I have an 06 MCS with stock 17 inch wheels and runflats. Can you recommend a significantly lighter tire and wheel combo for daily driving? The ones I have are the 205/45/R17 allow web-spokes with runflats.

 

Ever test that, now that the weather's warmer? Looks like you have pretty consistent driving that allows good testing. After a few thousand miles, I thought I was getting better mpg with top down, but couldn't quite convince myself that that was possible. Others (non-cabrio owners) thought I was crazy, so I stopped mentioning it. Never had enough data points or consistent driving to really tell.

My '05 Cabrio-S, 29k miles, no mods: 28.5-30.5 mpg (about 75% highway, 20% suburbs, 5% city driving).

I've also noticed that my hand-calcs are a couple mpg lower than what the computer claims. And I've noticed this over and over again, so I don't think it's pump auto-shut-off variations.

And I HATE that computer!!! My first car ever with such a thing! I used to have so much more fun until that damn thing kept telling me how much gas (i.e., $$$) I was wasting! Hmmm...I hear duct tape fixes everything...maybe I'll try that...right over the display.

 

I average a little over 24 mpg and my MINI does mostly stop and go driving- no highway really. Not too bad I guess. I didn't buy it w/ gas mileage in mind.

 

Stock Cooper tires and wheels (the holies) get me about 2 mpg better on my commute (mostly 55 or 65 speed limit highway). A little of that, no more than 2 mpg I'm sure, is because the combination is a little smaller than the ones they replaced. As they are non runflat they are smooth and plenty sticky.

 

I have an 06 MCC CVT. I was averaging 29mpg on the daily commute- 70/30% highway/city miles. Then I dropped in a foam panel filter from Mini Mania- $30.00- and now I get 31+mpg on the same commute. With gas at 3.50/gal in Calif. it'll pay for itself in a few months.

 

I just recently had the new DDM Air Intake installed on my 2005 MC Cabrio at the Dragon. The MINI is absolutely quicker but most importantly we got close to 38 mpg on the trip home doing 70-80 on the interstates.

Lois

 

I recently had the JCW intake installed on my 2006 MCSCa. It is a little quicker and I too have noticed some fuel consumption improvement; although I wonder if that's just due to the engine getting a bit older (finally got over 3000 miles recently).

 

If you want the best gas milage keep at 55-60 mph and engine revs 2-3krpm. Cruise control helps if you have a heavy foot but with practice and giving the car tiny blurbs of gas and backing off the accelerator slightly at the right moments you can achieve 44mpg hwy over a 25mi span in a MCC cvt, which is what I use.

Actually it's more like 44-37mpg but I have gotten 44 on a couple of occasions. Going to averages 37-39 and going home averages in the 40's. It is mostly flat but consists of a very steep hill that goes on for a couple miles. I probably touch less than 2 miles on city streets, which I guess explains a lot. Hehe.

However, I do live in LA(Lots of traffic and Air pollution). Messy acronym. But I travel in the opposite direction of rush hour. It took me a lot of time and patience to develop this technique but it can be done.
This is how you manage to hear about all those other MINI drivers boasting about their almost unbelievable milage. Although, if you're not use to driving this slow there is a good chance you would go insane if you did. Regardless, I managed to do it and I use to be a 75-80mph guy.

*Hope this convinces others that their cars can be very fuel efficient.

 

It takes some practice to learn how to drive an individual car and get the best gas mileage. I have had my base cabrio for two tankfuls and the first got me 30 mpg in mixed driving and second 33 in same kind of driiving. I don't know how good the computer is but I ran the car at 70 on a flat freeway in cruise control yesterday and the computer indicated between 42 and 45 mpg.
However, on the twisties in the hills near home, I can get as low as 12 mpg. Twisties are what this car is for, not the freeway...

 

You need to take the time to do some testing. On your computer go to the realtime MPG readout and drive at 35 MPH and find which gear does the best MPG, and repeat for 40, 45, 50 MPH and so on. I know that for me, there is a point around 46/47 MPH where it becomes more efficient to drive in 6th gear. It becomes easy to memorize. Thats for daily driving...but when in the twisties...the hell with MPG!

 

I've been working on this with various cars that I have with the on board computers. I have a 3/4 mile hill going to my house and have been trying to figure out if it's better to run 4th gear with the pedal slightly pressed, or 5th gear with the pedal further down (lower RPM, but more throttle). One of these days I'll have it figured out.

BTW, I have an S, and typically get between 29 and 33 MPG...and can top 400 miles to a tank every time.

 

I've been pretty impressed with the fuel mileage on the Mini. Of course, maybe that is because I just traded my suv in order to get the Mini a couple of weeks ago. I've been averaging 32ish on the highway and 28ish in town. And that's a non-S but with the automatic transmission.

 

MCC here driving country roads at a brisk pace, hilly stretches and a couple stop signs thrown in back and forth to work and I get a very consistent 34-35 MPG no matter how I drive. 430-450 miles per tank. I can't complain.

 

I'm getting 24.2 MPG right now- mostly around town and fun driving- no highway whatsoever.

 

My 06 has just over 20,000 miles and I usually average 25 to 27 MPG, but with the temperature in the 90's and the humidity I am keeping the top down and the AC on. The average has dropped to 24 to 26. So far I am not dissappointed I didn't expect this car to be high mileage.

 

MINIs run rich anyway...especially JCWs.

 

OK-I started this thread so after a year and 13k miles later I'm actually up to 24-25 mpg, mostly stop and go in the city. It's been a fun year driving and I really don't get hung up on mileage numbers. Thanks for everyones' input.

 

Another Eagles fan...man you guys are coming out of the woodwork.

 

Does Pittsburgh still have an NFL team??

 

If it makes anywhere feel better my OBC says I've averaged about 22mpg over the life of the car (2+ years).

 

Can somebody help me read what he just wrote...I got this damn shiny stuff in my eyes and can't see a thing





BTW, you might not know what this is...they call this a Super Bowl ring my friend . We can talk hockey next...but to save both our pride, we'll pretend neither city has a baseball team (which ain't far from true).

 

E-A-G-L-E-S!

 

what is that? Some relic from king tut's tomb?

 

It's only been a year...but I understand, time goes reeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaally slow on that side of the state and it may have seemed longer. Tell me, do they make rings like this for second place? I know you've been there a couple times...as the bride's maid I mean.

Damn I love football season

 

Reset my OBD for city driving and I have been getting 17 mpg in the city, 23 mixed. Still better then the Porsche which gets 9 mpg and the Jag gets 11 mpg. My rutbo diesel Mercedes gets 21 mpg in the city and the 600 gets less than 10 mpg.