Has anybody managed to crack 30mpg?

[Mustang]

I've intended on many occassions (after spending about 10 minutes filling the fuel tank to the brim -that really is and annoying and time consuming endevour with the air lock design of the fuel tank ) to do an economy run with the FTO to see what sort of mpg I could achieve. The plan always gets abandoned mid-tank, when I get the mivec out to get past some idiot.

Anyway I recently had to do a long motorway run so I saw this as a golden opportunity to do an economy run. Ennis -Portlaoise return, with a small amount of town driving, the main journey is all dual carriageway/ motor way,accounting for about 98% of the 304.4 km round trip.

I tried to keep it legal at a steady 120km/hr, I did inadvertently stray up to 130km/hr on a few occassions, (down hill etc) but I was making a very genuine effort not to exceed 120km/hr, Kept the revs low, never exceeding 4000rpm, never got the mivec out (not even goiong through the Limerick tunnel -despite my normal protocol )

Anyway after the 304.4km the car returned a disappointing 29.26mpg. Perhaps if I was doing more motorway driving and let the tank reach a much lower level before refilling - meaning the car would be carrying less weight -on average, it would have broken the 30mpg barrier.

There have been several mpg poles here before -the consensus appears to be mid to late 20's mpg deperding on driving style and conditions.
I appear to have hit a glass ceiling just below 30mpg.

Also FYI -when the fuel guage is at the 3/4 full mark, The fuel tank will take approximately 30L of fuel.

[StewyD32]

On the GR that I had I was getting 48.3 km to the gallon I can't remember what mpg it was to convert it to that think it was 32 or 33 something. That was both urban and main roads. My brother in law who bought it of me said he was getting 33 on average.... I don't think he really beloved me when I told him lol.
I think the best way to really get accurate estimate is to run totally out and just fill it with 20 quid and let it run totally out again. And them do the maths

I have yet to do it on my GPX I have now but it's I estimate it's getting just as good. Although mine is a little lighter than most

[Bernard]

I've been keeping track of my MPG (and petrol prices) for a couple of years.
I regularly better 30MPG, not by much though.

If you like I can mail you an excel sheet, I have formulas done to work out averages too.

[mrpsychopath]

I have managed about 35 through normal driving, but then I drive like an old woman most of the time I can even get 25 out of my evo 5 LOL.

[Mustang]

Thanks all.
I was hoping to get early 30's on my economy run. So I was a little disappointed, there again cruising at 120km/hr probably isn't the best for fuel economy either. IIRC the engine speed at that point is ~3800rpm (in 5th), combined with the wind resistance -not a good combination.
If you dropped the cruising speed to 100 or 110km/hr I'm sure 30mpg would be achieveable.
I don't think their is anything wrong with the car, on that front or anything like that, and I'm comfortable with the fuel consumption -I was just wondering if the 30mpg target was achievable.
Must try it again, in super driving miss daisy mode. That said there were savage crosss winds on that particular return journey which wouldn't have helped.

[Mitsubishi-Mental]

There's so much that affects the fuel economy, tracking, tyres, aircon on, air filters, almost everything, passengers, heavy braking etc al affects consumption

I dont take too much notice otherwise i annoy myself ha ha

[Mustang]

Anyway I recently had to do a long motorway run so I saw this as a golden opportunity to do an economy run. Ennis -Portlaoise return, with a small amount of town driving, the main journey is all dual carriageway/ motor way,accounting for about 98% of the 304.4 km round trip.

I'll be trying this again -today and tomorrow, I've filled the car to brimming and I've been driving like a saint Fingers crossed!

[Sebastian]

do it at a lower cruising speed ( like 100-110 km/h)

[mcgon1979]

do it at a lower cruising speed ( like 100-110 km/h)

Exactly. Was gonna say same. 4000rpm at 120kph is too much.
I never exceed 3000rpm on my daily motorway commute. It's about 97 or 98kph.
I need to drive in middle or inside lane, but don't mind. Saves petrol. Takes extra 7 minutes home maybe.
With petrol due to hit 1.50 a litre I certainly won't mind slower driving. 98kph is not practical driving cross country, but its grand for m50.

[Mustang]

I never exceed 3000rpm on my daily motorway commute.

Never, really, sounds like you have the wrong car. Get the mivec out man. I'm just experimenting I couldn't be driving miss daisy every day -sure you'd go cracked, and it would make the ownership of the FTO fairly pointless...

98kph is not practical driving cross country, but its grand for m50.

Well that's just it, I was not going to do a 300km round trip on an open road travelling at 100km/hr where the speed limit is 120km/hr, It'd feel like travelling backwards -120km/hr feels slow enought as it is.
Increasingly -I'm inclined to think that the gear ratios on the FTO are all wrong, First and second are perhaps too long, especially for a sports car, fifth is too short -3800rpm at 120kh/hr. As I said in an another post recently -a 6 speed box with 6th a bit higher than the current 5th, and the rest of the ratios more closely packed would be a much better package.

I'll be filling up later and I'll report back.

[Mustang]

I managed to crack the barrier 31.78mpg
There was more than a few excursions past the 120km/hr barrier though.
Very difficult to maintain 120km/hr on the motorway, constantly being over taken by cars who prompty pull back into the left lane, then proceed to slow down. You try to maintain the gap and then realise you are doing 110km/hr, so you pass them out pull back in and maintain 120km/hr only to be 'leap frogged' by the same idiot again -so annoying
Finally you just end up giving it some beans just to put some distance between yourself and the idiot.

[asti rs]

i get 48 mpg but im only driven a 1.6 mivec not 2litre

[Myfeckin FTO]

i get 48 mpg but im only driven a 1.6 mivec not 2litre

I regularly get 48mpg in the SC Zed as well.............(I might be missing a decimal point there somewhere)

[mcgon1979]

I hit 36mpg on my last tank of fuel. Is this a club record? Surely. Delighted. I had previously gotten 33mpg as my best. And before this experiment I used to get 26 to 28mpg. Here is how I did it...
I drive 50km per day to work round trip. Mostly m50 and small bit n7. 3 lanes for most of the trip. Small bit of traffic and 1 set of lights at newlands cross.

1. I drive at 90kph at 2700rpm in 5th for 90% of my trip.

2. I don't accelerate or brake heavily. Slow and gentle in both counts.

3. This is what got me from 33 to 36mpg... type pressure! I checked mine and they were mid 20s psi. I think this is a little soft for motorway cruising, so I put in 30psi. It made a 3mpg difference.

4. Cleaned my air filter. No cat. Use only Topaz it Maxon 99Ron E5 fuel.

That's it. oh and keep car clean and waxed. And Windows up I'd doing over 30kph.
It sound boring, I know. But fuel is 153 average now near me so I don't give a hoot. Happy enough to have the fto and know I can give it the odd mad acceleration if I need to it want to. (and I do... if only to hear her purr) But 99% I tip to work and back as described.
I'm happy enough with how the car looks and growls that I don't need to price fast in traffic to turn heads or feel satisfied. Sad. I am getting old. Lol. On the plus side, its safer. Saves fuel, wear, and more people see the car. Lol. Joke.

Anyway... go for the 36mpg if u fancy it. It's 100% doable. Long motorway driving at 90kph with no starting and stopping and good type pressure will get it for u.

[miss-enzo]

these are the MPGs i got over the last 2 years, these included a variety of journeys, most were just in and out to work and up and back from college 2 evenings a wk! never really tried to get good mpg just drove however i felt on the day, some days lots of mivec, some days none!
Best journey ever was the charity drive last year filled it on 22nd, drove it for a few days then went from dungarvan to limerick and up through galway, lenane, westport up to carrick an shannon. where i filled the next morning, then drove to dublin, down to bray, waterford, cork and back to limerick, then back to dungarvan and filled it a few days later. out of the 25 cars *varying from 1.4 civics to evo8 and skylines* i used the least amount petrol over the whole weekend! and to be fair the car saw mivec ALOT that wkend!

[Dragonheart]

What program is that you're using to calculate them? Or is the one for the smart phones where you just input all the figures? Looks cool.

[miss-enzo]

its called roadtrip lite. an iphone app. its well handy!

[FtoGeri]

I just arrived to Paris,and averaged 29.8mpg on 405km with normal driving+ sometimes some mivec roar:) I`m quite happy with it,considering my car has high mileage and is fully loaded with suitcases+1 passenger.

[MY-JAP-MISTRESS]

i usually get 30+ mpg from my GR tippy altho at the moment with having a dodgey spring and the wheel alinement out she nowhere near getting that. the biggest problem with getting 30+ is the wheel alinement, if its off even a lil it will show on your tank. if its not the alinement and its hard on fuel then there may be a leek in your exhaust. if not that then you been neglecting the service way too much

[StewyD32]

I did another calculation when I went to a wedding in Dundalk a few weeks ago. So from cork and back was getting 59.9 km which is roughly 37mpg.
Tried to stick to a constant 120km but couldn't so I think that's v.good .