No buy froggy car, by DBenz, a Smart fortwo Coupe.
Makes a Metro, or Civic look large.

One was zipping around the parking lot today at Costco. You could park it in the bed of our truck.
Chris

 

I never said I was worried about my mileage. I was just curious after reading the thread from last week and I thought I'd try it. I was simply posting my findings. I was a little surprised it went up as much as it did. If I was that concerned about the milage I'd have put the stock tires and wheels back on. I lost about 1.5 to 2 mpg when I put the new ones on a year ago.

 

I'm not going to lie, I care about MPG. I mean what, it's costing you money straight out of your wallet when you hammer down all the time. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out. If anyone out there has enough money to buy gas all the time in addition to mods or other things you might really need......like food.......then by all means hammer down all the time. These days it's costing nearly more than a meal at McDonald's if you lay the hammer down hard only a couple of times. But yes, I'm going to put bigger tires on my truck and bigger wheels. But I am going to keep that moderate because I don't want to really kill my mileage. I also try not to abuse my truck or any vehicle I own, I know what they can do and I don't try to get more than that out of them. So guys, if you're straight loaded, then do what you want, go to the race track or something. Otherwise, the rest of us are going to have our fun driving on occasion, but we're also going to remember all the rest of the time when and when not to bury that pedal.

To all those getting 12 mpg and making efforts to get better MPG, I don't know what to tell you. I'm kinda puzzled at that, other than the fact that every truck engine is going to run differently, just like every one of us was created unique. I just know that I really gave mine a chance to get broken in well before I ever went over 2500 rpm's, and I never really touched 2500 much at all because there was no need for it.....just driving to work and sometimes on the interstate. These trucks run under 2000 rpm's at 70 mph, that's efficiency.....or at least my stock 5.4 does, 3.55 gears. I guess some of you guys with 3.73 gears might be getting less mileage, does that sound accurate to say that?

 

Around town the guys with the 3.73 should get better mileage, but the 3.55 is better on the freeway.
I think driving habits and location make the most difference to these trucks.

If you live in hill country, and drive local a lot, your miles are gonna suck. If you live where there are not a lot of stops or you drive at steady speeds for a long time, your mileage will be great.

The guys posting don't say where they are located, and what their driving is.
Even a 2% grade is gonna cost you big time if you are accelerating up it, and not coast back down it.
Chris

 

while this may be true, there seems to be a range of 10-22 MPG.
Thats a huge difference. Those at the lower end are questioning why they can't see a 50% efficinecy improvement (to go from say 12 up to 18 mpg)

 

I drove to work today not going about 2k rpm's. While I got passed by several people it wasn't that bad! I don't actively monitor my rpms but I doubt I go above 3k on normal driving anyway. I'm getting about 15-17 with 3.73s.

 

it just bugs me that most of you guys can get 12 mpg while hammering it all the time, if i try to drive like a grandma i stil cant break 12, thats on all flat ground and not many stops signs or anything.

 

What are your driving conditions? Hills, mountains gravel? Do you mostly run around town? How many stop signs/lights on your usual drive? If you highway, is it freeway, or rural highway, or ring road around a city?

You use most of your gas either going up to speed, or using throttle when you don't need it. On a non freewheeling car, driving down the road, flat land, you use a bit of throttle. On this truck, pushing the throttle to where you would on an older model, and you are just wasting gas. Back off on the throttle on any hill or straight, or downhill, and see if you can't maintain the exact same speed with less throttle. I think this is a phenomena of the freewheeling and the drive by wire.
I can drive the three miles back and forth to the nearest major road and get either 13 mpg or 17 mpg. Driving at the same speed. And accelerating about the same each time.
How? It's a long slow grade, the kind you notice most when you are on a bicycle. When I drive up it, I can either get 12 mpg or 14 mpg, depending on how much throttle I give it. I am not talking about going faster. Unlike older designs this truck will not always equate more gas with more speed. Try it those with Scangauge, Vacuum gauges, or anything that gives you instant mileage. Drive your normal speed, but then see if it will maintain the speed with the throttle back up a little.

Coming back down the long grade, if I boost up to the speed limit, then take my foot completely off the throttle, I can come back getting fantastic mileage. The grade is not enough to coast any of my other vehicles on, but this one coasts between each stop sign.
Or I can keep my foot steady on the gas and get 16 mpg on the stretches.
It's pretty easy to lift my foot for the better mileage.
Note, I am talking about going the same speed, just not giving the truck unneeded gas.

Try it.
What have you got to lose?
Chris

 

I just got 14.7 in town and 18.5 on the highway. Only 787 miles on the truck. It appears to be getting better as it gets broken in. It was 11.9 in town. Would be nice if it did this to 80K miles. I should be gettin 50mpg...

 

whack!!! I loved that CA...

Yup, the right foot is the key to better milage. I can achieve 16mpg on my mixed driving, and my last lead-footed tank was 14.8. Driving style is all the difference.

 

Hmmm - I'd love to know how some of you guys drive these things....Like Mustangs I guess.....

Since the day I got mine, I've been watching MPG. Have documented receipts for every tank. My worst so far, with the A/C running for half the mileage, was 15.8. Most of my driving is a 70/30 highway/town split.

Now granted, the first 500 miles, it was nothing but "under 2k RPM" granny driving. I mean, I was getting tailgated by Hyundais. But now, I've decided to drive like a normal human being that's behind the wheel of 3 tons worth of steel. 18.2 MPG during the normal 70/30 split. 16.2 MPG with the split reversed. (Did a lot of running around with the wife and baby this weekend.)

So far, I have zero complaints about the MPG of these trucks. I'm guessing I'm one of the lucky ones.

E...

 

I don't know if this is ever the case on here but I got 16.2 mpg, or 17.5 L/100 km, on my last tank but I am from Canada, converted to U.S. gallons it is 13.7 mpg.

It might make a difference who you are talking to.
btw...I have a very lead foot and I think my mileage is great.

 

its all flat ground around here. i drive 5 miles each way to work, 55, with 2 stops on the way. about once a week i go 15 miles 70 mph freeway with prob 5 min. city driving each trip. thats getting me 11.5 mpg. i took a trip south, flat desert driving with probably 4 5% grades each way, going 70-75 i got 12.5 mpg.. im really thinking my truck needs a reflash, i have a 5.4 with 3.73's and stock tires. people on here claim to be able to burn out on pavement. my truck wont even think about breaking loose with it floored going around a corner.

 

Wow, that is lousy. You don't ride your foot on the brake do you? Or dance your foot on the gas? That is terrible mileage, and I think I would take it to the dealer with a couple gas recipts with odometer readings, and raise Caine.
Chris

 

just a question, how does the octane level make a difference, is suppose to be more combustible as the rating increases. here in the philippines unleaded is at least 93 ocane and premuim gas is 95+ and we have a higher one which i think is 98+. they say that the higher the octane the more power you get, but would that mean that you produce more heat too, will engine adjustments have to be made if you increase your octane rating.