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Mileage on 97 Outback

I just got a used Outback and checked the mileage on it, and I'm curious if you all agree with my mechanic.

I got about 22-23 mpg in a mix of city and highway driving. I tend to use "3" on the automatic tranny when I'm driving around town, and the car still has Michelin studdless snow and ice tires on it. I also have a lot of work related "stuff" in the back. And, I tend to go around 80 on the highway.

My mechanic claims this sounds about normal, and the best he's ever seen is around 25 mpg on an automatic Subaru of that year. The car runs fine, and he said the only way to increase mileage would be to put decent summer tires on the car, and a manual tranny would also give me a couple more mpg, but I wanted the automatic when I got it (already have a sports car, and wanted one car I didn't have to shift).

BTW, Could they possibly have made the gas tank any smaller? I think a "Big Gulp" hold more.

Any thoughts?(?)

Reply to
Sheldon
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My wife's 03 has gone up to 25mpg if driving only in the highway.

City and highway gives her 22mpg

By the way, i recently realized that when the a/c is low on refrigerant fuel consumption is higher. We are in FL, and i am aware you are talking about snow tires.

Sheld> I just got a used Outback and checked the mileage on it, and I'm curious if

Reply to
AS

I have a 97 Subaru Outback with the 2.5 engine. I do mostly highway driving and get around 27 mpg. The thing that I found that has made the biggest difference in the performance, ride and handling is putting a set of Goodyear Tripletread on it. You will not believe how smooth these are and how quiet it will make your car. You will also corner like you are on rails.

Reply to
Mark Williams

'97 OBW, M/T, 114K miles. I get 22 MPG in mixed city/highway driving and 28 MPG on the highway, though I don't drive faster than 70 MPH.

-- Vic Roberts Replace xxx with vdr in e-mail address.

Reply to
Victor Roberts

97 OBW, A/T, 110K miles. South California (A/C almost always on; CA gas allegedly gives slightly worse mileage; 75-85 mph).

I've been driving this car for the last 5 years, and *never* got better than 22 MPG.

Sounds right.

Cheers,

Reply to
Paul Pluzhnikov

Thanks all. Sounds like I'm in the ballpark and my mechanic is right.

Reply to
Sheldon

I've been thinking about getting those tires for year round use. Have you driven them on snow and ice?

Reply to
Sheldon

I am a skier and a hunter, so have had these on snow, slush and ice a number of times. While I was in the mountains this year I got to try the tires in snow, ice and combo of slush and ice. I was amazed how well these tires griped in all these conditions. I was deep in the mountains on logging roads and really put these tires to test. I was even off road one morning and woke up to 14 inches of snow and was able to get out.

These tires have exceeded my expectations!

Reply to
Mark Williams

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