jamesgang

1. I've never owned a car that produced lower than the epa mileage number.
B. I can't calculate city miles - I don't drive in cities
3. I seldom drive over the posted speed limit. That is a driving privalege issue.
4. I use the xB for work, carrying (?) maybe 1/3 of the maximum payload - including self. Not sure though cause I never weighed the stuff.
E. The xB is stock, on stock tires and wheels, with dealer oil and filter (for another 3,000 miles)
F. I also 'think' California gas may not equate to the best mpg. But that would take someone with real knowledge of the formulas distributed throughout the states to confirm.

So, how do I drive. Gentle starts - gradual acceleration - steady at the limit - coasting stops. If I see breaklights ahead, I let off until I'm convinced traffic is going to clear. I'm in no hurry to stop and wait.
This time of year, it makes no since to 'race' the backroads either. The deer are getting horny and have a tendency to 'not look both ways before crossing'.
Bottom line - I'm a boring driver - and use the gas mileage issue as a hobby. That is a goal - to consistently get better than the last tank.

WeeMan

^^^ i try that, but haven't done too well. getting about 32 mpg. SUX, but i drive in mostly stop and go traffic, no highways on guam.

jamesgang

I don't have the exact quote, but Consumer Reports has a syndicated column deal in our local paper. Today's issue speaks to the epa estimated mpg listed on new car window stickers. Seems the city estimate is more of an issue than the highway number. So, if one drives mostly city, their mileage differential is going to be greater than someone like myself who spends nearly no time in city traffic. This may explane to the doubters why some of us can actually excede the sticker estimates.

Slammed04xb

wow most ive ever gotten on a full tank was about 260 and i havent seen my mileage increase since i bought it im usually on 17's or 18's and ALWAYS have at least 1 passenger. where i live there are tons of hills and i dont have light foot.

x_rayted711

I'm getting around 28-30. I am VERY dissapointed with this. No, I shouldn't have bought a prius to get better mileage when my car is SUPPOSED to get 30-35 MPG. I'd be lucky to get 300 miles out of a tank. What gives? Will the dealer look into this? My Matrix XRS got as high as 38 (not driving easy either) and it was advertised at 28city 32hwy(or 34...cant remember). So why shouldn't our cars get well over 35hwy?

hotbox05

hmm odd that you've never owned a car that got worse than epa cause people complain about incorrect epa ALL the time.

all highway makes a lil more sense now.

and yeah cali gas is horrible. not good for mileage or performance.

jamesgang

Not ODD at all when you put all the pieces together. Take the xB for example; where does it seem to get its best mpg numbers? at the 45-55 mph range! That is where the bulk of my driving is done. I travel from small town to small town on these types of roads - open and without a lot of breaking (except for deer crossing). Those numbers stated by the epa are meaningless to someone driving as I do. I went car shopping KNOWING I'd get better mileage than what the stickers were stating.
I can almost predict what my mileage will be based on where I have to travel and what the weather is. Haven't been able to take advantage of the cooler, no a/c days, as we went from blazing hot to cool and damp. The defrost/defogger has replaced the a/c.
So, please understand, it is about how and where you drive.
One reason I've not considered a hybrid (besides upfront cost) is they don't produce the mileage numbers for my type of driving.

ptmccain

Folks, here's the deal, when you hear the expression, "your mileage may vary" -- that's true.

If you do a bit of research on the Internet, type in "fuel mileage" and other such phrases on Google, etc., you will discover there are a number of factors in gas mileage.

First, is your engine really broken in? Don't get all worked up about mileage until you have 3,000 to 5,000 miles on it.

Second, how do you drive? Do you rev it past 3,000 RPM a lot? Do you drive with a lead foot? Quick starts and stops? Do you drive in stop/go? Do you have hills where you live and drive?

Third, DO YOU DRIVE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT? Do you drive over 65 miles an hour most of the time? If so, don't expect to get the best fuel mileage?

Best way to improve mileage is....S L O W D O W N. Ease off the throttle. Try to keep it under 3,000 RPM as much as you can. Do you need to run your AC all the time? If not, turn it off. Check your tire pressure, if it is low, get it right.

Good luck.

jamesgang

From now til spring my mileage (recorded) will drop. I just put a pair of 185-65-15s on the front. The tire calculator tells me my speedo will read 3.1% slower than actual.
Now I'll show you why paying attention in school is important.....
.....Does this mean my trip and odometer will read 3.1% fewer miles than actually driven (disregard that these are not acurate anyway)?

elusivedragon

so far im averaging between 300-325 miles per tank or so

i will do a full actual test at some point, i always forget to keep track of how much gas i put in lol