G4 2000+ mile road trip MPG report

[azdonw]

Hi all, we just returned from our first long road trip with our 2017 G4 CVT from Phoenix, AZ to Yellowstone National Park and thought I'd give an MPG report. These numbers are from the Ave A digital gauge, which I have calibrated a few times with tank fill calculations. My calculations have shown the gauge to be up to 1 MPG conservative or 1 MPG optimistic, and some times dead on. Started with about 17K mi on the odometer. Stock Enasave tires with about 38 or 39 psi. Two adult passengers with luggage for the long hauls and 4 adult passengers inside the park.

51.0 MPG, Mesa, AZ to Parowan, UT. (475 mi). Ran A/C maybe 1/3 way, lost around 45 minutes to stop and go holiday traffic/rain around Flagstaff. Average speed of 65 mph, otherwise.

51.4 MPG, Parowan, UT to West Yellowstone (550 mi). Ran A/C some of the way. Went 75-80 mph on I15 when we could. Had a bit of a tail wind (but at an angle) on I15 some of the way. Filled with 85 octane fuel in UT.

58.7 MPG, West Yellowstone to Old Faithful and other places inside the park and back again (about 160 mi). Speed 45 to 50 mph.

54.x MPG, West Yellowstone to Yellowstone Lake Hotel and a couple other stops (about 75 mi). Speed 45 to 50 mph.

68.5 MPG, Yellowstone Lake Hotel to West Yellowstone (about 70 mi), Speed 45 to 50 mph. I'm guessing this was more down hill than up.

49.0 MPG, West Yellowstone to Panguitch, UT (565 mi). Lost near 2 hours to holiday/rush hour traffic through Salt Lake and Provo. Head wind a lot of the way. Speed 75 mph on I15 and 65 elsewhere. Ran A/C a lot of the way. Filled with 85 octane in UT.

52.4 MPG, Panuitch, UT to Mesa, AZ (435 mi). Speed 65 mph most places, but 70 from Flag to Phoenix. Ran A/C over half of the way.

[Eggman]

Those are great numbers azdonw. I'll bet it was a wonderful trip.

I've been tracking my MID fuel economy accuracy and have found it to be about 2 mpg above my calculations on average. I keep details in my Fuel Economy Log.

[azdonw]

Not sure why my calculations show the gauge varying from conservative to optimistic, but I imagine it would be due to different pumps shutting off differently. But I've never seen it off by more than +-1 MPG. I've only tested it 3 or 4 times, though.

[Mark]

Regardless of the accuracy of your gauge, you did extremely well with the mpg on your trip! For a small inexpensive non-hybrid car, they do amazingly well.

[azdonw]

Thanks Mark, my wife and I both love this car!

[Mark]

Thanks Mark, my wife and I both love this car!

I sort of remember your story, & I looked it back up again. You got an awesome deal on your car. $7500 "out the door" for a 2017 Mirage with only 13,000 miles on it. Add in the great mileage you are getting & your happiness with the car, what's not to love???

Given the average new vehicle is over $30,000 now, the value of a Mirage is quite easy to see. It's amazing how some professional car critics miss that. If consumer reports really cared about consumers, they would look at this car more fairly. I really like my Mirage, too. If something happened to it, I would buy another one tomorrow.

My Subaru Forester is a highly acclaimed vehicle by Consumer Reports. It's going in going in next week for a complete short block replacement as part of a class action lawsuit against Subaru. My Forester didn't even make it to the 1,200-1,600 mile oil consumption test. I took it back @ 1,000 miles, because it was already a quart low. At that rate, one would be adding almost 7 quarts of oil between 7,500 mile oil changes. I am glad Subaru is addressing the issue, but does this vehicle deserve the high acclaim of Consumer Reports while trashing vehicles like the Mirage?

I don't mean to change the topic here or vent. The Mirage is a great little car that does what it is meant to do very well. Somehow that message gets lost over the hype of more expensive vehicles. I enjoy people like you singing your praises of this great small car. It's well deserved!

[Daox]

Very impressive mileage!

Did you use cruise control most of the time?

[azdonw]

Thanks Daox! I wish I had cruise. It was quite the challenge to maintain the speed, especially with hills and A/C. I constantly had to compensate with my right foot. When there was too big of hill, I just let the speed go down rather than 'romping' the little engine.

[Mark]

Thanks Daox! I wish I had cruise. It was quite the challenge to maintain the speed, especially with hills and A/C. I constantly had to compensate with my right foot. When there was too big of hill, I just let the speed go down rather than 'romping' the little engine.

I wouldn't question anything you did on your trip. I think your mpg numbers are quite impressive! All 2019 Mirage trim levels will have cruise. It's the only thing I miss on longer trips, too!

[azdonw]

I wouldn't question anything you did on your trip. I think your mpg numbers are quite impressive! All 2019 Mirage trim levels will have cruise. It's the only thing I miss on longer trips, too!

Thanks, Mark! I am actually quite amazed by this car. I read on this forum of others that struggle to get 45 on the freeway, and mine is significantly above the speed vs. MPG graph that Metro has posted here.