How many MPG do you get?

I have a 05 MCS, a little over 1100 miles on the car, never rev beyond 4000rpm, 70% on freeway, 30% on city.
I've been manually calculated my MPG and it's average around 22.5mpg .. that's really bad from a small 1.6liters .. My BMW 330 gets better MPG and I redline that car most of the time.

Is that normal???

 

Dumb question , but you keep in 6th on the highway? The 2005's are slightly worse on fuel than the 2004's (mostly due to gear ratios), but thats pretty horrible. The average I typically get with about 80% higheway @ 77MPH average "ish" and 20% city (stop and go, but to/from 50MPH) is about 29MPG real-world on a 2004. I shift around 4,000RPM, sometimes 4,500...

I did notice my econ went up after about 2,500MI and and oil change at 3,000MI. Was averaging around 26MPG when it was brand new...

 

The MCS is not sold as a "Fuel Miser" car, it is above all marketed and tuned as the performance model of MINI. If gas mileage was your top priority, you should have gone with the Cooper model instead.

The MCS 1.6L engine and gearbox ratios are tuned for performance, not fuel economy. Just think, a force induction 1600cc engine, churning out 168HP and a Getrag 6-speed tranny tuned for performance.....6th gear is not even overdrive!!

Anyone that buys the MCS under the assumption that the car's main mission is to save you fuel, you are sadly being misled.

 

Our '04 MCS gets about 25 to 30 MPG average, with a lot of surface street driving. (On board computer says I average about 30 MPH speed, but tend to go about 75 to 80 MPH on road trips over freeways). My odometer is at about 3500 right now. I hear that around 3500 to 4000 miles, the fuel consumption gets better. A lot depends on how you get up and go from the stop lights too!
I use Chevron Techroline 91 or Shell V-Power 91 exclusively!

 

This topic pops up in threads every few months. Do a search and you will find many many responses to your question; you will find that a lot has to do with driving style, whether or not the a/c is on, etc. You will also find out that the OBC (on board computer) is optimistic when comparing to hand-calculating mpg.

FWIW, my '03 MCS got 22 mpg consistently for the first several months. Once I got as hight as 30 mpg with strictly highway driving (over a long distance, steady speed). After I'd passed 17,000 miles, my mpg improved and averaged around 24-25 mpg. Lately I've been getting better, especially if I use 6th gear from 70 mph on the freeway.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that in reality, the MCS gets around 22-27 average. I also find that there's a huge difference between going 70 in fifth as opposed to doing 85 in sixth...the brick aerodynamics of the Mini starts to show it's butt. People claiming over 30 is smoking crack Especially when the Mini modded to over 220 hp.

 

Search for more threads on mileage or mpg. We have many.

Your mpg is relatively low. Try to not use your AC with your windows down and sunroof open. Stay away from urban areas and stop and go traffic. Head for the freeways when you can and keep a very steady speed of about 55 to 60 mph and stay off your brakes as much as possible.

Keep your load of items in your MINI to the least you can, keep your air pressure up to about 33 psi for 2 people and 37 psi for 4 people. If you carry a full load most of the time expect lower mpg. Don't warm up your car and idle for very long. If you can turn off the AC that would be good. If you drive faster than aboout 40 mph then try to close your windows and sunroof. Try shifting at about 2500 rpm and use 6th gear on the freeway. Make sure your air filter is not clogged or damaged/restricted. Check your PCV hose/valve and check if the hose is soft or collapsed (more so for older MCS).

In mixed driving my MCS gets about 26-28 mpg and when it was bone stock I got 33 mpg on the freeway. When I do performance driving or if I am in very bad rush hour traffic I can get about 20-22 mpg.

 

I just got 251 on 10.9 gallons of gas with 70% city and 30% freeway. That's about 23 mpg. San Francisco stop and go traffic is pretty bad..it's ranked #2 in the nation for the highest waiting in traffic time. Yes, it's worse then New York.

 

On the computer, I consistently get 30-31.7 mpg, so I am smoking crack.

99% street driving and very minimal expressway. I rev high on
many occassions. My car started out at about 22mpg, but after
a few months and resetting the ECU, it averages 30+

 

Resetting the ecu...is that done by removing the battery connection and reconnecting it or ? I know the S runs rich so maybe that's why it has low mpg?

 

I test drove a Scion Xb the other day for my wife and those cars with 1.6L get between 30 to 35mpg.

Was it as fun to drive as my MINI? No, but interesting thing was that it wasn't bad either. There was no lag with the AC on full blast and there were 3 adults in the car, and I was driving the 5 speed pretty hard--chirping the tires on take off. Kinda reminded me of a Smart Car except with a bit more torque!

 

Yes, unplugging the battery will do the trick. :smile: I usually leave it disconnected for couple of minutes.


My MCS likes to cruise at around 2500-3000rpm. Anything less and I get
poor fuel economy. considering it's a supercharged
motor, I think my MCS runs very economically.

 

The best highway mileage I've ever seen was 41 MPG but my average is realistically around 21-24 MPG, less when I'm having fun. Folks assume that the MINI is a high mileage car because of its size but I agree with others on here that you're missing the point as there are many others cars out there with much better mileage but not nearly the performance or handling.

 

Bad gas mileage, check tire pressure? My MPG improved a few points in my city driving after addressing tire pressure. I had gotten lazy and not checked it in a couple months .

 

How have you driven 1,100 miles w/o going over the 4,000 RPM's? Please write an article--I have found it nearly impossible. Suggestion--"get into that bad boy"-- drive and forget Miles Per Gallon--If the miles per gallon gets even lower, you will at least know why, and will have had some fun at the same time. Nick

 

I drive it around those rpms. But we got some steep hills here so maybe that's why my mpg is not so good, at least in the city. But on the highway, it's fine.

What kind of settings do you lose or retain when you disconnect the battery?

 

You could order the TRD suspension for the xB.:smile:

 

Since I had new tires (non run flats) and wheels installed my OBC indicates I have been averaging 35+ mpg. I haven't manually checked but will do so. This can't be right the way I drive but the OBC's readout went up by about 5 mpg since I got the new shoes. Maybe they are running shoes... long distance, at that.

 

My MC gets 37 -40 mpg.

 

Changing to non-runflats cuts down rotational mass, a huge efficiency improvement (MPG/acceleration). I am looking forward to wearing out my run flats....

 

I think the runflats are not as heavy as you would think and will not cut down on the rotational mass. I believe you will need lighter rims and/or smaller rims to cut down on the rotational mass.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nsprung+weight

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ead.php?t=2152

 

I'd be happy with that right now. On my '04 MCS (10/08/03 build date) I'm getting 18-20. Think I got 22 once. Course it is mostly city driving with the AC running full blast on low. And I do so like accellerating around curves/corners...dang heavy foot...:smile:

Because of this I decided to keep my '93 del sol for my daily commute to work as it gets 35+.

 

Just out of curiousity, what kind of milage are you guys getting at 80-85 mph? If you have a boost gauge, what readings are you at at this speed?

 

Lot, are Canadian gallons the same as U.S. gallons? I thought there was a different measure for each, but I could be mistaken... also, MC's get much better mileage than MCS's, even when being thrashed about. I know this from a friend who recently traded in his MC for an S then comparing the two to each other and my own S.

 

Gas is measured in liters in Canada, and OBC on CDN Minis measure "milage" in Km/100L . Mpg is different between the US & the UK - (1US gallon = 1.2009 UK gallons).

As for fuel ecconomy my experience (hwy) with the occasional pass & hard on ramp accelleration is a real world 30.57mpg (mostly cruise set at 75). Mixed driving I average about 24-26mpg. But every now and then I can't keep my foot out of it & then I don't even want to know the milage.

You sure Sid? My car's pretty heavily modified 220hp or so & I do alright - 30mpg or better at an average 75mph.