31mpg for the Element

Discussion in 'Element' started by grinder, May 17, 2006.

  1. grinder

    grinder Guest

    I have been thinking about getting an Element and will ask owners once in
    while how they like it.

    One guy said he was getting 25mpg on the highway and 21mpg in the city. But
    the latest was a guy who had a 2003. He said he was getting 31mpg on the
    highway and 28 in the city. Seems a little high.
     
    grinder, May 17, 2006
    #1

  2. --------------------------------------

    Hang around any N.G. long enough and you'll see that MANY people haven't
    figured out that the Gas Station prints the actual VOLUME of fuel right
    on the reciept. They fill the tank ten times and assume they've used 10
    'tankfulls' of fuel. They look in the sales brochure (never the owner's
    manual) and find out the tank holds (say 16 gal) and they went X miles.
    They divide it all out and BRAG about their fantastic mileage.

    Now you know how they did it. I'm not kidding.

    'Curly'
     
    'Curly Q. Links', May 17, 2006
    #2
  3. I have a 2005 manual Element AWD, and my combined city/highway mileage is a
    little over 24 MPG. Not bad for a vehicle that is as aerodynamic as a
    toaster!

    Steve
     
    Steve Hawkins, May 18, 2006
    #3
  4. grinder

    Paul Guest

    : grinder wrote:
    : >
    : > I have been thinking about getting an Element and will ask owners once
    in
    : > while how they like it.
    : >
    : > One guy said he was getting 25mpg on the highway and 21mpg in the city.
    But
    : > the latest was a guy who had a 2003. He said he was getting 31mpg on
    the
    : > highway and 28 in the city. Seems a little high.
    :
    :
    : --------------------------------------
    :
    : Hang around any N.G. long enough and you'll see that MANY people haven't
    : figured out that the Gas Station prints the actual VOLUME of fuel right
    : on the reciept. They fill the tank ten times and assume they've used 10
    : 'tankfulls' of fuel. They look in the sales brochure (never the owner's
    : manual) and find out the tank holds (say 16 gal) and they went X miles.
    : They divide it all out and BRAG about their fantastic mileage.
    :
    : Now you know how they did it. I'm not kidding.
    :
    : 'Curly'

    Seems to me it would work the other way. If you assumed you were putting in
    the full capacity (say, 16 gallons), you'd come up with a lower MPG figure
    than if you calculated it based on what you actually put in (say, 14
    gallons).

    Paul
     
    Paul, May 18, 2006
    #4
  5. grinder

    TeGGeR® Guest


    Answer: Nobody really knows.

    Nobody I personally know does actual recording of fill amount and mileage
    covered, and does this with EVERY fillup for the whole year. Nobody.

    And without the data thus generated, EVERYbody is guessing as to their real
    mileage.

    I record for both our cars in a book, in this manner:
    Date........Odometer.......Dollars.......Amount
    May14/06....72,128.9mi.....$19.70(Cdn)...5.34 gal
    and so on for each and every fillup.

    EVERY fillup is to completely full, to at least two pump shutoffs.

    So, here are some figures for our '99 Tercel (the book I happen to have
    handy at the moment:
    Feb 18-May14: 2,691.11 miles, 88.59 gallons = 30.38mpg.

    Ah, but it gets interesting! Watch this:
    Feb18-Mar25: 933 miles, 33.54 gallons = 27.81. Winter is bad for mileage!
    Mar25-May14: 1,758 miles, 55.05 gallons = 31.93. That warm weather we had!

    Now the very last fillup (only one entry):
    May12-May14: 190.2 miles, 5.34 gallons: 35.58mpg.
    One fillup is not trustworthy, so this one obviously contains an anomaly of
    some sort that will get evened out in subsequent fillups.

    Now, there's a confounding factor besides temperature and type of driving,
    and that's octane. Every fillup except the last was with 91 pump octane.
    From now on, we're using 87. With my '91 Integra, I've discovered that
    using premium costs me about 2% in mileage. Don't know now whether the
    Tercel will be the same.
     
    TeGGeR®, May 18, 2006
    #5
  6. "TeGGeR®" wrote
    We've never met, no. ;-) I never KEPT records, but for the first couple
    years I divided the miles on the trip odometer (to one decimal place, and
    always reset after filling up) and divided that figure by the gallons used
    (per the receipt, to three decimal places). During the first few months it
    recorded around 26, but since then my '04 4-cyl Accord auto regularly posts
    27-28 mpg driving mostly "around town." FWIW, I live in southern Arizona,
    where it's f****** hot.
     
    Howard Lester, May 18, 2006
    #6
  7. grinder

    Dave L Guest

    I've been doing this for years as well, with a few different cars. It's
    just been a habbit, although I don't write down the cost of the fill-up. If
    the person really wanted to be "anal" about it, they would go as far as
    using the same pump at the same gas station each time!

    Mileage dips in the winter here in MD. Different fuel formulation, colder
    engine which takes longer to warm up so idle can drop, etc.

    My '05 Accord manual varies from about 26-29 mpg, depending if it's more
    city or highway driving. The 2 trips with almost all highway driving was
    33-34 mpg. Could have done better but that would have upset the drivers
    behind me.

    -Dave
     
    Dave L, May 18, 2006
    #7
  8. grinder

    mrdancer Guest

    I don't keep records, but I like doing math in my head, so I can easily
    figure out to within less than 1mpg every time I fill the tank. My '02
    Accord LX coupe w/ manual averages around 30-32 city/commuting (I typically
    fill up after the low-fuel light comes on, putting in around 14 gallons at
    between 400-450 miles), worst is around 26-27mpg in winter commuting, best
    is 40mpg on extended highway trips - I've done this at least twice while
    averaging around 68mph for an 850-mile trip (yes, this means I was cruising
    70-75mph for most of the trip), with A/C on and the car loaded down pretty
    good with luggage. Since those figures were seemingly high, I
    double-checked them with a calculator to be sure. :þ

    I've heard stories in the past of folks getting phenomenol MPG at
    super-legal speeds with small 4-cyl. cars. I recall an internet posting
    years ago about a fellow that drove something like 90-100mph across Canada
    on an extended trip with a Mitsu Eclipse (or maybe it was a Laser) and got
    well into the 30+mpg (U.S., not Imperial) range.

    When I had my truck, I'd take occasional trips into the mountains. MPG
    would be unusually high for the first tankful or two because the truck would
    run lean in the thin mountain air - we're talking 23-24mpg with a V8
    Dakota...
     
    mrdancer, May 18, 2006
    #8
  9. I do.
     
    Gordon McGrew, May 18, 2006
    #9
  10. grinder

    N.E.Ohio Bob Guest

    I have the EXACT gas fill info for EVERY tank full on my '92 Accord (LX
    two door,5 speed, White/Blue) since new. I taught myself to use Excel to
    put the info in a yearly table. bob
     
    N.E.Ohio Bob, May 18, 2006
    #10
  11. grinder

    TeGGeR® Guest


    I'm glad to hear there are people who actually do figure their mileage
    properly out there. As I said, nobody I *personally* know (friends,
    neighbors, co-workers, etc) does this.

    Most of the people I know use the miles per tank method, which is bogus.
     
    TeGGeR®, May 18, 2006
    #11
  12. grinder

    TeGGeR® Guest



    I bought a car part from Arizona once...





    The problem with not keeping official records is that it's too easy to lose
    a receipt, or to include something you shouldn't, such as a partial fillup.
    You also can't include the fillup amount from the *start* of your recorded
    mileage.

    A written (or Excel) record is more rigorous and more likely to be
    accurate, although your recorded 27-28mpg seems right for your car. I get
    about 28mpg in my Integra with lots of 80mph highway driving. Not bad for
    267,000 miles, huh?
     
    TeGGeR®, May 18, 2006
    #12
  13. "TeGGeR®" wrote
    Did it arrive melted?
    I don't understand your last sentence. Maybe I don't know just what you mean
    by the "start of my recorded mileage." By "start" do you mean from the time
    I drive it off the dealer's lot? No, I didn't do that.

    I fill the tank on my way to work. I note the trip odometer (typically
    300 - 320 miles), I have the receipt, and when I get to work I divide the
    300 or so miles by the number of gallons bought. How does that differ from
    your method?

    I never based my mileage on one or two samples, even though I'd fill up at
    the same gas station. I know that some pumps, and on different days, will
    shut off at different levels of gasoline filled into the tank. So I figure
    over the course of a couple years I have it down pretty well. ;-)

    Howard
     
    Howard Lester, May 18, 2006
    #13
  14. grinder

    rick++ Guest

    Nobody I personally know does actual recording of fill amount and mileage
    I started doing this for business reasons a few years ago
    and learned some interesting things. Particularly about summer/winter
    driving. My Honda civic has been averaging about 37 mpg
    in the summer and 33 in the winter. I think the difference is half
    due to winter 15% ethonal (pure ethonal only 70% the mileage)
    and other other half due to recreational road trips. I also wonder
    if cooler weather on the engines or tire pressure is a factor.
    AC has almost now effect.
     
    rick++, May 18, 2006
    #14
  15. grinder

    Dave Kelsen Guest

    I have done it with every fillup since the day I bought my car (2003
    Accord LX). I do it with every vehicle I drive, because usually the
    first clue that there is a problem is a drop in mileage.

    In my book, I record the odometer reading, the per-gallon price, the
    total amount I paid for the fillup, and the date. When I enter that in
    a spreadsheet, I have (through formulas) the miles traveled, the gallons
    purchased, and the MPG for that fillup. Because it was trivial at that
    point, my spreadsheet also calculates my total gas cost, the total
    number of gallons I have purchased, average price-per-gallon, average
    miles-per-fillup, and average cost-per-fillup - over the life of the car.

    I have spent $5165.12 in 226 fillups, buying 2945.13 gallons of gas at
    an average cost of $1.75.4, averaging 361.65 miles per 13.03 gallon
    fillup, at an average cost of $22.85, and an average MPG of 27.75.

    If anyone is interested, I can post the Excel spreadsheet with the
    formulas still in it, for you to use.


    RFT!!!
    Dave Kelsen
     
    Dave Kelsen, May 19, 2006
    #15
  16. grinder

    mrdancer Guest

    Depends. If you do a lot of short trips, the engine does run momentarily in
    'rich' mode until it is warmed up. The colder it is, the more fuel it will
    use every time you start it up.
    You should be checking your tire pressure at least monthly. It's not
    uncommon to lose quite a bit of pressure going from ambient 80-90 degrees F
    to sub-freezing temps. That will definitely affect your mpg.
    There was a study not too long ago that found that with modern
    automobiles/engines, the A/C used much less fuel than rolling down a window
    at speeds above 30mph or so.
     
    mrdancer, May 19, 2006
    #16
  17. grinder

    Dave Kelsen Guest

    Actually, as long as you include the *amount of gasoline* you put in,
    you will still be able to calculate the correct miles-per-gallon figure,
    at your next full fillup. For example, once my tank is full, I start
    driving. If I put in 5 gallons, then 11.23 gallons, then 3.99 gallons,
    then 8.04 gallons, then do a complete fillup of 14.55 gallons, and
    traveled, say, 1611 miles, I averaged 37.63 miles per gallon. Of
    course, I can't calculate the MPG for the interim time; only between
    complete fillups.

    RFT!!!
    Dave Kelsen
     
    Dave Kelsen, May 19, 2006
    #17
  18. grinder

    Dave L Guest

    Wow - that's excellent gas mileage. Sounds like you're doing much better
    than the ratings for this car. What is it "supposed" to get? One thing I
    wouldn't do is consistently drive until the fuel light comes on. I
    understand it has a tendency to kill a fuel pump quicker when run so low.
    Also allows more water to build up in the tank, which could help promote
    rust.

    Was this person from the states or from Canada? I thought Canada uses
    kilometers instead of miles.

    -Dave
     
    Dave L, May 19, 2006
    #18
  19. grinder

    Dave L Guest

    I've done it on the cars I've owned too. It's just become a habbit. Also
    never understood why some people want to keep putting $5 or $10 in the car
    instead of filling it up, when they had the money. You'll only have to
    visit the gas station that much quicker and more frequently.
    Sure! I'd love to put it to use. It would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    -Dave
     
    Dave L, May 19, 2006
    #19
  20. grinder

    TeGGeR® Guest



    It does. But we *do* have pocket calculators, you know...

    But some of us grew up before Metric appeared on the scene, and some of us
    prefer to work in Imperial regardless of government bumpf. No laws against
    it, you know. Unlike Britain...
     
    TeGGeR®, May 19, 2006
    #20
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