I just filled up my tank for maybe the 6th time since I've had the car. My "miles to go" said I had ~100 miles left til empty. I figured with the weather here, might as well fill up. As I was pulling into the station, my cooper hit 1200 miles (done with break in!). I had gone 239 miles on the previous tank, and it took ~11 gallons. That only averages out to be ~21mpg I've only been using 93 octane since I've owned the car (almost 3 months now), and am wondering why the crappy fuel consumption? I understand a lot of factors go into calculating these things, and this was the first time I actually calculated it. I'd say 50% of my commute is highway driving, and the other 50% is around town. On the highways, I'm usually pushing 75, while on around town, the highest is 40. Should I be concerned? Or that since the break in period is over, will it start to improve? Anyone experience lower than advertised/expected mpg's for this car in the early months of ownership?

 

I used to get about 24mpg average on a 12 mile Vista, CA -> Carlsbad, CA commute that was mostly city and a small stretch of freeway.

Now I'm doing a horrible congested 32 mile Vista, CA -> San Diego (Sorrento Valley), CA commute and I'm managing to get 28mpg. I am driving conservatively on the commute except for a couple small spots where traffic allows more spirited driving. It might even be higher if I took out my non-commuting miles.

I can milk the car 5 city miles to the freeway reading 32 mpg, do a spirited launch up the onramp and the trip average drops to 24mpg. haha!

Check out http://trafficwaves.org/ if you are interested in saving gas on your commute (yours and others as well)

 

what do you guys think of 25mpg with mostly suburbs city driving? 2003 justa

 

just figured out the magic touch. I have found that these cars do not like to coast in gear. Pop in the clutch while going downhill and I went from 25mpg average to a consistent 28-29mpg and it is between 0 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit! Can't wait till spring at about 70 degrees F. I may break 30mpg consistently! If you believe in magic, coast as much as possible. Clutch in with the shifter in the correct gear for safety.

 

In my JCW I get ~26mpg. I noted if you watch the tire pressure and drive VERY conservatively, maybe 28-29? But the smile factor kicks in and I get like 22.

Sorry the S and the JCW models are too fun not to. If you were after mileage you should have them ship you a DOOPER.

 

I have been tracking my MPG for the past 12 months or so. My driving varies between stop and go (beach traffic ) and highway. My MPG runs between 22.1 up to 28.6, for a 2006 MCS.

YMMV

 

Actually, coasting downhill while in gear will lean the engine out more than just coasting with the clutch engaged. Based on the boost gauge in my '06 MCS, the reading is about ~ -350mg in neutral, but it shows ~ -500mg while in gear, creating a stronger vacuum condition. Coasting downhill while not in gear (or with the clutch depressed) is actually against the law in some states (though I'm sure all manual drivers have done at one point in time) . Additionally, if you are going to coast downhill, and you keep your foot depressed on the clutch, you're actually going to prematurely wear out the clutch disc. This constitutes "riding the clutch," which is similar to excessive pressure for slippage when starting out in 1st gear.

 

yup, yup, yup, bad for your clutch. Not worth the gas savings considering what a new clutch costs. and yes, possibly illegal too, based on where you live.

 

I track my mileage at Fuelly.com. I get between 28-30 with my '02 MC 5-speed. I do mostly suburban/city driving; the mileage goes up when I take it out on the highway for a club drive- up to 35-37 or so. I get 28 in the winter around town and about 30-31 in the summer.

I must be driving like an old lady- perhaps it's because my last car was a Renault Encore. I'm guessing that pushing that car so it feels like spirited driving is a lot easier than pushing a MINI that way.

Val

 

with a combination city/hwy i get about 26.5-27.5mpg

 

In my R53 I get anywhere from 23-28mpg around town and 28-33 on the highway.

 

sort of shocked myself today. in my r50 '03 i filled up, got on the highway, ran anywhere from 65-72 mph and got 44 mpg

on the way home, ran it a bit faster 70-75 mph and got 37 mpg, best ever. probably the first time i actually calculated it with 100% highway driving only

 

I have noticed the Mini is pretty sensitive to temperature, cold weather seems to knock down the fuel economy on mine. Have others noticed the same trend?

 

Same here. I've lost a few mpgs since the temps have dropped. I'm also hitting the 30k mileage mark and am getting worried about carbon buildup as well.

 

The thing is, as mentioned in other threads, gas companies use a winterblend to prevent your fuel from freezing, which gives you less mileage. In addition, due to the cooler temperatures, the air is more dense and therefor your car requires more fuel, to prevent it from running lean.

This all results in worse gas mileage.

In regard to the average mileage. I managed to get 29.5mpg average on our trip to Arizona. one way was about 700 miles. Funny thing is, interstate driving actually made my fuel mileage go down, because I drove ~80mph vs 60 or 70 on the B-roads.

 

This may explain my MPG drop. This is my first winter with my MCS and my average mpg dropped from 29.6 to 27.3. I'm not happy with that.

 

I get 490 miles out of my tank when I'm doing purely highway. 100% city I get 230 miles out of the tank... mix I get about 28-32 mpg. And I am not easy on the gas pedal.

 

Yours is a turbo, they're more gas efficient than the supercharged Gen 1s.

 

Yes, this is true.

 

My observations have been on the same blend of fuel, checking when the seasons change and there are significant swings in daily or weekly temps so gas purchases close together or even off the same tank. As noted, denser air does affect the fuel mileage, of course the upside is more power. Being a supercharged engine and having a CAC, I was expecting the actual intake air temp to be a little more stable since the supercharger heating and CAC cooling are constant to the vehicle. The experiment makes me want an intake air temp gauge.

 

Colder air in, makes colder air out, plus better cooling of the IC, so that'll cause the extra fuel consumption. For me the tires could also be an issue, since I switch to RFT blizzaks in the winter. As for measuring the temp, I've asked Santa for an ultragauge

 

According to my friends at fuelly.com, I'm currently getting 30.7 mpg with my '02 R50 and my wife is getting 29.7 with her '03 R50. It does seem like it drops a bit during the winter, but maybe that's because there aren't really any long club drives in the winter around here.

Val

 

I actually get *better* mileage in the winter. Don't need the a/c then....



C ya,
Dutch

 

The AC reheats air, plus it prevents my windows from fogging up when I get back from the slopes, so mines running 365