Post Your Van Gas Mileage Here

Replying to: ateixeira (Jan 25, 2008 7:40 am)

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Feb 11, 2008 4:12 pm)

Replying to: roloj (Feb 11, 2008 2:04 pm)

It varies, a lot.
 
In the summer, we have a weekend getaway/beach condo, so we make lots of long trips, 3 hours each way. I consistently get better than 27mpg, usually 28 to 30 or so.
 
Now it's cold and the place it closed up, so it's all around town driving, mostly short trips. We try to combine errands but most of the kids' activities are only a few miles away, so the engine barely warms up before we arrive. I'd say most trips are less than 5 miles, with a few longer drives mixed in.
 
In town, on short trips, I've seen as low as 19mpg. A longer drive will increase the average mpg back up in the 20s, though, pretty quickly.
 
I do not tend to go too fast - usually 65 in 55 zones, 70-75 in a 65mph zone, but there aren't many 65 mph zones here in MD. I'm probably going a bit slower than average traffic, though.
 
What I've found is that the Sienna shifts to 5th gear at right about 45mph, and that's about where it gets the best mileage. RPMs are way low, about 1400rpm or so, just above idle. It can maintain speed on level ground, but on a hill it will have to upshift.
 
55mph is easier because it rarely shifts down. High 20s or even 30+mpg.
 
At 65mph it almost never needs 4th gear, but mileage isn't as good - high 20s.
 
I haven't cruised at much higher speeds for any extended period, this is a family car after all, not a top speed racer.

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 11, 2008 11:39 am)

Idling 5 minutes to warm it up, short trips only, and VERY cold weather.
 
I am confident the gas mileage will jump back up to 27-28 MPG on long trips.

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Feb 13, 2008 1:55 pm)

Replying to: hansienna (Feb 12, 2008 4:13 pm)

Replying to: user777 (Aug 12, 2007 5:12 pm)

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• user777 (Feb 22, 2008 3:55 am)
  • ateixeira (Feb 22, 2008 6:03 am)
• hansienna (Feb 22, 2008 7:11 pm)
  • marine2 (Feb 22, 2008 10:23 pm)
    • marine2 (May 29, 2008 2:52 pm) and 2 more...

Replying to: marine2 (Feb 21, 2008 6:00 pm)

there are people that swear by their on-board computers. i would never trust them myself, not even with outside air temperature.

Replies to this message:
• ateixeira (Feb 22, 2008 6:03 am)

Replying to: user777 (Feb 22, 2008 3:55 am)

Replying to: marine2 (Feb 21, 2008 6:00 pm)

The MOST accurate measure of highway mileage is to reset the Trip Computer AFTER the vehicle is warmed up and a person enters the open road (or Freeway in many places).
 
The trip computer (if reset when refueled) is measuring the OVERALL average mileage to include warm up, stop and go, and highway mileage.
 
When I go on a long trip, I refuel the vehicle the night before the trip and reset the trip computer when the vehicle is filled. I then check the trip computer average mileage when I refill the tank AFTER the trip is completed. Thus, there is some warm up and stop and go included in my computation for highway mileage. The 2006 Sienna LE trip computer reads 2 to 3 % higher than actual mileage when the 1380 miles is divided by the total fuel placed into the vehicle during and at the end of the trip. The 2002 T&C LX trip computer computed average mileage was less than 1 % higher than actual.

Replies to this message:
• marine2 (Feb 22, 2008 10:23 pm)
  • marine2 (May 29, 2008 2:52 pm)
    • ivan_99 (May 30, 2008 5:14 am) and 1 more...

Replying to: hansienna (Feb 22, 2008 7:11 pm)

Replies to this message:
• marine2 (May 29, 2008 2:52 pm)
  • ivan_99 (May 30, 2008 5:14 am)
    • marine2 (May 30, 2008 2:34 pm)