OBP

Back to real world MPGs on the Sc430 - I am running 18x8 light weight TSW rims on older Conti DWS tires probably with 4-5/32s left on them. Car was packed - full set of OEM rims with winter tires mounted on ( one in trunk, two in back seat, one in passenger seat ), Extra set of 6 qts synthetic oil for my next oil change and some books, and a few other smaller items stuffed in wherever I could find space. I guess I was carrying an extra 200+ lbs of laden weight before I got in the drivers seat.

I did an 880 mile drive in one day from the southeast back to the northeast, mostly between the high 60's and high 70s in mph. I would call it 98-99% hwy with some detours into back roads to avoid jams. When I ended the day, my trip meter read 26 mpg.

I just cleaned my K&N airfilter which may have helped a bit.

Ran on 93 octane throughout.

I am very pleased with this 11 year old car's performance.

pynky01

Drive from NE Texas to Mt Vernon MO to Colorado Springs (picked up some medication) return : ...half-way back thru Kansas back to NE Texas ...mileage was 21.8 ...70 to 90 normal with once over 120 mph... little over 2000 miles...not a daily driver...93 octane (i didnt realize you could put anything else in tank, can someone verify this) love this car...

Bgw70

I run 89 and above with no pinging or noticeable issues.

You are quite the madman running those speeds with John Denver medicine in the car! ;-)
Unless I misunderstood why you went to Colorado for medicine LoL

ShawnOk

iTrader: (1)

Did a quick overnight drive from Champaign to Chicago and back (275 miles roundtip)... got about 20.5 mpg against the wind both ways (different days).

rudyH

The lowest I ever saw was 17 in 3 hour long traffic jam on the I5 in California. Generally I get 19+ if I only drive around town and about 21+ in mixed high soeed freeway and town driving. My LS 430 was almost exactly the same funny enough.

oldbluetoo

Recently bought a 2005 SC430 with 70K miles. Average mileage showed 22.6. The owner did almost all highway driving.

Bathman

Left home on 1st june for a trip down through France and Spain to our sons wedding, reset trip and info buttons as we left. 2,981 miles later pulled back into the drive and the average consumption was 32.5 MPG. Kept most fuel receipts so will try to calculate accuracy. Car was well loaded with 2 passengers, a heavy suitcase and various bags on the backseat and every spare nook and cranny in the boot (under the flex-cover) stuffed with gear. As there were fuel strikes in France I also kept the tank topped up every chance I got. Mostly 95 octane but the more expensive (1.59 euros/litre) 98 octane every 3rd / 4th fill. Was about 90% motorway driving so was expecting to average about 27 / 28 MPG so well pleased. Will try to upload pic of trip computer during the week. Temps were from 17*C to 35*c so lots of top down motoring but also a lot of AirCon used . Temp gauge never went above 3, even after 7 hours drive at 35*c in central Spain to Salamanca. Car ran like a clock and never showed any problems however I have Meister R coilers and never allowed for the extra weight. Several times after crossing speed ramps, carparks and pot holes I looked in the rear view mirror expecting to find pieces of the under carriage bouncing along the road. Lesson learned, will rise at least 1 inch on each corner as soon as I get a chance and also check if I still have an exhaust and gearbox under there. This trip has renewed my admiration for this unique car I only saw 1 other SC on the whole trip but must have come across several lambo's, dozens of ferrari's, and literally scores of porsche's. Got lots of folks come up to admire this 14 year old car and ask about it. Cant wait to get on the road again.

Harold57

Very nice! It also helps that the gas over there isn't gasohol either. The alcohol in the gasoline definitely drops the mileage, among other things.

Bgw70

How can an SC430 get 32.5MPG? Are you sure it was not 32.5KPG

texsexlex

iTrader: (3)

...I'm not going to say it can't be done. I've done some leisurely trips where I've set my cruise @ 65mph & I manage 28/29 mpg.

Scarletti

I wonder if Imperial & Metric is having an impact here on what people are quoting?

US Gallon = 3.79 Litres. Imperial Gallon = 4.55 Litres.

P.S. Can't recall getting better than 28/29 MPG myself (as stated on the Trip)

Bathman

OK guys, added up receipts and I counted total of 441.75 litres, ok tank probably still 1/3 full.
This is approx 116.7 us gallons which works at 25.5 mpg for 2981 miles
This is approx 97.2 imperial gallons which works at 30.7 mpg for 2981 miles
My son was out in car yesterday and today and trip info now is at 26.7 so back to reality.
Don't still know how trip computer could have been so far out, from now on I'll take this info with a pinch of salt.
As this is a european car could the MPG reading be based on imperial gallons.
I know either way US or imperial the numbers just don't add up to my earlier optimistic post.
Much as I enjoyed the trip, looking at all these fuel receipts today and knowing they will be on next months credit card bill has left me a little deflated . Still a fan of the car through good and bad.
Who was the genius that thought up the phrase "the best things in life are free"

tfischer

That's not the best way to get accurate readings for a road trip. Rather than use a single number for total gas and one for total miles, I suggest something else.
I think the best procedure is to fill the car up at the start of the trip, and set one of the ODOs to 0.
When you refill, and you must only fill the tank up each time, note the amount of gas added to the tank, and note the odo reading before resetting it to 0. If the gas pump prints out a receipt, just write the odo reading on the receipt.
Do that every time you fill up the tank.
The odo reading and the amount of gas purchased will give you a very exact mpg for that segment of the trip.
Do the math when you get home (a spreadsheet works well), and you should see a pretty consistent number for each fillup. Average everything for the whole trip to account for different driving conditions.
I do this for a month or so when I get a new car, and the first time I take that car on a road trip, as city and highway driving give quite different results. For my new RC, I was able to do this on a 2,000 mile trip I took when the car was only a few months old. I have found that the car's computer (at least those in my last 3 Lexus cars) was very precise, and could be relied on to give me a good idea of what kind of mileage I am getting.

Harold57

25.5 mpg is what is to be expected and actually probably very good considering that you probably had a lot of city driving and small town required stops in the mix.

My car's mpg numbers are typically 1/2 to 1 mpg high.

Bgw70

Was it Bernie? LoL