This MPG problem is nuts!

[amazingarthur]

Just got back from a 440 mile trip.

Did about 21mpg with the cruise set at 70mph, windows down (it's December in Nebraska) and no air/heat.

This is just wrong. And it's every trip except one fillup.


Where is my 26mpg?

I'm not too happy here.

[hoopdiewagon]

Trade your turbo for your MPG.

[MichaelDay]

I have about 28,000 miles on my 03 GT. When most of my driving is on the highway, I get 20-22 mpg. When most of my driving is stop light to stop light, I get 15-16 mpg. Your numbers are not that unusual for the HO turbo.

[SuGamer]

Sorry, but if you're driving faster than 50 mph, then no way are you going to see 26 mpg. The faster you go, the higher you engine revs. The higher it revs, the more gas it burns. If you want to get more mpg on the highway, then you have to stay at 50 mph. I'd rather burn more gas, IMHO. Then again, if you brought a turbo, I don't think you were expecting high mileage. No turbo I ever worked on obtained good gas mileage. [:I] I guess you trade mileage for power; no car's perfect.

[AA PT]

The PT retro look is it's downfall. At 70 miles per hour a PT is about as aerodynamic as a box of rocks.

I've heard in the past that many of the early body style cars actually got better gas mileage on the freeway with the windows up and the A/C on then those who tried to save gas by not running the A/C and having the windows down because having the windows down screwed up the aerodynamic by creating turbulance and drag within the vehicle.

My wife's 2002 Corvette gets upwards of 26-28 on the freeway on trips and actually got 30 MPG one time with a tail wind. My GT get's what yours does, but I didn't buy it for the mileage. I like it because it's a sleeper and I can tolerate it all day (because I work out of my car).

[hyracer]

Dump your autos and get a 5 spd. There are a few of us here getting over 26 MPG. I put over 4,000 miles on our vacation this summer and my overall average was right at 28.25 MPG with a high of 30 MPG. Best mileage was between 60-65 MPH.
I do not fill with any station that uses methanol as an octane-booster, you'll lose mileage if you do. I only fill at Chevron or Texaco/Shell.

Deen

[Hot Wheels]

I've had my 2003 GT Auto for 13 months and put 27,500 miles on it in that time. I have never gotten over 20 mpg and have had as low as 14 mpg with the typical being in the 17-19 mpg range. I cannot fathom any one getting 25 mpg on these cars unless they are driven very conservatively. The only real complaint that I have about the gas mileage is that I have to buy gas every two to three days and have filled up many times two days in a row because I did not want to run low at an inconvient time or place.

[ElectricBlueGT]

Wait a minute, I have 2 AutoStick GTs and they both get 25-26 MPG at 70 MPH with the cruise control on.

Sounds like Stage 1 and your bigger/wider wheel combo (more rolling resistance) *might* be your downfall. Was your car loaded up with gear? Enough air in the tires? Etc...

Before your next trip, remove the battery cable for 15 minutes and then get your car on the highway. No WOT, rice-killing bursts. Try to get the car to learn, dare I say it, "normal" driving habits.

Scott

Oh, one more thing, does Nebraska use reformulated gas from November to April like the Northeast does? Reformulated gas absolutely sucks for gas mileage. Better for the air, but not for mileage.

[bigdogdad]

Around town I get 16/17 mpg. On my trips to Orlando I average 26 (edit on mpg, add 16 earlier)mpg doing anywhere from 70 to 80 mph. Going to The Keys I get alittle less, around 23 mpg (once you hit Key Largo and down its alot of stop and go).

[sakigt]

19-20 mpg city
21 highway

Make sure your tires are inflated...I usually get the low end of my range when they need even 3 pounds of air.