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Subaru Legacy/Outback: MPG-Real World Numbers

130 messages,  Last post on May 04, 2012 at 4:49 PM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Outback, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 10 of 13

#91 of 130 Re: 1st tank mpg 2009 Outback SE [ateixeira] by thallberg

Apr 03, 2009 (11:02 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 03, 2009 10:39 am)
I have a 2009 Legacy SE (2.5 engine) and only get 19.5 in town, according to the cars computer.
I also have a 2003 VDC Outback wagon (3.0 engine) that gets 19/26 dead on.
Kinda makes me wonder why I didn't go for the 3.0 R.
I have no complaints about the 2.5, except you can hear the engine a bit more. I just expected better mpg.
Do you reset the display after filling with gas?

#92 of 130 Re: 1st tank mpg 2009 Outback SE [thallberg] by ateixeira

Apr 03, 2009 (11:13 am)

Replying to: thallberg (Apr 03, 2009 11:02 am)
We have a similar engine in our PZEV Forester, and my wife is getting around 25mpg. Not bad, for an automatic with AWD that size.
 
She does mixed driving, mostly around town. Our record is 33mpg on the highway but we usually see around 30.
 
I do reset the trip computer for each tank, actually that's how our Subaru is - each trip computer has it's own average.
 
My Sienna is different - you have to manually reset the trip computer, and it's just one average.
 
My Miata doesn't have one, that feature was new for 2009 and I have a 2008 model, so I just divide the miles driven by the actual gallons used.

#93 of 130 Winter mileage by nornet

Apr 04, 2009 (6:11 am)

Just removed the winter tires and have averaged just under 21 mpg since November. This is with an aggressive winter tread and winter blend gas. Not very impressive but you can't be obsessed by mpg.

#94 of 130 Re: 1st tank mpg 2009 Outback SE [ateixeira] by morin2

Apr 04, 2009 (6:30 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 03, 2009 10:39 am)
You may be driving your new Miata in a bit more spirited way than I have so far driven my Outback. I had to smile when I saw your post because I had narrowed my choice to the outback and miata (my wife has a Forester and my son has my old 94 Legacy). More (any!) twisty roads on my commute and I might have gone Miata. Had I bought a Miata, I would have kept my truck for its utility. I chose to trade in the truck rather than allow it to sit mostly unused in my barn with the poor quality E10 gasoline in its tank. Nothing good happens to vehicles that sit unused. I'm very happy with the new Outback.

#95 of 130 Re: 1st tank mpg 2009 Outback SE [morin2] by ateixeira

Apr 13, 2009 (11:27 am)

Replying to: morin2 (Apr 04, 2009 6:30 pm)
The Miata is my 2nd car, I also have a minivan for family duties.
 
I love it, but it makes a terribly unpractical "only car". I could never do it if I didn't have the van.

#96 of 130 1996 Outback 2.2l, 5-speed, MPG 28.3 by bruce_brown

Jul 13, 2009 (12:14 pm)

Hello,
 
I have a 1996 Outback wagon with the 2.2l engine, 5-speed transmission, and quickly approaching 200,000 miles. The last 21,000 miles I have averaged 28.2 MPG.
 
We also have a 1995 Impreza wagon with the 1.8l engine, auto trans, awd and about 185,000 miles. I don't drive it very often so the records aren't as detailed due to my wife and daughter sharing the care. Teenagers never fill the tank, lol. However, when I do drive it on long trips it averages 1-2 MPG less then the bigger Outback.

#97 of 130 MPG at 5k by staypuft

Jul 14, 2009 (6:40 pm)

So far my 09 Legacy SE PZEV 5-spd gets 24 mpg mixed city-freeway to work and 30 mpg on the last 500 mile trip (no mountains) at an average speed of 80.
 
Very pleased considering my lead foot.

#98 of 130 Re: 1996 Outback 2.2l, 5-speed, MPG 28.3 [bruce_brown] by ateixeira

Jul 29, 2009 (8:46 am)

Replying to: bruce_brown (Jul 13, 2009 12:14 pm)
The 2010 model with the CVT can break 30mpg highway, so kudos for continuous improvement.

#99 of 130 Re: Mileage [kidali] by lgandad

Jul 13, 2010 (11:27 am)

Replying to: kidali (Feb 05, 2009 11:45 am)
Hello,do not know if you still own this vehicle,just bought the same one used.My mileage is identical.VERY disappointed.Gave up a car that got 35 mpg hwy.that was very poor in snow and rain.Figured the outback would give up a little less mpg,but never imagined it to be 18 city maybe 22 hwy.Have changed pcv,o2 sens.,mass air flow,complete tune up,No difference.I love the way this car drives,and its reliability but my old Suburban gets 20 mpg hwy.So I"m on the fence about getting rid of the Subaru.Thats the reason for replying to this thread,has any one come up with a solution to this problem?

#100 of 130 Re: Mileage [lgandad] by kidali

Jul 13, 2010 (11:46 am)

Replying to: lgandad (Jul 13, 2010 11:27 am)
If you're talking to me about my 97 Outback Wagon, yes, I still have it a year and a half after purchasing it. Funny, I was just trying to figure this out again, recently.
I always watch my mileage, and last week gave me one of my worst ever, so I was wondering if something has got worse. (O2 sensor?)
 
Last week I got 13.5km/100l (if you're in the states, it's less than 17.5 miles to the gallon) but that particular week was nearly ALL city stop-and-go driving.
 
When I do week's with 80% highway, I nearly always hover around 10l/100k - a lot better (23.5).
 
The specs for the car new were 21mpg city (I'm getting 17) and 26 hwy (23.5). I realize with age mileage will worsen. Since you've changed all those items with no change in results, maybe you've save my pocket book some trouble.
 
I still like how it runs, but am having some torque issues. Some days I can press on the gas and have almost NO response, and others, it responds but feels gruff and sluggish. Only on Some days does it feel like I would say 'nimble' or 'more like it should'. Also, I've noticed when the AC runs, I hear a 'switching' noise in my dash - somewhere to the left, when the condenser turns on, and each time it does that, the car's torque responds differently (so in a 20 minute trip, I feel like I'm driving 2 cars every 4 minutes - a slow one, and a normal one). I suspect there's a central computer issue. I don't know if they can just replace a mainboard or something.
 
As for the mileage, I'm content to deal with it. Even if I did all that work and met the companies claimed specs, I'd only save about 8 litres or 8 dollars a week. It'd take me over a year, I figure, to pay off the labour and parts of having those items replaced.

Messages Page 10 of 13

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