City MPG ***UPDATE***
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 99
From: OH
Just for reference I get 30 MPG city with spirited driving, but I am MT. Not sure what the AT MPG loss is, if it is significant. I get 35 MPG city when shifting at approx AT shift points (shift a little early). Bone stock, Ohio.
20-23 MPG (your original number) seems way off though, even for AT.
Also, the Nitrogen is doing anything for you, so if you pay extra for that you can stop and save your $.
20-23 MPG (your original number) seems way off though, even for AT.
Also, the Nitrogen is doing anything for you, so if you pay extra for that you can stop and save your $.
Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 554
From: Orange County
Umm.. I just filled up. I'm getting 23.6 mpg on 100% city, but about 35 on freeway today. I'm on sport AT. It must be the short trips & warm ups that's been killing my MPG. By the time I get to my destination, my tires probably just started warming up. Also, only 1200 miles on the car so far, so I'm gonna have to wait and see to draw a complete conclusion.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 450
From: Austin, TX
City driving will KILL your fuel efficiency. Absolutely SLAUGHTER it.
If you really want to see what your car is capable of, you need to take a short freeway roadtrip. I'd recommend filling up, then driving at least 200 miles on a freeway. Then fill up and calculate.
It's also known that your engine will still be breaking in if you're under ~10k miles. I'm about 500 shy of that mark, but can tell the economy is coming up just slightly.
Check into the ScanGauge II. Read a bit in the thread about it. It looks like a great way to get instantaneous feedback on your driving habits. I have one on order.
I'm thinking about doing an experiment once I get it - See what my highway efficiency is like, then do the SRI and test the same, on the same day, so conditions will be similar enough to get good results.
If you really want to see what your car is capable of, you need to take a short freeway roadtrip. I'd recommend filling up, then driving at least 200 miles on a freeway. Then fill up and calculate.
It's also known that your engine will still be breaking in if you're under ~10k miles. I'm about 500 shy of that mark, but can tell the economy is coming up just slightly.
Check into the ScanGauge II. Read a bit in the thread about it. It looks like a great way to get instantaneous feedback on your driving habits. I have one on order.
I'm thinking about doing an experiment once I get it - See what my highway efficiency is like, then do the SRI and test the same, on the same day, so conditions will be similar enough to get good results.
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,584
From: Memphis, TN
City driving will KILL your fuel efficiency. Absolutely SLAUGHTER it.
If you really want to see what your car is capable of, you need to take a short freeway roadtrip. I'd recommend filling up, then driving at least 200 miles on a freeway. Then fill up and calculate.
It's also known that your engine will still be breaking in if you're under ~10k miles. I'm about 500 shy of that mark, but can tell the economy is coming up just slightly.
Check into the ScanGauge II. Read a bit in the thread about it. It looks like a great way to get instantaneous feedback on your driving habits. I have one on order.
I'm thinking about doing an experiment once I get it - See what my highway efficiency is like, then do the SRI and test the same, on the same day, so conditions will be similar enough to get good results.
If you really want to see what your car is capable of, you need to take a short freeway roadtrip. I'd recommend filling up, then driving at least 200 miles on a freeway. Then fill up and calculate.
It's also known that your engine will still be breaking in if you're under ~10k miles. I'm about 500 shy of that mark, but can tell the economy is coming up just slightly.
Check into the ScanGauge II. Read a bit in the thread about it. It looks like a great way to get instantaneous feedback on your driving habits. I have one on order.
I'm thinking about doing an experiment once I get it - See what my highway efficiency is like, then do the SRI and test the same, on the same day, so conditions will be similar enough to get good results.
Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 99
From: OH
Sounds like city driving + AT = worse MPG. Worse than I thought. I don't know how, but I get 30 MPG in the city on average when driving like usual (somewhat spirited). I guess because it is not bumper to bumper, there are a few stretches where I get up to decent speeds. MT helps too I guess...
Sounds like city driving + AT = worse MPG. Worse than I thought. I don't know how, but I get 30 MPG in the city on average when driving like usual (somewhat spirited). I guess because it is not bumper to bumper, there are a few stretches where I get up to decent speeds. MT helps too I guess...
After having this AT for a year, I have my theory on this now.
The AT programing tells the tranny to choose the highest gear possible when driving, so it upshifts often. This puts the engine below it's powerband and below it's peak torque range.
In city driving, you are constantly increasing and decreasing speed. Once it upshifts, you must tip the throttle a certain percentage in before the tranny kicks down to a lower gear. During that lag time, you are having to dump the gas to it to get any meaningfull accelleration.
So you are out of the powerband for most of the time you're driving.
With a MT, you control where you are in the rev range and thus you can stay in the powerband. The engine is performing much more efficiently.
I would further postulate that with an AT if you go into Sport mode and manual shift with the paddles, you could also control the powerband much better in stop and go city traffic, and get better mileage.
I am going to try driving for an entire tank in manual mode and see how it does.
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 450
From: Austin, TX
I agree with Sid. One reason ATs get poorer fuel economy in city driving is that the downshifting TAKES power to accomplish.
I'd try using Sport mode during city driving, except I find the paddles being ON the steering wheel make it difficult sometimes. When you're in the middle of a turn, sometimes it's hard to hit the paddle you want!
Cojaro, once I get the ScanGauge and get it set up so it's reading reliably, I'll get the components for the SRI and do a drive-install-drive test and compare fuel economy readings at highway speeds.
I do want to note that it may not give the same results after the engine has been run for a while - the ECU will relearn the air/fuel map, which could affect the fuel economy (hopefully positively). However, being able to see right away how much difference the SRI can make will be helpful.
I'd try using Sport mode during city driving, except I find the paddles being ON the steering wheel make it difficult sometimes. When you're in the middle of a turn, sometimes it's hard to hit the paddle you want!
Cojaro, once I get the ScanGauge and get it set up so it's reading reliably, I'll get the components for the SRI and do a drive-install-drive test and compare fuel economy readings at highway speeds.
I do want to note that it may not give the same results after the engine has been run for a while - the ECU will relearn the air/fuel map, which could affect the fuel economy (hopefully positively). However, being able to see right away how much difference the SRI can make will be helpful.
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