Roadtrip over the weekend with 29.8 MPG

[ipaqxman]

So ya I am the guy who gets horrible mpg and who suspects he has a lemon. But over the weekend took a roadtrip and covered 550 miles. One of the tanks which is 90% highway at 65 to 75 mph averaged 29.8 mpg, digital displayed 31. Anyways, this is the first time my mpg ever got above 25, so I am semi-excited. My last tank of 60% highway was 22.8 mpg. Somehow the local driving really kills my mpg, and I am not even in a traffic jam area, just suburban, nor do I accelerate hard. I coast a lot to stop. Somehow the car is just a boulder to move when taking off from stop, with vibration and what I think is an excessively loud engine. Though my dealership keeps telling me everything is normal, and my warranty is quickly wearing out... I do think I can easily get above 30 mpg with 90% highway with my driving style if this car is tuned correctly. Sometimes I wonder if one of the brakes is possibly hindering the movement. Oh and just hi 10000 miles!

[Woodie]

That sounds pretty normal to me for AWD CVT, confirms that it is the in town driving which is messing you up most of the time. I get about 32 mpg in those conditions but I've got a FWD 6 speed.

[ipaqxman]

I get about 18 mpg with pure town driving, conservatively. My mixed averages about 20. I am ok with the highway mpg, but am a little uncertain whether it is normal that local/town/city driving is supposed to drag the mpg down that much (comparing to the EPA and other people's experiences)

One more note, this 29.8 mpg tank I used shell V-power 93 (dun ask me why), but previously I havent felt much difference between different fuel grades with my local drives' mpg.

[Ronzuki]

At 10,000 miles, your engine isn't fully broken in yet. All of my Suzuki's tended to have a very long break-in. I'm at 31,000+ miles now, and the car is really starting to wake up and become very fun to drive especially manual mode. I have been driving it in a rather eco-unfriendly manner as of late, and the mpg isn't suffering nearly as much as it was in the first 2 years. Also, it's a good idea to push it every so often and get the rpms up. The car probably enjoyed the trip as much as you did.

[krellmk]

My 2013 give a jerk from the tranny when the car rolling when you give a little gas.. don't get that jerk when moving off from standing still, i had a 2010 Mazda 6 that also gave that similar jerk.

[Juan]

29.5- 95%hwy driving 5%around town combine - not bad for an 2012 awd sls cvt.

[ipaqxman]

You really think it takes more than 10000 miles to break in? I'd like to believe that and hopefully somehow it will emerge to be a good car but I am losing my faith. One thing I know I did incorrectly was that I always drove VERY conservatively during initial 1000 miles break in period, by keeping RPM under 2k, but it seemed that's not the correct breaking in method according to the manual.

I also have the forward jerk while I step on gas while rolling, good to know thats's normal. But I am more referring to the vibration I get from my chasis that resonates to my armrest at low RPM when taking off from start.

[redmed]

I have a FWD 6sp manual trans and at first averaged 30 mpg. At 10,000 miles I started using synthetic oil and my average mpg increased to 31.5. Now at 26,000 miles I am averaging 33.2 mpg.

[murcod]

One thing I know I did incorrectly was that I always drove VERY conservatively during initial 1000 miles break in period, by keeping RPM under 2k, but it seemed that's not the correct breaking in method according to the manual.

Oops..... I wonder if that is partly to blame? You probably would have been better doing the exact opposite.

[ipaqxman]

I have a FWD 6sp manual trans and at first averaged 30 mpg. At 10,000 miles I started using synthetic oil and my average mpg increased to 31.5. Now at 26,000 miles I am averaging 33.2 mpg.

Yikes. What's your usual driving pattern like? Mostly highway? What's your average speed displayed on the digital dash. That's great "average"!