The future has spoken. Between 13-3 and 10-4 my car drove 1805 km, using 74L, which is 24.4km/L (57.4mpg). About the same period last year, between 11-3 and 16-4, it was 2226 km, using 100.4L, which is 22.2km/L, 52.2mpg.
Based on this numbers, the car is 10% more economical. So what happened? I have a list of hypotheses:
- Mitsubishi actually managed to provide a firmware update which gives a 10% higher economy.
- There is some self learning algorithm in the motor management, which adapts to the drive style of the owner, This has been reset, and my style is different than that of the previous owner.
- There is some self learning algorithm, which adapts to the actual engine parameters. This has been reset, and the parameters have changed as function of the wear.
- The firmware update has changed the accuracy of the odometer, on which both the internal economy gauge as my calculations are based.
Thinking about 1, I can say that AFAIK this was the first firmware update the car ever got. It's probably manufactured in the end of 2012, when the car was only about 6 months in production. So maybe such a jump is possible.
2. When such an algorithm exists, I would expect it to be adapting itself continuously. Meanwhile I have made more kilometers than the previous owner, so I wouldn't expect such a jump on resetting the algorithm.
3. About the same as 2.
4. I don't think so. Nearby is some speed indicator at the side of the road, which tells how fast you are driving (to stimulate to comply with the speed limit). The speed indicator of my car was and is on par with this sign. I think I would have noticed a difference of 10%.
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View my fuel log 2013 Space Star Cleartec Intense 1.0 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)