Lower Gas Mileage Cars

18 years ago

deamn, mentioned she wanted a "pink bug" on the SUV Forum. This is my dream car.

{{!gwi}}
I drive a Ford Explorer, but I would be happy with this car.

Gayle

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

OklaMoni
18 years ago
Gayle, "I like it"! But I drive a mini cooper, with about 30 MPG.

Color me happy.

Moni
Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
Original Author
18 years ago
Can you imagine. I went from driving a Convertible Mazda Miata to a SUV?

I always felt like I was going to go under a 18 Wheeler.

Gayle
Related Discussions
gas mileage
Q
Comments (16)
Okay. I admit it, I drove an average of 80 mph on the highways. I was impatient to get to places, was tired of all the grannies on the road. . .I would tail end a car in the fast lane to pressure it off to the right to a slower lane. Yup, I was that person. But high fuel costs made me realize that saving the extra minute or two to get to a place really wasn't worth it. I slowed down to 70 mph. . .to 65. . .and now I cruise around 60-65 mph on average. . sometimes even to as low as 55mph. My car has a window where I can watch my MPG average for a trip. . .and all I do is obsessively watch it while I drive. I find my car can average about 19-21 mph city and about 31-34 highway. So whenever my average dips below my range. . .I either slow down or I try to accelerate more slowly. I live close to work, but I don't live close to my boyfriend. He lives about 40 -45 miles away, so a roundtrip visit to him is what? 80-90 miles. Not including commuting to work. . I probably average 250-300 miles per week? (We used to see each other every day or every other day. . .now I only drive to him once or twice a week). DRIVING SLOW and COASTING I find are the best ways to conserve gas. I try not to break while I'm driving on the freeway, and instead I let go of the gas pedal and sort of cruise along slowly. Accelerating eats up most of the gas, but breaking heavily also brings your MPG down as well. By doing this, instead of filling up two-three times a week (this is crazy maniac 85mph me), I can go on a tank of gas for an entire week! Yay!
...See More
cold & gas mileage
Q
Comments (8)
Cold weather can reduce mileage due longer warmup time. Another factor is more rolling resistance from the tires. Around here, a factor is our winter blend of gasoline. Extra ethanol and oxygenators are added (by EPA mandate). Two weeks ago, our local newspaper reporter was able to run 4 tanks of fuel through his vehicle: two with our winter blend and two outside this location with conventional blend. All driving was under approximately the same road conditions and speed, mostly highway. He reported a 2 mile per gallon reduction for our local blend. I know this was not an exacting test, but it does show the same trend I've expereinced. (I keep a log of miles and fuel used in all my vehicles.) In the winter, I drive a 4x4 Jeep Cherokee, 6cy, 4.0 L engine. In summer, it tops out at 20 MPG and falls to 16 in the winter. The temperature was 15 F below 0 this morning, and it took a trip of 7 miles to bring the engine up to temperature.
...See More
Fluctuating Gas Mileage
Q
Comments (5)
Unless you have specialized equipment, 80 miles is too short a distance to compute gas mileage with any accuracy, because it is difficult to fill the tank to the exact same level each time, and the amount is only a few gallons. You can begin to get an idea of the fuel mileage after using 3/4 of a tank. Alway fill to the same level and keep a log of miles and gallons. After a few tanks, you'll have a better picture. The fuel content does affect mileage. Modern gasolines with up to 10% alcohol has less heating content than 100% gasoline. The reduction in mileage is on the order of 2 miles per gallon. I suspect that you have a V8 engine. Olds did make a samll V8, a 260 in^3, at one time. It was the smallest automotive V8 ever offered by GM. But you likely have a larger engine. The fuel mileage of large engines are more affected by city driving than a samller one. When a car is waiting at a stop, its engine is still buring fuel, but going nowhere. This drops fuel mileage. There are other factors, too.
...See More
Car Still Wasting Gas After Minor Repairs (Confused)
Q
Comments (7)
Fill the tank. Check the mileage reading on the odometer. Run it till it's about out. Fill tank again. Subtract previous mileage reading from current one. Divide that by how many gallons you put in the car. Then post that number. Your 15 gallon tank and car wasting gas discriptions are meaningless. If it's leaking fuel, you'll smell it even if it's just a little. If you don't feel a misfire, the plugs and wires are doing their jobs so leave them alone. If it's burning gas as fast as you suspect it is, there ought to be visible emmissions...cloud of black smoke following you around. If you're going by what the gas guage says without checking, the problem could just be the gas guage. I've seen them read full for 200 miles then drop quickly to 1/4 tank, or drop quickly from full and stay at a quarter tank. If you're going to try to figure this kind of thing out on your own, you got to at least do the math for starters.
...See More
bryansda
18 years ago
Hi, I'm new here and mainly lurk. oklamoni, I do have a question about your Mini. Is it a manual or automatic with that kind of gas mileage? My Hubby loves the Mini's and is thinking seriously about one, but we didn't know if it would get that good MPG compared to our Volvos, which do very well. What kind of gas do you use in your Mini? And is it really true they only need to be serviced once a year?

Thanks for the help.
Pam
kacram
18 years ago
My good old 1983 Toyota Tercel 4WD station wagon got 43 miles to the gallon the day we drove it off the lot! That was freeway miles, and aroun 28 to 30 in town. It's still running strong some where in Idaho... I had it for 19 years, and it was still getting 32 mpg from it's tired old engines. All these new engines are too heavy.... should be able to get that mileage, but with all the stuff they have to put on the engines anymore....
in Europe they have big cars that get over 30... with diesel. Too bad we won't see that here either...

one of my accounts is a volkswagon dealer... the bugs ESTIMATED mpg is 20/28. In my 2000 Taurus, my ACTUAL is 23,24/28.5. .
vannie
18 years ago
We have a VW Jetta, diesel. On the hwy I get 52 mpg. DH can only get about 48 b/c he drives too FAST. I didn't think I'd like that car when he got it, but I absolutley love it!
colleenoz
18 years ago
We bought a Hyundai i30 diesel. We get at least 47mpg, and I admit I have quite a heavy foot. No doubt mileage would be better if I wasn't always in a hurry :-) We love the car- very manoeverable and has heaps of room inside. DH (6' tall) can sit in front of DD's BF (6'4') and both have plenty of leg room, and I can fit an awful lot into the boot.
kacram
18 years ago
The Hynundai diesel looked intriguing... so I went to the hyundai USA site, they don't list an i30 or diesel, fo course, I'm blind! lol I always seem to overlook a few things! lol
OklaMoni
18 years ago
Pam, just now got back here. I got the mini in January. Get about 30 miles per gallon, mostly city driving. We put the cheapest gas in it.

Mine is a standard, since I prefer standard over automatic. Has a sun roof.

I really need to post another picture of it... but will go out and mow the lawn instead. LOL

I thought of a volvo station wagon, but decided with having a mini van already, that really is enough "utility vehicle", and we went for a fun car.

Moni
bryansda
18 years ago
Moni, thanks for the info on your Mini. You put the cheapest gas in it? I thought they were suppose to use high test. I don't know how serious Hubby is about trading cars, but Spring is here and a man's fancy turns to the car lots.....LOL. I will keep my Volvo XC and he can trade his.

Related Stories

GARAGES Not Just for Cars: Garage Doors for the Home

By Scheer & Co. Interior Design

See how the nontraditional use of a garage door could transform your living space

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Easy Ways to Manage Stormwater for Lower Bills and a Healthier Earth

By Billy Goodnick Garden Design

Send cleaner runoff into local waterways and spend less on yard irrigation with these simple landscaping approaches

Full Story

GARAGES Key Measurements for the Perfect Garage

By Steven Corley Randel, Architect

Get the dimensions that will let you fit one or more cars in your garage, plus storage and other needs

Full Story

118

REMODELING GUIDES Clean-Burning Woodstoves Ignite a Greener Heating Trend

By Laura Gaskill

No need to rely on oil or gas to heat your home — new woodstove designs burn cleanly and are beautiful to boot

Full Story

HEALTHY HOME 6 Tips From a Nearly Zero-Waste Home

By Melanie Loftus

Lower your trash output and increase your quality of life with these ideas from a mom who did it to the max

Full Story

136

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Make Your Garage a Storage Powerhouse

By Mary Jo Bowling

New project for a new year: Add shelving and containers to get your stuff off the garage floor — and still have room for the car

Full Story

117

GARAGES Houzz Call: How Do You Put Your Garage to Work for Your Home?

By Mitchell Parker

Cars, storage, crafts, relaxing ... all of the above? Upload a photo of your garage and tell us how it performs as a workhorse

Full Story

134

HOME TECH Plug Into Home Power Monitors That Pay for Themselves

By Mike Elgan

Stop throwing away money on wasted electricity with help from new monitors that work with your phone or computer

Full Story

GREEN BUILDING Meet a High-Tech Home That Monitors Itself

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Energy vampires have nowhere to hide in this LEED Platinum home, as energy efficient as it is architecturally beautiful

Full Story

CRAFTSMAN DESIGN Bungalows: Domestic Design at the Dawn of the Auto Age

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Craftsman details, open floor plans and detached garages make the bungalow-style home an enduring favorite

Full Story

Lower Gas Mileage Cars

Comments (9)

OklaMoni

Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
Original Author

Related Discussions

bryansda

kacram

vannie

colleenoz

kacram

OklaMoni

bryansda

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Lower Gas Mileage Cars

Comments (9)

Happy_Go_Lucky_GayleOriginal Author

Related Discussions

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Happy_Go_Lucky_Gayle
Original Author