CA gas (and a few other states) has a higher mixture of oxigenated components than most states and premium is 91 octane. You loose a bit of full throttle torque and fuel efficiency because of both. The CPU dials back advance a bit from the 92-93 octane it expects if it detects knock but that will not happen unless the load is high (more throttle).

According to a relative who is a Chevron engineer, all gas in CA is identical except for the additive package (detergents, etc.) which is mixed in at the filling station tanks as they are filled.

Cheers,
Dave

 

I get around 20 MPG in my MCS. I don't really care so much about the lousy MPG -- I just wish it had more range. If the tank held 5 more gallons, I'd be much happier.

btw, even 911s deliver better MPG...

 

Of course mileage varies by so many variables.

But how far off is your OBC compared to actual calculation? I find it is optimistic by at least 15%.

BMW wants us to feel good!

regards,
Red

 

I've got a 2002 MCS and the OBC is consistently and reliably off by from 3.5 to 6 mpg. It always gives an unreasonably optimistic figure. It is never accurate. It is off by a similar margin re: miles-to-empty. If the car actually got the mpg reported by the OBC, then the gas mileage would be what it should be and the miles-to-empty would be accurate.

I cannot get anybody to explain why the mileage is so bad. I've had various cars of various displacements and weights, normally aspirated and turbocharged, and in all cases except this one, the mileage made sense. My wife's Acura TL has 3.5 liters and 270hp and it gets better mileage than my MCS does. A friend has a C5 Corvette, and his highway-only mileage is comparable to my MCS. This is nuts. And the dealership guys say "nothing we can do". (Has anyone spoken to anyone within MINI who has a clue about this?)

Friday, I was driving from the mid-Atlantic states to the Gulf Coast and the engine went nuts mid-trip. Warning lights lit up the dash, exhaust note dropped an octave and got ragged, no power on an incline, rough running, stalling, etc. Manual indicated that warning lights meant it was OK to drive, but the only way it was drivable was at 85-90 (else the least incline would slow it down). Once home to Gulf Shores, the Roadside Assistance people had it towed to Baton Rouge where the dealer is working on it, dunno what happened to it. But here's the kicker: when it was running like crap (as in "barely running at all"), it got BETTER GAS MILEAGE than ever before WHILE GOING 85-90mph!!!. How is this possible?

 

Just to put in my two cents, just had a trip in my MCS, mostly road miles. Checked the mileage by filling up and doing manual calculations. Also, made note of what the OBC said. My MPG on the road was about 34 MPG. The OBC said 37.9 MPG. So much for the OBC. Guess BMW wants you to believe a MINI can get 40 MPG.
Charles

 

I'm getting around 40 mpg canadian in my MCHappy about that

 

From my trip to Champaign-Urbana Illinois:

What you see is:
31 MPG at 85 MPH
34 MPG at 80 MPH
35 MPG at 75 MPH
38 MPG at 70 MPH
These are all manual calculations 2002 MC 5-speed.

 

That seems about right,not bad I say

 

Hello to all Being a fairly new owner of a Mini, must say that at this point one could not give me any other vehicle. At my age it is absolutely the funnest car I have ever owned. I recently had the opportunity to make the first road trip in Tootles since bringing her home to Asheville NC from Charleston SC. Just made a round trip to Chattanooga TN and very pleased with the milage. Trip to Chattanooga was all interstate speeds using the cruise control set 75-77 mph. For myself a 1-3 mile variance between calculations by the OBC and manual measurement is something I can live with. Around town Tootles was averaging 29+ mpg and at the previous mentioned speeds OBC calculated 34-36 mpg on my trip. The trip home I deviated from the interstate to take advantage of the twisties traveling 441 South through the Smokies. I rely upon the digital speedo for my driving and suppose if trusting that....have to give some credance to the OBC. Just my opinion and input.

 

is MINI misrepresenting the posted mileage estimates on the window sticker? I assume it to be an average certified by some authority...was it under downhill run with a tail wind?

 

Auto manufacturers don't consider this "misrepresentation." Rather, they'll tell you (if pressed) that EPA estimates are created under controlled test conditions by factory-trained drivers who know how to wring the optimal numbers out of the car. Put the average rube behind the wheel (i.e., us) and you get the variability/range discussed in this - and many other similar - threads.

For a more extreme version of this discussion, check in with a Prius owner someday. Promised 60mpg turns out to be much closer to 40 for some. A 30% difference says "lawsuit" for some folks.

(BTW, 26 mpg everywhere for my 2002 MCS...and that's fine by me )

 

thanks jsun, I knew someone would have the knowledge about the process...after two years I am almost in control of my lead foot spontaneity

 

That's with a lot of stop and go and couple of 6000 revs through the gears so that's not too bad. That would have been about 15 mpg in my old Mustang GT..if that.

 

26.7 city, 33.1 hwy...

on a recent trip back from southern AZ last weekend, i filled up with gas at a truck stop. as i left, the range said 382 miles and drove off. Over the course of the next 40 miles, I watched the range indicator go as high as 480 miles @ 37.9 mpg!!! I was driving 75 with a/c on. it peaked at that number and then started to come down. amazing!

 

Are your mileage numbers thru the OBC?

 

yes, the last avg's were calculated via OBC. The last time I did this I calculated based on miles travelled vs. how much fuel was deposited in the tank in the winter and they were higher by a very small margin.

Obviously the 480 mile number isn't accurate, but I wanted to show that's ridiculously high number for the OBC to be spitting out. Almost as if i was driving without pressing the gas pedal!

 

I have the same dealer Russdog. Let us know how that turns out.

21.7 mpg city - 34 hwy. MC CVT.

 

I had an interesting trip to Yosemite last week in regard to mileage. I followed my friend in his Toyota, going over 70 the whole way, yet without the bursts of acceleration that I normally can't resist, just trundled along and lo and behold I got 29 mpg on the first tank. By myself, I usually get 23-24, thus unscientifically proving what I know must be true, that my car is very sensitive to how much throttle is used when it comes to gas mileage....Bruce

 

I drive hard and I love every mile. I average 23 to 24 MPG in my 03 MC, which means I fill up the tank about every 250 miles. I know I can go further, usually by 280, the red light reserve light is blinking, and I've got about a gallon left.

It's easy to achieve low gas mileage with the so called fuel efficient MC. Just do what I do. Rev the engine on startup and let the clutch out at 3,500 rpm. Accelerate until 6,000 rpm and shift to 2nd. By the time you've reached 3rd gear, you should be doing about 70mph. It's up to you if you want to go faster or continue shifting to save gas!

Driving this way can still be economical--it depends on many starts and stops you have. I drove like this from Los Angeles to San Diego and back, and covered about 400 miles on a single tank, which is much better than I average, and it was still one heck of a fast drive!

The moral of this story is, go have fun, and know that your MINI will reward you with better mileage on long trips that are worthy of saving gas! For city stuff, expect it to be worse, but atleast know you're having a heck of a better time driving than that boring fuel guzzling SUV in front of you!

 

Why are so many people amazed that if you throttle hard,your MPG go downI mean duhMy riding lawn mower gets bad MPG if I run it wide open

 

Actually, it doesn't involved any kind of driver at all. It's a computer-controlled "simulated drive" during which the car sits in one place and spins on rollers. It simulates stop-and-go, up hill and down, etc. The Hwy cycle is not just cruise-control but also includes a little bit of stop-and-go. Their method is great for producing reliable, repeatable results measuring whatever it is that it measures.

Until my MCS, I would always beat their Hwy estimate if I drove the speed limit on the highway and would always just-about-match the Hwy estimate if I drove 75-to-80. Now, I never reach their Hwy estimate, nomatter what I do or how carefully I try to minimize gas use.

 

The person who started this thread hasn't posted a reply in about a month. Let the thread die. JMHO
Charles

 

Are you for real or what? Just because the person who started this thread isnt responding anymore doesnt mean other people dont have the same problem and can use this thread to discuss similar issues. If everyone started a new thread about the same subject you know how inefficient things would get? No one said you need to click the thread and come back in here to read it.

 

I'm for real, if you have a problem and post it, yes you need to answer the posts to other NAM members responding to your thread, you think NAM members are posting to a member for the fun of it? If your problem has been rectified, then tell the NAM members about it! Maybe we would like to know what the problem was, how it was rectified, the info might help other members, thank you.
Charles

 

For those in California, have you ever put in cheap gas in your car? I read that there are 7 refineries in northern california so I am wondering how different they actually are and if they are different will putting in cheap gas hurt the car.