What would you consider an acceptable Fuel economy for a small car these days?

Question

I'm thinking nothing bigger than a VW Golf as an example. I'm just interested to know what peoples perception is of good / bad fuel consumptions.

What does your current car achieve????

Answer 1

In this age of ludicrously high fuel prices I would expect a small car to return 45 MPG (petrol) overall and at least 55 MPG (diesel) overall.

I have access to two cars, a Series V Fiesta 1.25 that over a 5 year period has averaged 46.6 MPG on long trips, and an estimated 39/40 MPG around town. The second car is a Mercedes C Class 2.0, that over a similar period has averaged 35.4 MPG on long trips, using A roads/M'ways, but only 26.8 MPG around town.
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NB I keep a record of all fuel used (anorak approach!), and always fill up tanks and reset trip meters, hence the above figures are as accurate as I can get them. Both cars have aircon which does adversely affect the MPG slightly. I try to keep to all speed limits, too (I can't afford to get any points!), so the figures reflect a fairly relaxed, non 'boy racer', driving style.

Apropos that last comment - I do a regular cross country trip using mainly A roads and M'ways, and no matter how fast or slow I cruise, or at what time I set out, or which of the two cars I use, the journey time always lies between 3h15m and 3h 30m - which goes to show that a tyre burning, speed limit breaking, fuel wasting style of driving doesn't make much difference to journey times in the UK. The only answer for achieving shorter journey times is one's own light helicopter!

Answer 2

I don't think fuel economy has improved much in the past 20 years. Any improvement in engine efficiency has been offset by weight gain and additional strain on the engine from things like; air con, electrics, satnav, airbags, impact absorption structures.

The one thing that has altered people's perception of fuel economy is the revolution in diesel engine technology. This means that people now have a new benchmark for consumption. So whereas a 1980s VW Polo 1.1 would do about 45- 50mpg today you can get a Polo which weighs twice as much, is physically much bigger, and comes with gadgets only available on luxury cars in the 80s but returns over 55mpg from a small, quiet diesel engine.

It is well documented that cars today are better value than their predecessors. However I think the next big thing among manufactures will be weight loss, as people are starting to realise that cars, and especially 4x4s, are getting ridiculously heavy.

Answer 3

I posted this on somebody else's question but it also applies here: If you're doing highway driving, then drive at a lower speed and use cruise control. The power required to drive at a given speed increases exponentially. A difference of 10mph will significantly improve your mileage. Pick a moderate speed you're comfortable with. You won't get run over, just settle into the right line and turn on the cruise. Before long you'll find yourself in line with other like minded people. Whether city or highway, don't leave at the last minute, leave enough time so you can drive calmly. Gentle driving saves fuel. Avoid heavy throttle - this puts the car's computer into "enrichment" mode, where it deliberately runs extra rich to protect the engine. It does not run a well calibrated fuel mixture in this mode. Don't use AC if you don't need it. Some people run it constantly. Windows down is more efficient than AC. Maintenance - if you have a check engine light on, try to find out what it's complaining about and fix it. Some issues affect mileage. Pay attention to all the typical tune up stuff, especially ignition. Fuel injectors are another biggie but that's normally not an easy part to service. If you do your own car work, consider replacing the upstream O2 sensor(s). The upstream is before the catalyst - the ECM uses it to keep it's fuel mixture in calibration. They lose accuracy as they age and cause the engine to run slightly rich. The ECM can't notice this unless it completely fails. On some cars these sensors are cheap, but on newer cars they get expensive. Mine was cheap and I tracked a mileage improvement of 10%, so it paid me back fast. They should probably be replaced every 50-100k or so, but yours might be expensive on a 98 model so it's not always an easy decision. No guarantee this would help, but often it does. Make sure tire pressure isn't low. Make sure your coolant temperature is getting up to a normal level. If you notice it's running colder than it should, find out why. Running cold hurts the mileage. Of course running too hot is a more common problem and you *really* don't want that either as it can easily cause serious engine damage, especially with aluminum heads. Basic engine health is a big factor as well. Don't let it run low on oil or fall behind on oil changes. An engine that runs but is unhealthy will get worse mileage.

Answer 4

It depends on your driving style and where you drive. Town driving uses loads more fuel than long runs on the motorway, as long as you don't push it.

On average I would think 50-60 miles per gallon for diesel, and about 30 miles per gallon for petrol would not be unreasonable. Smaller, modern cars would do better than bigger or older models.

Answer 5

I like the idea ok Kia and Haundai with forty plus miles per gallon but I have a Suzuki Grand Vitara that does very well with 25-30!

Answer 6

my 12v corsa gets between 30 and 60 mpg depending on how heavy my foot is school and work runs it returns about 40 mpg thats with a lot of stop start diving and no single jurny is above 5 miles

Answer 7

Somewhere close to 30 mpg would be acceptable for a small car today.

Answer 8

For a supermini like the Ford Fiesta (or equivalent) petrol I'd expect 40mpg, for a supermini diesel I'd expect 55mpg

Answer 9

for a diesel, close to 60 mpg, for a petrol around 40

Answer 10

i have a 1993 ford fiesta 1.1lx. she does around 42 miles or sometimes more (depending if city driving or country driving) per gallon.

i feel for her age this is excellent. but she is very well looked after.

hope this helps.