CHATROOM: MPG 1st & 2nd Gen

[gregoris]

Hi thanks for the post but I'm choked.

The Canadian EPA stats were 31/39 MPG city/hwy respectively.

I've got about 3,000 kms on it and am only averaging 27.5 mpg. Combo about 50% hwy, 50% city driving.

I have the SL FWD. Don't drive it hard and the AC is not used much.Conversions were done using the UK gallon.

So either something is wrong with the vehicle or I have to wait for it to get broken in??? I'm not pleased about this as I feel like I've been rooked.

Otherwise aside from the lousy side window/rear view and uncomfortable passenger seat it's not a bad ride.

[roguetoad]

I still firmly believe the CVT decreases your fuel economy during heavy acceleration, and maybe more so than a conventional automatic.

Agreed re heavy...the slush factor. Sorta like the original ATs in the Big 3 rides. But it's looking like that may be overcome by judicious paddling. Think so?

[philipa_240sx]

Hi thanks for the post but I'm choked.

The Canadian EPA stats were 31/39 MPG city/hwy respectively.

First off, most of the mileage figures reported in this thread are in US MPG.

The 'window sticker' figure shown on all Canadian cars is calculated in Imperial Gallons (Canada was a British colony after all) which is 20% larger than the US Gallon! To convert from Imp Gal to US Gal, simply divide by 1.2 . That works out to:

25.8/32.5 city/hwy US MPG - Rogue FWD

The US EPA figures are

22/27 city/hwy MPG - Rogue FWD

Still, there is a considerable difference. Mileage testing in Canada is carried out by Natural Resources Canada. The test method is different from the US EPA ratings so they are not comparable with each other. You can read more about it here:

http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/tra...ttr=8

[bmeck16]

I've gone thru two tanks of gas in my Rogue now. Mostly city driving with about 40 miles of hwy mixed in.

1st tank = 23.5 mpg

2nd tank = 23.8 mpg

I'm looking forward to this weekend when I try her out on a road trip to NC.

[reefshark]

On my second tank I got:23.9 mpg - computer reading23.3 mpg - calculated manually.

That is mostly rush hour traffic driving. so not too bad considering I have less that 1000 miles on it. I can't wait to get past the 1200 mile break-in period and really have fun with driving this.

[denrama]

Third refill - 320 Miles. I am kinda disappointed.

[philipa_240sx]

After my last tankful netted me 24.4mpg, I returned to my miserly ways.

My latest calculation:

8.4l/100km or 27.7 mpg

I drove 650km (403mi) on 55litres (14.5 US gal) and the low fuel light just turned on.

- 70%hwy at 105km/h (65mph)- 30%city at 60km/h (37mph)- very short periods acceleration <3000rpm with occasional high rpm bursts for highway merging only. Kinda like the pulse and glide technique.- keep CVT in as high a gear as possible by monitoring engine rpm and easing off the gas when needed (ie climbing hills)

[kerrton]

Just filled up my 5th tank, and I went 710 kilometers on 55 liters of fuel, about 30% highway, 70% city, similar driving style as Philip describes above, always keeping it in highest gear at like 1300 rpms around town.

That's is 7.7L/100km, 37 miles/UK gallon, or 30.5 miles per American weirdo gallons.

I'm very happy with this to say the least, b ut not sure why it is as good as it is - I did overinflate my tires a little to 35 psi, however I'm sure that has minimal impacts. Oh yeah, no a/c was used on that last tank, that makes a difference.

[zzoo]

Wow. I've seen very low fuel consumptions here. I got Rogue SL AWD for 8 months now. At the beginning, it's about 13.5 L/100Km in winter. Now it drops to 12.3. That's still very high when compared to your cars. I'm driving 70% in city, 30% in highways.

Could you please give me some advices to reduce the gas mileage. Btw, does the wheel pressure affect the gas mileage ?

[philipa_240sx]

Your high percentage of city driving will lower your fuel economy. Many of us getting good fuel economy numbers are doing alot of hwy driving.

I would suggest raising your tire pressure to 35-40psi. If you do this, keep an eye on your tire wear and make sure you rotate your tires frequently (at least every 10,000km or 6,000mi.

Also, try to accelerate and brake more gently. Floorin' it off every stop light is a sure fire way to burn more gas.

[kerrton]

Philipa, can you provide some more details on the "air/fuel ration self learning" function? This sounds interesting, and perhaps it is significant to fuel efficiency to understand a little bit about this? Also I'm just curious - thanks!

[philipa_240sx]

In a nutshell, the ECU adjusts the air/fuel ratio as the engine wears, climate changes, etc.

Philipa, can you provide some more details on the "air/fuel ration self learning" function? This sounds interesting, and perhaps it is significant to fuel efficiency to understand a little bit about this? Also I'm just curious - thanks!

This is a little involved. I will start a new thread.

zerothread/348075

[gregoris]

Hi and many thanks for this insight. The annoying part of this is that the car is still not delivering what it was advertised to do.

The sticker in the dealer and and the federal gov't (Canadian) gas mileage EPA stats. simply do not match the average of 28 MPG I have been getting.It should be getting at least 31-32 mpg for 100% citiy driving! All conversions have been done accordingly and accurately.

My tire pressue is good, accelerating is moderate but not heavy and 40% highway driving.

I am coming on to the 5,000 km mark and time for an oil change. If it does not improve soon I will take back to the dealer and complain and suggest they check the ECU as you suggest. It is being driven near sea level in Vancouver Canada. No AC.

Thanks,

Greg

[philipa_240sx]

Gregois,

A few things:

- To avoid confusion, please report your mileage numbers in either US MPG or l/100km. Don't use Imperial MPG which is 20% larger than the US gallon... and nobody uses. Please update your reported mileage before I will comment.

- Your engine is still breaking in at the 5000km mark. Give it until 10,000km before you decide there is a fuel consumption issue. I have seen a steady improvement in mileage for the first 10,000km.

- Finally, city driving really kills the fuel economy. Many have reported mileage numbers much lower than the advertised numbers. This is nothing new and is common for many cars as everyone's driving habits are different than the govt's test procedure.

[mag318]

I just turned 10,000 miles on my odometer. On my last trip to Chicago which is just under 200 miles I got 32.2 mpg. I use Mobil 1 in my Rogue which I'm sure has something to do with my great mileage and I fill my tires with nitrogen at the dealer.

[IdaCrue]

I have an AWD SL with approximately 2500 miles on it. When I first got the car I was getting about 24 MPG around town. I have since changed to a 5W-30 synthetic (Amsoil) and really started to watch the lead foot. I now get between 27 MPG and 29 MPG in town, and just today I got 33 MPG on a short highway trip of 130 miles @ 75 MPH on cruise control. I just love this car.

[kk]

hi guys....

got the new car on July 4th!!

Computer is showing 19.5mpg for 30%hww / 70% city.. very light footed (max speed of 50mph) ..

today, 5th july, just completed about 200 miles (odometer was initially showing 15miles at the dealers showroom)... hope the mileage increases..which i am quite sure...

Question for the geeks here : While waiting at signals - how can one reduce the fuel consumption1) Turning off the engine (not practical at every signal)or 2) Putting the car in Neutral Gear (very practical)

When the car is in Neutral Gear, is it same as idling while in D? Is the same amount of fuel being converted in 0 mpg?

Anyways, am loving this car...specially the Intelligent Keyless Ignition!

and yes, thanks for this forum, based on which i took the decision of getting this car!!

[Bacon]

got 110 miles on a 1/4 tank going 60 on the highway

[Goblin]

OK, I just made a 2100 mile round trip and my best mpg was 27.5; keeping the cruise set around 65 mph. The worst I had was 24.5 with no cruise and driving in excess of 80 mph. The on board computer always had my mileage at least 2 mpg higher than I actually got. At one fill up I put 16.8 gals. in.

I drive an AWD.

[Coaster]

We have an SL AWD and drive a mix of about 30/70 City/Highway.

With my wife driving we usually get around 26.5 MPG, if I'm driving it's usually close to 27.5.

We took a trip last weekend of about 150 miles that was half highway and half hilly curvy back roads. I figured I had just been lucky and going down hill when we got there and it was reading 29.6 MPG. By the time we got back home though after slumping a bit on the hills I was back to 29.6 MPG. This was with 2 people in the car minimal A/C.

A month before we did the same trip with me driving. However with 4 people in the car and A/C we only averaged 24.4 MPG.

So here are my recommendations for good mileage:

1. Ditch the junk in the trunk weight = gas usage

2. If it's bearable out windows down in town and save the A/C for the highway. A/C off when accelerating from a stop or merging.

3. If you drive it like a sports car you'll pay for gas like it's a sports car. Every light isn't a race, and if it was the Rogue would usually lose anyway. Drive it smooth, other than a small peak at the start you should be able to accelerate to 50 with the engine below 1500 RPM. Let other people waste their $$$ passing you, you'll see them at the next light don't worry.

4. Learn when to start coasting. Did that light a 1/2 a mile up just turn red and you're doing 45. Let off the gas as soon as you see the yellow. This has several purposes. You're using very little gas coasting, you're not wearing on your brakes, and if you time thing right you can conserve your momentum to use less gas returning to cruising speed.

[tellurian]

FWD S model 3300 km ( ~2000 mi)

100 % city driving, moderate traffic but lots of short trips (< 6km / 3.7 mi). Occasional aggressive acceleration when needed, but that is rare. The terrain here is effectively flat, and the numbers are for typical summer driving conditions (windows open in lieu of AC). At traffic lights I usually punch the revs up to 2500 rpm to start then quickly drop to 1500/1600-ish to reach my desired speed. Most common driving speed is about 60 - 70kph ( ~ 37 - 44 mph ).

I'm getting just better than 10 l / 100km ( 23.5 mpg).

I use a 3rd party trip computer to monitor instantaneous gas usage and various other stats (instantaneous horsepower is interesting). It is quite accurate and agrees with manual fill up calculations.

When monitoring instantaneous horsepower output I see that the AC will typically add about 2.5HP to the load when the car is at idle. The faster you drive the less significant the AC load becomes. Therefore if you can drive with the windows down you will save money. At about 75 kph (47 mph) the aerodynamic drag of open windows (not to mention the noise) starts to become significant so you may as well roll up the windows and turn on the AC it will cost about the same and at 100 kph ( ~ 60 mph) or faster it is cheaper to use the AC anyway.

Also regarding the AC when parked in the driveway turning in the AC bumps up the l/100 km by .5 l (monitoring the instantaneous fuel consumption).

I have noticed just now as I passed the 3000 km mark that fuel economy seems to be getting better (perhaps I am consistently driving more conservatively than I used to?).

Short gentle rant:I generally drive with the flow or a bit (just) faster than most and refuse to crawl out of an intersection after a green light (believe it or not there are other drivers on the road! Most often the impatient ones are impatient for the sames reasons you are when you are late for something ... but how much "its all about me" depends on the city you live in ... fortunately Ottawa Canada isn't too bad in that respect).Short rant done.

Cheers ...After 3 months with the Rogue absolutely no buyers remorse!
Modified by tellurian at 10:58 AM 7/9/2008

[philipa_240sx]

I have noticed just now as I passed the 3000 km mark that fuel economy seems to be getting better (perhaps I am consistently driving more conservatively than I used to?).

It is normal for fuel economy to increase within the first 10,000km (6,000mi) as the engine and other components break-in. I have observed this in both my Altima and Rogue.

[roguetoad]

To those who've complained about less than hoped-for MPG on the Rogue: there are three of us that are consistently in the 30s. And that's at over 5,600 ft. Each vehicle has less than 2k miles on it.

On a trip from from CO to WI another never went below 30 with constant A/C, full load, no tricks, and +5 over posted speeds.

As folks above have said the Rogue can be quite economical based mostly in how you drive it. (we also see 50 on our FIT).

Our last Rogue fill was 34+ (Conoco, A/C about 5% of time, 5 miles local, the rest hwy 55-70, some cruise control--except on hills).

I know zip about CVT, but am beginning to wonder if proper paddling helps quite significantly. Anyway, this is one H of a practical ride. And very fun to drive for a ute.

[Roguemonster]

My experience is that higher altitudes, and the lower octane gas available there (85 is normal), improve mileage overall.

I've experienced that in every car I've owned. The Rogue did lower 30's while I was in Utah even with the majority of driving being around town, and I'd expect that along Colorado's front range as well.

[roguetoad]

That's interesting! My RAV always did a little worse.

Is your 30 around SLC? Curious as we're going to see friends in Sandy, Murray, & Jeremy Ranch and have a free 2-nighter at The Canyons.

[Roguemonster]

Yep. Stayed in Draper, spent most of my time between Orem and Ogden on the valley floor (which I think is about 4000-4500 above sea level?)

The drive through Wyoming to get out there was a different story, but you are typically fighting the winds in that direction, and it's a lot of up and downhill...

[roguetoad]

Huge winds. A while back we saw two big rigs go belly up near Laramie. Hat that road

[Roguemeister]

Hello all! I just got back tonight from a 1570 km (975 mile) trip with my Rogue from Edmonton to Kalispell, MT. When I left, it only had about 300 km (186 miles) on it. Here are my actual calculated gas mileage:

First fill.................. 25.4 mpg - all City drivingSecond fill............. 35.1 mpg - all highway from Edmonton to Blairmore, ABThird fill................. 34.4 mpg - mostly highway from Blairmore to KalispellFourth fill...............36.9 mpg - all highway from Kalispell to Claresholm, AB through Glacier National Park and the Logan Pass.

Keep in mind I converted to Imperial gallons which are equivalent to 1.2 US gallons. Very impressed with that mileage on a brand new Rogue not even broken in.

[philipa_240sx]

Roguemeister, please report your mileage in either US MPG or L/100km. Thank you.

Here are the figures corrected to US MPG:

First fill.................. 21.6 mpg - all City drivingSecond fill............. 29.3 mpg - all highway from Edmonton to Blairmore, ABThird fill................. 28.7 mpg - mostly highway from Blairmore to KalispellFourth fill...............30.8 mpg - all highway from Kalispell to Claresholm, AB through Glacier National Park and the Logan Pass.

[philipa_240sx]

My last fillup was a bit off since I did not fill at the same pump as normal. As a result I don't feel the tank was filled to the same level I normally do. Here is what I got:

6.9l/100km or 34.1mpg with 90% rural driving at 85km/hr or 50mph and 10% city. My best fuel economy yet.