I hope you will forgive an outsider barging into this forum. I do not wish to participate in an ongoing discussion, but I am keenly interested in one particular aspect of Mini ownership.

I have a new Mini Cooper S (3 weeks, 1500 miles) and I am getting what I consider to be very disappointing gas mileage: about 26 1/2 MPG, highway driving with cruise control set at 75. EPA says the highway mileage should be 34. I know that you can't expect the EPA highway mileage in real world useage, but 22% low seems excessive. Also with previous cars I've owned, my observed mileage has been close to the EPA highway number.

I'd be curious to hear from other Cooper S owners what they're actually getting. I would also appreciate it if you would e-mail me directly at Mike@MikeAgranoff.com with your experience, since I'm probably not going to be monitoring this forum too assiduously.

Thanks
Mike Agranoff

 

On the road I get better than 30. Probably more in the 32 range. I've never really done anything but rough estimates on it. In town it goes down a fair amount. I have trouble keeping the revs down cause I like to hear my Magnaflow sing!

 

You always have to ask some questions whenever mileage is reported.
How was mpg calculated? The trip computer is notoriously inaccurate- forget using it.
If cruise control was used, how was shifting done, at what minimum rpm did one shift to the next higher gear? What was the speed of the cruise control and what gear was used- do we assume it was 6th for an MCS? How much mixed driving vs highway driving was done? Was there idling in rush hour traffic? Are there any mods that might help mpg? Which gasoline octane was used? What is the odometer reading of the car. Is the air conditioner turned on. Are the windows or sunroof open when driving.

On my MCS I fill the tank, drive at least 100 miles and fill it up the same way at the same pump of the same gas station if I can. I calculate the total miles driven divided by the gallons I have to add to fill the tank. No trip computer and I have no cruise control, I never run the Air Con or drive with the windows open. I shift at about 2000 rpm or less and I always use 6th gear and always coast downhill in neutral. At 1400 miles I got 35 mpg on the highway driving mostly at 55 to 60 mph (over 90% highway driving) and 28 mpg on mixed driving (50-60% highway). The worst I have ever gotten was mixed driving with a full day on the track racing at a driving school - I got 21 mpg. If I drive mostly rush hour and street driving I get about 25 to 27 mpg. I hope that helps. Your results will vary with your skill at driving and how well the car is broken in. I think I can get better mileage and will keep trying for about 40 mpg in the future.

 

Hey there,
Although I don't own the "S", my Cooper gets exactly 34 MPG on the highways.

Jim

 

We've only got a couple hundred miles on ours, so I can't give any personal examples. Prior to buying, I'd monitored the Roadfly bulletin board and there there were a number of folks that indicated that they needed several thousand miles before their gas mileage (and performance, as well) maxed out.

 

FWW I have a Cooper and find that city driving with a lot of stop lights and highway driving in excess of 70mph are the two things that bring mpg down for me.

 

<<< I never run the Air Con or drive with the windows open. I shift at about 2000 rpm or less and I always use 6th gear and always coast downhill in neutral. >>>


WHY? HOw can you possibly SHIFT at 2000 RPMs???? MY MINI only sees 2000 RPMS at 10mph, that's it! And coast downhill in neutral????? Driving must be really boring for you, no?

 

26 - 27 average in the highway
16 - 18 normal conditions

I do not care, I got the mini for the fun not for saving in gas, the car is a blast to drive, and always is been driven to the limit...

Julian

 

I drive a Cooper, but I can say this: my fuel economy has been a source of great disappointment for me as well, and I seem to get much worse fuel economy than other Cooper drivers (and many S drivers) on this board.

I haven't verified this in any way, but I strongly suspect that the fuel economy has quite a bit to do with how the car's ECU is programmed - which updates it has, etc. I don't understand a lot about idle revs and fuel/air mixtures and so forth, but I think that in the Cooper, these things are dictated more by the ECU chip than by how the car is designed (which sucks mightily, in my not so humble opinion. Damn computers.)

 

Hey Mike!

Welcom to MCO! :smile:

My experiences with my Cooper:
- Mileage is rather low during the break-in period. After ~2000 miles, it began to stabilize
- If I drive 70 on the Interstate (no a/c) I get 34 mpg
- If I drive 55-60 (say, on a nice Sunday drive), I can get 36-37 mpg
- City driving and driving over 70 seem to make the mileage go down quite a bit.

One tip: The cars seem to be quite sensitive to tire pressures. If your mileage is down, make sure you're at (or a little above) recommended pressure in each wheel.

 

I read somewhere that gas mileage is influenced by how you drive during the break in period. I don´t know if this is true, but remember it mentioned that taking it easy on the gas pedal and not forcing the engine during the first 1000 miles will actually help it in the future.

Considering the terrible city driving conditions I have to live up with (very high traffic, continuous starts and stops, driving up and downhill with speed bums) I consider my Cooper is giving excellent gas mileage. I get 24mpg (city driving) which is even better than in my civic.

For highway driving the best way to improve your mileage is to keep it at a constant speed, between 60-70

 

>>My experiences with my Cooper:
>>- Mileage is rather low during the break-in period. After ~2000 miles, it began to stabilize

Here is a chart of the first 9000 miles in my MINI Cooper.
I didn't notice any change in the MPG during break-in.

I was doing an experiment there near the end where I filled up
at 3/4 tank each time, and that is why the bars are narrow.

You should see the look on the face of the Expedition drivers
when you put $3.50 of gas in your car and drive away.

 

Trippy, you are one sick **** puppy! Still pretty impressive.

jc

 

My gas mileage tracking hasn't been anywhere near as 'scientifical' as Trippy's. I've calculated out the MPG (by hand, since I don't have the built-in system) and it has shown a minor improvement in the first 2200 miles. It started at 30, went to 32 and has been consistantly around 33 since. Of course, this is with half a dozen fill ups so far -- not a heck of a data base!

My driving tends to be 80% country roads (twisties!) and the rest highway with an occasional jaunt into the city (or stuck in stop-and-go traffic, which equates to the same thing). Another factor influencing the mileage is driving style. I'll have to admit that the way I drive my MINI today is a bit more "spirited" (to use the term of art) than it was when I got her. I might be getting 35-36 MPG if I stuck to my stodgy ways. The MINI makes this impossible.

 

My '02 Cooper (5,000+ Miles on the Odo) get a pretty steady 28 miles to the gallon.

I have found the OBComputer to actually be pretty accurate when also computing gas mileage by hand.

I run the Auto AC almost constantly and drive mostly on regular roads with some highway driving (over 70mph).
I am new to driving stick and was wondering if I am effecting mileage with my inexpereinced driving style. I don't ever run high RPMs and always coast in neutral up to stops though...

 

I have a Cooper and am also a little disappointed with the mpg.
To date I have over 15,000 miles:

First 10K
averaging about 28-30, with the last few tanks down to 27 - it was Dec and weather related. Had lots of highway with some local driving. On tanks 100% highway, did not notice much difference, maybe 1 mpg.

I took my Mini for the 10K checkup in the beginning of January and mentioned the mileage. Since it was in range for the car, and they checked out the car, a non issue to them.

But since Jan I have been getting 28 up to 32. The 28 due to weather/snow conditions. I pretty do only highway driving now. The 30 -32 has been since the winter has ended.

One of my disappointments relates to my prior cars. I had a 93 Acura Integra for 9 years, that got 27-30 around town and 35 highway. Before that, for 8 years I had a Honda Accord which got about 25-28 around town and over 30 for highway. So to get less mileage going back to 1985 - yikes - No progress.

One of the common questions I get with the Mini - oh you get great gas mileage, and I just nod, and think but not as good as other cars.

This is my only complaint about the Mini, so I guess life is not so bad.

 

I've also been a bit disappointed with MPG. I'm averaging around 25 combination driving (city/freeways), but I do tend to drive a bit more 'spiritedly' in my MINI. The best I've ever done was 31 MPG highway, across the desert with the A/C on and the outside temp ranging from 63 to 86, depending on time of day and elevation, etc. I was cruising at around 80-85 most of the way.

I mentioned it to my dealer and he said that 24-25 MPG is about average for the MCS in real life.

 

I am very impressed with the chart! It shows me that from one week to the next it changed quite allot!

 

I most always keep the revs above 3,000 rpm; shift at 6,000 rpm while going through the gears during acceleration to speed and could care less about gas mileage. I do get between 24 and 26 mpg mountain highway driving though. I didn’t buy a MCS to see how economical I could drive, but to drive fast and have fun.

 

You shift at 2000 rpms? The super charger doesn't even kick in till 3000.
My dealer reccomended changing gears at around 4000rpm or higher.
And rolling in neutral to a stop? no down shifting? You'll be going through brakes like water. Although you get better mileage than me.
The first 2 tanks were about 22 mpg and the rest are around 28.
Still havn't taken that long highway trip though.

The Cooper S is for FUN. Go for it. Happy Motoring

 

was getting 22 MPG on my S during break in. 3500 miles later and i'm at 25. i think she's starting to loosen up a bit.

_________________





I'm growing older but not up. My metabolic rate is pleasantly stuck - J. Buffett

 

>>I'd be curious to hear from other Cooper S owners what they're actually getting. I would also appreciate it if you would e-mail me directly at Mike@MikeAgranoff.com with your experience, since I'm probably not going to be monitoring this forum too assiduously.
>>
>>Thanks
>>Mike Agranoff

Mike Agranoff, the NJ folk singer? Welcome to MCO!!! I am a friend of Elaine Silver. I was just listening to Akire's CD in my MINI with your song "Gypsy Davey". What a wonderful coincidence. Best of luck with your MINI!!

 

I would agree that tire pressure is an important thing to watch. I have runflats and keep them about 33 psi all around when commuting. I do have the minimadness intake for the MCS. I suppose that might help mileage a little if you drive at a constant speed. About 40 mph is awfully good for best gas mileage. Otherwise maybe a drop in K&W or green filter would help mpg a little vs the stock air filter element and certainly a dirty element would hurt mpg.
Yes, I do shift at about 2000 although it is easier to shift at about 2200 or slightly higher. The point is to shift early and gently-smoothly. If you rev the engine and shift at 4000 rpm that is fine but you will not get as good gas mileage.
And yes I do coast downhill in neutral but not all the way down to a stop. I'll coast for half a mile or more then get into gear once my speed falls off, and I don't do it if it is not safe to do so. In a rental car I had a trip computer that showed instant mpg once and during coasting I was getting about 45+ mpg in a Ford van. Not sure how accurate that was.

Before you think I am a dull driver that has no fun, the reason I bought the car is to "drive it like I stole it". So from time to time I will drive it easy and go for the highest gas mileage and smoothest shifting. I'll do that for a tank or for a few 100 miles. I'll record the results and then drive the car with spunk. It's great. I get mostly 25 to 28 mpg and even with a day at the track-two track sessions of about 12 minutes (I would estimate) with top speeds of over 95 and at least 8 laps driven hard by instructors I was still getting about 21 mpg. I used up about a third of a tank maybe more.

Having the dual ability to drive hard and have fun or drive smooth (like my wife wants me to drive) is rare. When gas prices are $2.50 a gallon (they already are on Maui) my mini will be ready-otherwise I will be ready-to Motor On.

 

"I shift at about 2000 rpm or less and I always use 6th gear and always coast downhill in neutral."

You are putting tremendous stress on your engine by shifting too soon, it's called lugging and it's as bad, if not worse than exceeding red line.

 

Thanks for the comment so I looked it up.
And I am doing a bad thing
I am a born again shifter.