MPG question

[JCH13]

I dont believe in new.. recent car mag just did the top 5.. honda accord, toy Cam, ford Focus? Chevy mal, mazda something.. they took the Silhouette of them all and they where all the same damn car.. HP, 1/4 mile times etc.. where almost identical.. I prefer a car that stands out, good or bad.. hence i drive older cars (most of the time). If you really like cars you dont own just one.. I have a driver (2 actually) a 06 PT Cruiser (tried to get something slightly different, get drove the least, only has like 24,000 on it) gets ok mileage in town, so-so on highway.. 24-28.. a 04 caddy CTS-V that i drive for comfort.. a old 87 vette i drive for fun (surprisingly with the 4speed +3 it gets almost 30MPG at 75) and also have a 96 sebring convertible for fun.. along with a 02 Ford Expedition for snow. All had problems when bought (except the PT) so you total the price of them all up and i have 1 NEW CAR in value and a HE!! of a lot of fun in cars.. since i didn't pay much for um i carry liability and can afford um too.. (helps that i haven't had a car accident in my life that i caused..did i just jinx myslef?)

take pride in whatever you drive.. enjoy it.. be it clunker/junker or new.. life is to short to worry about the other guy.

Wut... how did you figure out this number? I have a real hard time believing it.

 

[Viper GTS]

My parents are in the 'nothing but gas mileage matters' category. My dad drives an early to mid 80's 4WD Tercel wagon (think Breaking Bad, but with 400k miles). He won't give up the 4/AWD, and won't make the MPG sacrifice of going to something like a Forester. He drives in 2WD mode 363 days a year, so he has all the gas mileage benefits of FWD and the 4WD when he wants it.

My argument is that getting 20 or 25 mpg instead of 30+ is worth the comfort and safety advantages. I figure that Tercel is about as crash worthy as a motorcycle at this point, but he'll have none of it.

Fortunately parts are getting hard enough to come by that even his Toyota mechanic brother is telling him it's time to retire it, so I have hope it'll be gone soon.

Viper GTS

 

[MagickMan]

I try to be environmentally conscious but don't always succeed. My DD gets >20MPG and that's fine with me.

 

[Topweasel]

Wut... how did you figure out this number? I have a real hard time believing it.

It's not that hard to believe. Chevy has been making top gear on a Vette so high that at cruising it practically is idling. The C5 and C6 base models have been EPA 28-30 highway, I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar for a C4.

 

[crabbyman]

Care to share your spreadsheet with me JCH13?

 

[JCH13]

Care to share your spreadsheet with me JCH13?

We didn't actually make a spreadsheet, just good old pencil and paper. Sorry :$

Edit: though I wouldn't mind throwing one together if people were interested.

 

[clok1966]

It's not that hard to believe. Chevy has been making top gear on a Vette so high that at cruising it practically is idling. The C5 and C6 base models have been EPA 28-30 highway, I wouldn't be surprised if it was similar for a C4.

yes the 4+3 is a manual 4 Speed tranny with a 2 speed automatic slapped on the back. The thing is basicly a High low gear for 2-3 and 4th. it only works when the car is warmed up, its just a button on top (or on earlier models the console) This is the years the Government started mandating the complete car line had to have a avg MPG across the board.. JEEP had been working on this for there own use and GM bought it (idea or actual mechanics Im not sure) and used it on the Vettes.. its got an actual filter (same as a FORD! eheheh) and auto tranny fluid in it. if the thing is in low (just not on really) the car would be doing 3000RPM at 75, with it on i believe (been awhile since i was on the road with it) its at about 1800 or 2000 rpm.. And yes it really does get 28-30 avg.. I wont deny its 28 even 27 when it very windy.. but a still day 75mph i have seen 32 here and there.. (its got the INSTANT avg computer.. its fluctuating all the time) it also has the standard AVG over all.. which really changes depending on how you drive it.. I can get it to about 22-4 ish with in and out of town driving quite often.. but i seldom drive that mellow.. not the point of a vette.. especially a manual. My parents live 400 miles one way.. I reset the MPG avg and drive straight through at 70 for 100 miles and 75 for 300miles.. (often faster by a few mph) and its very often at 29-30-31 when i get there... car also has a huge 22 gallon tank, so i can drive another 100-200 miles after even..

with all that said.. remember this is a 87.. the vette in those years was no speed demon, for those years.. yes but nowdays, nope. I think the 1/4 time is 98mph or something like that.. 240 HP (wow.. right, most 4 bangers are close or that nowdays).. still like my vette.

 

[kalrith]

with all that said.. remember this is a 87.. the vette in those years was no speed demon, for those years.. yes but nowdays, nope. I think the 1/4 time is 98mph or something like that.. 240 HP (wow.. right, most 4 bangers are close or that nowdays).. still like my vette.

Somehow I doubt those 4 bangers have 340 lb-ft of torque though . My dad had an '85 vette, and it was a lot of fun to drive.

 

[JCH13]

I could buy high 20s mpg, maybe even low 30s mpg with that particular transmission setup. However, I have found every fuel economy computer I have used to be optimistic and wrong, sometimes by a lot.

Somehow I doubt those 4 bangers have 340 lb-ft of torque though . My dad had an '85 vette, and it was a lot of fun to drive.

Less-modified MS3s than mine dyno at 264whp/266wtq. Not too shabby for a 4 banger methinks.

 

[kalrith]

I could buy high 20s mpg, maybe even low 30s mpg with that particular transmission setup. However, I have found every fuel economy computer I have used to be optimistic and wrong, sometimes by a lot.

The average mpg on my Cougar is accurate, but the instant is way off. The main problem with instant is that it doesn't take acceleration into account. My instant will say 27-28 mpg when I'm cruising on a flat highway, but my average is about 22. Since my instant display around 6 mpg when I'm accelerating, that's not much of a surprise.

Less-modified MS3s than mine dyno at 264whp/266wtq. Not too shabby for a 4 banger methinks.

That is certainly not shabby, but then it wouldn't fall into the "most 4 bangers" that clok1966 mentioned

Edit: I was mainly referring to something like a Nissan Altima or Civic Si that have 180-200 hp (close to the afore-mentioned 240) but only about half of the 340 lb-ft of torque.

 

[clok1966]

Somehow I doubt those 4 bangers have 340 lb-ft of torque though . My dad had an '85 vette, and it was a lot of fun to drive.

I enjoy my vette very much, but now days most seem to frown on the old muscle cars.. me I could care less but when i belittle it , it seems to solve the problem of every new car owner telling how crappy it is almost 30 year old tech.. But the is no better feeling then being at 500 RPM and just launching.. no wind up on RPM, just put im in the seat and make um stick torque. I love the fact i got power at low rpm.

yes the Computer is not always great judge of MPG mine often says more then it gets.. 32 quite often.. and NO i have never recorded hard numbers over a long time.. generally I just fill it up, drive my 400 miles, fill it again and see what my MPG is.. after doing this 10-12 times and getting a pretty much the same number I will stand by my 30ish give or take 1-3. I wont deny Im rounding up.. but if im off it would be 28 or 29..

but again, eh.. my PT gets 26-28, My ex 04 caddy got 28ish, my Expedition gets 17-19, my Van does 24ish.. My Honda 125 scooter does about 75 (love this thing) my 800 Vulcan does about 42,my sorry butt on a pedel bike does about 10-14 miles in 45 minutes.. (hey, i drive and Im middle aged.. its work to pedel that bike!). I ahve a few more toys.. but never chcekd the mpg on them.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My parents are in the 'nothing but gas mileage matters' category. My dad drives an early to mid 80's 4WD Tercel wagon (think Breaking Bad, but with 400k miles). He won't give up the 4/AWD, and won't make the MPG sacrifice of going to something like a Forester. He drives in 2WD mode 363 days a year, so he has all the gas mileage benefits of FWD and the 4WD when he wants it.

My argument is that getting 20 or 25 mpg instead of 30+ is worth the comfort and safety advantages. I figure that Tercel is about as crash worthy as a motorcycle at this point, but he'll have none of it.

Fortunately parts are getting hard enough to come by that even his Toyota mechanic brother is telling him it's time to retire it, so I have hope it'll be gone soon.

Viper GTS

If it hasn't been crashed and isn't rusting to pieces then it should do fine in a crash. Those cars were pretty well built, not like the Hyundias of the 1990s. Granted, it doesn't have the safety features of a modern car like 30 airbags, belt pre-tentioners, etc. but it's certainly nowhere near as bad as a motorcycle.