22 MPG ??????????

[meaux61]

ZZZzema- How are you driving exactly? Explain in detail how you use your foot when you drive. Explain if you are driving in automatic or manual. Explain your driving conditions in detail. Finally, check your tire pressure with a guage. Make sure your tires are set correctly. I think, someone correct me if I am wrong, going off the top of my head, it should be 29 for the front tires and 36 for the rear.

One more thing**What are you carrying in your smart? Is there a passenger? Is there heavy cargo in the rear? Are you running the AC on High with the recycle button pushed? Basically, how much weight are you carrying in the car? Add it all up.

Meaux

[ms bea]

Originally Posted by meaux61

Ms. Bea-

It sounds like your problem is the stop and go traffic. You are getting 30 mpg in stop and go traffic. That is really good. My Avalon got 27-29 mpg on the highway, but in stop and go traffic, more like 10-15 mpg. I get a bit poorer gas mileage than some people on this forum and I chalk it up to my conditions:
1. High winds
2. Slight hills where the incline can go for miles
3. Ethanol in my gas (10%)
4. I like to drive over 75

When I drive on a straight stretch with no wind going 45-55 mph, I get over 50 mpg.
My average mpg is 36.

No car is going to get 45 mpg in stop and go city traffic.

Meaux

I agree....I don't except 40mpg in the city, however I do expect more than 18-20. The dealership said that their test cars are getting over 26. The dealership admit that there's something wrong but they don't know what. Other cars are turning up complaining of low mileage too. If I only get 12-18 miles on one blip on the gas gauge (I know only an approximation to a gallon) that's not ok.

[bottlerocket]

Originally Posted by chubhunter

When I get my smart, if I only get 26 mpg I will be royally pissed! When I reserved I was under the impression it would get over 50. I've come to accept it will only get around 40. But if it only gets in the 20's and is the size of a golf cart, weighs less than 2,000 lbs and only has a 3 cylinder 1 liter engine!!! Man no way!! Please, please tell me you get way better than that.

Please don't base your expected mileage off of ONE report. I just filled up for the first time, 37.8 MPG. Check out the other threads that are reaching
50MPG too

[KeithAlanYerian]

My first tank was 40.2 miles per gallon. Has anyone run theirs dry to see how much it actually holds?

[Smartdavis]

Originally Posted by KeithAlanYerian

My first tank was 40.2 miles per gallon. Has anyone run theirs dry to see how much it actually holds?

I don't think you want to run your tank dry. I've read that it is not good for the engine/computer/sensor relationship and that you'll end up having to go to the dealer (help me out here engine guys!).

[xcrew229x]

Most I've put in mine was 7.2. If the fuel pump is in the tank, it's not a great idea to run it way down, as the fuel cools the pump. I'd imagine fuel pumps are way expensive, and after the warranty runs out, it's on you.

[maxtraxduffy]

i got 39 and change on my first tank and i was going rather quick! i was out running the people tring to ask questions!

[ZZZema]

Finally I got 37 MPG!!!
1: 22MPG
2: 24MPG
3: 28MPG
4: 37MPG with NO air-condition.....
I didn't know air-condition takes so much gas.....
TY

[SuperGeek]

Yes, don't run the tank completely dry. In most cars you can damage the pump and maybe more.

Getting 22mpg could be normal based on your own driving habits.
If your daily routine is to start a cold (< 100 degree) engine, run less than two miles, and then turn it off for a few hours... your mileage will be bad no matter what you drive.

Maybe you could consider getting a ScanGauge II and watch it as you drive. When you push the gas, mileage goes down. When you idle at a stoplight, your MPG is exactly zero... and here's the kicker... the ScanGauge shows how many gallons per hour (GPH) are consumed while idling. When I crank up an engine that's been sitting for 8 hours, my idle GPH will be higher than after it's warmed up. Gas engines are most efficient within a certain temperature range.

The ScanGauge will measure a single trip or a whole day; it shows your average speed, and your total trip time. It shows your maximum water temperature, speed and RPMs. All those factors are huge contributors to your fuel efficiency. For my four-mile trip to work, my first two miles every day are horrible because the engine isn't warm. The second two are just enough to get my engine happy, and then I go and switch it off for 9 hours. I average 15 mph speed to work because of the traffic, and I get about 30mpg fuel economy. My SUV gets 9-10mpg for the same run. The smart is doing a lot better; less than some others for city driving but I know my driving habits are the reason.

That said, your own mileage may vary... and if your dealer gets reports of bad mileage and can't find a cause, maybe they can work with you to gather the above data during your driving cycle. If you're not comfortable hooking something up to your OBD (on-board diagnostics) port, they may be willing to help for free, just to help defend the warranty claims. It costs a lot of time and money to hunt for a mystery cause; maybe you can convince them to invest an hour to get real data on the road.

[Monoski]

Low-Mid 20's in a car this small and under powered is simply pathetic. I love the concept of the car but come on...