Only getting 20mpg.. is this real life?
05-11-2011, 07:04 PM
#1
Only getting 20mpg.. is this real life?
I drive about 50% highway and 50% stop and go. Add premium gas and I want to shoot myself. Any advice on how to keep from committing suicide?
p.s. I drive an 04 auto TL
p.s. I drive an 04 auto TL
05-11-2011, 07:09 PM
#2
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Several questions:
Do you have aftermarket wheels? Wider than stock tires?
Is your air filter clean?
Have you ever done a full tank doing highway only?
Do you have aftermarket wheels? Wider than stock tires?
Is your air filter clean?
Have you ever done a full tank doing highway only?
05-11-2011, 07:11 PM
#3
Racer
That's a little on the low side but not horrible. I get between 22-25 mpg mostly city driving. Look on the bright side at least you don't have a full size truck with a 24 gallon tank that gets 12-15 in the city.
05-11-2011, 07:16 PM
#6
Several questions:
Do you have aftermarket wheels? Wider than stock tires? Aftermarket 17" wheels. Not sure about tire size, they came on the car (just bought the car 2 weeks ago)
Is your air filter clean? No idea, will check tomorrow.
Have you ever done a full tank doing highway only?
Do you have aftermarket wheels? Wider than stock tires? Aftermarket 17" wheels. Not sure about tire size, they came on the car (just bought the car 2 weeks ago)
Is your air filter clean? No idea, will check tomorrow.
Have you ever done a full tank doing highway only?
05-11-2011, 07:18 PM
#7
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There are factory recommended services but it also depends on how it has been treated over the years.
Your car SHOULD get high 20's using A/C during freeway driving.
Your car SHOULD get high 20's using A/C during freeway driving.
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05-11-2011, 07:19 PM
#8
MID? I probably average 15-20MPH sadly enough. I accelerate pretty hard because he first gear is all or nothing IMO. My total distance traveled was around 300 miles in about 14 gallons, but that was when I drove 50% highway before I moved closer to work
05-11-2011, 07:21 PM
#9
That's what I thought, and that's why I'm sad. I bought the car expecting about 25-28mpg. I should have looked at the trip comp when I test drove it, facepalm.
05-11-2011, 07:28 PM
#10
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Mixed driving should get you 22 or 23 mpg. But if your average MPH is in the 20's, you're doing some serious time at red lights.
05-11-2011, 07:41 PM
#11
05-11-2011, 07:48 PM
#12
3G TL/2G MDX Owner
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18-19 mpg, avg speed 21-23 mph. mixed city/hwy (60/40). a little bit of a lead foot.
all hwy, 26 mpg, avg speed 56 mph.
bearing in mind this is WITH a gas sucking roof rack.
sorry gogators...its real. idle time will eat your mpgs. it is what it is, can't do anything about gas prices, so...we suck it up or find alternative means to offset the gas expenses (ie ride a bike, public transportation, carpool, telecommute, trade the TL for a (gasp) smart car or a hybrid or just eat out less, bring your lunch to work, brew your own coffee, eat ramen, etc (i think you get my drift)). just go enjoy the car...we're all having to pay for the overpriced gas.
all hwy, 26 mpg, avg speed 56 mph.
bearing in mind this is WITH a gas sucking roof rack.
sorry gogators...its real. idle time will eat your mpgs. it is what it is, can't do anything about gas prices, so...we suck it up or find alternative means to offset the gas expenses (ie ride a bike, public transportation, carpool, telecommute, trade the TL for a (gasp) smart car or a hybrid or just eat out less, bring your lunch to work, brew your own coffee, eat ramen, etc (i think you get my drift)). just go enjoy the car...we're all having to pay for the overpriced gas.
05-11-2011, 08:05 PM
#13
Not another one of these threads.
Premium gas only adds $100 a YEAR.
They are so many threads regarding this. City driving will get you 15 MPG. All highway will get you 28+. Tires, added weight, and A/C are some reasons that could greatly effect gas mileage.
YOU LOSE GAS MORE GAS WHEN YOU HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN PAST 35 MPH THEN HAVING THE A/C ON.
Premium gas only adds $100 a YEAR.
They are so many threads regarding this. City driving will get you 15 MPG. All highway will get you 28+. Tires, added weight, and A/C are some reasons that could greatly effect gas mileage.
YOU LOSE GAS MORE GAS WHEN YOU HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN PAST 35 MPH THEN HAVING THE A/C ON.
05-11-2011, 08:36 PM
#14
3G TL/2G MDX Owner
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Not another one of these threads.
Premium gas only adds $100 a YEAR.
They are so many threads regarding this. City driving will get you 15 MPG. All highway will get you 28+. Tires, added weight, and A/C are some reasons that could greatly effect gas mileage.
YOU LOSE GAS MORE GAS WHEN YOU HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN PAST 35 MPH THEN HAVING THE A/C ON.
Premium gas only adds $100 a YEAR.
They are so many threads regarding this. City driving will get you 15 MPG. All highway will get you 28+. Tires, added weight, and A/C are some reasons that could greatly effect gas mileage.
YOU LOSE GAS MORE GAS WHEN YOU HAVE THE WINDOWS OPEN PAST 35 MPH THEN HAVING THE A/C ON.
05-11-2011, 08:47 PM
#15
The EPA fuel economy estimate does not mean diddley when you are stuck in traffic.
I've averaged about 21 MPG over the last 50K miles.
OP- you can always buy a siphon and drain cars that park too close to you... there is a thread about that.
I've averaged about 21 MPG over the last 50K miles.
OP- you can always buy a siphon and drain cars that park too close to you... there is a thread about that.
05-11-2011, 09:01 PM
#18
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who's here drive with windows down all the time???
05-11-2011, 09:03 PM
#19
18-19 mpg, avg speed 21-23 mph. mixed city/hwy (60/40). a little bit of a lead foot.
all hwy, 26 mpg, avg speed 56 mph.
bearing in mind this is WITH a gas sucking roof rack.
sorry gogators...its real. idle time will eat your mpgs. it is what it is, can't do anything about gas prices, so...we suck it up or find alternative means to offset the gas expenses (ie ride a bike, public transportation, carpool, telecommute, trade the TL for a (gasp) smart car or a hybrid or just eat out less, bring your lunch to work, brew your own coffee, eat ramen, etc (i think you get my drift)). just go enjoy the car...we're all having to pay for the overpriced gas.
all hwy, 26 mpg, avg speed 56 mph.
bearing in mind this is WITH a gas sucking roof rack.
sorry gogators...its real. idle time will eat your mpgs. it is what it is, can't do anything about gas prices, so...we suck it up or find alternative means to offset the gas expenses (ie ride a bike, public transportation, carpool, telecommute, trade the TL for a (gasp) smart car or a hybrid or just eat out less, bring your lunch to work, brew your own coffee, eat ramen, etc (i think you get my drift)). just go enjoy the car...we're all having to pay for the overpriced gas.
I will have to sacrifice poor fuel economy for the life of luxury in my loaded leather TL with an ICE COLD a/c
05-12-2011, 12:25 AM
#25
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hha ya i always laugh at how fast tls eat gas but what can you do im not sure how many mpg i get but i know for full tank i get 400-430km(canadian haha) for full tank
05-12-2011, 08:52 AM
#28
7th Gear
I just purchased a 2008 TL and I will be picking it up next week. I am hoping for better fuel economy than what everyone else is getting but I do not think that will happen. I was looking at 2008 G35 but I have read that those cars make TLs look like a Handa Fit when it comes to fuel economy
05-12-2011, 10:28 AM
#30
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Sorry, long post about to insue 
. First, you're not going to get very good mileage with any car in an urban city environment. The physics involved with stop and go traffic suck. Sure, you'd get better with a lighter car with a smaller engine, but frequently stopping and accelerating requires a great deal of energy regardless of the car. However, the TL is capable of good mileage if you drive it right, even if your driving is urban or suburban. I drive 22 miles to work and pass 19 traffic lights in that 22 miles, of which I usually hit 1/3 of red. I get approximately 28-30 MPG.
It's all about driving style IMO. Coasting up to red lights rather than gunning it then hitting the breaks, accelerating slowly (not necessarily grandma style, just not WOT), even turning off the car at red lights you know are going to be over a minute or two. Keeping the car at an ideal RPM, which is not necessarily the lowest BTW (1200-2000RPM is usually better than 900RPM in 6th gear trying to go up a hill). Don't tailgate people since you might have to hit your breaks more often. Remember, every time you hit the breaks, you're wasting energy. Also, it can differ from car to car, but typically it's better to stay in the 60-70MPH range on the freeway rather than the 75+MPH. Wind resistance exponentially increases when you get going that fast. I know you're doing a lot of urban driving so that may not be helpful but a tip nonetheless.
Fuel economy is all about physics. Gas (chemical energy) heads to the engine which transfers it to mechanical energy which can either do one of two things: transfer it to heat on your brake pads and rotors, or move the car forward. The goal is to make more of the energy move the car forward and less of it turning into wasted heat. Brakes are the #1 MPG killer. If we never had to hit our breaks we'd all get 30MPG which is why freeway mileage is the highest. It has less to do with how fast you're going. It's more about the fact that you're not wasting energy on brakes. I know, easier said than done. Of course you have to use your breaks. But if you don't tail people and try to ease up to lights you can save a lot of energy. Also, ever try to push a large stationary object (large snowball, boulder, etc.)? It's a PITA (pain in the ass). But have you tried to keep something moving once it's already moving? Much easier because much less energy is required to keep an object in motion than moving a stationary object. Just because it's the engine pushing the car rather than you, it doesn't change the physics. Again, ease up to lights (and make the occasional california stop when appropriate).
Very little of my mileage is highway, maybe 30% at most. Punch it when you need to, but drive chill the rest of the time. And get all that maintenance done. A clean engine is an efficient engine. Remove unnecessary crap from the car (see "TL on a diet" thread if you really want to go big).
I say all this not to brag about MPG, but to try to help us TL drivers to get better mileage than the majority of bland 4-banger family sedans out while still enjoying the power, style and luxury of a nice vehicle. My carpool partner drives a base Camry. It's a very boring gutless car in my opinion
(no hate on Toyota, I own a Sienna . Just sayin it like it is). Yet I get better mileage than her because she drives like an idiot. Constantly gunning it up to lights then hitting the breaks, tailing people all the time. Constantly accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking. And she wonders why she gets 23MPG and I'm getting 30MPG+ in a luxury sport sedan with twice the power as her anemic Camry. Physics my friends. Physics.
. First, you're not going to get very good mileage with any car in an urban city environment. The physics involved with stop and go traffic suck. Sure, you'd get better with a lighter car with a smaller engine, but frequently stopping and accelerating requires a great deal of energy regardless of the car. However, the TL is capable of good mileage if you drive it right, even if your driving is urban or suburban. I drive 22 miles to work and pass 19 traffic lights in that 22 miles, of which I usually hit 1/3 of red. I get approximately 28-30 MPG. It's all about driving style IMO. Coasting up to red lights rather than gunning it then hitting the breaks, accelerating slowly (not necessarily grandma style, just not WOT), even turning off the car at red lights you know are going to be over a minute or two. Keeping the car at an ideal RPM, which is not necessarily the lowest BTW (1200-2000RPM is usually better than 900RPM in 6th gear trying to go up a hill). Don't tailgate people since you might have to hit your breaks more often. Remember, every time you hit the breaks, you're wasting energy. Also, it can differ from car to car, but typically it's better to stay in the 60-70MPH range on the freeway rather than the 75+MPH. Wind resistance exponentially increases when you get going that fast. I know you're doing a lot of urban driving so that may not be helpful but a tip nonetheless.
Fuel economy is all about physics. Gas (chemical energy) heads to the engine which transfers it to mechanical energy which can either do one of two things: transfer it to heat on your brake pads and rotors, or move the car forward. The goal is to make more of the energy move the car forward and less of it turning into wasted heat. Brakes are the #1 MPG killer. If we never had to hit our breaks we'd all get 30MPG which is why freeway mileage is the highest. It has less to do with how fast you're going. It's more about the fact that you're not wasting energy on brakes. I know, easier said than done. Of course you have to use your breaks. But if you don't tail people and try to ease up to lights you can save a lot of energy. Also, ever try to push a large stationary object (large snowball, boulder, etc.)? It's a PITA (pain in the ass). But have you tried to keep something moving once it's already moving? Much easier because much less energy is required to keep an object in motion than moving a stationary object. Just because it's the engine pushing the car rather than you, it doesn't change the physics. Again, ease up to lights (and make the occasional california stop when appropriate
).Very little of my mileage is highway, maybe 30% at most. Punch it when you need to, but drive chill the rest of the time. And get all that maintenance done. A clean engine is an efficient engine. Remove unnecessary crap from the car (see "TL on a diet" thread if you really want to go big).
I say all this not to brag about MPG, but to try to help us TL drivers to get better mileage than the majority of bland 4-banger family sedans out while still enjoying the power, style and luxury of a nice vehicle. My carpool partner drives a base Camry. It's a very boring gutless car in my opinion
(no hate on Toyota, I own a Sienna . Just sayin it like it is). Yet I get better mileage than her because she drives like an idiot. Constantly gunning it up to lights then hitting the breaks, tailing people all the time. Constantly accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking, accelerating and braking. And she wonders why she gets 23MPG and I'm getting 30MPG+ in a luxury sport sedan with twice the power as her anemic Camry. Physics my friends. Physics.
05-12-2011, 10:32 AM
#31
Different brands of gasoline can also make a difference, especially in the winter months when gas companies use different blends.
Try to stick to Shell, Chevron, Mobil, Sunoco and you may see a slight increase in MPGs
Try to stick to Shell, Chevron, Mobil, Sunoco and you may see a slight increase in MPGs
05-12-2011, 12:17 PM
#32
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i have no idea if my indicator is crazy, or if is my driving style or the dynomax resonator combined with aem v2 CAI i have but mines always says AVG MPG 11-14 max i have yet to see at 20 and up. i have to admit i have those heavy all-season mats and 2 baby car seats with my aspecs 18x8.5 with brand new tires which i don't know if is having any impact on saving gas.
05-12-2011, 12:32 PM
#33
Senior Moderator
i have no idea if my indicator is crazy, or if is my driving style or the dynomax resonator combined with aem v2 CAI i have but mines always says AVG MPG 11-14 max i have yet to see at 20 and up. i have to admit i have those heavy all-season mats and 2 baby car seats with my aspecs 18x8.5 with brand new tires which i don't know if is having any impact on saving gas.
05-12-2011, 01:43 PM
#35
i have no idea if my indicator is crazy, or if is my driving style or the dynomax resonator combined with aem v2 CAI i have but mines always says AVG MPG 11-14 max i have yet to see at 20 and up. i have to admit i have those heavy all-season mats and 2 baby car seats with my aspecs 18x8.5 with brand new tires which i don't know if is having any impact on saving gas.
05-12-2011, 01:49 PM
#36
I too live in Atlanta area and having the same problem. I have everything factory on my car. New air filter, new tires 2 months ago and checked air pressure.
I drive interstate in the am and back streets in the afternoon and I don't drive aggressive either..
I drive interstate in the am and back streets in the afternoon and I don't drive aggressive either..
05-12-2011, 02:40 PM
#37
Team Owner
Son of a bitch! Does anyone ever search? This is brought up once a week and it plays out exactly the same. It's amazing this is still brought up.
Note your average MPH according to the MID
Note your average MPG according to the MID
"50% city and 50% highway" is not accurate.
Compare your average MPH and MPG to the other 100 threads like this and you will soon realize your getting normal mpg for your average speed.
Mine shows 10mpg for an average of 7mph. It's normal for that mph. On the freeway it still knocks down 32mpg.
Note your average MPH according to the MID
Note your average MPG according to the MID
"50% city and 50% highway" is not accurate.
Compare your average MPH and MPG to the other 100 threads like this and you will soon realize your getting normal mpg for your average speed.
Mine shows 10mpg for an average of 7mph. It's normal for that mph. On the freeway it still knocks down 32mpg.
05-12-2011, 02:44 PM
#38
A6 and TL
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I filled up 10 gallons premium fuel last week ($55) and now I have to fill up today because the light is on. Traveled total distance of 56 miles since last fill up. I think I am going to cut back my "spirited" driving habits. Lets see how that goes. I average 18MPG. 2008 TL with 22k miles.
05-12-2011, 02:49 PM
#39
I'm Craig
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Son of a bitch! Does anyone ever search? This is brought up once a week and it plays out exactly the same. It's amazing this is still brought up.
Note your average MPH according to the MID
Note your average MPG according to the MID
"50% city and 50% highway" is not accurate.
Compare your average MPH and MPG to the other 100 threads like this and you will soon realize your getting normal mpg for your average speed.
Mine shows 10mpg for an average of 7mph. It's normal for that mph. On the freeway it still knocks down 32mpg.
Note your average MPH according to the MID
Note your average MPG according to the MID
"50% city and 50% highway" is not accurate.
Compare your average MPH and MPG to the other 100 threads like this and you will soon realize your getting normal mpg for your average speed.
Mine shows 10mpg for an average of 7mph. It's normal for that mph. On the freeway it still knocks down 32mpg.
And honestly, 20MPG is about average for mixed driving. I do mostly city driving with maybe 10% highway driving and I average at about 18-19MPG. Driving gently helps greatly. Drive like a jackass (I did when I first got the car, it was fun) and you'll murder your fuel economy. Doing purely highway driving, you should average around 30MPG. Knowing the car requires premium fuel is something to factor in when buying a car.
05-12-2011, 02:52 PM
#40
I'm Craig
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