Terrible Versa mileage

[sinha0713]

Sorry for all the text

So I have a 2007 V model S. CVT. about 37K miles. I live in mass where temperatures are currently 28 degress daily at the least. I drive somewhat highway but mostly inner town commuting. I noticed one week that I had to fill up within 7 days. the next week I calculated I got 22 mpg. Wat the hell? I dont stomp on the pedal or speed up quickly so I dont see an explanation. I also dont blast the heater despite the cold weather. Anyone got any ideas as to the low milage?

The only thing I noticed was with a cvt, when I get to a certain speed, then let off the accelerator, the rpms drop all the way down. unlike in a normal automatic vehicle, the rpms stay higher up even when your not on the gas. So do CVT's require a on and off accelator approach to driving?

Thanks for the insight...

[stillhere153]

might be the winter gas mix.... try 89 octane at next fillup

[Promise Land]

How has the milage been up til now? You have 37,000 miles on it. Did you just buy it, or did this happen on one tank?

During the last cold snap in the South, my milage dropped from ~33 to about ~29 with the same driving style. I also noticed a small pickup of maybe 1 mpg after I blew out my engine's air filter. If that filter is clogged by a little bit, it will start to affect mileage.

[sinha0713]

bought the car used from a old retired cop. He had all highway milage on it and said he got fine milage. I only recently started driving it in town with a new job I got here.

22 mpg is just ridiculously low. It makes no sense at all. Ill try 89 octane though.

[Promise Land]

I run 87 octane in mine, which is the lowest available here in the South. In addition to that, I'd suggest double checking the air filter (cabin and engine), air pressure in the tires, etc. All the usual stuff that will affect mileage and efficiency.

[Codelicious]

I don't get the 30mpg that everyone else gets either. Not sure why.. I have a 1.8 SL. Figured that could be part of the problem right there. lol

I'll have to check my air filters and all that like Canaan said.

[V-Man]

I have an uncle that complained all the time about low mileage in his Civic. One day I drove behind him and noticed his brakes lights on all the time. He got in the habit of driving with a foot on the brake adn didn't notice he was pressing it to the point of actuallly actuating the brakes. He stopped doing this and called me to say that his mileage improved to normal figures.Not to say that you are doing this, but when you get 22 mpg's, something is not right.

[WaVersa]

sinha0713

[QUOTE=sinha0713]Sorry for all the text

So I have a 2007 V model S. CVT. about 37K miles. I live in mass where temperatures are currently 28 degress daily at the least. I drive somewhat highway but mostly inner town commuting. I noticed one week that I had to fill up within 7 days. the next week I calculated I got 22 mpg. Wat the hell? I sinha0713,

I share you frustration, I am in Canada and own a 2008 SL with only 18200 kilometers on it.*95% of city with hills* My SUMMER fuel economy is almost always 23.5 mpg us and my WINTER fuel economy is between 17.4 and 19.6 mpg us.

I my case the city driving is killing me. So far I have done 3 long trips approx. 500km, summer time) , highways only at 100km/h and I was getting 7.1 l/km ( 33.13 mpg us)

WaVersa,

[srellim234]

Mine's a 2007 SL. What I've found over the last couple of years is that if the rpms even hit 3000 at any point in the tankful the overall tank average on mine will drop about 1 mpg. Even if it just nudges the 3000 mark for an instant during an accelleration. The CVT seems to be ridiculously sensitive, but for that I'm getting a very nice, smooth driving transmission.

City driving (legitimate city driving with 25 and 35 mph limits, lots of stop signs and signals per 1/2 mile, etc. drop it even more. This year, though, the mileage has dropped even more than usual so I wouldn't be surprised if a change in gasoline blend into the winter has been tougher than normal on the Versa mileage. We've had a couple of tankfuls in the 21s this winter, and we're not nearly as cold here as you are there. Last tank was 28 on 50/50 driving with the defroster on a little less than half the time.

[Bubs daddy]

How are you calculating mileage? Be sure to fill up to the same point each time to be as accurate as possible. I couldn't get 22 mpg if I mashed the pedal everywhere I went. Heck, my full size truck with a V-8 gets 18 mpg.

A cold winter will give lower fuel mileage because of gasoline blends.

I haven't gotten below 29 mpg yet.

[raiders4403]

i have a '07 S sedan and my milage isnt good either! i used to get about 300miles(25mpg) a tank on 93 octaine.....now im getting about 280 (23mpg) miles a tank! no change in driving. i recently drove from san diego to texas, even then i only got 330 miles(28mpg) a tank(topped off to yellow empty light). versa has about a 12 gallon tank. had brand new tires and just did full 30k maintance done. where is this "32mpg" Versa at?? what am i doing wrong

[Promise Land]

where is this "32mpg" Versa at??

Mine is in the parking lot. But seriously, I started to get low tankfuls (about 320 miles per tank) and just went out and got some Gumout injector cleaner and water remover at Wal-Mart. The next tank I got 380 miles out of it.

You might try a bottle of cleaner for $3 from your local store and see if it will clean any gunk from the system that may be in there.

[Codelicious]

Well also another thing is when do you consider your tank empty.

When my light comes on I get gas, although yesterday I didn't have time to stop at an ATM and I got an extra 30 miles out of my "empty" tank. I didn't want to risk going any further. Lol

I generally get about 300 miles to the tank and I only use Cheveron gas. If there isn't one around Ill go to Shell.

[kc5f]

Gasoline blends, temperature (warming up and driving) and road conditions all cause mileage to drop in the winter. My low fuel light comes on at about 380 miles during the summer and about 320 during the winter.

Cheer up - it'll get better soon! Here's a chart of my first Versa's mileage. You can easily see the effect of winters. All of my previous cars as well as my current Versa show the same pattern.

[jdansmith]

Something that helped my Sentra CVT gas millage in the city was taking off the OD while starting and engaging it around 2000 / 2200 rpm in heavy stop and go traffic. City millage went up by 4 mpg or so, I think the CVT lugs the engine a bit and makes you stay on the gas longer with the OD on.

[sinha0713]

Wait, so when you start from 0mph, your off OD and then you turn it on when you hit 2K rpms (also the same time around when car switches to second gear) and that itself got you an extra 4mpg?

so btw guys, sears as well as other shops have this recommended service where they clean everything fuel wise out of your car, so gastank, intake, exhaust, fuel lines etc. for like 80 bucks. supposedly they recommend this procedure every 15k miles. any thoughts?

[Bubs daddy]

Don't waste your money.

[longo]

WOW, I havn't cruised this forum for over a year now and first thing I see is another link to "Versa Terrible milage!"

I bought the first Versa SL with the CVT drivetain in my town and have had mixed emotions about it for the last 3 years. (a combination of anger and disapointment)

It's been a Gas Hog for that long, but now I'm getting a nice steady 50 mpg on the highway, and if I drive at 60 mph I get 60 MPG.

How did I do it?

I bought a VW Jetta TDI.

Problem solved.

[Codelicious]

WOW, I havn't cruised this forum for over a year now and first thing I see is another link to "Versa Terrible milage!"

I bought the first Versa SL with the CVT drivetain in my town and have had mixed emotions about it for the last 3 years. (a combination of anger and disapointment)

It's been a Gas Hog for that long, but now I'm getting a nice steady 50 mpg on the highway, and if I drive at 60 mph I get 60 MPG.

How did I do it?

I bought a VW Jetta TDI.

Problem solved.

I really don't get bad gas milage, I do A LOT of driving (highway and city). I love my Versa.

[Bubs daddy]

Low 40's, indeed the Jetta TDI's EPA rated mpg. Mid 40's, perhaps at a steady speed. High 40's, not likely but perhaps doable. 60 mpg...steaming cowpie.

[longo]

My Jetta TDI mpg numbers are Imperial 'Steaming Cowpies' my friend, 20% bigger than your Versa Steaming piles.

Right on spec' according to the window sticker.

I see you are still busy shovelling it on the Versa forum.

58.82 MPG World Record set by Jetta TDISeptember 29, 2008. Herndon, VA – "The most fuel efficient car across North America is not a hybrid. It’s a diesel. A Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel, to be exact. Making its way across the nation and into a world records, a Jetta TDI recently achieved 58.82 MPG during a successful 9,419 mile bid for the lowest fuel consumption across the Continental United States. Despite being officially rated at “just” 30 MPG city and 41 MPG highway by the EPA, the Jetta TDI managed a whopping 14 percent improvement over the previous record of 51.58 MPG.

Set under real world conditions with a completely stocked Jetta TDI, the record attempt began on September 5, 2008, in Washington D.C., and passed through (take a deep breath): New York, NY; Rutland, VT; Toledo, OH; Des Moines, IA; Spearfish, SD; Missoula, MT; Winnemucca, NV; Santa Monica, CA; Durango, CO; Oklahoma City, OK; Mount Vernon, IL; and Ponchatoula, LA; before finishing up 20 days later and 11.04 tanks of fuel lighter in Beckley, WV. The world record was achieved using simple driving techniques that maximized the already exceptionally efficient TDI engine. Despite the less than ideal weather conditions, varied terrain and frequent traffic congestion, the entire journey’s fuel cost came in at a paltry $653, with the Jetta TDI Clean Diesel’s average consumption costing just 6.9 cents per mile."

Only reason I mention Imperial Gallons is that in Canada, Nissan posts the Versa mpgs in liters per 100 km and Imperial gallons.

The Jetta's 58.82 U.S. gallons (70 imp) for a cross country U.S. trip is far from a steaming cowpie

However, the same people with the same VW Jetta and a new set of tires ..did the same run again in 2009 and picked up another 9mpg Avg.

The new world record for that cross country trip in the VW JEtta TDI is now 67 mpg U.S.

(80 mpg Imp) but who's counting..


Modified by longo at 6:32 PM 2/2/2010

[Bubs daddy]

Ah yes, just like the sanctimonious Pious, er...Prius owner feeling so smug, the now fully enlightened new Jetta owner is coming back to preach and gloat over his new found driving ways.

LOL.

This is absolute best case scenario. It's not that kind of mileage over a years driving in extreme weather conditions for months at a time. I could get 40 mpg with a Versa driving the way they did for that excursion.

So you spent $23,000 to get a car with 8-9 mpg EPA higher rated fuel mileage. Add in the higher cost of diesel and it's almost a wash.

The hypermilers world record sure wasn't in the setting of Arizona where you'd be hard pressed to keep the A/C off between March and October while going 75 mph, the speed limit on our freeways.

I see they started in September, a temperate month for most of the US. They didn't factor in 4 months of winter driving. Or 4 months of 100+ degrees out here.

So practically speaking, when you need a climate controlled vehicle in cold and hot weather extremes, this claimed "60 mpg" drops dramatically and is going to even out to the rated mileage over the year.

The Versa costs significantly less than a TDI Jetta. About $8000 comparibly equipped. That will buy 3200 gallons of gasoline. Even at 30 mpg, that's 96,000 miles before that Jetta even pulls out of the lot.

So no matter what some some exceptional hypermiler record states, the bottom line is that the Jetta doesn't get close to 60 mpg (or even 50) in the practical world of higher freeway speeds, consecutive months of winter or summer driving, and high city mileage commutes.

Over a 6 year period here's how it would look:

Versa SL $8620 3448 gallons of gasoline @ $2.50/gallon, 100,000 miles. (29 mpg combined rating)

Jetta TDI $7894 2631 gallons of diesel @ $3.00/gallon, 100,000 (38 mpg EPA combined rating)

So after 100,000 miles, you save $700+ dollars. Even if fuel cost increase or decrease, they will stay proportional. Heck even if you get an average of 40 mpg with the Jetta TDI, you'll save what, $1100 at 100,000 miles. Not that impressive. And that's assuming no repairs out of warranty. With the spotty reliability of VW's, that's not a bet I'd take.

It's the same argument all those Pious, er...Prius owners claim. Great mileage but at a cost. A significant initial cost. It will take years to break even.

So if you're in it for the long term, say 9-10 years, you'll save buying a Jetta over a Versa. You keeping this Jetta for 6 years? 8 years? 10 years?


Modified by Bubs daddy at 6:36 AM 2/3/2010

[longo]

Interesting that you edited this piece out of your original post...

"Hey, I've been an advocate of diesel cars for a long time. I wish they had more available in the states. But the TDI is significantly higher in price than a Versa."

And one more thing Bub, the old saying is true, "you just get what you pay for"

Here's a little something else for you to enjoy.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5aDihD1AqI
Modified by longo at 10:19 PM 2/2/2010

[Bubs daddy]

Indeed, I would have considered a diesel if more were offered here in the states. Considering is one thing. I would not pay an $8000 premium, however. $1-2K, perhaps but even then it would have to be if I'm already going to be buying a car.

I have my car and it's just about paid off.

It was edited from my original post because my post was getting long enough.

Look, maybe the cowpie comment was a bit curt. I've just heard too many people who come back into the Versa forum and do this. They get a different car and now the Versa is this and that.

If they (and you) are happy enough with their new car, I don't know why they need to come back here and comment. Maybe to justify their purchase.

[bondiblue]

I would not pay an $8000 premium, however.

Agreed. For that much you could buy a Versa and a motorcycle for the nice months of the year that gets as much or more mpg than that Jetta and is a hell of a lot more fun to drive.

[longo]

"If they (and you) are happy enough with their new car, I don't know why they need to come back here and comment. Maybe to justify their purchase."

I have been posting on this Versa Forum since 2007, attatching photos of all the things I've done to the car, and trying to help others with answers to questions they have about the Versa.

My posts on this forum have been helpfull and honest about what I have discovered about this newest of Nissans, and complimentary to others who have contributed with solutions and fixes.

But I am not a Fanboy who jumps in to attack people who start threads about their "Terrible Versa Milage" and taunt them with endless posts about how great their milage is.In one thing I have been consitent on it's that my love affair with the Versa's 1.8 engine, ended at the first shocking fill up and mpg check.

Some Versa's mpg's will SUCK until the day they go into the crusher and that's the truth. My pampered and meticulessly serviced SL CVT is one of many.

After these past 3 years of searching near and far for some reason and fix for my Versa gas guzzler problem, and coming up empty, I have just given up, and my brief post about my solution is nothing more or less than that.

All the immediate back and forth vitreolic rants about the Jetta TDI mpg being "cowpies", is a waste of forum space.

Hope your Versa lasts forever.

[srellim234]

I'm on your side, longo. You've been very helpful over the last few years and I'm happy for you that you could afford to go the VW route to better mileage. Please keep in contact here since you have been much more solution-oriented not one who is judgemental and ridiculing.

[longo]

I guess I should mention a couple of final points, first of all, I bought a low milage, mint condition used 2006 Jetta TD similar to the one in the You tube video for $12,950

And second, I came across a very disturbing bit of Versa engine info from a mechanic that services his local Walgreen's Nissan Versa fleet. These are 'run hard and put away wet' vehicles to be sure, but he does not recommend them.

So that was the final straw I guess, no one builds a perfect car and VW has it's issues too, but at least bad mpg's isn't one of them.

Thanks Steve, I have always enjoyed your many new threads to help keep this Versa forum interesting and topical, keep up the good (and often thankless) job.

[Promise Land]

And second, I came across a very disturbing bit of Versa engine info from a mechanic that services his local Walgreen's Nissan Versa fleet. These are 'run hard and put away wet' vehicles to be sure, but he does not recommend them.

I was told by a Nissan dealership mechanic that he would only drive Chevys and people on 'those stupid forums' don't know s***. Either way, you're both knuckleheads and keyboard warriors to some people. I am included with you, so don't feel bad.

[longo]

Anderson Silva ROCKS!