Fuel Consumption Results.

There are several ways to determine the fuel consumption rate for a car.

Lie.

Make it sound like you did good calculations, lie.

Estimate mileage and try to remember how many tanks of gas it took. Estimate the resulting fuel mileage, honest effort. Useless.

Record the odometer mileage, Carefully fill the tank to the top of the filler line. Repeat on next fill-up or if possible several fill-ups. Calculate the result.

Lie.

My 2000 4-cyl Camry calculated from the log book I maintain 22.1 to 23.1 MPG locally depending on the current formula for the fuel sold in this area. On a long trip using the cruise control and probably buying fuel with more gasoline and fewer EPA additives, 24.5 MPG.

Recent business trip, rental cars, calculated from about a half tank each: Dodge Durango 16.7. That was a convention at Lake Tahoe. With permission I was able to use the Durango to explore around the lake and down into Reno (not enough time to stop, but I did get to see the real estate of the area for the first time and put some miles on the car). Big V-8, full time all-wheel drive, pushed it hard, never maxed the pedal in the mountains or ran out of power. That vehicle did not know it was going straight up at 65 MPH above 8000 feet, push down the pedal some and burn rubber! Or on those impossible turns barely clinging to the sides of the mountains, 5, 10, or on the wider roads 20 MPH above the yellow sign suggested speed. No real problem with the Durango at all. My right hand did miss the placement of the shift lever. It prefers the Camry. All of these, by the way, are automatic transmissions. Durango was Great!!!!!!!!

Another city, airport field elevation 510 feet. Jeep Laredo, V-6,

15.6 MPG. Feels just like the Durango except there is noticeably less room inside and visibility is fairly poor. If I was buying I would not hesitate to pick the Durango. I do like the shift lever and transmission for the Jeep better, a lot better. Easy to drop gears to slow down once you learn how to make it happen.

Came home, stopped by the Toyota dealer. The Dodge and the Jeep make the offerings on the Toyota lot look subminiaturized. I think I will wait for the next major body design change of the Camry, too. And keep my fingers crossed.

Reply to
Charlie
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Anybody not getting over 32 on a trip has a car that needs tuning, unless you a towing a trailer through the mountains with the Ac on. I get 35-36 after tuning and new synthetics. The most over looked thing could be retarded timing. So you dont now what you are talking about.

Reply to
m Ransley

You probably drive like a granny.

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Reply to
sharx35

Sure hope my new car doesn't need tuned, yet.....Less than 7000 miles and haven't even seen 31mpg......28 is the norm at 2-3 over posted speeds no matter what they may be.....

'07 Camry SE w/ 4-cyl and auto.

Reply to
Stan Wright

Sharks-moron, whats a matter, your toy only getting 16 because you cant figure out you are only running on 3 cilinders, how does a granny drive on a highway trip at 65.

Reply to
m Ransley

I'm getting around 32 mpg on pure highway driving (60-68 mph) but have seen as little as 24-25 in mixed local (not city- rural town) and highway driving.

Reply to
David In NH

If he drives like that, it's probably true, specially in US gallons. Drive as badly and uneconomically as you can and a v8's consumption won't suffer as much as a 4's.

Reply to
jg

The 4 is sensitive, little changes like higher tire pressure, timing, worn plugs , dirty cap and rotor, new synthetic oil in Trans, Differential, and motor make a big difference. About 5 mpg when I go through it.

Reply to
m Ransley

On a 6 or 8 the difference is less.

Reply to
m Ransley

Yes 4's are more sensitive and items external to the motor are as relevant to comparative fuel consumption (in a microscopic sort of way) as bad driving, which is what Charlie suggests all the symptoms of exhibiting. A bad driver could knock out all of your 5 mpg savings and more. I'm sure he can and does.

Reply to
jg

Right, I get 27 to 28 mpg when I use my Corvette for commuting. I get about half that when I use my Corvette for fun on fast back roads. I'd get about a quarter of that (like 5 - 7 mpg) on the track.

There's pretty much nothing you can do to make an I4 camry consume at

14 mpg unless you're running at WOT on the track.
Reply to
ACAR

In my experience it's the other way round. Would you say the corvette was typical of v8's or does it have a fuel delivery system meant for the "track"... a place where you wouldn't even bother taking a Camry?

Reply to
jg

Typical hiway driving i get around 35 mpg at 60 mph... 32 mpg at 65.... and

29 to 30 at 70 mph. 2.4l with 10 percent ethonol ... 2002 toyota Camry.. Useing a Scan gauge to check this out.. calibrated for odometer error , which seems to be about 3 percent error on my car.. As far as power goes, it has more than enough for passing and as far as mergeing onto the interstate, its fine, but im usually stuck behind some idiot in an SUV oooooozeing out onto the interstate at 40mph and im stareing at the back of his vehicle and the V8 emblem on the back of it. I end up passing em while they are in the Ooooooze mode.. but then a couple miles down the highway, here they come doing 80 mph and pass me like im sitting still... Im sure when gas prices go up they are the first to bitch about how they cant make ends meet.. If they would drive the speed limit then maybe that big terd wouldnt cost em quite as much to drive.. Average vehicle seems to lose about a mpg for every 2 mph you are driving over the speed limit..
Reply to
mtroth

..............

I quite agree, but my point is that a small engine uses relatively more fuel when pushed than a big one. Not more fuel, just proportionally more. Probably because they are generally designed to get relatively more fuel through under acceleration to compensate for the smaller indicated horsepower. Having said that, my dad has a newish Ford fairlane 6 which is as quick or quicker and uses perhaps less fuel than my 91 camry (which has always used the same amount of fuel which seems the same as everyone else's camry I know - 12 l/100km, 10 at best). I know a millionaire who drives a Datsun 180b (can't remember when they stopped making them), because he thinks newer cars use more fuel.

Reply to
jg

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