Has the MPG Gauge Changed Your Driving Habits?

[IdaCrue]

This is the first vehicle I have had with the MPG gauge on it. I have noticed that I watch it more, and I have somewhat changed my driving habits because of it. I now accelerate slower and smoother because of this tool. I also don't race from one redlight to the next. When I first got the Rogue I was getting about 22 to 23 MPG at fillups, now with my better driving habits I am consistantly getting 25 to 26. It might be that the engine has loosened up or it is warmer outside, but I think my attention to my driving habits has had some effect too. I was just curious how many others have watched this gauge and changed how you drive to increase your fuel economy?

[ntwrkd]

This is the first vehicle I have had with the MPG gauge on it. I have noticed that I watch it more, and I have somewhat changed my driving habits because of it. I now accelerate slower and smoother because of this tool. I also don't race from one redlight to the next. When I first got the Rogue I was getting about 22 to 23 MPG at fillups, now with my better driving habits I am consistantly getting 25 to 26. It might be that the engine has loosened up or it is warmer outside, but I think my attention to my driving habits has had some effect too. I was just curious how many others have watched this gauge and changed how you drive to increase your fuel economy?

Same here! I have changed my diving habits as I watch the gauge. I went from 23 to about 26.5 mpg using a "lighter" foot. Not a bad idea with the cost of gas soaring.

[RubenTheRogue]

Hey Pleasant Valley.....I'm in Poughquag....you must be the grey Rogue I've noticed around the POK area. The ONLY other Rogue I've noticed in the POK area...lol.

[boooey]

yup, same thing here... i used to drive a Montero Sport, and never payed attention to my gas mileage before.. now the MPG screen is the only one i ever use. i cant stop staring at it.

I have been stuck at 25.8 MPG forever now.. it went up to 26.1 the other day, and was like.. "Yea!!!" lol

but it dipped back down to 25.8 once I got off the highway , and did a little city driving.

But is definitely affected the way i drive. I used to drive like an animal.. quick take offs, hard braking.. now with the Rogue, I drive like a grandpa

[Cristen]

I've been doing entirely city driving and was getting 10L/100km on my mileage screen. Then the hubby drove it for a weekend on the highway (400Km round trip) and it dropped to 9.1L/100km. Since I've been driving it again (city only) its crept back up to 9.6L/100km.

[tellurian]

Definitely. I drive more conservatively now. I don't accelerate as hard as I used to. I also turn off overdrive when approaching a stop (reduces brake wear). I hate short trips to the store, but I still do them. I am averaging 10 l/ 100km (23.5 US mpg) in the city because of the short trips. On longer city commutes in light traffic 9 l/ 100km (26.1 US mpg) is easy even 8.5 l/100 km (27.7 US mpg) is common.

I find that more people are driving more conservatively. The down side is that at traffic lights fewer cars get through because of hyper-milers (or other fuel misers). I think that it is unreasonable to slow up traffic like that ... I don't think people should "floor it" but taking 3 seconds to get through an intersection is going to raise some people's blood pressure!

[philipa_240sx]

No premium pack hence no fuel economy gauge... So I do the math at every fill up. I still get around 8.3l/100km or about 28mpg. I'm no hypermiler but I do make a conscious effort to accelerate at a reasonable pace then ease off the gas quickly when at speed and let the CVT do it's work in overdrive.

From what other members have posted, it seems like the fuel consumption gauge averages out and does not show instantaneous readings. If you are really interested in hyper-miling and like toys, then try the Scangauge II. It give instantaneous readings as well as a raft of other information. Another member has already installed one:

zerothread/330817

BTW tellurian, engine braking will reduce brake wear but a set of brake pads is far cheaper than replacing a CVT transmission should it fail. Hitting the overdrive lock makes for a very abrupt downshift and I'm not sure it's good for the transmission long term. If you want to save fuel and brakes, then start coasting early and brake gently.

[tellurian]

BTW tellurian, engine braking will reduce brake wear but a set of brake pads is far cheaper than replacing a CVT transmission should it fail. Hitting the overdrive lock makes for a very abrupt downshift and I'm not sure it's good for the transmission long term. If you want to save fuel and brakes, then start coasting early and brake gently.

True, and I agree, I only turn it off for the last bit when going slow (40/50 kph or less) otherwise the downshift is more than I think its worth. Nissan claims that this CVT was designed to make better use of engine braking, but I would expect that one should do so judiciously (i.e akin to dropping down to 1st on a manual at 80 kph is not a good thing).

Also re the Scanguage II: I don't have the premium package either so I installed the Scanguage II. It is a rather comprehensive diagnostic tool. It does give instantaneous gas performance but the averaging is pretty quick too, I use it more.

I have lots of short commutes so it is very difficult for me to average out much lower than 9.5 or 10 l / 100 km but on longer trips in the city I can often get under 8.0 l /100 km (!!) depending on conditions. I do very little highway driving and given my location an very numerous short commutes (under 5 km) I am stuck to the 9.5 l to 10 l range. But the good side is that my last fill up lasted me 3 WEEKS !! On my old car (3.8l Olds Intrigue) it was pretty much weekly (though I did not pay attention to fuel economy then).

[philipa_240sx]

Those are some pretty decent fuel economy numbers considering your driving pattern.

BTW, the CVT engine braking feature is only evident on steep/long downhill grades. It takes the CVT a few seconds before it will gear down, but when it does it's very effective at maintaining speed.

[roguetoad]

Phillipa Interesting comment about engine braking. Click & Clack definitely agree with you. Brakes are for decelerating, engines for accelerating. However, not as much fun to spare the downshifts.

And that raises an interesting question: Wonder how the Nissan CVT will handle lots of downshifting longterm vs, say, a Toyota 5-Spd AT?

Re mileage, we're doing low 30s without hypermiling. And after a decent break-in, we'll bet we can hit 40. (We've hit 55 MPG on our wife's FIT, without any really serious hypermiling).

FWIW, we've found over many years that paying close attention, looking ahead, being smooth, balancing the vehicle underway, understanding the engine's power band, load management, and where to place the car so the engine is working the most efficiently, and proper maintenance are about the best things one can do to maintain consistent high numbers.

In our experience an MPG gauge will be somewhat inaccurate unless you opt for scientific-grade testers. Gauges are also distracting enough that they might hinder mileage, because they take focus away from traffic.

That said, anything that'll improve a driver's awareness of driving has got to be a good thing.

We used to participate in the Mobil Economy Runs and SCCA, NASCAR, and Kart/Enduro racing and found that global awareness of road and vehicle conditions usually did more to up MPG than easily available gadgets. And on race tracks, awareness and smoothness also does more than a gadget (unless you can control fuel pressure).

Unfortunately, the size of the typography on the Rogue's hinder's one's ability to decipher accurately in a quick scan. Gauges in overhead consoles, or on mirrors are definitely distracting. Just looking ahead and driving smooth will beat a gauge any day. That's our $0.02 and experience anyway.
Modified by roguetoad at 10:36 AM 6/11/2008

[ntwrkd]

Hey Pleasant Valley.....I'm in Poughquag....you must be the grey Rogue I've noticed around the POK area. The ONLY other Rogue I've noticed in the POK area...lol.

You're in Poughquag but your listed in Poughkeepsie? I do have a grey Rogue and I have seen many in the area. Welcome to the forums fellow Hudson Valley dweller!

[redroguegal]

I watch it too. I try to use cruise as much as possible to increase mpg. My MDX had a mpg meter as well as a number so I could see it in action. It was pretty cool. I could also see how far I had to go on the same screen as mpg which I have to switch for now. Of course I only got 15-16 mpg too.

[RubenTheRogue]

I always list POK due to privacy issues.....

Just today I've seen 6 more Rogues in my drive from Poughquag to the Galleria & back.....there goes being unique!!!