the publics opinion of what good mileage is

[philmcneal]

Originally Posted by 95metro

I asked a guy about his Saturn's mileage one time and he responded with, "500 km per tank."

...???...???...

I had nothing to say to that.

It is strange though that most people consider 30 mpg really good. I consider 35 mpg as okay, 40 mpg as good, 50 mpg as impressive, and anything over that as amazing up to "Wow!"

the majority unfortnately doesn't even know what MPG or LPK means... but when I say i'm reaching towards 1000 km a tank in the city, then i get heads going "BULL****"


good enough for me

[cheapybob]

50 mpg overall would be good mileage if you ask me. I'll never see that because a 1.9L motor is just too big to deliver that kind of economy around town.

GM should take their Ecotech motor and cut it in 1/2 for a 2 cyl, and mate it to a 6 spd manual and throw it in a Saturn ION, and call it an ION-Mpg or something like that, and advertise the heck out of it, selling it for the same price as the current 4 cyl model. you watch, they'll do it, but 5 yrs from now, just before we have another oil glut

[95metro]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

but when I say i'm reaching towards 1000 km a tank in the city, then i get heads going "BULL****"

hahahahahahaha

[02SaturnSL]

It is hard to find new cheap 40mpg cars, not too many choices out there. I bought a 2002Saturn SL with 40mpg on the sticker for highway. I think it was the only 'domestic' car with that kind of mpg. Not too many choices under 12k. (mine was 11500, I got air option only).

If I tell people I get mid to high 40's on the highway, most don't believe it. It's all in how you drive it and a some other tips. My car has K&N air cleaner as only mod. I shift at 1300-1500rpm. Most people won't do that. But hey, I am cheap and do what works. I love to see driving in town people blowing past me while I'm shifting at 1300, then they slam on the brakes and wait at a light while I coast up behind them (long lights, I shut the motor off). Average people just don't care or know how to drive economically. I guess gas has been so cheap here (in peoples heads) that they never had to care.

[diamondlarry]

I have a relative in the Cleveland area(wife's cousin) that drives an '02 Saturn SL. You don't have any cousins in Wakarusa, IN do you? Anyway, welcome to the board. We need all the Saturn guys we can get here. :-)

[Silveredwings]

Chicken or egg? Most of the public doesn't care enough about fuel economy or the environment to make lifestyle changes. The automakers just want to cash in on the prevailing demand. Consumers then buy what is available.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

I guess what really gets me is when the genral public thinks that 40mpg is an unrealistic mileage, if you tell them someone can get 50mpg they call you a lier, and 60mpg is something that no car will ever be able to get, after all they saw that "news" program where they prooved that even a hybrid can't get the mileage they clame.
One of the people I was talking to the other day said they are spending $40-50 every time they fill up, and a tank of gas doesn't last a week, and they were going to get a car like a Yaris, even tho they didn't think a "normal" car would ever be able to get 40mpg.
a year or so ago I went in for an alinement, and asked if they could run a diagnostic on my car because at the time I was only getting 38mpg, and that I thought it should be in the high 40's to low 50's and the mecanic looked at me like I was an idiot and said "you'll be lucky if you get in the low 40's, it'd be a waste of money to search for a problem", it's almost like the oil compenies don't want the car compenies to make a better car, because if there was one afordable car that got 60mpg, people might realize that they can demand something that gets better mileage, keep them in the dark and they keep quite and will buy their "fuel effcent suberben".

[JanGeo]

HA HA HA HA HA I love this stuff - I guess we need more british people here that are used to the MiniCooper and Austin America that used to get some good mileage. I remember being on a trip to western PA with the car loaded up and getting about 600 miles on a tank of gas in the Geo and thinking it was almost midnight and I need to get some gas to keep driving all night. The last tank in the xB was over 400 miles and the gas light was not on yet - took 10.291 gallons to spill it on the ground . . . damit I wasted some! Maybe a catch cup under the filler that vents back to the tank or engine is needed for the overflow. Got some highway traveling coming up next Sunday will see on the Shell gas does.

[mtbiker278]

Originally Posted by Compaq888

I'm also a member at 8thgencivic and there are members who make 40mpg tanks. If I'm not mistaken you have an auto. At 2500rpm you're at 80mph. Some people would kill for that kind of rpm at that speed. I heard rumors that your car gets it's best mpg at 67mph, try that.

I do have an auto. I used to cruise on the highway at around 60mph. That usually netted me around 36 with mixed city driving. Now I drive around 52mph (speed limit is 55mph) and with mixed city driving I'm getting around 38-39. I have yet to do just all highway at that speed, but I wouldn't be surprised to see somewhere around 41-42mpg. The engine turns over at about 1650-1700rpms, which is ridiculous compared to some other cars I've driven. Previously I drove an Isuzu Trooper two door (good luck finding one of those). The thing sucked on gas mileage. At highway speeds it would turn over at like 2800-3000 at 65mph. The only thing it was really good for was hauling stuff (sometimes ***), and doughnuts in the winter with a snow covered parking lot.

[JanGeo]

2800-3000 at 65mph

Yeah well my xB turns 3050 at 60 in 5th so I know what you are talking about.