This may sound weird, but how many people gauge their "mpg" by the number of times they fill up within a span of time? If it feels like I'm always at a gas pump, that's the point I may question my mpg.
This may sound weird, but how many people gauge their "mpg" by the number of times they fill up within a span of time? If it feels like I'm always at a gas pump, that's the point I may question my mpg.
J.A. Ackley said:This may sound weird, but how many people gauge their "mpg" by the number of times they fill up within a span of time? If it feels like I'm always at a gas pump, that's the point I may question my mpg.
I know that feeling. When I still drove to the office every day, I felt like I was filling up my tank at least twice a week–even though I was averaging above 35 mpg.
In reply to J.A. Ackley :
That's not mpg, or any real measurement. It's a relation to the length of your drive with the size of your tank.
bobzilla said:In reply to J.A. Ackley :
That's not mpg, or any real measurement. It's a relation to the length of your drive with the size of your tank.
"It's not the size of your tank, it's the length of your drive."
*chuckles in 13-year-old*
Range is meaningless except as a measure of convenience. Despite being mechanically almost identical, DW's sedan gets about 75 miles more per tank that my wagon does. But that's strictly extra tank volume. Both cars get nearly identical mileage at 23 town / 27 highway.
[edit] In response to the actual question, 23 / 27 isn't bad for the performance profile of the cars, but I wouldn't consider it fuel efficient.
I kind of think "fuel efficiency" starts around 30 mpg.
bobzilla said:In reply to J.A. Ackley :
That's not mpg, or any real measurement. It's a relation to the length of your drive with the size of your tank.
I knew someone who liked that car X had a 17 gallon tank because he could go all week without refilling.
He didn't care that it got much worse fuel economy than the car it replaced, he gauged his fuel out-go by number of visits and not number of dollars exiting his wallet.
In the winter I live in CA and buy my fuel in NV. I drive over the border every 14 days. I don't fill up when I need to, but when I can. Some weeks(when I've had to use 4wd more) I might be a little closer to E when I get to the station. If I need a bigger tank I'll jsut buy more fuel jugs.
In reply to Duke :
Range is situational. For my commute I can fill up every third day, but most cars would be every two. That's a few hours of my time I save a year; so range can matter.
In reply to AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) :
Duke said:
Range is meaningless except as a measure of convenience.
Eight seems to be my number.
If I can get 8L/100 km I'm pretty happy with that. And that translates to about 29mpg.
My truck gets about 10, my car gets about 6, it all works out in the end.
I wish the manufacturers would put in as big a tank as is reasonably possible. All my vehicles have similar range, but the Spark has a 32L tank. I wish it was closer to 45L so I could go 750k, and a few weeks without filling up
Pete. (l33t FS) said:bobzilla said:In reply to J.A. Ackley :
That's not mpg, or any real measurement. It's a relation to the length of your drive with the size of your tank.
I knew someone who liked that car X had a 17 gallon tank because he could go all week without refilling.
He didn't care that it got much worse fuel economy than the car it replaced, he gauged his fuel out-go by number of visits and not number of dollars exiting his wallet.
Pete.
Time is of real importance to people who understand that we are only given so much time and no more.
In reply to frenchyd :
Then why tf would someone with so precious an amount of remaining time waste it on internet gassiness?
Marjorie Suddard said:In reply to frenchyd :
Then why tf would someone with so precious an amount of remaining time waste it on internet gassiness?
Sometimes you have to go with what you know. :p
In reply to Marjorie Suddard :
AnthonyGS (Forum Supporter) said:Marjorie Suddard said:In reply to frenchyd :
Then why tf would someone with so precious an amount of remaining time waste it on internet gassiness?
Sometimes you have to go with what you know. :p
True.
Peabody said:Eight seems to be my number.
If I can get 8L/100 km I'm pretty happy with that. And that translates to about 29mpg.
My truck gets about 10, my car gets about 6, it all works out in the end.
I wish the manufacturers would put in as big a tank as is reasonably possible. All my vehicles have similar range, but the Spark has a 32L tank. I wish it was closer to 45L so I could go 750k, and a few weeks without filling up
How long does it take you to drive ti the gas station , fill and drive back? My wife's Honda it's 4-5 minutes to get there ( depending on traffic) .
It's maybe 5 minutes to fill the tank ( 12 gallon max) pop the gas cap door unscrew, the cap, grab the hose, insert it. Set the latch Insert credit card Enter Pin, tell it no you don't want a car wash, select the fuel. Wait while the fuel is pumped in, replace nozzle, tell it no you don't want a receipt, screw the cap back on , Close the gas cap door get back into car. And 4-5 minutes back. 25 mph speed limit add extra for construction ( and there is always construction)
14 minutes. And my gas station is only a mile and 1/2 away. Plus I've never had to wait.
Now an EV open port, install cable. done. 30 seconds. Reverse when leaving in the morning with a full "tank"
frenchyd said:Peabody said:Eight seems to be my number.
If I can get 8L/100 km I'm pretty happy with that. And that translates to about 29mpg.
My truck gets about 10, my car gets about 6, it all works out in the end.
I wish the manufacturers would put in as big a tank as is reasonably possible. All my vehicles have similar range, but the Spark has a 32L tank. I wish it was closer to 45L so I could go 750k, and a few weeks without filling up
How long does it take you to drive ti the gas station , fill and drive back? My wife's Honda it's 4-5 minutes to get there ( depending on traffic) .
It's maybe 5 minutes to fill the tank ( 12 gallon max) pop the gas cap door unscrew, the cap, grab the hose, insert it. Set the latch Insert credit card Enter Pin, tell it no you don't want a car wash, select the fuel. Wait while the fuel is pumped in, replace nozzle, tell it no you don't want a receipt, screw the cap back on , Close the gas cap door get back into car. And 4-5 minutes back. 25 mph speed limit add extra for construction ( and there is always construction)
14 minutes. And my gas station is only a mile and 1/2 away. Plus I've never had to wait.
Now an EV open port, install cable. done. 30 seconds. Reverse when leaving in the morning with a full "tank"
Let's say it's 15 minutes for ease of computation. I drive to the office about 180 days a year with telework, vacation, weekends holidays etc. In my case I am talking about fueling 60 (every 3 days) or 90 (every two days) a year. That difference of 30 times at 15 minutes each is 7.5 hours a year. That is a real valuable commodity that is a measure of "convenience." If convenience didn't have real costs everyone would still grow all their own food and raise livestock too. Society has determined convenience is very important.
A lot of cars I'd drive daily are a no go for this reason. At 40 mpg a 12 gallon tank works for me, 30 mpg won't cut it. And yah I did all this math before buying the car. Ask my wife I can build a spreadsheet and do analysis for anything. My wife wants help with one to plan a complicated and detailed multinational trip for a large group.
I can do 30 mpg on 16 gallon tank which brings in many interesting vehicles.
Why would anyone literally get in the car to go to the gas station and then come right home? You combine that with other trips, or on your way out. Arguing it takes 15 minutes to get to a gas station fill it and drive home is idiotic. No one does that.
I'll give you the answer in the units we used to use up here, the units we now use along with the rest of the world (except the US and the units you guys still use.
30 mpg Imperial
25 US mpg (also used in Latin American and Caribbean countries where the US sold gas pumps)
9.4 l/100 km ret of the world, incl. Canada
bobzilla said:Why would anyone literally get in the car to go to the gas station and then come right home? You combine that with other trips, or on your way out. Arguing it takes 15 minutes to get to a gas station fill it and drive home is idiotic. No one does that.
Husbands do that for wives that ask.
frenchyd said:bobzilla said:Why would anyone literally get in the car to go to the gas station and then come right home? You combine that with other trips, or on your way out. Arguing it takes 15 minutes to get to a gas station fill it and drive home is idiotic. No one does that.
Husbands do that for wives that ask.
Hard nope.
In reply to bobzilla :
We do that when going on a big road trip the next day. Especially when towing.
oh, for the thread, the nominal us filling speed is 10 gal/min. Slow that to 5, and it feels painfully slow.
ProDarwin said:frenchyd said:bobzilla said:Why would anyone literally get in the car to go to the gas station and then come right home? You combine that with other trips, or on your way out. Arguing it takes 15 minutes to get to a gas station fill it and drive home is idiotic. No one does that.
Husbands do that for wives that ask.
Hard nope.
This. I'll take the car the next day on the way home and fill it. Otherwise its a huge waste of resources, time and fuel.
alfadriver said:In reply to bobzilla :
We do that when going on a big road trip the next day. Especially when towing.
oh, for the thread, the nominal us filling speed is 10 gal/min. Slow that to 5, and it feels painfully slow.
and you go on big trips towing 2 times a week?
bobzilla said:Why would anyone literally get in the car to go to the gas station and then come right home? You combine that with other trips, or on your way out. Arguing it takes 15 minutes to get to a gas station fill it and drive home is idiotic. No one does that.
Taken the words from my mouth you have. Literally. 
Addressing the question at hand and none of the other usual BS...
Put me in the "it depends on the platform" group.
Commuter/Daily Driver: 25+ MPG, can be as low as 20 depending on how much power it makes/how many cylinders it has
Trucks: Double Digits.
"Fun Cars": Eh, does it matter? Probably "Double Digits" here as well.
What do my cars get? Kia gets anywhere from 25-35mpg, Power Wagon gets about 9-10mpg, and the Trans Am got a little over 10mpg last tank, but I don't have enough sample size on that one to really know yet.
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