Ridiculous fuel mileage

[dutd33]

Originally Posted by Darth_Focus

I've got 3400 kilometers on a 2012 Ti hatch and I must say I'm far more than dissapointed in the mileage I'm getting. It's actually atrocious. I understand the driving style effects mileage...yadda...yadda..yadda, but the sticker says 7.3 L/per 100 KM city and I'm flirting with 11 L/100. 10.8 to be precise. Thats F-150 V8 territory. I don't drive like miss Daisy but I don't drive like The Bandit either. I know 7.3 is a perfect world but I'd expect something close to that albeit a little more. I'm lucky to get 400 kilometers to a tank with 150 of that on the highway. I got rid of a car in part to fuel mileage only to end up with the same thing, but with payments again. Its the DCT and it runs great and is a joy to drive mind you, but this mileage is really not sitting well with me.

I have 1900 kms on my '12 SEL Hatch and I've noticed that the mileage slowing improves with each fuel-up (I guess it's true that it improves during the break-in process).

During the first 1600 kms, I drove 95% in the city (driving to work and driving my wife to work while on the weekends doing a small trip on the highways to get out of the city) and I usually get about 460-470 kms on a tank.

Are you revving the engine a bit? Also, I've kept it in automatic the whole time. I wondering if that makes a difference.

[dutd33]

Originally Posted by IDare

Do you have the Handling package? The 18" wheels do effect mileage by probably 1-2 mpg compared to the base 16" tires.

I have a TI - non-handling package. City mileages averages 26- 28mpg and highway 34 - 38mpg. I'm averaging 31.6mpg with 14K miles on the car.

Wow that's awesome! 31.6 MPG is really good.

Just out of curiosity, a friend told me that bigger tires will actually give you better mileage, is that true?

[dutd33]

Originally Posted by Darth_Focus

Have to admit I get pretty pissed off once I've driven to the U.S and I see what happens when a traffic light system works, then I come back to the disaster of a city I live in right now. Red lights with no cars in site, very long lights for no reason, a city that can't comprehend the idea of syncing lights, installing traffic lights instead of cross walks because people are to stupid to be able figure out the concept of "looking for cars", etc...etc. I know all this adds to poor economy but I still think I'm way to high, even for that. I'm bringing it into ford for an upholestry repair that I caught on delivery, so maybe I'll have them check it out on the computers.

Hey Darth_Focus, try living in Vancouver. My Eastern counterparts always laughs at me for not having "timed stop lights" in our city but instead we invest so much bloody money in bike lanes. :(

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by dutd33

Just out of curiosity, a friend told me that bigger tires will actually give you better mileage, is that true?

A larger outer diameter on the tire? Highway gas mileage, yes. But you need to watch out for tire rub and bottoming out on bumps, etc. It also causes higher stresses on the engine/clutch/drivetrain as the car will be receiving higher loads than expected at the theoretical speed. So your odometer will be off and if something breaks, Ford could deny warranty claims.

That said, it lowers your city has mileage because the car requires more work to stop and go. Look at the tires on cars like the Tata Nano, Yaris, etc. They’re relatively small for a reason. The only times bigger tires help gas mileage in city driving are when you have a hybrid with regenerative braking. Then, the car can regain this otherwise lost energy. But, generators are not 100% efficient, so you will never gain as much energy as you spend if you just had smaller tires from the beginning. Did that make sense?

EDIT: Otherwise, keeping the same OD and getting bigger rims will lower gas mileage as will a wider tire.

[dutd33]

Originally Posted by shellback64

I would suspect the fuel!!! I know when I've run e85 my fuel mileage dropped through the floor! My 2012 SE only has 1800 miles on it and running e10 I get 31 mpg in town. I must admit to not reading each and every post in this thread....I would try different stations for your fuel!!

Someone correct me, but I believe E85 fuel is supposed to be worse than regular fuel for mileage:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....n=sbs&id=32301

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by dutd33

Someone correct me, but I believe E85 fuel is supposed to be worse than regular fuel for mileage:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....n=sbs&id=32301

That's what they were saying. E85 has less energy, therefore the miles/gallon goes down or drops through the floor, but in the inverse the l/100km or g/mile goes way up.

[Phokus]

I get crummy mileage with my 18" TI wheels.
I just popped on my 15" steelies for snow tires and when I picked them up I noticed a good difference between the weights. I didn't have a scale to measure but it was noticeable.
The car feels easier to accelerate too. I promptly went and filled up my gas to see what kind of mpg I get next fill up with the reduced weight in wheels.
I was doing about 28mpg before mixed but with more city. about 34-36 on the highway with one 40mpg highway trip.

[gkirk]

Originally Posted by Focus YBTC

Or in other words with bigger heavier wheels you have four flywheels by definition at each corner. A flywheel being a device that is used to store rotational energy. Just be gentle getting them up to speed and your fuel economy will be quite fine.

This is incorrect, the rate you speed them up makes no difference. The amount of energy in them is a function of their rotational inertia and how fast they are spinning. How fast you get them to that rotation rate makes no difference.

Besides, the energy is lost when you hit the brakes.

[gkirk]

Originally Posted by Phokus

I get crummy mileage with my 18" TI wheels.
I just popped on my 15" steelies for snow tires and when I picked them up I noticed a good difference between the weights. I didn't have a scale to measure but it was noticeable.
The car feels easier to accelerate too. I promptly went and filled up my gas to see what kind of mpg I get next fill up with the reduced weight in wheels.
I was doing about 28mpg before mixed but with more city. about 34-36 on the highway with one 40mpg highway trip.

It also isn't just about total weight, but where the weight is distributed. If all the weight was in the center of the wheels, they would have less rotational inertia.

But honestly, i thought it was pretty well known that the huge rims with tiny tires are completely moronic from the POV of fuel economy. Unless, you spend a lot of money on really light rims.

[ianq01]

Originally Posted by Pinion Dominion

I have a Ti Focus with Handling Package and I get 8.0 - 8.1L/100km Combined. Maybe 60City/40Highway.

But whenever I go on the highway and reset the reader I get about 5.8L/100km.

That is about me, I'd say 8.5L/100km, 70/30 city/highway, have the 18" and sport suspension on my Ti.

I am fairly fast on the roads though, definitely not meandering around, would love to get the car down to the 7's but guess that is not to be.

I have seen low 5's after a fill up and then immediate 80kmh on back roads, but I can't drive that slow, nobody in the GTA can!