144 miles a day

[smarteepants]

[quote=SuperGeek;85948]Just for kicks... try Chevron or Texaco premium. Avoid the cheap discount gas if you can for a tank or two, and see if that helps. And try lowering your speed to 70mph if possible. I noticed a difference in MPG between 65MPH (44mpg, testing one full tank) and 75MPH (40mpg, testing one full tank). I believe the sweet spot is under 70MPH but I could be wrong. Also MPG changes with driving habits, so even on the highway if you change gas pedal position enough to engine brake, you're wasting energy. Likewise, RPMS over 4k when starting out will consume far more gas than RPMs at 2500-3000.

Plus, you're in Utah, mountain country... even the hills have hills. Ease off just a bit on the gas and try to crest one of those hills at 65MPH instead of 80, and your MPGs will improve. If the car has to downshift, it uses 50-100% more gas during that time.







Thanks supergeek. Also, the high altitude here may hurt my fuel economy. The elevation here is 5800 ft and I rarely get below 4000 unless I head to Las vegas. It would be curious to know if anyone else out there has similar gas mileage driving in high altitudes

[cosmart]

Originally Posted by smarteepants

I'd sure like to know how you guys are getting such good fuel economy. I'm only getting 39 mpg on the highway doing 75-80 mph with no a/c and I've put over 3000 miles on it so far. Maybe Utah just has lousy gas and I've used both the 91 octane which is the highest I've seen here and middle-grade 88 and there's no difference in performance or fuel economy. I've heard that shell gas is good but we don't have it in my town.

There is a huge difference in wind resistance between 65 mph and 80 mph.

I know it is almost impossible to imagine going 65 on I-15, but you would easily see 10-15% higher mileage at 65 vs. 80. This is why Tom gets 45mpg, Dick gets 40mpg and Harry gets 35mpg. It is all about how you drive, and mostly how fast you drive. The smart is fairly aerodynamic, but there is a pretty large frontal area. Try a 100 mile experiment at 65mph and you'll see.

[angel]

Originally Posted by smarteepants

I'd sure like to know how you guys are getting such good fuel economy. I'm only getting 39 mpg on the highway doing 75-80 mph with no a/c and I've put over 3000 miles on it so far. Maybe Utah just has lousy gas and I've used both the 91 octane which is the highest I've seen here and middle-grade 88 and there's no difference in performance or fuel economy. I've heard that shell gas is good but we don't have it in my town.

I take it really easy accelerating most times. There's only one good size hill I have to worry about and I'll usually try to draft behind a big truck going up it. Instead of doing 80 like was the norm before now I keep it closer to 70. And behind the big truck up the hill I normally back down to 60 or 65. {Since the hill usually kicks their butts and they slow down too.} I have a long exit ramp and usually let off the gas as soon as I hit the entrance and coast to the light. {It's ALWAYS red!} And then my ramp to get back on the highway on the way home is rather long. So I have a long slow acceleration.

If I'm in rush hourS then I try to leave room between me and the car in front of me so I'm slowing down instead of speeding up and stopping. People take advantage of the space but it still works to my mpg advantage.

Don't know if fuel makes a difference but I use Top Tier premium {93 octane} gasoline. I know there are the naysayers about Top Tier but it's done well for me so I continue to use it.

I found I get my best mpg in automatic. I've done manual and auto. Sometimes I do manual just for the fun of it. But auto gives me my best mpg. Play around with it and see which one works best for you.

Oh, our premium here is 93 octane. Don't know if that makes a difference or not.

[SmartCabrio]

Originally Posted by smarteepants

I'd sure like to know how you guys are getting such good fuel economy. I'm only getting 39 mpg on the highway doing 75-80 mph with no a/c and I've put over 3000 miles on it so far. Maybe Utah just has lousy gas and I've used both the 91 octane which is the highest I've seen here and middle-grade 88 and there's no difference in performance or fuel economy. I've heard that shell gas is good but we don't have it in my town.

I think that you'll find that slowing down (like a couple others have said here) will help out dramatically. Honestly, after the first week of me slowing from 75-80 mph to 65-70 mph, I got used to driving slower and saw gains around 4-5 mpg average. I also buy into the "more miles, better mpg" theory... whether it be mechanical or the driver getting used to being behind the wheel, I've seen an average increase in that respect as well.

[curtis]

i've never figured out what my mpg's are...

[Garbage Man]

If I'm hearing you all, the mileage gets better after a few 1000 miles. My second tank was 42.5

[angel]

Originally Posted by Garbage Man

If I'm hearing you all, the mileage gets better after a few 1000 miles. My second tank was 42.5

Here's mine thus far ....

Originally Posted by angel

Started at 14 miles. Dealership filled tank.
1st: odo 221. Gallons 7.282 60hwy/40city. manual. all a/c. some rush hours.
2nd: odo 400 Gallons 5.000 70hwy/30city. auto. 1/3 a/c. some rush hours.
3rd: odo 602 Gallons 4.799 50hwy/50city. auto. 1/3 a/c. some rush hours.
4th: odo 752 Gallons 3.976 mostly rush hours auto & manual all a/c
5th: odo 1051 Gallons 9.001 all hwy fully loaded & 2 adults. auto. all a/c.
6th: odo 1286 Gallons 6.128 all hwy/some drafting. auto. all a/c.
7th: odo 1518 Gallons 5.001 40hwy/60city. auto. all a/c. some rush hours.
8th: odo 1637 Gallons 2.561 40hwy/60city. auto. all a/c. some rush hours.

Estimated mpgs:
1st: 28.4
2nd: 35.8
3rd: 42.1
4th: 37.7
5th: 33.2
6th: 38.3
7th: 46.4
8th: 46.5

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by smarteepants

I'd sure like to know how you guys are getting such good fuel economy. I'm only getting 39 mpg on the highway doing 75-80 mph.

that could be you're answer...some of the better mpgs above were under 70mph

[unicycle]

Originally Posted by mikeaponte77

176 round trip, 52 MPG, AC on, 70MPH Steady ride!!! Radio Blasting!!!

Are you SURE you're really getting 52 mpg? That seems a bit high, esp since you're blasting the AC and the speed. I'd imagine you'd be getting more like the low 40s at best. I forget whether you have a ScanGauge.

I drive 170 miles a day on the hway and another 20-30 in town. My mileage (verified both on the SG and by recording EVERY fillup so far, is 43-45 mpg. I'm on my 12th tank so far (in under 4 weeks). I drive 55-61 mph, I'd say, and occasionally draft behind slow-moving trucks when conditions permit. I try to avoid the AC.

[slowpoke]

Just did the math: undelievered Smart 40mpg against my current 5spd Camaro at 28mpg/800miles a week base on $4.00 gas will save me $30.00 aweek ( I figured in .20 upgrade for hi-test) $120 a month will pay for the insurance I am sure