Gas Mileage
07-22-14, 04:08 PM
#16
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EPA estimates are based on putting the car on a dyno and simulating "typical driving" controlled conditions. It does not simulate "enthusiast" driving. In other words yes if you put a IS350 and a IS250 through the standard EPA test cases, you will see only about a 10 percent difference in MPG. However, most people that buy a IS350 want to use the extra horsepower -- the extra horsepower that does not really get utilized much during the EPA tests. So, in real world driving you might see a 20%-30% difference in MPG between the cars.
But it's not the car. It's the driver.
I've said it before here but it's worth saying it again. How you drive the car is the single biggest factor in your gas mileage. The EPA calculations are accurate in that they measure MPG in a controlled environment. Drivers who buy fast cars because they want punchy acceleration drive their cars differently than the car as its tested on the dynamometer for the EPA ratings.
But it's not the car. It's the driver.
I've said it before here but it's worth saying it again. How you drive the car is the single biggest factor in your gas mileage. The EPA calculations are accurate in that they measure MPG in a controlled environment. Drivers who buy fast cars because they want punchy acceleration drive their cars differently than the car as its tested on the dynamometer for the EPA ratings.
Now that my first few weeks of driving the car hard all the time are behind me, i'm finding that I get mileage that is actually very close to the EPA ratings. On my everyday commute through heavy traffic, I get 19 mpg. This rises to the low twenties on less congested suburban roads, and I got 28 mpg on a two-hour drive on the open freeway a couple weeks ago. Note that this is always in sport mode, but mostly just flowing with traffic with only the occasional burst of unwarranted acceleration.
On the other hand, i've seen 16 mpg when driving hard on mountain roads, and one afternoon I reset the mileage when leaving work, drove in stop and go traffic up hill for twenty minutes, and got 9 mpg.
This is in an IS350 F-Sport AWD, btw.
07-24-14, 11:45 AM
#17
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350 Fsport:
I get 16.5 AVG. Reset a couple of times. I drive MOST the time in eco, but don't do any highway at all on my commute. The 350 gulps gas. I get the whole " How you drive a car" thing, but in that same light I could not drive the car at all and get even better gas mileage. I'm a spirited driver sure, but no red light racer. Luckily, my commute is very very short- which probably explains the crap mileage (No highway cruising, where i get better millage, but not by much).
I get 16.5 AVG. Reset a couple of times. I drive MOST the time in eco, but don't do any highway at all on my commute. The 350 gulps gas. I get the whole " How you drive a car" thing, but in that same light I could not drive the car at all and get even better gas mileage. I'm a spirited driver sure, but no red light racer. Luckily, my commute is very very short- which probably explains the crap mileage (No highway cruising, where i get better millage, but not by much).
07-24-14, 11:51 AM
#18
Yes that's what I mean by it's not the car it's the driver. Short trips and spirited driving are a circumstance of your particular lifestyle rather than the car itself. It doesn't mean it's necessarily easy to change your commute situation (although I'm sure you could remove the spirited part of your driving and see big improvements in your MPG), but it's still a factor of how the car is being driven.
I was just trying to address the time-tested myth that EPA estimates are BS -- they are valid tests, but they only cover typical driving in typical conditions, they aren't designed to cover every scenario (i.e. spirited driving on lots of short trips in a hot climate where the A/C is working hard).
I was just trying to address the time-tested myth that EPA estimates are BS -- they are valid tests, but they only cover typical driving in typical conditions, they aren't designed to cover every scenario (i.e. spirited driving on lots of short trips in a hot climate where the A/C is working hard).
07-24-14, 11:53 AM
#19
350 Fsport:
I get 16.5 AVG. Reset a couple of times. I drive MOST the time in eco, but don't do any highway at all on my commute. The 350 gulps gas. I get the whole " How you drive a car" thing, but in that same light I could not drive the car at all and get even better gas mileage. I'm a spirited driver sure, but no red light racer. Luckily, my commute is very very short- which probably explains the crap mileage (No highway cruising, where i get better millage, but not by much).
I get 16.5 AVG. Reset a couple of times. I drive MOST the time in eco, but don't do any highway at all on my commute. The 350 gulps gas. I get the whole " How you drive a car" thing, but in that same light I could not drive the car at all and get even better gas mileage. I'm a spirited driver sure, but no red light racer. Luckily, my commute is very very short- which probably explains the crap mileage (No highway cruising, where i get better millage, but not by much).
10-21-14, 11:34 AM
#21
I'm doing about the same as you, but I'm down a couple MPG on the highway. I cruise between 70-80.
My mileage blows in the city, but then again I'm sometimes only averaging 7-10 mph. So I think there is "city" driving and "stuck in the city" driving. Regardless, my car seems to be way below the EPA estimates. In fact, my mileage is inline with my old Audi RS4 which had a big honking 420 hp V8.
10-21-14, 12:00 PM
#22
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I easily averaged 36.2mpg driving home from the dealer 95% hwy, avg speed 58mph (OBC), 121mile trip. Came away impressed.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
10-21-14, 01:22 PM
#23
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I easily averaged 36.2mpg driving home from the dealer 95% hwy, avg speed 58mph (OBC), 121mile trip. Came away impressed.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
10-21-14, 02:43 PM
#24
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I easily averaged 36.2mpg driving home from the dealer 95% hwy, avg speed 58mph (OBC), 121mile trip. Came away impressed.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
10-21-14, 02:51 PM
#25
I easily averaged 36.2mpg driving home from the dealer 95% hwy, avg speed 58mph (OBC), 121mile trip. Came away impressed.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
However, I get 22.8mpg all city, avg speed 23mph (OBC). I dont hit every red light, traffic is heavy but typically flowing. Still impressed, but I averaged 25mpg in my 335i in the same environment, but still well ahead on my M3 (16.3mpg)
Sarasota, Florida, elevation sea level +/- 50 ft.
10-21-14, 03:01 PM
#26
10-21-14, 04:04 PM
#27
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I actually find the digital speedo on the F-sport difficult to gauge and maintain my speed. Without that visual need "swinging" it's not as intuitive for me (still in the learning curve).
10-21-14, 06:45 PM
#28
Can't really say for sure because I haven't had the car for that long. The other day I only got like 10 mpg, but that was after an hour long trek through the city at an avg of 7 mph, so pretty much any non-hybrid car would suck in those driving conditions.
10-21-14, 06:56 PM
#29
10-21-14, 08:07 PM
#30
