Our favorite GRM cars and MPGs

RossD wrote: In reply to Nashco: "Your mileage may vary" is the exact reason I asked. Plus looking up what a brand new 1980 RX-7 might do for fuel economy does not mean it will still do that 30 years later. Anyways the way most of us drive cars can be different from the average motorist so, like you stated, the governments estimates can be off. No mustang owners?

My dad has a 92 Mustang GT with a 5 speed and gets about 24mpg with mostly highway driving.

I average about 22 MPG combined in the Forester XT with Thule roof bars on it. If keep it out of boost and take the bars off, I can get over 25 MPG doing the same trip. I sometimes wish I had an additional taller gear for highway cruising.

In my 1987 TII RX-7 I was getting 18 MPG (at best) on the highway on a fresh engine (~1500 miles). The engine was ported, I was running 720cc secondaries and I used to wind it out just to hear it howl.

I think it is understood that you just shouldn't own some cars if you're worried about your MPG figure.

In reply to Brett_Murphy:

Yeah, I was wondering how bad a rotory is for fuel economy. I'm not looking for crazy mpg numbers but upper 20s is really what I'm shooting for. Any XR4TI drivers?

cghstang wrote: I've kept a spreadsheet tracking mileage (and gas prices) for every fill-up for all of my vehicles over the last 3 or 4 years.

I have been using fueleconomy.gov to keep track of my MPGs. It helps to check that area of the site when looking for a new car that you don't think meets its ratings, or one that easily exceeds them.

MrJoshua wrote: In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: Interesting that I beat you by 4-5mpg highway with my 97 328i. Does the "iS" have shorter gearing?

It had the ZF 5sp with 1:1 5th out of the M3 and a 3:23 rear. I know the 325 had a different gearbox but I'm not sure about the non-iS 2.8L cars. I'd imagine they were all the same though. I did run 17" wheels with 245/40s at all 4 corners too.

I don't think any of these are favorite cars, but i'll post anyways:

1990 MX6 GT Turbo (heavily modified): 25-27mpg mixed, 33mpg highway.
1992 Celica GT: 29-31mpg mixed, 34mpg highway.
1993 Escort GT: 23-24mpg mixed, 38mpg highway (may have been a fluke)
2000 Cherokee: 16mpg no matter what conditions
1994 MX3 GS: 31mpg highway (DAMN that final drive)

my 96 318ti gets about 28mpg in mixed city and country road driving. I have seen as high as 35 taking it easy on the highway with the air con off.

Mind you, mine is also lowered and running 235/45/17s too. I am sure that on the stock rims and size rubber, it would be higher.

the 91 Saab 900s 2.1 seems to get about 25 to 28mpg in that same mixed driving.

RossD wrote: I guess the car I'm looking for would be rwd, manual and get around 25-30 mpg with 75% highway driving.

You just described a MK1 MR2 or a Miata, even when beaten on. I think Brotus7's MK1 is doing a little better than mine though. I've never owned one myself, but I'd be kinda surprised if foxbody Mustangs were in the same range.

pilotbraden wrote: 74 F-100 6-10 mpg

Is that modified at all?

Current (02 Spec V) - 21-22 city (99% of the time), up to 28-30 w/all highway.

If you aren't sold on a RWD, the best gas mileage car I ever owned was a 93 Civic DX hatch. 32mpg mixed driving as reliable as a Swiss watch. Road trip record - 42mpg, all highway. With a 5 speed, it was still a relatively entertaining DD, and with the hatch/gate combo, you could move furniture with the rear seats folded. Sadly, you must live somewhere devoid of rust and ricers to find a decent example.

RossD wrote: This is some great data, thanks to everyone. Anyone with a fox body mustang with either a 2.3 or 5.0 with manual want to chime in with MPGs? I guess the car I'm looking for would be rwd, manual and get around 25-30 mpg with 75% highway driving. What do Fieros get for fuel economy? MPGs for a zetec Focus?

Zetec focus should be good for 35+ highway and around 26 city. At least that is what my ZX2SR got.

my Impreza = 21 - 24 avg

my Integra = 35 - 38 on trips

and my CRX gets 17 - 19 on track and 40+ on the highway to and from events even gets 36 - 38 pulling the tire trailer

all the above is predicated on getting decent gas... to much alcohol and all the numbers come down ~ 10 - 15 %

In reply to RossD:

When I had a Fiero I could get low 30's on the highway.6 cyl,4 spd

1.6 miata(RX7 MAF, 1.8 injectors, header and 2.25 exhaust) 30mpg no matter how I drive unless I make a run on the Dragon 1.8 miata(stock) 25mpg no matter how I drive it 2004 GTO 19mpg in mixed driving 1996 4runner 16-18mpg the car in our driveway that varies the most is Debbie's MS6 which will get 16mpg around town and 28mpg on highway

09 Mazda 3 2.0 5 speed, No matter how I drive it I AVG 27mpgs and that 90% city. 99 F150 v6 w/ a 5 speed I get 22 hw and about 17 city. My 96 crown vic I AVG 22 mpgs driving like grandpa. Only mod of the crown vic is 3.27 rear gears and shift kit

E36 M3, 26mpg average over a year (actual measured)
Golf TDI, 50mpg average over 9 months so far.
2003 Protege, 32mpg average over 2 years
1987 BMW E30 325e, 29mpg average over 3 years

My Zetec Focus wagon got a paltry 24mpg last fill up. That was majority city driving though.

I read something about a 1969 Dodge Polara in there somewhere, so i asked my dad (who used to own one) and he didn't remember mileage, but he did say the wind noise is unbearable at 114 mph. Oddly specific, i thought, but there it is. He did say his current '65 mustang gt gets just better than 20 mpg, similar to his 2001 mustang gt. There's progress for ya.

That idiot who can't spell wrote:

pilotbraden wrote: 74 F-100 6-10 mpg

Is that modified at all?

I don't know about pilotbraden's truck but I had a stock '78 F-100 that got about 10 mpg no matter how or where I drove it.

Converted to US MPG

93 Swift GT fairly modified, driven hard - 44 MPG

06 GMC Canyon 2.8 5 spd - 23-29 MPG depending on how hard I drive it/time of year

06 Cobalt 2.2 auto 30-34 depending on time of year

Most driving is country, and 2-3 lane highways.

99 miata with a supercharger and 5 spd. Got an average of 31.3 at 70mph returning from Robeling road a few years ago. Almost exactly the same as my wife's Mercedes C230 coupe. Filled both cars in Savannah and Tallahassee.

im around 40mpg /lightweight e36 with s52 swap

'92 Mustang GT 5spd with 3.08s - 21 mixed, 26 highway '92 Mustang LX 5spd (notch)with 3.08s - 21 mixed, 26 highway '97 328is 5spd - 27 in mixed driving, 30+ on highway

M2Pilot wrote:

That idiot who can't spell wrote:

pilotbraden wrote: 74 F-100 6-10 mpg

Is that modified at all?

I don't know about pilotbraden's truck but I had a stock '78 F-100 that got about 10 mpg no matter how or where I drove it.

My F-100 has a 390, 2 barrel Holley, headers, 4 speed manual trans, Dana 21 1 speed transfer case, Dana 41 front axle, 9 inch rear axle with a Detroit Locker, 33x12.50 r15 Dunlop Mud Rovers and a 5 inch lift. I think that the ring and pinion are 4.11.

My '91 1.6 Miata gets 29-30 MPG in normal driving (50% city/ 50% highway). with me driving it. It gets about 16 running at full song on the track days I taken it to.

My '93 Civic Si gets 37-39 MPG with the same mix of street and and highway.

For comparision my wife's Prius gets 48 - 50 with me driving it.