mpg ratings

[steelblueSE]

What are the EPA ratings for the 2.5 autos? I went on a 900 mile round trip to West Virginia recently and got 29.4mpg on the way down and 28.6mpg on the way back. This is with a full trunk 3 people and the rest of the backseat was filled with stuff with an average speed of 75-80mph. I didn't think my car could get that kind of mileage. It was the first time I have driven the car longer than 100 miles at a time.

 

[AliasJerk]

the EPA's standards for measuring fuel economy really are dated, and therefore have a lot of variances.

if you go to a new car lot today and look at those window stickers that say fuel economy, they will say the city and highway mileage then in a little note below it will say "note that driving habbits and weather conditions could vary these numbers +/- 4-6 mpg"

or something along those lines... I have my original window sticker, and it says that my zetec tour was supposed to get 26 city and 34 highway and below it says highway mileage varies between 30 and 36 mpg. Its normal to get better than you are supposed to get, especially if you arent a lead foot. I have gotten 36MPG in my zetec tour, but I average 30. On a 2.5L auto 29 mpg sounds about right for fuel economy, some SVT contours around here have gotten as high as 32 mpg, its just the way you drive.

 

[rouar]

That's roughly what I got for mileage driving the car across the country in 4.5 days.

 

[Tony2005]

What are the EPA ratings for the 2.5 autos? I went on a 900 mile round trip to West Virginia recently and got 29.4mpg on the way down and 28.6mpg on the way back. This is with a full trunk 3 people and the rest of the backseat was filled with stuff with an average speed of 75-80mph. I didn't think my car could get that kind of mileage. It was the first time I have driven the car longer than 100 miles at a time.

The 1996 sticker showed EPA 21 City/30 Highway for the 2.5 ATX. I have never got 30 MPG highway before. I think the best I got was 27 when it was about 2 years old.

 

[steelblueSE]

The EPA sticker from 96 is just about on par by the looks of it. I get 17-22 mpg on city driving, the lower being in the winter of course. Before that trip I think my best was about 26mpg.

 

[98TredSVT]

I get between 18 and 21 city driving my svt.

 

[99Mystique ATX]

My 99 Mystique's window sticker says 20 city 29 highway. If you got the car on the highway it was very happy, cruising at ~60mph always yielded over 30mpg...The last time I had it on the road I got 33mpg with it...

The best I ever got was 35mpg, but that was cruise set at 55-57mph most of the way...

Even cruising at 75-80mph yielded ~30mpg...

 

[AliasJerk]

some company released after a bunch of testing that every car obtained optimal fuel economy at 65 mph, there is the lowest drag to power ratio at that speed for which the car can cut through the air the best with the least effort.

I went a whole car trip doing 65 in my old corolla, 40 mpg. I usually cruse at 75-80, and I normally saw 36mpg in my corolla doing that. it really does make a difference.

 

[99Mystique ATX]

some company released after a bunch of testing that every car obtained optimal fuel economy at 65 mph, there is the lowest drag to power ratio at that speed for which the car can cut through the air the best with the least effort.

I'm not sure that I buy that... That may be true for some cars, but for the SVT, which due to its gearing is sitting at like 2600rpm at 60, is just killing gas mileage... Now, if you had a Zetec, or an automatic V6, the story changes, due to the different final drive ratios.

I'm not saying that the car or cars they tested didn't do its/their best at 65, but I am saying that it's not always the case.