Intro-Newbie

[7smom]

Hi! I've enjoyed reading the boards, thought I'd introduce myself. I'm a 29-y.o. married, mom of 1, student, office mgr. I had to replace a car because my husband totaled his K5 Blazer in December. We decided he would drive the big truck, and I would get something practical. I was not looking forward to a car payment AT ALL. I just don't care that much about cars. I do like station wagons, though.So, fast forward to me in a Pontiac dealership, driving a used Vibe. I actually found a car to get excited about, and that was actually a good deal! I bought a spotless 2003 Satellite (two-tone) automatic Base w/power d/w (no sunroof, though) with 17,000 miles for US $13,100 out the door. Everyday I drive it, I love this car more. It's really fun to drive, especially after driving an SUV or truck for the last 7 years. My husband loves it, too and the kid thinks it's cool. I have a question, though. I've only gotten 26-27 mpg off my last two tanks, and I expected better. My driving is 70% city/20% highway/10% sidewalk . Is there anything I can do to increase, or do you all think this is a problem? I know it was used, but it doesn't seem to have been abused.Sorry for the long 1st post. I really enjoy your pictures, you all have some beautiful cars.

[damronjr]

Quote, originally posted by 7smom »I have a question, though. I've only gotten 26-27 mpg off my last two tanks, and I expected better. My driving is 70% city/20% highway/10% sidewalk . Is there anything I can do to increase, or do you all think this is a problem? I know it was used, but it doesn't seem to have been abused.You should feel lucky! I tend to get 16-19mpg on average and most of my driving is freeway! I just have an extremely heavy foot and don't tend to let off the gas pedal much! I wish I got your mileage! Congrats on your buy and welcome to the forum! Lot's of info to be found here.

[BlueCrush]

Welcome to GenVibe! 26-27 MPG for mostly city driving does sound about right. You could try a K&N drop in filter. You may get a 1-2 MPG increase. You could try installing a ground wire set which will reduce the resistance of all the electronic systems in your vehicle and help everything to run more efficently and could gain you another 1-2 MPG.Congrats on the Vibe and enjoy the ride!

[goodvibe]

In city driving with an auto, there aren't many things that will help. The filter included. If it actually let in more air(which it wouldn't except maybe at full throttle) the ECU would add fuel to match and give worse mileage. At full throttle it's possible it could run leaner because the ECU is in open loop but that sort of driving certainly won't help. If the car is running correctly anything that increase power should hurt mileage other than ecu tuning or reducing friction. GM also doesn't warraty MAS sensors when you use oiled filters. Gause filters also don't filter as well.

[ToolGuy]

Welcome! Keep your oil changed and clean and your tires aired up to specs, all of those will insure MPG do not drop.

[kostby]

Welcome to the Encyclopedia of Vibe!In regard to gas mileage, you're not doing bad for your driving mix. It's gotta be that SIDEWALK driving! Those pesky pedestrians get stuck in the twin grilles and ruin the aerodynamic characteristics of the car when you finally get to the highway. Plus you probably have to run the radio louder so you don't hear the screaming, and that uses a bit more electrical energy... LOLI'll suggest a few things that you might not have considered...1. Tire Pressure - It's a trade-off between ride comfort and gas mileage, but if your tire pressure is kept near the maximum rating, you might get a bit more MPG.2. Extended Idling - (e.g. 'warming the car', waiting for the kid(s) to come out of school). Since you're in Texas, I'll assume that you are not doing much of the first one anyway.3. Keeping your foot out of the throttle! It's VERY hard, with the 'sporty growl' of the VVTi engine when you get into the throttle. The MPG may change (increase OR decrease) over the first 30 days or so as the engine computer 'learns' your driving habits. If you want to speed up that 'learning' process, you can disconnect the battery cable for a time, so everything is reset. I'd suggest you use SEARCH for other posts about 'miles per gallon' and 'MPG'. It's a frequent topic here!

[AKLGT]

i have a gt and get 22 mpg in winter and 26/27 in summer. 60% city driving soon to be 80%, so it'll drop. your city driving is killing your fuel economy.

[Mr. Poopypants]

Welcome! Glad to hear you like the Vibe so much. 26-27 MPG is pretty good by what we have seen around here, that is about what I get. Hope you find all the useful info you need.

[jake75]

With what I hear about Calif sales tax. license and dealer doc fees $13,100 out the door is really good.On a couple of long trips (1300 RT) driving 65-70 I got 31.4 and 31.9 mpg. Normal driving for me is probably 50% city and in 2004 I got 25.9 mpg overall. Hard to tell what is city and hwy because a lot of city driving is on the local freeways.

[kep427]

Welcome aboard. Glad you really enjoy your car; I still love mine after one year and expect to continue. You have learned what many here have already learned. The EPA mileage estimates are off. I've since found out from Consumer's Union that the EPA testing usually exaggerates the actual mileage by 10-20%. There's a bunch of p-o'd Prius owners out there right now looking for that advertised 45+ mpg.Vibes are rated 29-34 mpg (at least the base '04s are). Subtract 10-20% and you are on target.......

[7smom]

Thanks, y'all, for the warm welcome! I guess I was expecting too much from the EPA estimates. Oh well, can't complain, it's still double what I had before. Plus, we all get out of the gas station cheaper and faster, right?I'll have to check those tires tomorrow, just discovered my gauge is broken. Just waiting for it to stop raining long enough to wash the darn thing. This board is a great source of info - y'all know your stuff.

[Triton]

Welcome to GenVibe! You are doing pretty good in the mpg area. For the most part, I drive about 90-95% city in my GT and get around 25 mpg. I haven't dropped too much this winter, averaging about 24 mpg.Another thing that may save you some mpg is staying off of those sidewalks. Enjoy the site!

[zionzr2]

Welcome to VibedomYour mileage seems to be right on par with me and most others...