Strict City MPG on a 97 Legacy 2.2l engine-18 mpg Is something wrong?

I have a '97 Outback, and my mechanic says he's rarely seen great mileage from these cars. Everything from the tires to the roof rack will effect your mileage. I get about 26 on the highway, but I think I average around

75-80. Also, remember that the estimated mpg that's on the sticker on the car is calculated by a car running on a treadmill indoors. The only way you can get close is to drive like you've got a full cup of coffee balanced on the top of the dash and you don't want to spill it. BTW, it's filled to the brim and has no top.

Also, my understanding is that ethanol blends will decrease your mileage figures.

As per all you said, mymileage has never been great - never matched the 24 mpg city rating on the sticker. But have never seen 18 mpg except in the coldest part of winter. Very little chance (out of the area) to put in non-ethanol gas, but that does seem to help the mileage.

If I don't put any highway miles on for another 150 miles or so, will fill it again and combine the two tanks for a better mileage estimate.

Hi,

Stupid question: is it an automatic?

Reason I ask is I see greater differentials between city and hwy w/ the autos I've driven than sticks under the best of conditions, and the autos seem far more likely to really fall off the edge in city driving if there's a change in gas, temperature, A/C use, even when it's getting to be time to change oil, air filters, etc. Just for an example, my old Subie, 4wd w/ 5spd, gets around 27/28 mpg on the hwy most of the time. So does my V-6 Camry w/ an auto. But strictly around town, when the Subie drops to 22-23, the Camry will drop anywhere from 18 down to 15! It's so dismal, I usually don't drive it unless I can spend most of the trip on the hwy.

But as already noted, one time averages are often unreliable. Let us know if it "comes back" when you can get out on the highway.

Rick

Wow, keeping under 705mph must be really hard :)

FWIW, my 97OBW has been getting ~22mpg on highway (CA gas, ~80mph) ever since I bought it in 2000.

Recently my wife has been driving it in the city on lots of very short trips (2-3 miles, lights at every block), and the mileage dropped to ~18mpg.

Cheers,

Car's an automatic. Curiously enough, the EPA city mileage was 24 on the auto and 23 on the manual for the '97 stickers. That was one of the factors influencing my choice. My car's a Brighton Wagon - stripped model. An AT was an $800 option. But....with the MT, no tach was standard, or a factory otion!. As I recall a special wiring harness had to be added to add an aftermarket tach, and the dealer quote to add a tach was....$800! So I went with the higher mileage vehicle (in theory) at the same price.

Jim

Sorry...I meant 70 (had originally mistyped 65 and forgot to remove the 5!) I get 27 mpg at 75, but have slowed down recently

Ok Thanks.

Mileage aside, I "had" two cars with stick shifts. When I got my Outback I got an automatic. It's nice to have a choice, and I figured if I ever hurt either leg or ankle I wouldn't be able to drive, not to mention driving a stick in bumper to bumper traffic. Except for "shift shock" the Outback isn't too bad, but it ain't no Audi. Smoothest automatic I've ever driven -- the Audi.

Do you have other vehicles? How are they doing? It might be water in the fuel. Try a different gas station before commiting to a mechanical/sensor inspection.

MN

No other vehicles. I don't tend to go to the same station. I did the last fill (after the poor mileage) at Speedway which I hadn't used in a while. Will see how it goes.