R50/R53 :: Hatch Talk (2002-2006) Cooper (R50) and Cooper S (R53) hatchback discussion.

R50/53 Does your MPG suck?!?!?!

Old May 24, 2005 | 10:44 PM
  #51  
minihune's Avatar
minihune
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From: Mililani, Hawaii
Originally Posted by ckaminsk
DC area driving last week; I495, I66, I95 (speeds 65-105 mph) plus 100 miles of Blue Ridge Parkway (aka Skyline Drive) twisties (35-45 mph) was able to go 425 distance on 12.25 fillup.

425/12.25 = 34.7 MPG !
No fair, you have a Cooper.

My MCS once got 33 mpg in nearly stock form but it took alot of self control to drive a steady 55 mph. It bordered on torture

So now I put myself out of misery and just drive but I still get about 27 mpg if I am not stuck in highway parking lot traffic.

My friends at autocross tell me they get about 14 mpg for the Mazda zoom zoom Rx-8 and about 16 mpg for the Infinity G35 sedan overall. That's pretty sad

1.6 liter rules!
 
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Old May 24, 2005 | 10:51 PM
  #52  
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Yes it does

I once got 26 (hand calculated) with spirited canyon driving. I was quite impressed.
 
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Old May 24, 2005 | 11:35 PM
  #53  
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haha! my MPG SUCKS! well for the first time since the twincharger went on. can you say one tank @ 136 miles? now a half tank at 200 miles. This has been ALOT of self control.
 
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Old May 24, 2005 | 11:50 PM
  #54  
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Thats exactly one of the reasons ive decided to turn away from the twincharge. I can still compete in the stock autox events anyways with a stock one. Talk about bad MPG. AutoX burns gas.
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 06:11 AM
  #55  
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onboard computer says 26.4.........real gal/mi = 20.4


I have my foot in it all the time.
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 08:11 AM
  #56  
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From: S.E. North Carolina
I've got a 05 MCS 6 speed 4/05 build and am getting better than the EPA estimate. Course I live in the boondox, the village (for the lack of a better discription) I live in, only has a caution light and the only curvy roads I get to ride on are the on/off ramps at the interstate nearby. The closest town is 3 miles away and I can count all the stop lights on one hand. Sooooooooooooooo, I'm getting 28 around town and 33 on the highway. My obc seems to be right on the money cause I've checked it with a pencil and I don't drive it like a little old lady, loves to hear the supercharger whine.
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 08:25 AM
  #57  
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From: Near Gaithersburg, MD
I get roughly 19 in the city... I just got back from a major road trip and I averaged 24 mpg at 85 MPH....for those getting 30+ what speed do you drive?
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 08:30 AM
  #58  
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My 05 MC got 33.1mpg on the trip home from the dealer -- fairly aggressive driving on mountain roads. Second tank of gas was half rural road and half Interstate at 75mph and I got 35mpg. Pete
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 09:28 AM
  #59  
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From: Atlanta
After getting rid of my '02 M3 (~20 MPG) for a peppy, but much smaller-engine '05 MCS, I was hoping to see better mileage numbers. But over the past 4000 miles or so that I've been monitoring, I've seen an average of 20-21 MPG. Some tanks have been worse (18), while others have been slightly better (22).


My commute is 14 miles one way: 3-4 miles of local streets, and 10-11 miles of traffic-clogged highway (Atlanta).
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 11:29 AM
  #60  
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From: Menlo Park
March '04 MCS mileage acceptable

I clear the computer at each tank filling. Typically 90% of our driving is around Palo Alto and Stanford, with a weekly jaunt to east San Jose. The average consumption is 28mpg. Sometimes for fun I drive responsibly just to see what the consumption numbers will be like, and that max is 32mpg in town, and that's rare. My average speed with town driving and the weekly highway ride to San Jose is ONLY 26mph. I'm thekinda driver that routinely does 5-9mph over the posted speed limit no matter where we are (except school zones or near lots of PEDS and bikes...).

:smile: BUT on longer trips that are almost all highway for a tank of gas I get 40-42mpg with cruise locked-in at 65mph, and 38mpg locked-in at 73mph.
 
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Old May 25, 2005 | 11:38 AM
  #61  
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From: Cincinnati
I typically get an average of 26mpg, but if we're on a road trip and only on the expressway, we can get 34mpg.
 
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Old May 26, 2005 | 07:13 AM
  #62  
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From: Ida, Michigan
I have an Aug build 05 CR/B S with Alta CAI, and 15% pully. On the trip from Michigan to the dragon, I got 32.6 MPG, traveling 80-85 on the highway. When running the dragon I got 8.5.

I have a computer file that calculates my overall average since I've had the car, now at 18K miles and it is showing 26 overall. The last 3 tanks of my "Normal driving" has been 28.

I usually run 93 octane, and burn Sunoco 94 when it is available. I get 0.4 MPG better on average with the 94. On the few occasions that I have had to settle for 92, I lose 0.8 MPG from the 93. I did notice a 1 mpg drop when I had the 15% pully installed.

My normal driving is 25 miles of straight two lane with a speed limit of 55 (lol), I run through about 7 miles of reduced speed when in towns that have limits of 25,35, and 45. Most of my driving avoids the heavy traffic times so there is little stop and go.

I drive fairly agressivly when it is possible, and do not hesitate to push the speed-0 to the triple digits when on my way to work at 4 am. I have no complaints whatsoever with a car that I can drive agressivly and still get an overall average of 26 MPG.

I think I would have it back at the dealer if I was getting less than 20.

Just my $ .02
 
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Old May 26, 2005 | 09:02 AM
  #63  
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From: Menlo Park
Originally Posted by wrecker

I think I would have it back at the dealer if I was getting less than 20.

Just my $ .02
I agree with wrecker about getting less than 20mpg. By the way, when the octane thing has come up in the past, I recall somebody writing that putting octane using octane over 91 is wasted because the ECM attempts to maintain parameters based on 91...

Am I the only one with an MCS getting 40mpg on the freeway? I can definitely drop to 26 with "spirited driving" but on the long, slow freeway I'm 38 easy and 40 when at 65mph. I don't get it.
 
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Old May 26, 2005 | 09:07 AM
  #64  
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From: Cincinnati
Originally Posted by H&J
Am I the only one with an MCS getting 40mpg on the freeway? I can definitely drop to 26 with "spirited driving" but on the long, slow freeway I'm 38 easy and 40 when at 65mph. I don't get it.
Do you have any mods to you car? I have a JCW and I am happy getting low 30's on the expressway. I wonder how much the extra power takes away from the fuel efficiency?
 
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Old May 26, 2005 | 09:15 AM
  #65  
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From: Menlo Park
Originally Posted by MandaBoo
Do you have any mods to you car? I have a JCW and I am happy getting low 30's on the expressway. I wonder how much the extra power takes away from the fuel efficiency?
I don't have any mods, but I wax it frequently :smile: . By the way - I'm not complaining or anything, just curious.

[p.s. I have GOT to get away from NAM today, I love it - trouble is I could melt yet another morning away in no time here... you know???]
 
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Old May 26, 2005 | 11:52 AM
  #66  
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From: Near Gaithersburg, MD
Originally Posted by wrecker
I got 32.6 MPG, traveling 80-85 on the highway.

I have a computer file that calculates my overall average since I've had the car, now at 18K miles and it is showing 26 overall. The last 3 tanks of my "Normal driving" has been 28.

My normal driving is 25 miles of straight two lane with a speed limit of 55 (lol), I run through about 7 miles of reduced speed when in towns that have limits of 25,35, and 45. Most of my driving avoids the heavy traffic times so there is little stop and go.

I drive fairly agressivly when it is possible, and do not hesitate to push the speed-0 to the triple digits when on my way to work at 4 am. I have no complaints whatsoever with a car that I can drive agressivly and still get an overall average of 26 MPG.

I think I would have it back at the dealer if I was getting less than 20.

Just my $ .02
My daily drive is a combination of hwy and surface streets... in Houston the hwy can be slower than the surface streets with more stops, but when it is moving 70 is slow....I am not too concerned with less than 20 b/c we HAVE to run with AC and the stop-go-stop-stop-stop-GOOO is normal.... the hwy thing concerns me. We averaged 24-26 per tank on the hwy on our trip... my car has only 5900 on the odo so the low mileage may come into play....but the speed was constant with the cruise control set....go figure... I will wait and see how things progress.

I too have a program on my iPAQ and so far, to date avg MPG is 22.61
 
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Old May 27, 2005 | 09:02 PM
  #67  
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Originally Posted by gravedgr
average of 20-21 MPG.
Geesh, you MCS guys (and gals) really have it bad. Sure they have more power than a stock-'cept-for-a-K&N Cooper, but how often do you drive over 100MPH? I'm happy that my lil "BOOGER" can drive foot-to-the-floor and not average below 30mpg.

... of course I only drive 100+ a few miles at a time, so it really hasn't hurt my economy. in fact I think its HELPED it... by cleaning the spark plugs @ higher RPMs and blowing lose carbon out the pipes.
 
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Old May 27, 2005 | 09:14 PM
  #68  
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"2nd" engine break-in mileage?

It seems that as you approach 20k miles (by your 3rd or 4th oil change) the engine has just about broken in and should be getting its best ecomony.

My range consistently reads 440-480 at fillups now.

'04 MC, K&N + Tornado FuelSaver, Mobil1 + ProLong & Zmax additives
 
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Old May 27, 2005 | 09:25 PM
  #69  
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Rossii
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From: SF Bay Area
I never paid much attention to my MPG before my mods (15% pulley/JCW Intake/JCW ECU Flash) But now according to my OBC I am averaging 21.5 mpg (290 to a full tank). My commute is btwn Fremont and Mt View 36 miles roundtrip city/stop and go freeway. I am thinking it will improve on a long trip. But it still sucks to fill up a tank at $35 plus every week.
 
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Old May 28, 2005 | 06:11 AM
  #70  
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I just filled my new 05 for the first time myself and I average 16.9mpg the first tank. With a mix of highway and city driving. Its a new engine with about 250miles on it and I need to calm my right foot and I know I will see the numbers go up.
 
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Old May 28, 2005 | 09:33 AM
  #71  
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my avg is about 18-20. and doesn't help when i keep flooring the car at every light.
 
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Old May 28, 2005 | 11:21 AM
  #72  
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I have a 03 cooper brough it for mpg. I get 30------36 city Havn't had it out on hyw. I'ts a 5 speed tran. In town I'm in 5th going 35 mph
 
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Old May 29, 2005 | 10:47 AM
  #73  
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From: Tucson
We just completed 1815 miles in our 2004 Cooper CVT on a New Mexico vacation. We tend to drive at 'the speed limit plus five' so the trip went fairly rapidly. Our air conditioning was used 95% of the time.

MPG for the trip was 34.8

We have no complaints about gas mileage :smile:
 
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Old May 29, 2005 | 02:55 PM
  #74  
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
I don't keep track of mpg on certain events, I only keep track of mpg per tank. I average about 16.8 mpg for an entire tank of gas. My best is 21mpg with a worst of 12.6 mpg for an entire tank.
 
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Old May 29, 2005 | 05:57 PM
  #75  
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From: Yinzer in Exile
Since having V. 38 flashed for the emissions recall my MPG has shot through the roof

When I drove cross country 2 summers ago - primarily highway driving all day every day, with requisite slow downs passing through town - I was getting about 36MPG (OBC reading 38-39). Lately, I've been averaging just under 300 miles per tank. With the reflash, I drove 164 miles (highway) on the first quarter tank. Was just shy of 400 when I filled up with just under 1/4 tank left.

Highway driving I'm usually in 6th, cruising between 70-80 (so hovering just over 3k RPM).
 
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