2001 QX4 Gas Mileage

[yakabod]

Always using 91 Premium, totaling to around $65-$75 to fill up 16-17 gallons full tank. I realized my car only last up to 250-270 miles? Is that about right for the rest of you? So that's pretty much saying I'm getting an average of 15 miles per gallon?

If it is, damn our SUVs swallow gas like it's nothing! -___-

[Towncivilian]

I get 16.65 MPG average with about 95% city driving in my 2WD Pathfinder using 92-93 octane.

[Densetsu]

With 91 octane and a good mix of city and highway driving, I'm around 18 mpg during the summer months. In Canadian winters, it can drop to the 13-14 mpg range.

Lots of things can affect fuel economy... driving styles, city vs hwy driving, maintenance, weather, etc. It might not sound like much, but if you can squeeze out an extra 3 mpg, that's increasing your fuel economy by 20%.

[DAiNiUS]

I wish I could get 15mpg! I usually get 13.5-14mpg, 11.5 in winter.... On highway trips I can get up to 19 if I don't drive too fast.

I was looking at mpg figures for various cars the other day, and found that our cars have abysmal gas millage for what they are. You could drive another SUV with a V8 in it like a Navigator or ML430 or X5 4.4 and get better gas millage! And I'm rolling on like 140hp and getting 13mpg...

At least our cars are reliable.

[Chris.m]

mileage for a

'01 Navigator is listed as 10 city/15 highway (mpg)

'01 x5 4.4 is listed as 12 city/ 16 highway (mpg)

'01 ml430 is listed as 14 city/19 highway (mpg) - My buddy was averaging about 12mpg in his ml320...

'01 Pathfinder 4wd is rated as 14 city/17 highway (mpg)

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

So I think we're doing pretty good. Also,our hp was really good for our engine size

Navigator 5.4L : 300hp @ 5000rpm

ML 430 4.3L : 268hp @ 5600 rpm

X5 4.4L -282 hp @ 5400 rpm

Pathfinder 3.5L -240hp @ 6000 rpm

So,yup our pathfinders stack up really well (unless you have the 3.3...)

[DAiNiUS]

mileage for a

'01 Navigator is listed as 10 city/15 highway (mpg)

'01 x5 4.4 is listed as 12 city/ 16 highway (mpg)

'01 ml430 is listed as 14 city/19 highway (mpg) - My buddy was averaging about 12mpg in his ml320...

'01 Pathfinder 4wd is rated as 14 city/17 highway (mpg)

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

So I think we're doing pretty good. Also,our hp was really good for our engine size

Navigator 5.4L : 300hp @ 5000rpm

ML 430 4.3L : 268hp @ 5600 rpm

X5 4.4L -282 hp @ 5400 rpm

Pathfinder 3.5L -240hp @ 6000 rpm

So,yup our pathfinders stack up really well (unless you have the 3.3...)

Yeah, I have the 3.3 and that's what I was using for my analysis. Moreover, the 3.5 had 240hp and say if it's 10 years old then you still have a good ~210 left in there. Therefore the engine doesn't struggle as much to keep the car moving. The 3.3 was lethargic to start with, and now after 12+ years it has lost power yet it still needs to move nearly two tons of SUV around.

I wish I had a 3.5, then I wouldn't complain as much because I'd have enough power for my needs. Now I'm having trouble going up a slope at highway speeds... At least they're reliable, right?!

[yngw13]

Dainus > you have the 3.3 ouch...sorry regurgitated that...oh and BURN



gas

also I get 13mpg@91 octane CITY....figures its ok since this suv has no $mos payments ...so its all good...my other car (daily) has no ac sometimes (bad compressor high squealer) so I use the pathy right now for humid summer days...bleh

[miamiheat3332]

Back in 2002, thats the reason my dad bought the pathfinder, good styling, price, capability, and the engine and even at 240-250hp rated, it fares better then the other ones with 30 more hp v8's but they weigh alot more then our 4.2-4.3k pathfinder, even less if you dont have 4wd.

I think the pathfinder was also the first to receive the 3.5 powerplant out of all the nissans/infinitis in 2001 or 2001.5 whenever they made the switch.

[DAiNiUS]

Dainus > you have the 3.3 ouch...sorry regurgitated that...oh and BURN

Huh? Sarcasm?



I did some wikipedia-ing and found that Nissan offered a supercharged 3.3 for the Xterra and Frontier. Only 210hp, but much better than 168.

[HG50]

depending on more city driving i get 14mpg. if i do more highway driving i get 17mpg.

i got 110k miles on my 01 qx4 using 91 octane here in Southern California

[donald]

Always using 91 Premium, totaling to around $65-$75 to fill up 16-17 gallons full tank. I realized my car only last up to 250-270 miles? Is that about right for the rest of you? So that's pretty much saying I'm getting an average of 15 miles per gallon?

If it is, damn our SUVs swallow gas like it's nothing! -___-

I compared 91octane and 87ocatne (both CostCo gas). With my commuter styled driving, I saw little if any difference.
I'm also ranging 15-17mpg with mixed driving.

I'm told I have somewhat of a lead-foot :P in that I brake late and I am harsh on the gas pedal (i accelerate hard, and not gradually). My novice mechanics thinking makes me believe that getting the 4000lb truck to start moving is hard and requires a lot of power, which is where a lot of the fuel is consumed (obviously) more than, say, a sedan or something. Plus, it doesn't have the new fuel-saving technologies that are available today.

Also, without any proof, I'd guess that Nissan Motors were more concerned with outputting a truck/SUV with power from a V6 than fuel economy.

Just a high-level comparison of another vehicle with the VQ35DE engine (2002+ Maxima), these cars are rated at:
246ft-lbs & 255HP @ 4400rpm
3218 lbs curb
17/24mpg

vs the QX4 spec'd at
265ft-lbs @ 3200 & 240HP @ 6000
4074 lbs curb
14/18

...
I did some wikipedia-ing and found that Nissan offered a supercharged 3.3 for the Xterra and Frontier. Only 210hp, but much better than 168.

yeah, when I was looking for the R50 (Pathfinder & Qx4) models, I considered the 3.3SC.
But I'm not familiar with forced-induction engines (as far as maintenance and service), so I went away from it. I tend to stay away from buying forced-induction vehicles because who knows what jack-hole was driving it and launching the truck every time just to "feel the forced-induction"; I mean, I know I would have Also, you gotta wonder about the previous owner's upkeep of the engine - etc etc. Because, if that SC were to go out on you, I wonder how much it would cost to replace it.
I mean, the same type of thinking goes into any car (how the previous owner kept up maintenance? how did they drive? do they tear it up in 4wd on dry pavement? transmission, blah blah)...
not sure if that makes you feel better for not having bought one

[zach7685]

I'd guess that Nissan Motors were more concerned with outputting a truck/SUV with power from a V6 than fuel economy.

Gotta keep in mind gas was topping out at about $1.00 when the car was made. Gas wasn't much of an issue in 2000.

[Densetsu]

I compared 91octane and 87ocatne (both CostCo gas). With my commuter styled driving, I saw little if any difference.
I'm also ranging 15-17mpg with mixed driving.

I should mention that I'm from Alberta, and use 91 octane gas. I think almost all stations have a 10% ethanol blend in their regular gas, but a lot of stations have premium with no ethanol. Ethanol has ~34% less energy than gasoline, so gas that's 10% ethanol has 3.4% less energy than "pure" gasoline.

To put that in perspective: If you're getting 17 MPG on a 10% ethanol blend, switching to gas with no ethanol will boost your fuel economy to 17.6 MPG.

I've been told that most U.S. stations have ethanol in all their grades... is this true? Because here in Canada, I certainly notice a difference between premium (no ethanol) and regular (10% ethanol). It gives me about an extra MPG... most of that comes from the ethanol difference alone.

Also: There are a few stations here that have ethanol in all their blends (e.g. Husky), and I don't see the improved fuel economy with their premium gas. Only with other stations like Esso, Shell, etc.

[Towncivilian]

Yes, nearly all gas stations in the US have 10% or less ethanol. Some stations still sell ethanol free fuel (see pure-gas.org) but the price per gallon is significantly higher and generally the mileage benefit of non-ethanol fuel does not offset the price increase. See this thread for some more info.