My mpg hasn't been what i thought it would be. I've made the same 215 mile trip a few times. Each time I get 33-35 mpg. Is there a reason y i can't get up to 37 mpg or more. I drive at about 72 to 80 mph. Most of the time i have more than one person in the car but the last time it was just me and I got a little under 35 mpg.
Why isn't my mpg better
Silver12Hatch
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I'll try to take note and post that up tomorrow night for you. I'll do from 60 to 85mph in 5mph increments and the rpms for each increment.
It's funny you should mention the Germans, the speed limit on most autobahns is 130kph (82mph). The 6 speed manual in their Focus cruises at that speed approximately 500rpm lower than my US spec 5 speed manual... meaning they probably get better mileage than me while cruising.
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You will never get 4.8 L /100 Km !Hi, first post. [wave]
My advice for getting the best mileage is keep under 65 MPH and drive with the A/C off if possible. Probably stupid advice in the southern states but I find in little 4 bangers we can lose up to 3 MPG with the A/C on, but that's one reason I start my road trips at say 2am to maximize distance driven without A/C. Going 5 MPH faster and you lose 2 MPG, conversely going 5 MPH slower and you gain 2 MPG.
Anyway I don't even have a Focus, yet, but in Canada the Focus is actually rated at 47 MPG with the Powershift transmission using the old EPA methods. Actually, since we use imperial gallons which is 25% larger than an American gallon, the officially advertised number is 59 MPG. I'm sure I can beat it if I'm not in a rush,
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I could see 4.8 L/100km (49mpg) being possible, cruise control at 45-50mph in a relatively flat environment. I see 44mpg on the autobahn at 60mph... so 49 seems within the realm of possibility.
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What engine have you got ?
maybe a 1.6 or a 1.6 ecoboost or a Diesel it might be possible.
We Talking about the 2.0 Litre Ti-Vct Gdi , In the US which is just next door its rated at 36/37 Mpg Hway. +- 6.3 l/100 Km but 4.8 l/100 Km is kinda unrealistic for me on this engine.
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I've got the 2.0L gas with the 6-spd powershift and I've already seen 46.5MPG (5.06 L/100km) on a 20 min stretch and I was only using a little bit of pump and glide action @ 100-115km/h (I think fuel tank may have been 1/2 to 3/4 full). It's those Kysor shutters I tell ya!
We still use the old US EPA testing methods here in Canada. For the highway mileage, they're supposed to drive 45 MPH, windows closed and vent fan on with no A/C, for about 10 minutes. Whatever mileage they get, they bump it up by 22%. With older cars, the EPA was pretty easy to beat. It seems with newer cars, manufacturers are cheating by purposely making their cars optimized for 45 MPH. That's why they've adopted the new testing methods in the US.
Still, in the case of my Mazda 5 which is rated 8.1L/100km on the highway, I was able to do 7.9L/100km keeping at about 65 MPH, middle of the night so the A/C probably didn't come on but I leave my auto climate control on all the time. On my way home, I averaged 65 to 75 MPH with A/C on half the time and did 8.7 L/100km.
My best 500 miles was in my Corolla, rated at 5.3L/100km I was able to achieve 4.7 L/100km, almost exactly 10 US gallons of gas in 500 miles.
So with a Focus with manual transmission rated at 5.5L/100km on the highway, I'd like to think I should be able to do 5.3L/100km if I tried, 5L/100km if I REALLY tried, and 6L/100km without trying.
Still, in the case of my Mazda 5 which is rated 8.1L/100km on the highway, I was able to do 7.9L/100km keeping at about 65 MPH, middle of the night so the A/C probably didn't come on but I leave my auto climate control on all the time. On my way home, I averaged 65 to 75 MPH with A/C on half the time and did 8.7 L/100km.
My best 500 miles was in my Corolla, rated at 5.3L/100km I was able to achieve 4.7 L/100km, almost exactly 10 US gallons of gas in 500 miles.
So with a Focus with manual transmission rated at 5.5L/100km on the highway, I'd like to think I should be able to do 5.3L/100km if I tried, 5L/100km if I REALLY tried, and 6L/100km without trying.
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I see pretty significant variation based on wind, pavement type/condition and incline. In generally flat areas with no major wind, my highway numbers average:
55mph - 41 MPG
65mph - 38 MPG
70mph - 36 MPG
75mph - 33 MPG
I did not start getting these numbers until I broke past 3000 miles.
55mph - 41 MPG
65mph - 38 MPG
70mph - 36 MPG
75mph - 33 MPG
I did not start getting these numbers until I broke past 3000 miles.
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Your figures are realistic but 49 MPG which Canada is advertising is not.
I'm getting the same as you.
The best I've ever got on a long trip frpm Johannesburg to Durban 600Km
was 39.15 mpg = 6.0 l/100 km driving at 120Km /hr.
Here are the numbers I got tonight coming home again this is from my '12 HB with auto tranny. At 55 and 70 mph the needle was just off or above the 2000 and 2500 marks but not up to the next mark (first) which would be 2125 and 2625 rpms.
55mph - 2050 rpms (approx)
60mph - 2250 rpms
65mph - 2375 rpms
70mph - 2550 rpms (approx)
75mph - 2750 rpms
80mph - 2875 rpms
85mph - 3125 rpms
90mph - 3250 rpms
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I'm pretty sure the 49 MPG ad someone posted was a joke (Photoshop).
http://www.ford.ca/focus/
59 Imp MPG = 49 US MPG.
No joke. This is based on the old US EPA testing method which Canada still uses. Might be unrealistic in the United States and Toronto where drivers tend to be more aggressive with the right foot but I usually have no trouble meeting and beating these estimates.
59 Imp MPG = 49 US MPG.
No joke. This is based on the old US EPA testing method which Canada still uses. Might be unrealistic in the United States and Toronto where drivers tend to be more aggressive with the right foot but I usually have no trouble meeting and beating these estimates.
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old 2000 Saturn SC1. great mpg of about 34-35
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Thanks for the clarification. I just don't think 49 MPG is realistic. I took my broken in Focus (5K miles) with fresh oil out on a flat hwy on a 65 degree day with virtually no wind. I reset the MPG meter and set the cruise to 55mph. After 40 miles of uninterrupted pristine cruising I was getting about 44 MPG. My Titanium has bigger 17" wheels and options so I suppose an SE model might do a little better, but to publish 49 MPG to me is misleading.
-EDIT- Oh OK, I see your follow up post... 45 is reasonable.
That's pretty decent. Running A/C? 40 miles isn't quite long enough... I find a couple hundred miles minimum is required to get MPGs up to true highway mileage.
Also, to me a good right foot is better than cruise control. I will let me speed drift down 10km/h and drift up to 10km/h or whatever is safe and won't get me pulled over... most of the time Canadian cops won't ticket us for going up to 20 km/h above the limit.
Of course, cruise control is better than a lazy right foot. Sometimes it needs a break. And cruise control works just as well as a good right foot on flat roads.
Also, to me a good right foot is better than cruise control. I will let me speed drift down 10km/h and drift up to 10km/h or whatever is safe and won't get me pulled over... most of the time Canadian cops won't ticket us for going up to 20 km/h above the limit.
Of course, cruise control is better than a lazy right foot. Sometimes it needs a break. And cruise control works just as well as a good right foot on flat roads.
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I have noticed 1 to 2 MPG increase bumping my psi from 35 to 45
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Today was a nice day and i went out into the countryside driving in third gear around the SE WI twisties.
So I was in third from 2,500rpm up to 6,000rpm, just leaving it in one gear.
During my drive the usual 'not so bright' person in a bright green new Fiesta was going the other way around a blind curve, two full feet my side of the line. I was able to move over without incident. they just held thier line. Idiots. Lucky for them i was not a farm truck. They would be hurting bad.
Anyway, it is odd how this clears up the mpgs. Afterward, my mpg's went easily back up into the 40's on the freeway back home.
I think I have messed up the fuel stuff by swapping back in the stock air filter, then going back to the K&N soon after.
With the country ride (so my theory goes) the car had the stuff to recalibrate bettter the fuel map, and i am back to better mpgs.
The pity was I got near town and the freeway was blocked, got off took hywy, that was under construction, went over to another and big accident.
So no matter what i did I was stuck in major traffic jam. (why do cops clear a giant area, so no cars could go through at all, everyone on a four lane road had to go down a little side street with stop signs.. Traffic must have been backed up for miles, eventually. (both cars were off the road, and in a grassy spot.)
So the story here is take it out and drive around in the countryside, have fun. Let your motor rev and play around. It may improve your gas mileage.
PS while in third and blasting around, my short term av. mpgs did drop into the low 30's..
So I was in third from 2,500rpm up to 6,000rpm, just leaving it in one gear.
During my drive the usual 'not so bright' person in a bright green new Fiesta was going the other way around a blind curve, two full feet my side of the line. I was able to move over without incident. they just held thier line. Idiots. Lucky for them i was not a farm truck. They would be hurting bad.
Anyway, it is odd how this clears up the mpgs. Afterward, my mpg's went easily back up into the 40's on the freeway back home.
I think I have messed up the fuel stuff by swapping back in the stock air filter, then going back to the K&N soon after.
With the country ride (so my theory goes) the car had the stuff to recalibrate bettter the fuel map, and i am back to better mpgs.
The pity was I got near town and the freeway was blocked, got off took hywy, that was under construction, went over to another and big accident.
So no matter what i did I was stuck in major traffic jam. (why do cops clear a giant area, so no cars could go through at all, everyone on a four lane road had to go down a little side street with stop signs.. Traffic must have been backed up for miles, eventually. (both cars were off the road, and in a grassy spot.)
So the story here is take it out and drive around in the countryside, have fun. Let your motor rev and play around. It may improve your gas mileage.
PS while in third and blasting around, my short term av. mpgs did drop into the low 30's..
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