Poor gas mileage

[Welker]

I was just noticing this morning when I was coming back from town that it seems my gas mileage has improved over the years. That said, we live about ten miles from town and about seven from the nearest supermarket with most of the trip's speed limit between 35 and 55 with the bulk of it 50 which has an average of about 55 mph with a lot of patrol cars along the way. My mileage a couple of years ago when I was still keeping track of it was about 23 mpg but it seems to have improved since I get gas so irregularly and the gas tank seems on full for a long time. My guess is that it the lack of start/stop driving at reasonably low speeds that keeps the mpg at at least 23 and, like I said, it seems to have improved a bit. Another point is that our Acura RDX has a 15 gallon tank and gets 25.9 mpg and we seem to be in the gas station all the time. With the low mileage on the TBird and an 18 gallon tank, it may simply be an illusion but I will say I have never been unhappy with the car's mileage and never experienced 11-12 mgp. I think you should talk to your mechanic.

[steelblue5505]

Gas filter??
Coolant too old not allowing thermostat to operate correctly ???
Transmission not shifting correctly into 5th????

[EllisonCal]

Thanks for everyone who shared thier gas mileage. Now, can any one tell me why I might be getting 14.6 mpg in an 03 Tbird with 13000 miles on it? I am using 93 octane with mostly highway and some city. I use criuise control on the highway at 79 mph. The dealer said a lot of people are complaining of gas mileage with their Fords, and that it might be the winter grade of gas. Is this B.S. or might something else be wrong? Thank you.

EPA highway mileage estimates and cit driving estimates are at speeds substantially lower than the speed you are driving. They use 55mph for highway, as an example. I know no one drives 55 mph on a highway any longer. But I have only received a little over 15 mpg for mixed city/highway driving. When I'm on an interstate highway for those 450 mile trips I get around 22 mpg. But I can assure you I am usually only going between 70 and 75 mph. Heavy acceleration also will pull your average down and I don't pull away slowly from stop signs or stoplights.

[WhiteWhisperBird]

Just went through my first tank. Got a bit over 300 miles before hitting reserve. Mileage for the tank was 19 MPG, with a combination of highway and backroads.

Would’ve liked to see a little better mileage but I didn’t buy this car for its fuel efficiency. Drives like a dream, lots of fun!

[Birdlover]

Just went through my first tank. Got a bit over 300 miles before hitting reserve. Mileage for the tank was 19 MPG, with a combination of highway and backroads.

Would’ve liked to see a little better mileage but I didn’t buy this car for its fuel efficiency. Drives like a dream, lots of fun!

I think most of us get around 24-25 MPG highway and under 20 city. I would caution you about letting the tank get under 1/4. Our gas tanks are split and there is a feeder fuel pump to move the gas from one tank to the other. Supposedly the feeder pump is cooled by the fuel and running the tank under 1/4 will cause premature failure due to overheating. Other than that, get out and enjoy the car as much as you can.
Richard

[Welker]

The advice to avoid letting the gauge drop below quarter tank is good. From the first my car registered empty when it had a quarter tank in it and I have considered the quarter tank empty ever since because at that point I don't trust the gauge. I bought the car new and naturally the dealer couldn't fix the problem.

[WhiteWhisperBird]

Thanks for the info on letting the tank get too low.

Being a curious traveler, I have done this in all of my vehicles—especially motorcycles—to definitively determine how far I can go once the reserve light comes on. I ride a lot, and often long distances, on my motorcycles and I usually stop only when I have to.

So I can really push it to the limit...just like that famous Seinfeld episode...

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[BLACK BEAUTY]

why take a chance..once below a half I fill

[WhiteWhisperBird]

why take a chance..once below a half I fill

You’ll find the answer to your question in my above post. I travel out on the highway a lot. Long distances. It’s important to know what I can realistically expect from a tank of gas.

Thanks for your continued interest.