What MPG are you really getting with fuel efficient cars?

[kilchisfisher]

This thread complements another thread on what MPG are you getting which I didn't want to hijack. I'm thinking of getting a second car as I can practically pay for it with the fuel savings, and I've heard others saying the same things. Seems like we can share information.

I'm considering a Toyota Yarus, 29 city, 36 highway (Estimated)

So what are people actually getting with their fuel efficient vehicles?

[12244]

Corolla 38 avg combined city/hwy mileage.

[HuntnCoug]

39-40mpg 2005 Honda civic manual trans.

[Bloom]

My own experience with most of the Japanese cars is the epa ratings are usually spot-on. By maintaining legal speeds, proper tire inflation and avoiding rapid starts, I can usually beat the epa estimates.

My son-in-law has a Yaris and is very happy. Corolla, Civic, Sentra, all good mileage makers and strong on the resale. Dealers are holdng a little closer to MSRP these days, but a 1-2 year old with the right miles is still your best bet. Too bad you can't wait until 2009 when the re-worked Prius comes out...97 mpg. I'll bet the dealers will be packing those babies 4-5k over sticker.

[walt1er]

Before it blew a head gasket a year ago, my 1991 two-door 3-cylinder Geo Metro got no worse than 40 MPG and up to 48 MPG.

I sold it (for $150.00 and with full disclosure) to someone else who wanted the adventure of repairing the gasket, the driver's window that didn't roll up or down, the floors that were soaked anytime it rained, the scary shimmy in the steering wheel at 52-56 MPH, and more.

[twobullz]

My 93 honda civic hatchback averages 42-44 mpg.

[huntercgr]

06 Accord 4cylinder 33-35 highway.

[johndeeregreen]

new Kia Reo.---never under 33mpg

[fish_on]

My 2006 VW Jetta TDI got 49mpg driving from St. Helens to Seattle every day. My wife's 2005 VW Bug TDI gets 26 mpg from St. Helens to West Linn everyday. The gassers wish they got the mileage of a TDI.

[veilside180sx]

1991 Sentra 30 city/42 highway
1998 Turbo Sentra 20 city/30 highway (400 whp)
2000 Accord 22 city/30 highway

Those are some of my current vehicles.=)

[Don't fish e nuff]

2008 Honda Fit. 35 mpg combined hwy and city.

[Mrs Bear]

Here is what we are doing. We parked the gas guzzler truck. We leased a mazda miata (has some style, great handling) and gas mileage 29mpg. Our lease payment is 99.99 a month for two years. In that time, we are thinking that something with more mpg will come out and we don't pay for anything more with this car because it is under warranty.

[fineline]

Newsweek has a nice report on this topic at; http://www.newsweek.com/id/123631 (Most fuel efficient cars).

[duckboy]

My wife's Prius (2006) gets 50-60 mpg on the hwy if we drive it at 59 mph.
about 50 mpg in town...
driving like grandma.

[thresher]

My 08 civic i got last week got 28mpg on the dealership gas. Im expecting it to go up more tho when i get the engine broke in a little. I can say its a great increase though from my last cars 21 mpg mixed driving

[husker]

89' honda 28 city/hiway....mostly city driving though since i drive it to work and back mostly.....although i did take it fishing yesterday

[ANDYCOHO]

2008 Civic Hybrid= 45.7 mpg

[Salty Walty]

2000 Honda DX Coupe manual transmission 32 city 42-44 highway

[Perfectcast]

Aveo 32-35 city and highway

[Freakwater]

The Fed just changed the way mpg is calulated and how car manufacturers must state it. The new calulation is much more realistic than it was just a year ago. You can look up a potential car you want to buy and there are even real user numbers as well. Check it!

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

Freakwater

[Chrome Bumper]

'88 Dodge Dakota, still getting 28 mpg.

[flapbreaker]

MPG is not the only way to look at the cost of driving. Consumer reports did a report listing the best $/mile vehicles. It doesn't make sense to buy a 25k car that gets 45-50 mpg over an 11k car that gets 35. Anyway the overall best value was the Honda Fit Sport manual.

[Doc_Rhen]

Originally Posted by flapbreaker

MPG is not the only way to look at the cost of driving. Consumer reports did a report listing the best $/mile vehicles. It doesn't make sense to buy a 25k car that gets 45-50 mpg over an 11k car that gets 35. Anyway the overall best value was the Honda Fit Sport manual.

Good Point but there are several other vairables most notably how many miles do you drive a year and how darn high will gas prices be in a couple months? Myself I am still chugging along with 20.2 mpg mixed, but my economic rig is a 2006 F350 Crew Cab, cranked up to around 450 hp.

[kilchisfisher]

Not to hijack my own thread, but it's interesting to see what people are reporting as their actual mileage. When I see the TV ads claiming 34 and 36 mpg as good mileage I remember the early 90's when the TV ads were touting 40 plus for a lot of vehicles. And they really got it. Some had mileage in the 50's. Not to disparage hybrids, but I've sometimes wondered if the presence of hybrids is somehow preventing manufacturers from bringing out gas only cars that get similar mileage.

Back to the thread: I have a co-worker with a two year old VW bug which she says gets over 40.

[Chrome Bumper]

Not to hijack my own thread, but it's interesting to see what people are reporting as their actual mileage. When I see the TV ads claiming 34 and 36 mpg as good mileage I remember the early 90's when the TV ads were touting 40 plus for a lot of vehicles. And they really got it. Some had mileage in the 50's. Not to disparage hybrids, but I've sometimes wondered if the presence of hybrids is somehow preventing manufacturers from bringing out gas only cars that get similar mileage.

Where the hybrids really shine is City stop and go traffic. The older high mileage cars were lighter, and less crash worthy.

A prius weighs 3,000#, 110 hp engine, 5 air bags, 47 mpg hwy
An 89 Geo, weighs 1600# and make 49hp, no airbags, 58mpg hwy

Apples and oranges

I know which one I want to be in when an ifisher with the brand new 6 speed 1 ton crewcab diesel pickup towing a 21 foot sled rear ends me.

[mandinga]

Originally Posted by Chrome Bumper

I know which one I want to be in when an ifisher with the brand new 6 speed 1 ton crewcab diesel pickup towing a 21 foot sled rear ends me.

yeah, so do i...neither.


that being said i still drive my corolla because it gets 37+mpg...

It wouldn't be such a problem if everyone was forced to drive vehicles under a certain weight...but that'd be communism and that would be much worse than high gas prices.

[Threemuch]

Mazda 3 hatch with the 2.3L, 25 city, 32 highway. Not that great mileage but a whole lotta fun. I am a leadfoot. My wife does considerably better in town than I do.

Last time I was in Europe I put almost 1000km on a ford focus diesel that got 47 mpg with me driving! Why can't I buy this car here?!?!

[Chrome Bumper]

Originally Posted by mandinga

yeah, so do i...neither.


that being said i still drive my corolla because it gets 37+mpg...

It wouldn't be such a problem if everyone was forced to drive vehicles under a certain weight...but that'd be communism and that would be much worse than high gas prices.

I think only certain people are allowed to drive vehicles over 20,000# now. When did we go commy?

Got a 04 malibu with a 2.2 for the wife and kids, get 30+, they are putting lots of miles on that one, good inexpensive car. Lots of crumple zone.

[Azeal]

2006 VW Jetta TDI (diesel) with auto is getting 44-45 mpg highway, 30-32 mpg city.

2006 Jeep Liberty CRD (diesel) with auto has been getting right around 21-22 mpg city, last road trip it got 28 mpg highway.

[Silver Hilton]

I get 29-31 mpg around town, 35 mpg on the highay in my 2006 scion xB.

[GraphiteZen]

My is that peoples standards of fuel economy are being reduced. Back in the 90s you had the Geo Metro that had a *** little 4 banger in it but put out close to 100 HP and got around 40 mpg. They were then bought up my Chevy. 20 years later Chevy comes out with this miraculous new fuel efficient car with all kinds of new technology, all the little "green" insignias around the ad. Around 100 HP, relatively the same size but an incredible, whopping 30-40 MPG. And this is some kind of new revelation? Back in the 90s if you couldn't get 25-30 mpg out of a big block V8 you didn't know how to tune, and the pinnacle of fuel efficiency these days is a lightweight car that can get a whole 40 MPG but with hardly any power? It's a bunch of BS.

[thresher]

got 36 mpg highway on my 08 civic. Hopein to see that go up when the engine gets fully broken in.

[bluehewes]

Originally Posted by ANDYCOHO

2008 Civic Hybrid= 45.7 mpg

Is there a big difference in price between normal gas and the hybrid? From what people are claiming on here it looks like the hybrid you only gain a couple MPG. I do like the looks of the Civic though.

[bluehewes]

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

My is that peoples standards of fuel economy are being reduced. Back in the 90s you had the Geo Metro that had a *** little 4 banger in it but put out close to 100 HP and got around 40 mpg. They were then bought up my Chevy. 20 years later Chevy comes out with this miraculous new fuel efficient car with all kinds of new technology, all the little "green" insignias around the ad. Around 100 HP, relatively the same size but an incredible, whopping 30-40 MPG. And this is some kind of new revelation? Back in the 90s if you couldn't get 25-30 mpg out of a big block V8 you didn't know how to tune, and the pinnacle of fuel efficiency these days is a lightweight car that can get a whole 40 MPG but with hardly any power? It's a bunch of BS.

I was just talking about this with a friend the other day. They have a new hybrid Taho that gets 20 mpg 10 years from now the hybrids will get 15 mpg and we'll get all giddy over.

My 94 Chevy 3/4 ton almost gets 20.

[Bucolic buffalo]

My wife drives a newer CRV and used to get 28 mpg, now 24 mpg and she keeps it serviced by the dealer on schedule and drives 55 most of the time. This is on a monthly drive to Reedsport. Drives me crazy but it goes to show that the "real" mileage on E10 is not what the "ethanol wizards" say it should get. She actually burns more petro than before. Gov Ted told a lady I know that people get less because of the way they drive and the way they maintain their cars not because of the ethanol. Not in this case.

[Corkie Monster]

2007 Rav 4 Sport, AWD 4 cylinder.
19-21 City
25-28 Hwy

[Barviewrocks]

2008 Prius touring model:

53 mpg from Portland fill up to Barview all highway 6 and 101.
Around Portland city 48 mpg in summer, 42 mpg in winter

It requires some technique to run on electric up to 40 mph
I will be playing with the tire pressure to see if this makes a difference

Downside is poor visibility to the rear. Not a problem if you can use mirrors like a truck.

Will be adding a larger battery pack for plug in capability this summer.


Now if I can only do something about the boat...

[portlandstatekid]

'96 accord coup lx/manuel...32 hwy

[Mark Mc]

Been getting 47 - 49 mpg on the Prius; mix of in town / small highways. We live on a hill so the drive home always pulls the mileage down a tad.

[MossyOarReelCreek]

Maybe my math is off.... I am wondering how people are figuring their MPG. I have a 2006 Toyota Corolla S (auto transmission) I use my trip meter and set it to zero at fill up... drive til I get the low fuel light. Go to the gas station .. note how much gas was dispensed. Then I note how many miles are on the trip meter and then divide it by the number of gallons of fuel I put in... 396 miles / 11.7 gallons = 33.84 MPG
I drive from St Helens to Downtown Portland 5 days a week.

[4th_Point]

08 Versa Hatchback: 33 mpg (80% highway with traffic jams, 20% city)

This is basically the EPA 'highway' rating. I think if we didn't have the ethanol and I did a highway trip I'd be up around 36-40mpg based on other owners. I also drive WOT at times so I could actually improve my current mileage some. BTW, I like the interior room of the Versa over the Yaris and Fit. The Versa also has the highest combined front, rear, and side crash ratings if that is some something you are factoring into your decision.

01 Saturn SL1 sedan: 42+ mpg (freeway at 70+ mph with a/c running). I should have kept that car longer.

[Hellibut]

2008 Honda Fit, 29 to 35 combined depending how it's driven. You can consistantly get 35 with just a little care taken on your starts and stops or you can consistantly get 29 racing to 55mph. A couple of these responses are just a wee bit hard to believe for me.

[4th_Point]

Originally Posted by Hellibut

2008 Honda Fit, 29 to 35 combined depending how it's driven. You can consistantly get 35 with just a little care taken on your starts and stops or you can consistantly get 29 racing to 55mph. A couple of these responses are just a wee bit hard to believe for me.

I'm surprised the Fit doesn't do better than that. I thought they were rated higher.

I agree with the earlier post about the 90's vintage 4-cylinders. The Civic, CRX, and especially the HF got great mileage compared to the compacts today. Maybe those earlier cars were lighter than today's cars.

I'm amazed that my 2001 Saturn got better gas mileage than most of today's fuel efficient cars. They should bring that SOHC back and call it "high tech".

[StickFish]

Our 1995 Windstar gets a combined 12mpg - We have jokingly called this van, "The Lemonstar"

Its got about 90K on it has had two engines, three transmissions, several gem modules, the passenger window doesn't roll down, it has a shimmy in the steering wheel, a slow coolant leak, plastic around the sliding door tore off, but it starts every morning.

We're doing something about that car today

Anyone want a Lemonstar cheap?

[CVmustang]

We just took our new Hyundai Sonata to Reno last weekend, lost money gambling but saved money on gas, 31.8 MPG, 65mph with the cruise control on. 4cyl, AT.

[Fishplay]

99 beetle 1.8 turbo (gas model) with 90K on it. I get 30mpg mixed driving and I suffer from the race to 65 mentallity. Got 28mpg on salem/seattle trip and that was at @80 mph. most of the way. I'm out-performing the fed rating so pretty happy. I gave 7K for it 5 mo ago and was offered 9K the other day in a parking lot in tanasbourne. I'd rather be driving a mini cooper but would have to come up with another 10k to do that.

[ajfishfinder]

My 85 Nissan Kingcab Pickup with 317,000 miles is still getting 23-25 around town and solid 28 on a highway run and I rarely drive 55. An yes this is true mileage because I alway top it off myself because I have yet to run across the gas pump police.

[sduyck]

I drive a 1986 chevy cavalier

It gets 33 miles to the gallon when I stay off the freeway and drive back roads at 35 mph

[12pulls]

Originally Posted by kilchisfisher

Not to hijack my own thread, but it's interesting to see what people are reporting as their actual mileage. When I see the TV ads claiming 34 and 36 mpg as good mileage I remember the early 90's when the TV ads were touting 40 plus for a lot of vehicles. And they really got it. Some had mileage in the 50's. Not to disparage hybrids, but I've sometimes wondered if the presence of hybrids is somehow preventing manufacturers from bringing out gas only cars that get similar mileage.

Back to the thread: I have a co-worker with a two year old VW bug which she says gets over 40.

Had a Ford Fiesta in '78 that got 40mpg and was pretty fast, the same year VW Rabbit got over that. The Sprint (late GEO) gets over 50 is a three cylinder and there are many of them running today and their pollution output is fractional of what is allowed. Even the late '80's & early 90's the Dodge Ram Desiel got great mileage, the 2wd got up to 27mpg! What happend is that the american car companies were using the foreiegn built cars to bring down the total averages of their fleet mileage and the Feds were also unhappy with the Dodge's getting to good of mileage for pickups. Up the hp and torque & down goes the mileage. Add the safety additions and the cry for bigger cars down went the average.
BTW, my '05 Camry 4cyl rides great and has plenty of room and power for a trip and it got 35mpg going to Boise and back just last week! It gets around 25 in town on short hops. '02 F150 4x4 gets 11 in town but it is paid for and has low milege. Since it goes thru a tank of gas in a month (don't drive it much) it isn't a big deal. Payments would counter act any gas savings even if I drove it every day.

[BroncoIIfan]

[quote=Chrome Bumper;2057273]Where the hybrids really shine is City stop and go traffic.

From what I understand of hybirds is that once you reach hwy speeds, the gas engine kicks in, while the electric only works at lower speeds, say 35 and under. At least that is what my mother-in-laws 2008 hybrid Camry does. I am not sure if the electric kicks in at hwy speeds in the newer hybrids or not.

[Liv'n4Fish'n]

91 Civic Wagon 218,000 miles, avg 38 mpg. Purchased with 99,000. Driven 60 miles round trip daily. No AC. Oil change every 5k, timing belt every 60k, a couple of distributers and computers, tires and brakes as needed. Fishing gear always in the back and sometimes fish in the ice chest. Lots of people want this car. Affordable transportation.

[GraphiteZen]

[quote=BroncoIIfan;2070960]

Originally Posted by Chrome Bumper

Where the hybrids really shine is City stop and go traffic.

From what I understand of hybirds is that once you reach hwy speeds, the gas engine kicks in, while the electric only works at lower speeds, say 35 and under. At least that is what my mother-in-laws 2008 hybrid Camry does. I am not sure if the electric kicks in at hwy speeds in the newer hybrids or not.

I think you might have it backwards... Accelerating from a stop requires more power than is needed to sustain momentum at a higher speed... What I have learned about the Prius is that the gas engine kicks in when the system needs a certain amount of power for acceleration that the electric motor can't provide. In most other cases the electric motor provides the power.

Watching the information screen while driving in the Prius on long trips I see the supposed MPG go from 120+ when coasting down hills, around 60 MPG when cruising on flat ground and then down to 30- MPG when accelerating and think that Toyota could still do whole lot better with the gasoline part of the system

[StickFish]

Originally Posted by StickFish

Our 1995 Windstar gets a combined 12mpg - We have jokingly called this van, "The Lemonstar"

Its got about 90K on it has had two engines, three transmissions, several gem modules, the passenger window doesn't roll down, it has a shimmy in the steering wheel, a slow coolant leak, plastic around the sliding door tore off, but it starts every morning.

We're doing something about that car today

Anyone want a Lemonstar cheap?

The lemonstar left yesterday got a lot more for it than I thought I would - I think its going to turn into an elipitcal

We replaced it with a Honda Fit. I've never been much for little cars, but I like this one. We have not filled it up and its on track for right at about 30mpg in mixed driving - what I would have burned 26 gallons doing in the truck, I'll manage in 12 Gallons with the Fit. Truck is getting lonely only going to get used for that emergency trip we didn't plan for or towing

[scottishsetter]

Did you get the 5sp manual? Heard the Fit is a good one; I guess I should sit in one soon.
I'd get a Motorcycle but there are too many other drivers on the road that are in a hurry.

[retaliate]

My 2.5l V6 Camary auto get's about 27mpg Fwy...if I take it easy on the throttle, Had a 1.5l Tercel manual that got a honest 40mpg Fwy, my Daughters 1.6l Corolla auto get about 35mpg Fwy.

[DogZilla15]

I came in late on this and haven't read every response so maybe this was covered. I'll take a chance it wasn't.

Original post said something like paying for the car with the savings in fuel. Hummmm, I don't think so.

Let's say....What you drive now gets 20 mpg and you drive 15000 miles a year, use 750 gallons of gas at $4.25 per gallon = $3187. New car gets 32 mpg, use 469 gallons at $4.25 per gallon = $1993. You save $1194, 12 months per year = $99.50 per month. If you finance the car as most folks do, a good portion of the payment is interest. $99.50 - interest = ? Insurance will probably run $800 per year @ 12 months = $67 per month. Since you drive 15000, it will now be divided between two vehicles which means the savings will not apply to the entire 15000 miles.

Let's assume the new car costs $20000 and you pay cash. If the money were left in savings at 5% simple (not compounded) interest, you'll make $1000 per year. You're $1194 savings is now down to $194. Subtract the insurance costs and you are now in the hole $606. If your $20000 remains invested for 5 years, it'll be worth $25000+ and your $20000 car will be worth what????

[Bootstrap Bill]

00' civic auto 35-40

[Ni!]

Originally Posted by DogZilla15

I came in late on this and haven't read every response so maybe this was covered. I'll take a chance it wasn't.

Original post said something like paying for the car with the savings in fuel. Hummmm, I don't think so.

Let's say....What you drive now gets 20 mpg and you drive 15000 miles a year, use 750 gallons of gas at $4.25 per gallon = $3187. New car gets 32 mpg, use 469 gallons at $4.25 per gallon = $1993. You save $1194, 12 months per year = $99.50 per month. If you finance the car as most folks do, a good portion of the payment is interest. $99.50 - interest = ? Insurance will probably run $800 per year @ 12 months = $67 per month. Since you drive 15000, it will now be divided between two vehicles which means the savings will not apply to the entire 15000 miles.

Let's assume the new car costs $20000 and you pay cash. If the money were left in savings at 5% simple (not compounded) interest, you'll make $1000 per year. You're $1194 savings is now down to $194. Subtract the insurance costs and you are now in the hole $606. If your $20000 remains invested for 5 years, it'll be worth $25000+ and your $20000 car will be worth what????

Figure it out this way:

28k miles per year at 16mpg currently = $7500 - $8000 depending on gas price trends

New subcompact at $15k getting 35mpg

Fuel savings would be on the order of $4500 - $5000 per year, depending on gas prices and how much I drove my truck

I believe at those prices I could park the truck and buy the new car and not only save money, but I would also have a used car to sell in a few years instead of all that gasoline out my tailpipe. I haven't run the numbers yet to calculate all the variables, but I believe gas will keep rising, making it even more economical to buy a small car with the fuel savings.

[DogZilla15]

Yea, it really depends on a bunch of variables. I just picked numbers out of the blue to provoke thought as each of us has a different set of numbers to work from.

[FrogPond]

'06 Mazda 6
Albany to Ashland and back plus side trip to Jacksonville and around Medford.
32.6 mpg avg.

Usually 27-29 mpg avg.