and they said nothing was wrong. I also took it into a reputable independent auto dealer and they also told me I didn't need a tune up or change of spark plugs. I'm at a loss why I'm losing 5 MPG... Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

have you taken into account california's crappy gas? it's loaded with additives and junk to emission friendly, but you get worse gas mileage. someone from cali back this up please

 

from what I've know they do have additives to make the emissions better... but I'm not sure whether or not it will hurt gas mileage.

 

no wait I take that back, they just have higher taxes on their gas.

 

I recieve the same gas mileage as you, no matter how I drive. A normal tank for me is 220 miles

 

I get similiar mileage.

i let my first take from dealer go till gas light came on. had about 250 miles

 

did all of you get the lower mileage when you first got the car? At 6 mo I could get anywhere between 280-320 on about 11-12 gallons of gas. Now, 1 year later, it's more like 220... the thing is I've always used CA gas, so that shouldn't have changed because I think we were already using crappier gas (though I almost always buy from Shell or Chevron)...

 

I have 22,300 miles, and the first 15,000 miles I have documented receipts and MPG figures, they ranged from 16 to 21 mpg, after that, I just stopped giving a damn cause I knew my mileage sucked.

Although admittantly I do floor it at times, and my miles are 95% city. But even when I grandma it (shift under 2.5k [auto]) My mileage never seems to get better than 260 a tank.

 

yep, when i first got car. it was the dealership gas. my first tank got me 250 miles.

im on my second tank now i'll see how long this one will last me

 

umm. i live in cali. i average around 25-28 mpg i guess?

about 310-320 miles before the light turns on. i've gotten to 350 once before the light turned on..

using 87 top tier (shell, 76, or chevron)

 

Ive notice mine has gone down. I've had mine for a little over a year now and when i first got it, I got right at 28, after about 6 months I noticed my gas milage went poop

 

i use shell as well, still 250 mi

 

310 on average on 87

 

how old is everyone's car when they post their mileage? and what year?

 

i get around 250. When i drove on the highway to Virginia I got 400 miles!!! Cruise control baby!! I wish i can do that on every tank!

 

my first tank---last week----got me about 220 miles.
07 BCP[/u]