Share Your MPG

[frugal_engineer]

Uh ya this could be my worst area... 2011 mustang gt v8... average 19mpg mostly city driving.   I'm ashamed that most of you are getting double my mpg but I just can't bring myself to sell it, too much fun...

Agreed, I have a 2001 Camaro SS which gets around 19mpg city. It is much too much fun to get rid of for something more efficient.  But I do get about 28 highway so that mitigates it.  Also, aside from road trips I dont drive much.  Utility from super fun car > utility from extra money.

[Matte]

It's funny how the v8 cars actually do good on the hwy! 28mpg in the camaro is nice, I remember when I had my corvette getting about that highway, it actually burnt less highway then my dads 4cyl golf. Mind you cruising speed was 160 to 180km/h on these northern runs.  The vette would do 100k at 1400rpm and around 2000rpm at 160 or 100mph where the golf was at like 4500rpm at the same speed.

[smalllife]

I've been underestimating my MPG.  In rush hour highway commute traffic (less than 2 weeks before I move to biking distance!) and city driving, my MPG was 39.88.   Good to know.

[Ozstache]

I'm a bit of a small car Diesel head, so I get pretty good mpg with my Ford Focus and Fiesta (one will go when I 'retire'). The Focus gets around 43 mpg and Fester the Fiesta gets as good as 60 mpg.

[HumanAfterAll]

I wish more small diesels were available in the US.  But if they were, I'd be tempted to buy a newer car, so... maybe not :)

[The_Dude]

My main commuter is a motorcycle which gets 44mpg on average.

My back up for rainy days is a Yukon... avg about 13.5/14mpg.  In my previous life I was a die hard wakeboarder and needed the SUV for towing and boating trips.  Boat is now for sale and after it sells so will the SUV.  Good news is that I average about 3,500 miles a year on the Yukon.

Wife's car is an 02 civic which usually gets 32-34 and she doesn't attempt to drive for better fuel.

[SMC]

2005 Subaru WRX Wagon.  Best city tank is 25mpg.  I think I could get 30mpg highway, however the car is pretty new and I haven't had the opportunity to do a proper highway test-run yet! 

I did do a 4000km roadtrip in it but gas mileage wasn't great as I was fully loaded down + bike rack + roof pod and was averaging about 140km/hr.  Still got 19mpg tho!

*Edit: did a highway trip this weekend and got 8.5l/100km (28mpg).  trip was through mountainous terrain so still room for improvement!*

[Jake P]

Our fleet is somewhat mustachian.  It helps that the wife and I both like the aesthetics of older cars.  It seems to us that most new vehicles all look the same.  Anyway, the wife's '92 Volvo recently hit 200k miles and still gets between 25city/28hwy.  I'm driving the '88 Yota 4runner, 4cyl 5speed SR5.  I love it, but it only gets around 20city/24 hwy.  Both vehicles can haul our family of 5, its a little tight in the back seat, but doable. They both have tons of rear hatch space and are old enough that we have no regrets about hauling the dogs with us on our little family day trips.  Neither vehicle cost more than 3k, in fact the volvo was purchased for half that and has been cheap to maintain. We both have coworkers that just shake their heads at our cars and say they wouldn't be caught dead driving that Volvo, but they are also proud of their 2010 f150s that cost them 30k.

[Nate R]

I have a very un-mustachian commute. About an hour, 53 miles or so.
But, I'm currently driving a 2001 Honda Insight. Manual trans. Used to get about 62 MPG Average before the hybrid battery died. Now I get about 58 MPG w/o the battery. (Sold the battery for $200 and a bypass board instead of paying $1400 to have it rebuilt!) Car has 283K miles on it now. (Bought it w/ 225K on it). Hoping I can eek out the transmission and clutch to 325K or so. By then I probably will have saved over $3K in gas compared to a 38MPG car. (What I would've bought if I hadn't found an Insight for a good price. Only bought it because it made sense economically. Not going to pay a premium for more MPG)

Wife has a much better 5 mile commute. She rides a motorcycle or scooter in warm weather, getting 50-75 MPG depending on which, and our 2002 Civic is used in cold weather, getting 33 MPG or so. Civic is also used to tow a small (4X4) trailer when needed for hauling things to the dump, hauling a couple free motorcycles home, etc.

[makincaid]

I'm getting about 42-43 mpg, with my 2003 diesel jetta. I thought that was great until I read this thread.

[Another Reader]

I looked at the 2012 and 2013 Scion xD.  The EPA ratings are 27/33 mpg for both the 4 speed automatic and the 5 speed manual.  If you are getting 35 overall, that's better than the EPA ratings and the results from fuelly.com.  I'd say you are doing something right!

[grantmeaname]

I get 21mpg in a Chrysler Town and Country. Sad day.

[Ozstache]

Just scored 46 mpg on a Focus diesel driving to work over the last month through a mix of urban and highway, which is nearly 10 mpg higher than when my wife drives it in similar conditions. She thinks I push it some of the way to work!

[michaelrecycles]

The dashboard on my Nissan Rogue is telling me 27.9 MPG.

It used to be a little higher - maybe 28.6 or something - when I was driving 5 days a week on the highway for a 25-mile (each way) commute.

Now that I moved on from that job (the MMM commuting article helped push), more of my driving is on surface streets. My MPG has decreased ever so slightly, but I drive a very small fraction of the miles I used to!

I've been meaning to use Fuelly, but I couldn't get past the texting format. I know their site is also optimized for mobile devices, but it's almost 2013! Release an app already!

[Bakari]

If you ever drive a car (or truck, or motorcycle) anywhere, for any reason, it is important that you read this:

http://ecomodder.com/blog/slow/

It is not only the easiest way to improve your mileage, it will also make you much less likely to die in a car crash, and it is applicable to any vehicle, and completely free.

(p.s. you know the author!)
(p.p.s. feel free to forward this to everyone you know)

[Blackbomber]

Here's mine:

[kudy]

Cool, I didn't know they had a widget, even though I already shared mine, here it is in cool widget form :)

[Blackbomber]

Fun fact: Seeking better MPG was what brought me to the MMM blog in the first place, a few weeks ago. I'd just moved FARTHER from work (forming a plan to change jobs, but pathetic, none the less), and was looking for any efficient driving tips for my particular car. In my online search, I found the Top 10 Cars for Smart People post. My car was on the list of those NOT recommended, but I read the entire post anyway, and later the entire blog. I actually tracked my last car on Fuelly for a while years ago, but just started tracking my current one recently (although I've kept a paper log for the year and a half I've been driving it).

[michaelrecycles]

If you ever drive a car (or truck, or motorcycle) anywhere, for any reason, it is important that you read this:

http://ecomodder.com/blog/slow/

It is not only the easiest way to improve your mileage, it will also make you much less likely to die in a car crash, and it is applicable to any vehicle, and completely free.

(p.s. you know the author!)
(p.p.s. feel free to forward this to everyone you know)

Great article, Bakari!

[fiveoh]

If you ever drive a car (or truck, or motorcycle) anywhere, for any reason, it is important that you read this:

http://ecomodder.com/blog/slow/

It is not only the easiest way to improve your mileage, it will also make you much less likely to die in a car crash, and it is applicable to any vehicle, and completely free.

(p.s. you know the author!)
(p.p.s. feel free to forward this to everyone you know)

Good article!  I usually drive the limit or 5 over on the highway.. you have inspired me to try 5 under for a few weeks and see how it is. 

[kudy]

I've been driving 65 instead of 75 on the highway for a few months, and it makes a big difference.

[CanuckStache]

Yeah my Xterra is a gas hog...if I keep to around 60 MPH mileage goes up around 4(!!) MPG's. Pretty significant over the long run....but I have trouble going that slow over long stretches.

[Bakari]

Yeah my Xterra is a gas hog...if I keep to around 60 MPH mileage goes up around 4(!!) MPG's. Pretty significant over the long run....but I have trouble going that slow over long stretches.

in an Xterra 4mpg could mean as much as 33% improvement!  That's huge.
At the average number of miles driven per year, and average gas cost, that would be a savings of roughly $1000 per year!

You get used to a new average speed after awhile.  I used to speed constantly, I'd hit 100 most days on my commute to work in my early 20s; but these days when I'm running late I occasionally will "speed" by going 55mph - which actually feels fast to me now

[BlueMR2]

First off, yeah we've got a bigger than needed fleet, but one of my hobbies is racing cars on the weekend...  Got my eye on a 60mpg motorcycle, but really don't have anywhere reasonable to park it plus the upfront cost have kept me from buying so far.

1991 Toyota MR2 (261,000 miles now) = 32mpg in town, 34mpg normal on highway.  If I can find trucks to follow it jumps up to 38mpg.

1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse (123,000 miles) = 25mpg in town, 28mpg on the highway.  When I bought it, it actually got 30mpg all around due to an aftermarket fuel computer/air sensor setup.  However, that setup made it have all kinds of idling and startup problems, so I switched it back to stock and gave up the mpg.  Following trucks seems to have no impact on its gas mileage (it's a big heavy AWD, but very aerodynamic, pig of a car).

Wife's 2002 Toyota Celica (somewhere in the 14x,000 mile range) = 28mpg when she drives it to work (similar conditions I drive everyday in my MR2).  When we go on long trips and I drive it, it gets a solid 42mpg.

[cbr shadow]

I have a 2001 Honda Insight hybrid that I average 61mpg with.  I recently took an 800 mile trip with a friend in my car and we averaged 74mpg on the highway with some hypermiliing techniques (slow lane, try to get behind a truck, etc).  I got behind a full car carrier truck (the holy grail for hypermiling on the highway IMO) and stayed behind him for 50 miles averaging 94MPG!!!

The best part of that trip is that my brother (THE Antimustachian) drove his Nissan Xterra on the same route and left at the same time as us.  He laughed before thet rip about how he's going to get there way before us because I'm such a penny pincher.  Ends up we beat him there by 5 minutes!  He stopped twice for gas and stopped for food twice, where we stopped for gas once (almost didn't have to at all!) and brought food in the car.  My brother spent $135 in gas for that trip, where my friend and I split a $40 gas bill :)

The only "problem" is that my daily routine is driving 4 miles to the gym, then 4 miles further to work.. this doesn't allow for the car to ever warm up fully, which means lower gas mileage.  I try for 60mpg on that commute but with a cold car it's difficult.  Anything over 5-6 miles I can get really impressive MPG's.

I really think the first Gen (2000-2006) Honda Insight is the ultimate mustachian car, period.  Low initial cost (mine was $4500, 80k miles), and untouchable gas mileage.  Sure you can buy a slightly used VW deisel or a used Prius and get "close" to the MPG's of the Insight, but those cars cost several times as much to purchase initially.  Also Deisel is quite a bit more expensive here in the states, so that negates some of the savings.   

[Bakari]

The only "problem" is that my daily routine is driving 4 miles to the gym, then 4 miles further to work..

The story about your trip is epic.  I want to quote it for my "Slow Down" essay at eco modder.

But your "problem" has a pretty obvious solution.  Bike to work, and skip the gym altogether!

[ketchup]

I really think the first Gen (2000-2006) Honda Insight is the ultimate mustachian car, period.  Low initial cost (mine was $4500, 80k miles), and untouchable gas mileage.  Sure you can buy a slightly used VW deisel or a used Prius and get "close" to the MPG's of the Insight, but those cars cost several times as much to purchase initially.  Also Deisel is quite a bit more expensive here in the states, so that negates some of the savings.

I must respectfully disagree.  :) My 1988 Chevy Sprint doesn't quite hit the mileage of the Insight, but I bought it for $1000 with 46k on it. Averages around 53mpg in the summer, 46mpg in January currently.  It's also one of the simplest and cheapest cars to work on.  Mine's about to roll over 60,000 miles later this week, and my "big maintenance package" cost me all of $80, and will take me no more than a few hours to do (timing belt, water pump, spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, fuel filter, tranny fluid).  It amazes me how cheap the parts for this car are.  I bought a brand new radiator this summer for $54.

[cbr shadow]

Bakari, feel free to quote it.  It would be cool to be in your essay.

Ketchup, I guess the "Ultimate MMM Vehicle Title" is debatable, but I looked up those 1988 Chevy Sprint's and would love to own one of those cool little cars.  53 MPG is very impressive for it's time.

[michaelrecycles]

The dashboard on my Nissan Rogue is telling me 27.9 MPG.

It used to be a little higher - maybe 28.6 or something - when I was driving 5 days a week on the highway for a 25-mile (each way) commute.

Now that I moved on from that job (the MMM commuting article helped push), more of my driving is on surface streets. My MPG has decreased ever so slightly, but I drive a very small fraction of the miles I used to!

Update:

After reading Bakari's article, I tried slowing down even more, from 65 mph highway to a 50-55 mph range. My poor friends already thought I drove slow before. Oh well. This week my Rogue passed 30 mpg!

I'm amazed when I see others reporting mpgs two or more times better. I know my car probably doesn't have the same potential, but it makes me wonder how much better it can get!

[Bakari]

Update:

After reading Bakari's article, I tried slowing down even more, from 65 mph highway to a 50-55 mph range. My poor friends already thought I drove slow before. Oh well. This week my Rogue passed 30 mpg!

I'm amazed when I see others reporting mpgs two or more times better. I know my car probably doesn't have the same potential, but it makes me wonder how much better it can get!

Thanks for reporting back.
Its always nice to be reminded that the time I spend writing on the internet isn't all just a waste of time :P

Bakari, feel free to quote it.  It would be cool to be in your essay.

I did go back and add your story, thanks again