Gas mileage

[spirithorse]

This is way out of left field but, it doesn't hurt to ask.
I have always checked my fuel mileage at every fill up. In some cases it may help to identify
problems before they get too severe.
With that said, my last two tanks of gas got about 3 to 4 miles less per gallon than I was getting
previously.  Perhaps due to the refineries changing over to their summer blend?
Does anyone else notice a tank of gas does not last as long mileage wise?
It doesn't sound like much but, if you lose 4 miles per gallon on a 16 gallon tank of gas,
it amounts to about 2.46 gallons less fuel economy per tank of gas. At $3.99 per gallon
it costs about $9,82  per tank full MORE to go the same mileage as you got before in MPG.
I used 26 mile per gallon average for typical mileage before.
Gas is expensive enough without getting fewer miles per gallon than before.
I didn't mean to bore everybody with the estimates but, thought it was worth mentioning
why I even posted the question.

God Bless!  Spirithorse
 

[LarryEA]

Not boring.

Tis food for thought

[preprius]

I too log my fuel milage.  I also log gas type,   different brands give big differences.   To have an early indication with a problem with car I found that brand is important to log.

Also each pump can be off even when the lable says it was calibrated.  I tried to get gas at same station and same pump 3 times in a row.  Just to get some consistency.

I have a 10gal tank , 1 station said I took 11 gals. (ten years ago). never went back to him again. 

So the newer cars tell you the mpg.  This is way better than trusting each pump calibration. 

Logging this info, guides you into favorite places.  Not just favorite brands. 

Gas blends do change in california, mpg gets worse in winter.  

Me.

Mark Eason

[Dak0ta52]

I can't remember if I read an article about it or caught a glimpse of something on the news, but I did hear they may increase ethanol in some locations. That may be your issue.

[DRugerH]

Yeah, the winter blend certainly kills fuel economy.  My 2015 Sentra can see up to 45mpg (6-speed manual), but it typically hovers around 40mpg, and in the winter, I'm lucky to see 32mpg.  Right now, as refineries are switching, it fluctuates, but once the summer blend is at all fueling stations, it'll level out around 40mpg again.  I do notice different brands will slightly change my mpg, so I stick with certain gas stations.

On my 2013 Silverado with the 6.0, I tend to get around 12mpg no matter what time of year or what brand of gas I buy, so I don't bother monitoring anything with that truck.

[jerry1939]

It's been 50 years since I checked gas consumption.  My thinking is, whatever it burns, it burns. We are 2 oldies and only one car and my wife cannot sit all that long and I have had 3 surgeries on one eye.  Drive a 2016 Buick with 59,000 miles on it.   

jerry

[OCtoolguy]

We gauge ours by how many times we have to fill the tank every month. So far it seems that once is enough. Our car is a 2019 Equinox and has 14k miles on it.

 

[preprius]

Before work from home, I commuted to work 500 miles per week.  1 tank 10 gallons a week.

So by my login name I have been getting 50mpg for 20 years.  I pre ordered a prius in 2001. 

I did drive a F250 before that.  14mpg. 

Next week we start back to work for about 2 days a week.

in the last 2 years i filled up 12 times vs 104 times  (once a week).

2016 prius (63 mpg) with 102k miles on it.

2006 prius (52 mpg) 302k miles on it. 

2001 ( 45mpg) prius gave to my son for college.  he drove till 320k miles.

 

[TAIrving]

We drive less since we retired and even less with the pandemic.

Our first car is a 2011 Toyota RAV4 which seems to get pretty good mileage, but we do not bother to track it.

Second car is a 2003 Lincoln Town Car which now has 65000 miles.  It tells me it is getting 21.1 mpg and I seem to fill it up about once a month.  We don't drive it enough to get overly concerned about mileage.  

[kmmcrafts]

I've had my old 1999 Dodge Ram Club Cab 4x4 5.9L Magnum for 14 years now.. it gets about 12-14 MPG.. That said.. I only burn 1-2 tanks full of gas a year in it.. I have to keep fuel stabilizer in the fuel to help keep it from going bad. I think I've only put 20,000 miles on this in my ownership. 

I've had Dodge mini vans for most of the last 20 years to haul the kids around.. all three of the vans got about 24-26 MPG depending on who's driving, LOL.. Me it gets 26.. I keep telling everyone to drive like you ride a bicycle.. you're not going to peddle you're butt off all the way to the stop sign only to slam on the brakes in hopes of actually stopping before you get into the intersection, LOL I just took the last one into the scrap yard a couple months ago due to the frame being rusted badly. 

I currently have Jeep Liberty's one a 06 and the other a 07. For as small of a car as they are they suck the fuel. I get at best around 22MPG with either of these..  My wife and daughter likes these Jeeps because they are small, 4x4, and they sit up higher than a car would so they can see around good. But with them driving these they average about 18MPG

Have a 2011 Chevy Traverse that's a good sized car and actually gets around 26MPG with it.. Probably my favorite car of the bunch I own for a daily drive car.

My 2007 Chevy Cobalt SS supercharged only has a small 4cyl and gets about 34MPG but also requires the expensive premium gas so dollar value wise.. probably isn't any cheaper to drive than any of the others. Is very fun to drive though as it has some modifications and has been on a dyno machine and pushes 350 HP. I don't drive this car much as it's mostly just a toy.. and hits the local racetrack now and then.

My old 06 Ford Taurus is probably the nicest riding car and with me driving it I'm able to achieve around 27 - 28 MPG.. 

Our two 1984 Nissan 300zx cars get about 30MPG on the highway but around town and combo driving only average about 24-26 MPG both manual trans cars and only 2 seaters.. Just a couple more toys and not driven much.

 

[OCtoolguy]

13 hours ago, kmmcrafts said:

I've had my old 1999 Dodge Ram Club Cab 4x4 5.9L Magnum for 14 years now.. it gets about 12-14 MPG.. That said.. I only burn 1-2 tanks full of gas a year in it.. I have to keep fuel stabilizer in the fuel to help keep it from going bad. I think I've only put 20,000 miles on this in my ownership. 

I've had Dodge mini vans for most of the last 20 years to haul the kids around.. all three of the vans got about 24-26 MPG depending on who's driving, LOL.. Me it gets 26.. I keep telling everyone to drive like you ride a bicycle.. you're not going to peddle you're butt off all the way to the stop sign only to slam on the brakes in hopes of actually stopping before you get into the intersection, LOL I just took the last one into the scrap yard a couple months ago due to the frame being rusted badly. 

I currently have Jeep Liberty's one a 06 and the other a 07. For as small of a car as they are they suck the fuel. I get at best around 22MPG with either of these..  My wife and daughter likes these Jeeps because they are small, 4x4, and they sit up higher than a car would so they can see around good. But with them driving these they average about 18MPG

Have a 2011 Chevy Traverse that's a good sized car and actually gets around 26MPG with it.. Probably my favorite car of the bunch I own for a daily drive car.

My 2007 Chevy Cobalt SS supercharged only has a small 4cyl and gets about 34MPG but also requires the expensive premium gas so dollar value wise.. probably isn't any cheaper to drive than any of the others. Is very fun to drive though as it has some modifications and has been on a dyno machine and pushes 350 HP. I don't drive this car much as it's mostly just a toy.. and hits the local racetrack now and then.

My old 06 Ford Taurus is probably the nicest riding car and with me driving it I'm able to achieve around 27 - 28 MPG.. 

Our two 1984 Nissan 300zx cars get about 30MPG on the highway but around town and combo driving only average about 24-26 MPG both manual trans cars and only 2 seaters.. Just a couple more toys and not driven much.

 

It's a good thing you don't live in Cal. With that many cars you'd be in the poorhouse with tags and insurance. And the best price anywhere is at Costco at $5.39/9 so there's that too. Even the great weather is not enough anymore to make it worth the expense.

[Millwab]

On 4/12/2022 at 10:06 PM, preprius said:

2016 prius (63 mpg) with 102k miles on it.

2006 prius (52 mpg) 302k miles on it. 

2001 ( 45mpg) prius gave to my son for college.  he drove till 320k miles.

Mark, have you had to replace batteries on any of these?

[preprius]

no main batteries were replaced.

I also like the fact NO brakes pads ever had to be replaced.  

[kmmcrafts]

7 hours ago, OCtoolguy said:

It's a good thing you don't live in Cal. With that many cars you'd be in the poorhouse with tags and insurance. And the best price anywhere is at Costco at $5.39/9 so there's that too. Even the great weather is not enough anymore to make it worth the expense.

Well insurance and all the stuff isn't cheap here either with our "no fault state" but when cars are another hobby and passion you pay or give up the things you like. For the most part the 2 Nissans, Cobalt SS, and the Dodge Ram are in storage most of the year or in some cases all year, so the insurance isn't too bad. The 2 Nissans have Historical tags but with them it's limited on your drives.. such as mostly to and from shows only with minimal exceptions however they're pretty lenient on it as far as police but if you're out when you shouldn't be and have a insurance issue that could get sticky.. They ( the state ) is actually working on a different set of rules for these tags which would allow more drive time outside of the to and from shows etc. and they want to make it free to drive for any reason for X amount of months I believe.