O/T Interesting gas mileage...

Goose · Dec 10, 2008

I had to go to Chappell, Nebraska in the west end of the state on the job today. It's simple enough. Get on I-80 a mile and a half from my house, turn west, set the cruise on 75, sit back for 4 hours and 300 miles, and get off at the Chappell Interchange.

As I'm sure I've mentioned on this forum before, if you push the right buttons on my Olds 88, the driver info display will read out average gas mileage. I got 24.6 mpg going out and 28.8 coming back. The reason is simple. Chappell is some 3,000 feet higher in altitude than my place, but it's such a gradual rise over 300 miles that it's not noticeable. I've noticed with other vehicles that you always get a couple mpg better mileage coming east from Denver as opposed to going west to Denver.

Now a question. If GM could build a car in 1992 with the size, comfort, and performance of an Olds 88 and still get that kind of gas mileage, why won't the current crop of four cylinder intermediate and compact cars do much better, if any at all? That includes both domestic and imports. What have their R&D departments been doing for sixteen years? THAT'S what smells to high heaven to me in this automotive schtick.

Or am I missing something?

Mike M · Dec 10, 2008

Well here's another delemia for you. My Dad had one of those cars a 1991 and it could get 32 MPG doing that. Unless altitude does it ? You may need a tune up ? we're in Ohio and even driving into New York state.

Mike M · Dec 10, 2008

Also consider the Ford Festiva from around 1988-1991 era ? built by Kia. These things are still seen all over in my area and a guy at work has 2 of them. His one has near 200,000 miles and gets 42 MPG driving to work and upwards of 48 MPG straight driving. Gas mileage seems to of topped out in that era. The car Ford replaced it with the Aspire would not do as good. Modern Hybrids with their HIGH price tags usually don't even rate that good.

Aaron Ford · Dec 10, 2008

I had a 88 Bonneville 3.8 that darn near weaned itself off of gas. Once you learned to leave the throttle alone and let it idle everywhere, it would get great mileage. It would idle along at 45-50 mph without touching the throttle. If you wanted it to accelerate faster you pushed the gas pedal, but if moderate acceleration was good enough, then let it pull off on its own and it would shift when it wanted to. Neat car, ate fuel pumps...

Aaron

Gun guru · Dec 10, 2008

I know that the Buicks like the Lesabre, Park avenue with the 3.8liter motor will get 30mpgs. A buddy of mine had a 1993 Buick with the 3.8. It had over 100k miles on it.
I dont know why the 4 cylinders dont do better. I guess that they dont want to put the $$$ into the motor for the emmisions crap, Possible.

Pair-a-dice farm · Dec 10, 2008

I've thought that too. I bought a new f250 in 1978 It was a 4x4 with a 351 and a 3 speed auto and got 15mpg. Now I've got a Dodge 1500 4x4 5 speed auto with a 4.7 liter that gets 14mpg. You would think that in 30 years it would be better.

Justin-PA · Dec 10, 2008

We owned several of those late 80's early 90's Bonnevilles with the GM3.8. Great engine.

I suspect the reason gas mileage went down is because of the EPA's emissions levels. Tier 1 emissions cut-in in 1996. When the cars were tuned for better emissions, they get worse fuel economy. It only has contiued to get more strict...Tier 2, then LEV, then ULEV. Any improvements made end up going towards lower emissions.

Duner Wi · Dec 10, 2008

Don"t forget the wind coming from the west. Makes a difference in my vehicles.

Goose · Dec 10, 2008

I should have mentioned that was with the cruise set on 75-77. At 60 it will do 30 mpg.

And, granted the 3.8 is a heckuvan efficient engine. You'd think they could incorporate some of the 3.8's design into other engines to make them equally efficient.

ldj · Dec 10, 2008

Justin has got it right PLUS epa keeps messing with the fuel its self Now it doesn't have the power it used to so it naturally takes more.

parrothead · Dec 10, 2008

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. i had an 87 Dodge Charger with the 2.2 4 cylinder and a 5 speed manual. It was the last year for the carbureted engine. That thing would knock down 34 mpg on the hwy with the A/C freezin' my face. It would also smoke the front tires on demand. That was a great little car! And to think that I was tickled the other day when I figured the the MPG on my 2001 F-150 4X4. I knocked down 13 MPG! It usually does worse than that! I wish I had the little Charger back...

Jiles · Dec 10, 2008

Most of the four cylinder cars made today will beat you on mpg and also outrun you.

John B. · Dec 10, 2008

I heard one time years ago that the Car industry mfgs., only want you to go so far on a tank of fuel!

RandyB(MI) · Dec 10, 2008

The 4 cyl,s of today are geared to run higher rpm at cruise speed simply because of stiffer emissions standards. They aren't clean enough when they are "lugging" at 1500 rpm at 55 mph like the older ones and like the 3.8 v-6. Any engine that is turning 2200 rpm at 55 is not gonna get 30 mpg! The 3.8 in the said Buick etc is between 1700 and 1800 rpm at 55 and not even working the injectors at that. Sometimes high mpg doesn't equal clean air (according to epa.s formula anyway)In my book if ya burn less gas then the air is cleaner,period! And to top it all off , the 3.8 was an OLD tech pushrod cast iron block that wasn't supposed to out perform the 22 overhead cam 50 valve high rpm all alum. buzz engines that they WANTED us to buy. Guess the joke was on them,eh?

T-Rev · Dec 10, 2008

I figured mine out yesterday on a 400 mile drive in a 93 park avenue to be 27 mpg roundtrip. I too was pretty happy with that.

Will Herring · Dec 10, 2008

My 1996 Pontiac Bonneville has a V6 in it and I get usually 31 or so MPG on the interstate, which is insane. How the crap are all the new cars doing good to get 25, I don't understand it.

John in Nebraska · Dec 10, 2008

81 Chevy Chevette, at 50 would do 42mpg, four cylinder push rod engine with five speed. 68 F250 with a 390, on the highway would get 18mpg. Was just idling at 55mph. Gas goes up again, am looking around for a Chevette.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Dec 10, 2008

Bmaniac is on the right track. Emissions standards is why GM dropped the 3.8. We all know the 3.8 was a great engine, but thanks to the feds ever stricter emission standards thats what is keeping mileage down. Some of the reasons why some of GM's 4cyl cars get up and go so good is the variable cam timing and a 6 speed auto trans.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2008

I have a 1990 Olds 88 that I bought used in '97. Paid $3,500 with 118,000 miles. Thought I paid too much for it at the time. Now has 231,000 miles, doesn't use oil, still gets 25mpg or better. As they say, I'll drive it till the wheels fall off.

mark gr · Dec 11, 2008

1997 caddy seville sls with northstar v8 and all the toys gets 22 to 24 all the time

oldironman · Dec 11, 2008

Bush is a oil man.

buickanddeere · Dec 11, 2008

Technology is getting to the point of diminishing returns. Take a look at airplanes, trains, tractors, trucks and cars.
Nothing really new has been invented in those areas in the past 20-40 years. Some extra creature comforts, substitution of some better/more durable/stronger materials, faster computers. The lightweight and stronger materials have been around for years. The price of fuel or increases in performance has just brought them off the shelves.
It still takes X amount of energy to accelerate Y amount of weight. And Z amount of energy to push air out of the way. No way to ever change that.
Compare the new cars on the steady cruise. They will still be better.
Try your car against the news ones as well in typical putting around driving. New ones again will be a little better.
Enough better to save enough fuel to pay for themselves.........no.

INCase · Dec 11, 2008

Emissions and weight are the culprit. Cars started getting heavier in the mid-late 90's due to safty (door beams, air bags everywhere, ect) and the fact that they were putting lots of goodies on every car which all take power and add weight. We had an 85 Escort that would get 40 highway. It was absolutely plain-Jane, no PS, AC, PBrakes, Pwindows, Plocks... nothing.4 speed manual (not even a 5 speed) 2 door. Of course the motor was only good for 85000 miles so we parted with it years ago. I remember my folks had a 76 pinto, plain jane, lousy lousy car, traded it for an 80 Dodge Aspen 4 door with slant 6 and an automatic and got the same gas mileage. My 2002 Dodge Intrepid w/3.5L motor will push 30 if not loaded and you're gentle on the gas and it needs a tune up. Then they came out with the DOdge Caliber which is in the 20's. that is supposed to replace the Neon????? I must say I had a Toyota rental car the other day due to deer damage. It was nice but we didn't think it was anything special over the 2002 Intrepid with 102000miles versus 9000 mile Camery...

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2008

You dont know what you got going out there or coming back, unless you filled the tank to the neck before departing, drove out there, then filled the tank the same way, and calculated it out. Best way is to record milage, fill, then fill at least 10 times, and calculate milage over 10 tanks of gas - that will give you real gas milage. The dash thing is a joke. Tom

greygoat · Dec 11, 2008

My dad had a 58 Caddilac, that got 24 miles per
gallon, he said! But everyone who knew him
knew that he was an old liar!

Anonymous-0 · Dec 11, 2008

Had a '79 Honda Accord that got 31 mpg. After moving to Florida traded it in for a 1981 Accord. Don't know what they did but never got better than about 28 mpg. Even when I moved back to Maryland.

O/T Interesting gas mileage...

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