2009 Vibe 1.8L manual MPG - what are you getting

[tx_wrx]

Considering purchasing an 09 Vibe 1.8L with a manual. What kind of realworld mpgs are you getting. Please state how you drive (light foot, normal, heavy foot), what part of the country you are in, and how much you run the AC. Thanks!

[vhoward1122]

I am averaging 30 mpg all in town driving with only occasional AC use (Oregon coast with a couple of days of hot weather so far). The last time I drove to Eugene (130 miles away), I got 36 mpg. I'm not sure what is normal in this world. I don't consider myself light or heavy footed. Maybe normal for me, but what is normal for you?

[tx_wrx]

yeah when i say light i mean rediculously gradma light driving. Like almost getting honked at you are accelerating so slowly. When i say heavy i dont really mean drive like you stole it but just very spirited driving with lots of gas. Normal to me is just driving like you are going point a-b and not paying too much attention to the economy but not racing there.

[garnermike]

Have a 2006 Vibe 1.8L, AT, with 23000 miles. Extremely rare to not get 30+mpg per tankful---maybe 1-2 times per year, usually in winter when I'm doing more city miles. Recently got 36 mpg on a tankful that was 3/4's hwy miles. Amazing!

[tx_wrx]

BTW for those of you with 2009 models, head over the fueleconomy.gov and enter your mpg. Personally i use that informatino to determine what mpgs i can get in a car because i dont drive as hard as the EPA does during testing. Getting that information out there will help people like me researching these cars. THANKS!

[mcrider]

I have had my 09 Base 1.8l for 4 weeks now and this is what I have seen:City - 28 mpgHwy - 33 mpgI drive all city with the Vibe and have had the A/C on pretty much all the time. The car was taken on a 250 mile highway trip and that is how I got the 33 mpg calculation. I still have yet to open her up and really see what power the little 1.8 has.

[tx_wrx]

mcrider are you mc riding with a manual or an auto?

[mcrider]

I have the manual transmision since I am not to keen on a 4 banger with auto.

[SagWhite]

Here's my numbers:1st tank: 100% city = 27 mpg2nd tank: 75% city, 25% road = 29.4 mpg3rd tank: 100% road = 38 mpg (maybe not accurate since we got power outage when filling it up)I just have 1500 km on it (a little bit less than 1000 miles), so I'm still in my break-in period, with original oil (will switch to synthetic at my first oil change). I'm very happy when I see those numbers, and I really enjoy my car!Vibe 2009 1,8l manual

[tx_wrx]

Lifted from another thread on the subject....>> Just finished burning the tank of gas that came with the car from the dealer.We went 530km and the tank took 36L of gas.so.. in Canada we say it used 6.79L/100km (I guess)or.. 34.86 mpg!I was driving like normal, all in the city. 2 adult passengers and a newborn. just 10 seconds to warm up (till the tach drops down to 1100rpm)by my calc i get 34.6mpg though Keep the posts comming everyone. Few more and ill think there is something to this cars efficiency and ill go get one

[NibCrom]

Quote, originally posted by mcrider »I still have yet to open her up and really see what power the little 1.8 has.Prepare to be disappointed.

[tx_wrx]

!!! Seriously people are there only 4 people on this forum that have an 09 vibe with the 1.8L !!! please post your mileage please

[engineertwin2]

It's still a new car so give it some time.Several people are opting for the 2.4 liter engine.If you are die hard on fuel economy as if it were the only thing you cared about, get a Prius or a Civic Hybrid.What are you driving now? What does it get mileage wise? What do you need out of a car? Just because other people get 30+ doesn't imply you will - just ask ColonelPanic.

[tx_wrx]

im mainly curious because the new EPA ratings appear to be way off with almost every car. I want good gas mileage but also an inexpensive car with a hatch. Prius and civic hybrid are too expensive when you consider how well general economy cars do. Im pretty much only looking at new cars due to the safety. But unless you drive TONS of miles i still think a car like the vibe will cost less to own and operate over the long haul than a prius. I have lots of mpg data on the xD, and xB but no so much on the vibe.

[mcrider]

I did it, opened it up for the first time. It was not jaw droping, but it was not disapointing. It was pretty much what I expected.Does Canada have 10% ethinol in there gas? I wondering if that is why I an seeing the lower MPG.

[drunkenmaxx]

i am currently averaging 28.7 mixed driving with the 3.5L. oh, wait, wrong car.

[aradlaw]

Quote, originally posted by mcrider »Does Canada have 10% ethinol in there gas? I wondering if that is why I an seeing the lower MPG. Quite often the 10% ethanol is the pump specs for regular gas up here, my last fillup Saturday cost $1.272 per litre

[garnermike]

I own a 2006 1.8L but friends of mine now own a 2009 1.8L. They report 36 hwy, 29 around town (suburbs).This just in a friend with a new 2009 with the 2.4L reports a high of 30 mpg on the highway. Car is still only 2 months old.

[breakingthebroken23]

i just got a 09 1.8 with a manual 2 days ago. i've only filled it up once so far an got 34.4 mpg, an that was with lots of air and sitting in traffic for a half hour.. i was light on acceleration and didnt rev it too high being a brand new car.. this was like half flat interstate, and half highway with a lot of hills.. im really happy with bolth fuel economy and the car itself so far. ive owned a scion tc and a yaris hatchback in the past and the vibes 1.8 feels a lot like the 2.4 that was in the tc, (same as the 2.4 in the vibe) only with a little less power. i have a feeling when its broken in and i get used to it i should be pulling off 36 or 37's but we'll see. hope this helps

[tx_wrx]

keeps the posts comin'! Feel free to post each tank Also for those interested you could post your mileage on fueleconomy.gov. I think the 1.8L vibe gets way better mileage than the 26/32 the EPA states..... ALSO how is everyone calculating their MPG? how many gallons per liter are you using. There as US gallons and imperial gallons which are different.

[CoffeeMan]

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/coffeeman/vibe

[TheGames]

600km with 42.5L = 375miles with 11 gal= 7L/100km or 34mpgIf my calc is good..

[tx_wrx]

cool looks like you did use US gallons. BTW easiest way to calculate is to use google.comjust google42.5L/600km = ? mi/galgives you 33.2 mpg

[TheGames]

Ok thanks, I always had problems with the gallon because we always work with liter here and i always forget the value of a liter with the imp. gal, us gal.

[Daox]

Getting a hybrid will most definitly pay for itself. They usually take about 3-5 years to break even depending on how many miles you put on it, but they definitly do save you money. I've seen a few presentations on this subject. These presentations don't just include gas prices and cost of the vehicle, they also factor in insurance and maintenance. Unfortunately, I don't have any reference sites to go to. If you take the time to do a little math you'll figure it out real quick though, especially since gas is estimated to hit $5 next year.That being said, I'm sure the Matrix will give you mid 30s if driven reasonably (thats what my wife gets in ours), more if you want (I get 40+), and less if you feel you need to be agressive. The Prius can get you 60+ without much work though. If you do a lot of city driving, its even more important to go hybrid.

[tx_wrx]

was that reply intended for this threadhttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=34358I agree that hybrids save you money in the long run. Especially right now when their depreciation is practically zero. But since they take 3-5 years to do so and there is new hydrid tech right around the corner (next year new prius and honda hybrid at least) its better to wait a bit to get one of those new ones or wait a year till the used ones cost less.

[Daox]

Nope, this is where I was trying to post.I'm sure the new hybrid cars will be nice. But, you're still considering a conventional vehicle when next year the new hybrids will come out? Why not wait until then in either case? It seems you're looking for a vehicle now, not in a year. The best choice now is a hybrid. I'm pretty sure the best choice in a year when gas has gone up another 25% is not going to make hybrids any less appealing. So in either case, the hybrid still wins. The only case in which it doesn't is if you buy a cheaper used vehicle.Btw, thanks for pointing that thread out. I'll have to post there too now.

[CoolBunny]

Quote, originally posted by tx_wrx »BTW easiest way to calculate is to use google.comjust google42.5L/600km = ? mi/galgives you 33.2 mpgYou can also use 42.5L/600km = ? mi/us gal (or uk for imperial gallons) this way you are sure you are converting in the right measurement.

[tx_wrx]

im kind of considering a new car now only because my current car will require some expensive repairs this year. I dont think that a $25k prius will be a better purchase than a $16k vibe. Sure the prius supposedly has a base of $21500 but i have not seen one below $24k. I feel like the market will normalize itself once there are more hybrids on the market and your 2008 Prius will not hold its value very well considering you are paying a premium now for soon to be outdated tech.Plus i windsurf and the way the seats fold on a Vibe is perfect for transporting that equipment.

[tx_wrx]

also wanted to mention that if you are most concerned about saving money then something like a used vibe or matrix will be better than a used Prius. Use pri-iii still go for more than the supposed base price.I started looking at new cars myself because i felt it was worth spending more to get better safety. When it comes to economy cars, the latest generation are doing considerably better on crash tests so i felt it worth the extra money to get a new one.but yeah with the new crop of hybrids just around the corner i will have to figure out what the best choice is. I just wish the hybrids were more fun to drive. I always drive manual and it feels wierd to drive an auto. no fun.

[prathman]

Quote, originally posted by Daox »They usually take about 3-5 years to break even depending on how many miles you put on it, but they definitly do save you money. I've seen a few presentations on this subject. These presentations don't just include gas prices and cost of the vehicle, they also factor in insurance and maintenance. Unfortunately, I don't have any reference sites to go to. If you take the time to do a little math you'll figure it out real quick though, especially since gas is estimated to hit $5 next year.That being said, I'm sure the Matrix will give you mid 30s if driven reasonably (thats what my wife gets in ours), more if you want (I get 40+), and less if you feel you need to be agressive. The Prius can get you 60+ without much work though.Haven't priced cars recently, but when I was looking back in '06 the numbers didn't show a prove-in nearly that quickly. I bought our Vibe for 13K and the best price I could find on a Prius was 8K higher (dealers charging full price and only offering cars with lots of unwanted options).Taking your numbers (40 mpg vs. 60 mpg and $5/gal gas) leads to a prove-in at about 200,000 miles. That's way more than 3 - 5 years of driving for me (more like 15 years). And that's not even including the cost of money effect (the $8K is up front and could be earning money while the gas savings are in future dollars). [Other factors: insurance was the same for both vehicles, maintenance costs have been minimal on the Vibe, and the Vibe can carry a number of items we use that don't fit in the Prius.]

[tx_wrx]

Seriously can people please post their mpg numbers. Does no one drive the 1.8L??? And dont post something stupid like, "i got 300km on a partial tank" that is of course useless but for some reason people keep posting "stats" like that. Im starting to get seriously annoyed with this site and its lack of good and frequent posts. hmmm. I guess not many people own 09 vibes

[kevera]

Quote, originally posted by tx_wrx »also wanted to mention that if you are most concerned about saving money then something like a used vibe or matrix will be better than a used Prius. Use pri-iii still go for more than the supposed base price.I started looking at new cars myself because i felt it was worth spending more to get better safety. When it comes to economy cars, the latest generation are doing considerably better on crash tests so i felt it worth the extra money to get a new one.but yeah with the new crop of hybrids just around the corner i will have to figure out what the best choice is. I just wish the hybrids were more fun to drive. I always drive manual and it feels wierd to drive an auto. no fun.Quote, originally posted by tx_wrx »im kind of considering a new car now only because my current car will require some expensive repairs this year. I dont think that a $25k prius will be a better purchase than a $16k vibe. Sure the prius supposedly has a base of $21500 but i have not seen one below $24k. I feel like the market will normalize itself once there are more hybrids on the market and your 2008 Prius will not hold its value very well considering you are paying a premium now for soon to be outdated tech.Plus i windsurf and the way the seats fold on a Vibe is perfect for transporting that equipment. Looks like you may be guilty of your own complaints.Quote, originally posted by tx_wrx » hmmm. I guess not many people own 09 vibesTru Dat!!Give it time,the new Vibe just came out.

[tx_wrx]

yeup i dont own a vibe but that is why im on this site. Trying to find out what mpg people are getting with their 1.8L manuals (or even autos) But no one that owns one likes to post usable data. bummer

[engineertwin2]

tx_wrx, I wouldn't get too down. There isn't a great deal of traffic to genvibe these days, despite new members joining, only a handful of them become involved. No one has posted any big disappointments with the mileage and no one has complained about significant discrepancies in EPA mileage vs. actual mileage, as they did with the first generation Vibe.That being said, what's your limit? If you heard that people are getting 30 mpg, would that be acceptable? If they said 28 mpg, is that unacceptable? Just trying to feel it out here, what are you looking for?At fueleconomy.gov, one person posted for an '09 1.8L that they were averaging 34.6 mpg for a manual transmission. For the '09 1.8L Matrix (basically, the same car), 4 owners with auto transmissions report an average of 30.6 mpg, and 1 owner with a manual transmission reports an average of 31.2 mpg.

[tx_wrx]

i definately want 30+ I did see those single fueleconomy reports about a month ago so i turned to this site to see if people really were getting 34 mixed with a 1.8L manual if they paid attention while driving. So far not many people have posted anything so i still dont know what they really get. I can safely assume i would get 30 but of the 4 or so reports i have seen it looks like they may do much better than that. The EPA ratings are all messed up now so finding drivers that drive well are the best way to determine real mpgs. So im mainly turning to the community to find data that is not out there. But the community here is not very acrtive. kind of like you said. not a lot of traffic.

[SagWhite]

I have more than 4000 km on my Vibe 2009 manual with 1,8l, and my average is 7,51 l/100 km (31,32 mpg). This is done mostly city driving, country road, a bit of highway. So I think it's very good, better than EPA ratings.

[breakingthebroken23]

allright.. i've ran 6 tanks through my 09 1.8 5 speed. mostly on hilly roads 55-65 mph with very little stopping and 2-3 people in the car. im mostly getting 34 with normal driving, the 32 was really aggresive driving and the 36 was basicly hipermiling it. heres what i have....tank1 34.5tank2 34.1tank3 32.5tank4 36.2tank5 33.1tank6 34.4avg. 34.1not bad considering my old yaris killed my back had no leg room, and only got about 2 more mpg and only costed $20 less a month.. the 09 vibe was a huge step up and i can barely feel the 2 mpg difference at the pump. im still really happy with my decision.. i looked into and test drove a lot of cars looking at comfort, mileage, price, reliability, room and overall ride quality and the vibe was the clear winner by far. i dont think you can go wrong with it unless gm goes under and cant back up its warranty... hope this helps

Attached files

[mydogsowner]

I have been getting over 33 mpg consistently. Last tank was 33.20 to be exact. The car has about 1100 miles on it. I hope it improves as it breaks in more. This is with mostly city driving and going at least 70 mph on the highway. The AC is always on too; not the max setting (usually the 2nd or 3rd setting though).I try to shift into neutral whenever I can and coast for as long as I can. I think it helps the MPG a lot. Sort of a semi-hyper-miler thingy.Hope this helps.

[tx_wrx]

that absolutely helps. Shifting to neutral for a little before hitting the brakes will make a big difference. The more you can do it in stop and go the better. you might have a few people sneak in in front of you but in reality it wont take you more than 1 min more to get where you are going.Also the drag from the AC has to do with the compressor and not the fan speed. Fan takes almost no electricity so turn it up as high as you like. But if you are concerned about AC drag you can occasionally turn off the AC compressor (button in the middle). Also make sure you are recirculating the air.I added to my driving, coasting prior to braking, accelerate slow and shift around 3k rpm, turn off the AC compressor when accelerating, accelerate on downhills when possible and occasionally turn the car off at a long light. That took my commuter driving in my WRX from 20.5 to 26.5 mpg so it does make a difference. Only doing a few of those and im consistently getting almost 25mpg in my city/hwy commute which is pretty good for a car rated at 17/25

[mydogsowner]

Thanks for the extra tips! I will start to use a few of your suggestions. I'm curious now how my MPG will change.

[ccswood]

So far, I have filled up three times in my 09 1.8L MT Vibe. The AC is always on in south GA and I rarely have passengers. While I am an older lady, I don't have grandchildren yet and I don't get honked at for going slowly. I do drive it like I bought it, however, not like I stole it.1st tank, 80% 4 lane highway, 60 mph? 34.6 mpg2nd tank, 100% 4 lane highway, 60-65 mph 37.7 mpg3rd tank, 100% interstate, 70-75 mph 31.8 mpgI don't know quite what to make of the results on the third tank. My sister-in-law told me later that she no longer uses that station since she has noticed a 100 mile range drop when she fills up there. Must not be a Top Tier fuel! I also was running at 3200 rpms at interstate speeds - higher than I normally run. Perhaps the availability of a higher gear would help?

[tx_wrx]

wow 3200 rpm at 75 sounds pretty high but that is probably the only way that little engine can have any acceleration at high speeds. I would expect a big difference between 60 and 75 with most any car. 37mpg is great!

[ccswood]

I'll be filling up before I go out of town this weekend and I'll let you know how it did with good gas and small city/rural suburb driving. I wish that there was an instantaneous fuel economy display to play with like I have on the Astro van. The sweet spot on that is 40-45 mph. Of course, it is a box!!

[GenuineVibe]

Well i dont know the MPG but i do know that i got 600km to my last tank... with a 40ish L re-fill.

[tx_wrx]

gives you about 35mpg. what mix of hwy and city?

[goochsmooch]

I do all my driving in the city. Almost all stop and go, with a little time on the freeways. I really babied the car for 1 tank and squeezed 31 MPG out of it. On the next tank I drove it to have fun, and I rarely shifted before 4 - 5 thousand RPM's. I got 28 MPG on that tank. For that small savings in fuel, I much prefer to just drive it to keep up with all the V8 diesels on the road instead of getting run over by them. No AC was used for either tanks.For the size and adaptability of the vehicle, and the adequate get-up-and-go, I think you'd be hard pressed to find better mileage.

[tx_wrx]

yeah ive been trying to decide between the vibe, xD and xB. Vibe has those great folding seats, and better seat fabrics. xD is a good bit cheaper and weighs less so it has better "'performance" and mileage than the vibe. Plus it has some cooler styling and ipod steering wheel controls. The xB is the same engine as vibe 2.4 but for under $17k Plus it has cool looks (imo) and more space. While i was having trouble deciding i started driving my WRX more conservatively and now im getting 25mpg mixed. So now there is less rush to get something different. Probably going to test drive a fit and may wait to check out the new insight if it will really sell for $18500. of course chances of getting one for that are slim im sure.