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Vans & Minivans Kia Sedona Kia Sedona Gas Mileage
151 messages, Last post on Jun 26, 2009 at 6:17 PM
You are in the Kia Sedona Forum. Your Host is Karens
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Replying to: jim314 (Mar 14, 2007 9:42 am) |
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Replying to: jim314 (Mar 14, 2007 9:42 am)
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Replying to: joe131 (Mar 14, 2007 1:20 pm) The wide open throttle (WOT) performance of a normally aspirated (NA) engine is lower at higher altitude because when the air is less dense the engine ingests a lower mass of air per intake stroke. But we are not concerned in this forum with performance (like the shortest 0 to 60 time), but rather we are asking about fuel consumption per unit distance to cruise at a given constant speed on level ground. I'm no engineer, and so I am taking the simplifying approach of assuming that together all the sensors (MAP, MAF, knock, oxygen, etc.) and the ECM of a modern engine keep the air-fuel mixture constant at the optimum ratio from sea level up to considerable altitude when the vehicle is cruising on level ground at some reasonable speed, like 70 mph. Basic carbutetted engines can't do that but Sedonas can. See"At high elevations our engines are getting less air, so they need less fuel to maintain the proper air/fuel ratio. Generally you would go down one main jet size for every 1750 to 2000 feet of elevation you go up (info for Mikuni carbs). If you normally run a 160 main jet at sea level you would drop down to a 140 at 4000 feet. Something else goes down as you go up in elevation is horsepower. You can figure on losing about 3% or your power for every 1000 feet you go up. At 4000 feet your power will be down about 12%-even though you rejetted!" But the reason that the hp is less is that less air and less fuel is burned in the engine. Fuel is not being wasted. It is as if the vehicle had a smaller engine (i.e. lower hp) and this has no effect if the hp actually being developed to cruise on level ground is much less than the max the engine can develop. My idea is this: Assume it takes 30 hp to drive a Sedona on level ground at 70 mph at sea level. I think it only takes 26 hp to drive the Sedona at 70 mph at 5300 ft altitude, because the aerodynamic resistance is less due to the less dense air. The engine will burn less fuel to develop 26 hp than to develop 30 hp so the Sedona gets higher mpg at 5300 ft.
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Replying to: jim314 (Mar 14, 2007 2:12 pm) My car is sluggish at higher altitudes because the motor makes less horsepower at any given throttle opening or engine RPM. The reason for that is less dense fuel/air mixture in the motor. The acceleration disadvantage due to decreased horsepower exceeds any acceleration advantage that might result from lower air resitance. If my car gets better fuel economy up there it is because the engine is doing less work, at higher constant speeds due mostly due to less wind resistance, and during acceleration chiefly because of less power being produced due to less fuel in the motor. On my trips at higher elevation, I usually must drive up and down mountains. So any high altitude fuel economy increase is usually overshadowed by the engine working extra hard going up. So, overall, my high altitude fuel economy is worse than on the flat lower elevations where my house is.
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Replying to: joe131 (Mar 14, 2007 3:56 pm) |
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Just purchased my 06 Sedona (07 will not be here for months) yesterday and I was a little worried on fuel mileage. One think to note is that I am here in Puerto Rico, air conditioning all the time and lots of hills. Also never really go over 65 mph on the highways here. So far I am getting pretty good MPG, average of around 18 and less then 100 miles. I think the trick is keeping the engine under 2500 rpms and you will save a lot of gas. Don't have a led foot and the need to start off like a bat out of hell and you will improve your fuel economy greatly. One note on break in. All engines are now broken in at the factories so when you get you engine it has already gone through a process to help seal the rings and bearings properly. This does not mean not to take it easy for a while but whole break in idea of the past does not apply to modern engines. Very happy with the van so far, only two days but it rides and drives great. |
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I wish I wasn't the only one posting fuel economy numbers lately... Our 2006 EX has been around 21.5 mpg the past couple tanks. This is approx 50/50 mix of highway driving (70-75mph) and non-snarled 'city' driving, i.e. some stoplights but lots of 50-60mph cruising. 21.5 mpg seems like a decent result considering the 18 city / 25 highway ratings. I think we'd be pretty close to 25 mpg in straight highway driving in the 70-75 mph neighborhood. Hope to test it out on a longer trip one of these days...
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Replying to: bluedevils (May 10, 2007 10:01 am) |
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Brand new 2007 EX w/>270 miles. Topped off today w/11 gal and averaged out 17.7 mpg city driving w/AC running. Wife's car but I get to do the maintenance stuff! 
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