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Wagons Scion xB Scion Owners: MPG-Real World Numbers
494 messages, Last post on Nov 26, 2009 at 1:58 AM
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My car is EPA rated at 30 mpg highway. (Old system EPA ests. 22/30 city highway.) I have gotten 35 mpg (gas pump calcs, no trip computer) by driving steadily (avoiding passing) at 65 - 70 mph on interstate hwys. On a recent round 4000 mile trip, 90% of which was interstate highway or other divided highway, I averaged 31.0 mpg, but much of the trip was climbing and descending. There were long stretches in Arizona and New Mexico where I drove 80 mph (where legal limit was 75 mph), and where I got 34.1 mpg over a 702 mi stretch. In another car old EPA est. 17 mpg city / 22 mpg highway(which has a trip computer) I arrived at the following approximate rule of thumb on level ground, which may or may not be applicable to other vehicles, and in any case needs checking: For each 1-mph increase in speed over 60 mph this vehicle uses 2% more fuel to cover any given distance. So on the highway if I drive 75 mph rather than 65 mph, I expect to use 20 % more fuel. If I drive 75 mph instead of 60 mph, I expect to use 30 % more fuel.
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Replying to: jim314 (Feb 25, 2008 12:49 pm) 34 at 80 is good from any angle!  What type car and drive line configuration? Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Feb 26, 2008 4:11 am) The vehicle with which I took the fuel use vs speed data is a 2007 Volvo XC90 base model FWD with naturally aspirated 3.2L I-6 and 6-spd auto made by Aisin AW. I would guess that the V70 would have a significantly smaller fuel penalty for faster highway cruising. I'd guess a 1% increase (or less) in fuel consumption per unit distance for each 1-mph increase in speed above 60 mph. |
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At some point mileage goes down as speed increases, that's a given. But mechanical wear also increases as temperatures and stresses increase. Not only on the engine, but on suspension, tires, water pump, etc. too. As I drive near beautiful Detroit driving gets dangerous due to speed, potholes (our first sign of spring  ), and distracted drivers. Slow up and get run over. Speed up and chance finding some sort of obstacle in front of you. Like Chicago and major east coast cities, most of the commuting is done towards the sun morning and evening, another serious safety consideration. The laws of physics all start piling up against you as speed increases. Stopping distances, control under wet/snow/icy conditions, driver reaction times, mechanical wear, mileage, road grip, impact forces, even noise all increase as speed increases. I vaguely recall a reknowned physicist saying that automotive travel over 50 mph isn't practical on a planet this size. Not quite sure what he meant by that, but its nutty when you can track your daily commute on a 12 inch globe. I kept remembering that idea as we suffered through the years of the 55 mph national speed limit. In Europe displacement and/or horsepower are taxed, in case $10/gallon fuel isn't enough of a discouragement. When ground travel is too slow, people move to flying, and pay for that privilege too. Either way, North American drivers are quibbling in comparison to the more expensive options or the safety issues involved. Maybe with the two oil men out of the White House, we'll be able to hold off $4 and $5 per gallon gas for a bit longer. I'm interested in this discussion as I'm seriously considering purchase of an '08 xB. I do mostly rural driving (two lane and freeway), so I'm hoping for a 30 mpg average. In any event the Edmund's TCO is a very low $0.43/mile for the current xB. I like the chair like seating, low purchace price, and no haggle pricing too. Easy for Dad (at 83) and me  to get in and out. Can't tell you how many hours wasted playing irksome pricing games with dealers, just to walk out in fustration. Yes, I'd like the armrest to be wider, but our Sienna's armrest is almost as bad and we've lived with that for 7 years. I'd like a conventional gauge layout, lower window sills, lower engine speeds at highway speeds, and more than just one intermediate wiper speed (my current ride has 10). Honestly I wanted to like xD, but it won't hold a set of golf clubs without folding down a back seat and the xB's 2.4L engine is better known to us and our mechanics. '09 Corolla was another consideration, but the price is higher for a bigger footprint that has less space inside with that same more efficient/less well known engine and price haggling compared to xB. |
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I don't revel in exceeding the speed limit, and only do it under conditions of low traffic and good road conditions. I recognize that higher speed always reduces the safety margin for an unexpected maneuver. On my recent trip I exceeded the speed limit by 5 mph because most of the other vehicles were doing likewise and I had long distances to cover in specific time intervals because I was sleeping in my vehicle at public campgrounds which closed for the night at about dark. There is always a higher fuel use per mile above say 55 mph, but for the 1735 miles from Wasco CA to Dallas TX (with side trips) I used 52.8 gal of 90 to 91 octane fuel so I averaged 32.9 mpg (driver only and very little luggage), even though I was going up to 80 mph when the limit was 75 mph, and when it was in my judgement "safe" to exceed the limit by 5 mph. The upright seating position of the Scion Xb is a great plus, and I wanted one of these at one point, but didn't buy it because my old car (1991 Dodge Spirit 2.5L 5-spd) was reliable and fuel efficient. Then I got a 2004 Volvo V70 as a hand-me-down so I'm released from car shopping for the indefinite future. An Xb would be expected to have a significant fuel economy penalty for speeds over 65 mph, and I would be less likely to do it than in a more aerodynamic vehicle. |
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I just bought a tC last wed, and my first tank got about 27.7 mpg (about 400 miles on the car). oh and as a side note, i picked up the car on wed afternoon, then friday night we had a bad storm with hail, and now my brand new car has dents all over it. what a very sad, sad sight right now. 
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Replying to: nthe (Mar 17, 2008 8:46 am) If they say they can fix it, I would strongly advise waiting until their business has dropped off from the storms. Insurance paid for my SVT to be fixed, but I went back later with another car and had a bunch of parking lot and other dings fixed for a FRACTION of the cost of the insurance paid repair. Waiting for them to have less work and telling them the money was coming out of my pocket netted a better price. In your case, your insurance should cover it like they did mine - but due to all the claims they just wrote me a check for the repair. Dennis
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Have just under 10k on the clock now, automatic transmission. Recently changed the oil and made sure it is properly filled - no overfill. My wife took the box on a 450 mile highway round trip over the weekend and averaged just over 31mpg. Dennis |
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Replying to: dwynne (Mar 17, 2008 9:02 am)
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Replying to: nthe (Mar 17, 2008 12:19 pm) Dennis
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