Cabrio mileage

[smartSparky]

Hey fellow cab owners,

I'm very curious as what your experience has been with mileage on your cabrio. Specifically:

Do you notice any significant mileage difference with the top up or down?

Do you notice any difference in your MPG due to the added weight of the cabrio top?

Do you notice any handling differences with the top open or closed?

Thanks! smartSparky

[Amethyste]

I have been averaging over 40mpg.
I also noticed that the car arounf 40 mph with the top down is just wonderful. Its been too rainy and cool here to drive with the top down for an extended periods, but I'll let you know this summer

[smartSparky]

I've noticed that too. That around 45-55 seems to be a sweet spot. Since I added the cargo cover there seems to be less wind noise and turbulence at freeway speeds. Keep in mind that I'm in So. Cal. where being on the freeway requires to 70-75 or be crushed, unless, of course, it's dead stopped gridlock. I keep imagining if all of those cars were smarts, how much more room there would be for all on the road. Ahhh, to dream . . .

[Smarttex]

I would bet you loose about 2 mph with the top dropped. I would also guess that if you are bald this would reduce this effect some. I notice that whenever I get a haircut my top down mileage increases. Since my wife has a lot of hair I would think this also works to limit our top down results. Who cares really - it's a cabrio. Now back to working on my skin cancer.

[smartSparky]

Man, that helps explain a lot. Since retiring a few years ago, I've let my hair grow and now have a fairly respectable pony tail. All of that hair whipping around has to be accountable for at least a 1 mpg drop.

But seriously, of the many pros, cons, ins and outs I've seen discussed on this board there is a huge hole in the threads.

That is, the passion cabrio, by my research, is the least expensive convertible available in America today. I have to confess that while being truly drawn to the uniqueness, still and design of the smart THE thing that pushed me over the edge was the ability to have my mid-life crisis convertible and a reasonable price.

The sun shining down through my open cabrio is just as bright and pure as that through the top of a Vette, a Boxster, a Miata or a 60's classic gas guzzler.

While I'd love to be hitting MPG in the high 40s, I'll settle for the smiles per mile factor that my cabrio puts on my craggy old face every time I drive "Charlie".

(I will now step off of the soap box.)

[mvukovich]

We haven't had the top down yet, still snowing and cold. I have to say we are getting good gas mileage. We have 2000 miles on the car, and drive 21 miles each way to work 55mph. We are using only 4 gallons of gas per week, 5 trips per week.

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by smartSparky

Hey fellow cab owners,

I'm very curious as what your experience has been with mileage on your cabrio. Specifically:

Do you notice any significant mileage difference with the top up or down?

Do you notice any difference in your MPG due to the added weight of the cabrio top?

Do you notice any handling differences with the top open or closed?

Thanks! smartSparky

I once owned two semi-identical, same-year VW Karman-Ghias; one a coupe and one a cabrio. The coupe always did 3-5 MPG better, probably more to do with cabrio's signaficanly heavier weight than with its sometimes top down.

[smartSparky]

Originally Posted by Old smart

I once owned two semi-identical, same-year VW Karman-Ghias; one a coupe and one a cabrio. The coupe always did 3-5 MPG better, probably more to do with cabrio's signaficanly heavier weight than with its sometimes top down.

That's the direction my thinking is going in. I noticed in the manual that the GVW for the cabrio is about 200 lbs. more for the cab than the pure/passion.

My only thought was, going back to the old wisdom, (myth), that it's better to drive with your windows up and AC on than AC off and windows down due to drag, that perhaps I am creating significant drag at freeway speeds with the top open, (first position).

Since I'm still under 1,000 mi.. it's hard to know if this week's improvement was due to the top up or simply normal MPG climb due to engine run-in. I'll keep monitoring and testing, (when I can stand to drive in a cage), and post my results after I hit the magic 1,000.

Thanks for your thoughts.