Mileage reports: Automatic transmission (5AT)
#821
Okay, I have some strange results to report.
Previous tank I got to the half way mark around 185 miles, 5th gear conservative driving. (Whole tank was 352/9.4 or 37.4 mpg)
This tank, I got to half way mark at about 185 miles too, but I used 4th the whole time, and I was moving a bit faster.
Maybe someone else can try that too? If so, 5th gear is useless except for 45-60 mph cruising, where it'll return up to 45 mpg it seems to me. 5th just doesn't dish out enough drag-fighting torque.
I got curious, because the M/T Fit turns 4k rpms @ 80 mph in 5th, and the A/T fit also turns 4k rpms @ 80 mph but in 4th gear. I'm thinking of getting an M/T Fit, and I wanted to know about the "80 mph is too noisy" thing. (And yup, somewhere over 75 mph in 4th, motor starts singing, but I don't think it's an issue myself.)
Also, driving in 4th is pretty nice, there's always some power on tap, and cruise control doesn't bog down on minor hills...
So, what we've got here is a 4-speed A/T versus 5-speed M/T really. No wonder A/T gets killed around town compared to M/T.
Previous tank I got to the half way mark around 185 miles, 5th gear conservative driving. (Whole tank was 352/9.4 or 37.4 mpg)
This tank, I got to half way mark at about 185 miles too, but I used 4th the whole time, and I was moving a bit faster.
Maybe someone else can try that too? If so, 5th gear is useless except for 45-60 mph cruising, where it'll return up to 45 mpg it seems to me. 5th just doesn't dish out enough drag-fighting torque.
I got curious, because the M/T Fit turns 4k rpms @ 80 mph in 5th, and the A/T fit also turns 4k rpms @ 80 mph but in 4th gear. I'm thinking of getting an M/T Fit, and I wanted to know about the "80 mph is too noisy" thing. (And yup, somewhere over 75 mph in 4th, motor starts singing, but I don't think it's an issue myself.)
Also, driving in 4th is pretty nice, there's always some power on tap, and cruise control doesn't bog down on minor hills...
So, what we've got here is a 4-speed A/T versus 5-speed M/T really. No wonder A/T gets killed around town compared to M/T.
Last edited by xorbe; 09-24-2007 at 06:35 PM.
#822
Well i just filled my first tank of gas and managed only 26 mpg (80% city), which was highly disappointing. I decided to check my tire pressure and sure enough each tire was only at 28 psi! I've increased the tire pressure and will see if that helps with my dismal mileage.
#823
Well i just filled my first tank of gas and managed only 26 mpg (80% city), which was highly disappointing. I decided to check my tire pressure and sure enough each tire was only at 28 psi! I've increased the tire pressure and will see if that helps with my dismal mileage.
#825
A/T 4th gear is the same as M/T 5th gear. We're basically a gear down plus a slushbox. The gearing is supposed to be a little more supportive for an automatic, not stretched out a ton...
#826
Another Update
Well, at 13 months and 26,600 miles:
Average around 29 MPG. 90% rush hour traffic consisting of stop and go interpersed with silly acceleration around 8 times a day while merging into traffic. Cross country trips have been made with approximately 500 lbs of people in the car. Mileage on those trips has been about 33.5 at around 75mph. I have not made a solo x-ctry, I suspect mileage wouldl go up to about 35.
Average around 29 MPG. 90% rush hour traffic consisting of stop and go interpersed with silly acceleration around 8 times a day while merging into traffic. Cross country trips have been made with approximately 500 lbs of people in the car. Mileage on those trips has been about 33.5 at around 75mph. I have not made a solo x-ctry, I suspect mileage wouldl go up to about 35.
#827
I was getting bad fuel milage around 25 to 28 mpg. I have an MR Sport.So I was giving it a bath and decided to check some things because it had gone over 5000 miles and I relized I had not even looked under the hood yet. So I looked under the hood and checked the normal stuff and wiped off all the grit and grime. Then I went and checked the tire pressure. Mind you this car is only been driven for a month and a half, new tires should be good tires was my thought. Every tire was at 20 psi, not some higher or some lower each exactly at 20 psi. The dealership had a little piece of paper that said that the technician had checked everything and serviced everything on the vehicle before I picked the car up. So I put the correct air pressure in .....well guess what ? I'm now getting 32mpg. On the last two fill ups. So go check your air pressure folks. Even though it's new they may be low. I wonder if there is a shipping issue going on here so they can get one more layer of cars on the boat. I am going to let the dealership know that I discovered this discrepeny.
#828
Mine was the opposite. I felt that the ride was a bit harsh, so I checked the tires. My first tire gauge read close to 60 psi so I bought another one. It also read near 60 psi. The following morning, I reduced all four tires to 32 cold. MPG didn't change much going that way.
Yeah, those dealers are not perfect.
Yeah, those dealers are not perfect.
#830
nascartrash-
it was great to meet you at Saturday's Fit Meet. I just wanted to add this:
Consumer Reports says that the new vintage digital tire gauges are much more accurate than almost any diaphragm/or/bourdon tube mechanical gauge, and the accuracy of the stick-type telescoping tire gauges is non-existent. Never buy them.
Your local Costco store has a very nice digital gauge on sale for $14.00 or so that is accurate to .1 psi, and can be programmed to sound an alarm when tire pressure is below the programmed pressure. You still have to stick it on the valve stem, but it lets you know instantly without having to look at the LARGE LCD display. Comes in a hard zippered carry case.
it was great to meet you at Saturday's Fit Meet. I just wanted to add this:
Consumer Reports says that the new vintage digital tire gauges are much more accurate than almost any diaphragm/or/bourdon tube mechanical gauge, and the accuracy of the stick-type telescoping tire gauges is non-existent. Never buy them.
Your local Costco store has a very nice digital gauge on sale for $14.00 or so that is accurate to .1 psi, and can be programmed to sound an alarm when tire pressure is below the programmed pressure. You still have to stick it on the valve stem, but it lets you know instantly without having to look at the LARGE LCD display. Comes in a hard zippered carry case.
Last edited by manxman; 10-01-2007 at 10:50 AM.
#831
However it still lets one fill up each tire to the same amount, even if inaccurate, so not entirely useless if that's what one has. It's glovebox friendly too, whereas others tend to hog a bit of space.
#834
Wow, .1 psi for $14? That's accurate and inexpensive. Agree about the telescopic gauge, however, both of mine read the same.
Another note about checking tires is the sun's effect. I had one tire in the sunlight and the other three in the shade. That tire read almost 4 psi higher than the rest. If I had blindly reduced that tire to equal the others, . . .
I used to do STAV's for the Navy. We had to do it at night because the sunlight on a ship causes the hull to warp away from the sunny side. Any alignment with that condition would have the gun not pointing where the radar was. Kinda neat.
Another note about checking tires is the sun's effect. I had one tire in the sunlight and the other three in the shade. That tire read almost 4 psi higher than the rest. If I had blindly reduced that tire to equal the others, . . .
I used to do STAV's for the Navy. We had to do it at night because the sunlight on a ship causes the hull to warp away from the sunny side. Any alignment with that condition would have the gun not pointing where the radar was. Kinda neat.
#836
currently 11,587 miles on the car........
2 oil change at 5k and 10k miles.........
today's fill up: 270miles/9.5gallons = 28.4 mpg
it seems like my mpg is getting worst......i cracked the 300 miles maybe twice.
mostly hwy.....carpool lane.
2 oil change at 5k and 10k miles.........
today's fill up: 270miles/9.5gallons = 28.4 mpg
it seems like my mpg is getting worst......i cracked the 300 miles maybe twice.
mostly hwy.....carpool lane.
#837
Best Tank Ever
I just filled up yesterday and got the best mileage I ever had: 257.1 miles on 9 gallons, or 28.56 mpg! One time I got about 29 mpg, but that was because I was in New Jersey where they pump gas for you, and the guy blasted it in and stopped the moment it shut off, instead filling it slowly like I do, so the 29 mpg wasn't a real result. In any case, that was nearly 100% highway, and this last fillup was nearly all city!
All I can think of that I did differently was really pay attention to my RPMs. It seems the best shifting points (for a Auto Sport) is at 2500 rpms. This elimates any jolt I have felt going from 1st to 2nd. Once I hit 3rd, I shift into 4th at about 20 mph, and 5th at 30 mph. when I'm not accelerating, my RPMs are at about 1.5K(!!!). Hopefully, I'll keep getting similar results so I can boost my 24mpg lifetime average (6 months, 6K miles)!
All I can think of that I did differently was really pay attention to my RPMs. It seems the best shifting points (for a Auto Sport) is at 2500 rpms. This elimates any jolt I have felt going from 1st to 2nd. Once I hit 3rd, I shift into 4th at about 20 mph, and 5th at 30 mph. when I'm not accelerating, my RPMs are at about 1.5K(!!!). Hopefully, I'll keep getting similar results so I can boost my 24mpg lifetime average (6 months, 6K miles)!
Last edited by LizardKing; 10-08-2007 at 01:07 PM.
#839
209.9 Mile road trip to the mountains. MT. Driver and passenger, A/C on except in the morning, heavy mountain grades up then down on return trip. 75-80mph 90% highway. 5.697 gal = 36.84mpg. Was pleased, thinking 38 is achievable if speed reduced to 65-70mph. Unfortunately, do not like going that slow with a 75mph speed limit.