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Hi All,
I love my 2015 RF, but I've only been getting about 20 MPG on the first 150 or so miles. I suppose I do a lot of city driving (and I have a light foot) in NYC.
Just checking if this is a regular thing, or if there might be a problem, or I might be doing something wrong.
Thanks for any insight.
Jared
Yared,
I too was a bit disappointed in my fuel economy, but not quite to the same extent as you!
My first fill-up was not what I expected, but it was on par for the EPA ratings for the car. I partially attribute my results to the dealership fill-up, that it might not have been fully topped off. I should have done that myself, if I wanted an accurate accounting of my first tank. My bad.
Other things I have noticed might affect my fuel economy include short runs. The fuel economy of the Mirage improves as the engine warms up. So much so that members here have added engine block heaters. They pre-heat their engines for an hour or two before driving, even if it is already warm outside. This helps the engine oil reach operating temperature viscosity sooner. Cold oil = thick oil. I notice my own fuel economy improves on my commute as the engine warms up. For examples, look for posts by forum members 3dplane and old mechanic for examples. :)
What else - speed, relative to wind resistance, is a factor. There's a chart here somewhere covering this...
What else - light on the accelerator helps too. :eagerness:
What else - the Mirage fuel economy improves with break in.
What else - can anybody else chime in?
I too do mostly city driving. My commute is about 5 miles, and takes 15, sometimes 20 minutes, depending on traffic. I've averaged 43mpg over the past year.
Everything Eggman said is right. Everything. :)
Light foot is the way to go for good economy, along with keeping your eyes down the road, anticipating when you can let off the gas and coast to red lights.
Eggman and wellswebdesign, thanks for your replies.
A few other notes:
1. The car is primarily kept in a garage with a temperature in the low 70s. Some of my driving is really short, perhaps a mile (5 minutes) on a given run, some other driving (usually city) is 3-6 miles (10-15 minutes), and some (primarily highway) will be 15 miles (30 minutes).
2. I have a really light foot, I think. I have engineered my driving to be fuel-efficient after driving a car recently that gives real-time MPG readings.
Perhaps my short runs are making my driving less fuel-efficient? Or are the car's mpg readings possibly incorrect (amount left on fuel tank, though, implies that the readings are correct)? I'm still on my first tank, so maybe I need to break it in?
I'll research the forum further and appreciate the insights above.
Thanks in advance for any other insights from any of you other awesome forum members.
When I drive like a complete ass I get 18-25 mpg. If I am cruising like a normal person i get 40-50 mpg. You aren't as light on the throttle as you think.... also, cvt will get less mpg than a manual, all autos get less than a manual from my experience.....
I will put it this way, if you are keeping up with traffic, even in a city, you are too hard on the throttle. in order to get high mpg with this car, you literally have to drive like an old women, to where everyone has gone around you doing 40 mph while you are still slowly accelerating to 40 mph. There have been times where I drive for the mpg's and people get mad and go around because the car is too slow. If I drive normal gas mileage goes down but I keep up with other cars. BUT, because I am an asshole, I usually launch every light and redline every gear, so I get in my 20's for mpg.
Very well could be true for me. Will keep evaluating. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by namco
Short hauls really waste a lot of fuel. The colder the engine is, the more fuel it will use (waste). Once the block has warmed up, fuel consumption will stabilize.
To give you an idea: If I start the car in winter, it will use about five times more fuel during the first few minutes, and it will take at least ten to fifteen minutes before consumption is anywhere near the normal warmed-up range. With temperature in the seventies, it will take at least five to ten minutes. During warm-up phase, every car guzzles fuel. The colder, the worse.
Do let yourself be guided by the little arrow as when to change gear! The manual also has a section about driving economically.
Remember that when you apply the brakes, you are actually wasting fuel! The less you need to use the brakes, the more economical it gets. Anticipate slowing down or stopping in due advance.
"getting about 20 MPG"
Question:
How are you measuring this?
The car has 2 gauges (as you probably know). The default "A" gauge resets after every 4 hours of inactivity. The "B" gauge is reset manually, and is a good way to monitor your progress over the entire tank if you reset it each time you fill up.
PS: we've heard from a couple of members in the Philippines who have to deal with worst case Manilla traffic that really bad mileage is possible in these cars.
EG: a lot of idling and very slow driving in jam-packed stop & crawl conditions.
On the bright side, even though they're not getting close to the official ratings in those conditions, the Mirage still wastes a lot less fuel than other cars.
Thank you. Measuring based on some combination of A and B. I have reset B at some point, so my measurements are not 100% accurate at this point over the life of the tank. Will reassess after next fillup or after a decent period of time.
Your assumption that the Mirage still wastes a lot less fuel than other cars makes sense and sits well with me. Undoubtedly I've sat in some traffic in the Mirage, given that NYC tends to have some of that, even at off-peak times. That, coupled with some of my short drives, might explain the low MPG.
I guess I was hoping I could get into the 30s in-city. Will keep trying.