MPG Numbers

[GSX_TC]

When I was driving to the shootout in the VR4 from Cali to Ohio in 2011, I got 28 miles to the gallon passing through Texas during the day when it was hot. I was on the old 2g piston 1g rod motor combo on stock maf, stock injectors, walboro 255, and an EVO III big 16G.

 

[fuel]

Quoting Barnes:
Kinda curious what kind of effect a properly setup cyclone intake manifold would have on MPG.


I'm getting about the same MPG around 20-24 with my 99% stock JDM VR-4 with cyclone, 510cc injectors, 20G (though was the same with the B16G), 3.909 ratio/evo close ratio box etc.

 

[JCorbo25]

I've been getting ~16mpg on my short commute (6 miles each way). I was getting ~19-20mpg on mixed driving.

I have a lead foot and my car still could use some more maintenance.

S16G, full 3" turbo back, open air filter... that's about it.

 

[matt92vr4]

16 seems a bit low even with a lead foot. I was getting 18 on my stock ecu that had a burn hole in it.

 

[maxash0775]

How is it all the tuned cars with larger injectors are getting better MPG than my bone stock car. I am only getting around 17MPG. This is mostly street driving but where I live there few stops between work and home. Please help!! I find myself missing my Honda for its MPG and I feel so guilty for it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif

 

[James]

It's the tuned part...

It's all in the tune!

 

[Barnes]

It's much more than the tune. Unfortunately there are almost too many variables to compare here. Here's a few that can make MPG vary wildly from one person to the next:

0) Accuracy/Methodology of MPG calculation
1) Driving Style (throttle input, shifting style, braking points,etc)
2) Driving type (highway/freeway)
3) Traffic
4) Condition of car (stock or otherwise)
5) Gasoline (octane, E85, E10, etc)
6) Altitude
7) Tire Pressure
8) Tire size/type
9) Alignment
10)Vehicle Weight


Point is, be careful with comparisons from one car to the other. I think if we don't even have a consistent and accurate way for calculating gas mileage, the whole conversation is almost a non-starter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[Wizardawd]

When we first bought 17/2000, we took it on an 6,000 miles summer trip. Once from SD to the coast of NC and back. Then 2 weeks later went to the SO and back. I would get right around 29mpg, and my wife managed 32mpg. City mileage I have never figured out, but guessing around the 18-20 range. It's been our DD for the last couple years and average 250-275 miles on a tank.

Wiz

 

[vr4play]

My street car gets about 17 average. My auto-x car was getting 28 on the highway and about 3 on course. I don't know about city cause I rarely drive it on the street.

 

[slugsgomoo]

Barnes, I got way better mileage with the high compression motor back when I was daily driving the car. with the 7.8:1 motor I was getting ~19.5 mixed and about 22 with freeway only. With the 9:1 2.0 I was out of boost a lot more unless I really wanted it, while still having power to accelerate faster than a prius- I was getting ~21 mixed and about 26 freeway. On the 2006 Mt. St. Helens run I did a pull over 150mph and was in boost most of the way up the mountain. Still averaged 25.5mpg from Auburn, WA to the observatory and back. I think high compression and a decent tune is probably the biggest factor outside of issues with tires & alignment.

That said, if you have a stand alone ECU or v3 and can set your lean burn AFR to be much leaner than 14.7:1 and go up to 15.4-15.8:1 MPG should dramatically improve, though NOX emissions should go up pretty dramatically.

 

[prove_it]

Quoting maxash0775:
How is it all the tuned cars with larger injectors are getting better MPG than my bone stock car. I am only getting around 17MPG. This is mostly street driving but where I live there few stops between work and home. Please help!! I find myself missing my Honda for its MPG and I feel so guilty for it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bawling.gif



Because the factory ecu code runs the engine stupid rich to prevent knock and improve reliability. Also the factory tune loves to kick over to open loop often. Honda's get the mileage they do because of minimal drive train loss and lean factory tunes.

Tuning makes power because it optimizes the fuel mixture at all times. Even a bone stock car will make 10-15whp more with a tune.

Oh and Barnes is right. There are so many variables that effect mileage. I work for a dealer and believe me explaining that concept is hard. Did forget the thinkness of all drive train fluids will effect MPG

 

[EatonM90]

Wow what a tonne of replies. Didn't think this'd be a much talked about thing.

Thanks for all the answers. I have done lots of research and read some old magazine articles but couldn't find some solid MPG numbers from actual owners. I know the two cars I've owned either got much better or slightly worse than what was in the literature.

I'm shocked to hear the sub-20 numbers, I know once I worked on my turbo car it got faster and better MPG. Wasn't a Galant or Evo, but I will say that you can unlock a lot of potential with the right parts(it seems). On my car now some of the air intake routing is pretty poor, and there are any number of reason I guess why you'd make intake tubing look like a Slinky I guess. Unfortunately I don't think I do better than you all and I'm 100% factory (minus tires).

 

[ducttapeguy]

In my Galant I would get around 13MPG of highly spirited driving. Not speed as much as acceleration to the speed limit and a few good long pulls to make my day better. That was also a basically non-existent tune. On the way to Tx from upstate Ny I averaged around 20-22 in normal highway driving until I got to Ct. In Ct Phil(DynastyLCD) gave me a tune and from there I was making gobs more power and averaged 25MPG for the rest of my trip. All done on the tires recommended pressure, full weight, cruise control, 7.8 compression, 750s, t42 t4 turbo kit, FMIC, link v3 and a few other basic mods. Im pretty sure I ended up with boost leaks and other small issues by the time I got to Tx so Im betting if the car had been in tip top shape and had given Phil a little bit more time I could have been scratching 30MPG

 

[dandanger]

Pure relaxed driving in the highway at summer I can get about 24MPG. My daily work route I get about 19, about 7 miles mixed city-highway. I've been tracking my fuel consumption for years cause gasoline is so expensive here: click

Car is almost stock jdm '91. Haven't noticed any change in fuel consumption after any changes made..