GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Okay, so I finished my first tank of gas and I can't believe the gas mileage that I got. First, my "new to me" Vibe is a 2005 base model with 5-spd manual and 16" alloy wheels. It currently has a bit over 24K miles.Fill up: 480.6 miles / 11.211 gal. = 42.87 mpg. (these are American gallons...not imperial gallons)(EDIT: correction for odometer calibration (see post below regarding Phoenix trip): 490.8 miles / 11.211 gals = 43.78 mpg.)The gas gauge was slightly below the 1/8 tank level (the low fuel light had not come on yet).That's about 20% city, 80% highway commute plus a 60 mile all highway trip.Measurement: I'm a scientist and I'm really (removed) about getting an accurate volume measurement. I always fill the tank at the same station and I use a fill-up technique of filling up till it click-stops, then count to 10 and pump again till it stops again, then count to 10 and pump till it stops one last time. I'm a bit of a hypermiler, but not crazy (I don't draft off trucks or other vehicles, nor do I turn the car off going down hills or at any other time the car is moving). First, I filled my tires to 37 psi all around, and I short-shift (only wind the gears to 2000-2500 rpm) as much as possible and skip-shift (e.g., go from 3rd to 5th, or 2nd to 4th) whenever possible. If the car is going 30 mph or higher, then I'm already in 5th gear (unless I'm going up a hill).Beyond that, I'm in rural NM so we have pure gasoline (no "oxygenation") and I'm at 7000 ft altitude (which means I lose 21% power, but also my effective engine displacement is 21% smaller...1.8L acts like a 1.42L).This is a really cool car!-Timhttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=35217

Awesome! Sounds like you're doing everything right to acheive that high of mileage! Keep it up!

good for you buddyI was excited to see 37mpg on my way back from boston this past weekend. Doing 75-80mph and i have awd...

Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »good for you buddyI was excited to see 37mpg on my way back from boston this past weekend. Doing 75-80mph and i have awd... Nice for an AWD= My highest was 38mpg in my AWD.

Wow, the AWDs get that kind of mileage?! Fantastic! I am very impressed with these cars. Way to go, NUMMI.

Quote, originally posted by 5speed4 »Measurement: I'm a scientist and I'm really (removed) about getting an accurate volume measurement. I'm an engineer, and I find it's practically impossible to judge a consistent fill by the behavior of the pump, so I tend to ignore individual data points, but look at average over time. I am not disputing that you could get those mpgs on a single tank, and with moderate hypermiling you could probably make those numbers typical for you and the car, but I'd think you need to average a half dozen consectutive tanks to minimize the effect of fill level before you can know if this first tank was lucky or typical.

Quote, originally posted by 5speed4 »Beyond that, I'm in rural NM so we have pure gasoline (no "oxygenation") and I'm at 7000 ft altitude (which means I lose 21% power, but also my effective engine displacement is 21% smaller...1.8L acts like a 1.42L).The altitude also helps highway mileage considerably by reducing air resistance. We've seen mileage on trips of just over 40 mpg, but usually have enough stop-and-go driving to bring down the overall average.

If you are really (removed) about the measurement accuracy I would do as joatman stated and take an average of multiple fill-ups. You might also want to and different pump variation in there for a larger group of data points. It would be interesting to see if there is a difference that could be spotted if you charted fill-ups at particular pumps with calculated differences in mpg. It probably isn't a big influence on the final number though.

I fill to the brim.

Quote »I'm an engineer, and I find it's practically impossible to judge a consistent fill by the behavior of the pump, so I tend to ignore individual data points, but look at average over time. I am not disputing that you could get those mpgs on a single tank, and with moderate hypermiling you could probably make those numbers typical for you and the car, but I'd think you need to average a half dozen consectutive tanks to minimize the effect of fill level before you can know if this first tank was lucky or typical.I couldn't agree more. However, with all my other cars, at least, I've found the above-mentioned fill technique to be much more consistant than simply stopping at the first click-stop (as a lot of people do). Quote »The altitude also helps highway mileage considerably by reducing air resistance. We've seen mileage on trips of just over 40 mpg, but usually have enough stop-and-go driving to bring down the overall average.That is correct. I should also mention that the highways around hereare all 55-60 mph rural highways. I'll be going on a 1100-mile round trip on a 75-mph freeway this Thanksgiving. I don't expect I'll get over 40 mpg on that trip.

Nice mileage.I'm also a hypermiler. I don't use engine off much on the Matrix or draft, but I do use pulse and glide. I've hit mid to upper 40s quite a few times and average around 40 when me and the wife drive. My goal is 50 and if I didn't have to take the interstate on my last long trip I would have had it. Good luck with the Matrix, its a great car.

Congrats on your numbers. They are very believable for a 2005 5-speed Vibe.I achieved 41.3 mpg with my 2003 base automatic in 2004 while following a high profile church van back during 300 miles of sustained steady-speed interstate driving in the hills of Tennessee and Kentucky. Your '05 has the smoother nose, and probably no crossbars on the roof rack, for somewhat less drag than my '03.Like other 16-valve engines I've known and loved (88 Saab 900 SPG with the 2.0L Turbo), the first generation base 1.8L gets relatively thirsty when you get the RPM's above 3000.Keeping the throttle in a steady state (via cruise control) and staying off the brakes has a lot to do with getting good mileage, as do properly inflated tires. Somewhere (maybe GenVibe - I Searched, but can't find it now) I read a discussion about 'granny-throttle' vs. accelerating quickly to max speed, and the theory was that accelerating quickly was actually more fuel-efficient!

I wish I could say the same thing with my 09 2.4L auto vibe... i am not getting some bad number right now... but i had been warming my car a bit due to cold weather....

Thanks Doax, I feel like I should be able to get better since it was my first time with a new clutch (and it's a much different feel than my 2003 Grand Am clutch). For now, I'll just be happy if I can repeat 42-43 on the next tank. kostby, You're right about the lack of cross-bars on my roof rack. I also have no front license plate mounting bracket (front plate not required nor offered in NM).

On the other hand, with the 2.4L, you're able to have a lot more thrills during your ride than I ever will. Your mileage should improve as the drivetrain breaks in too. I know my wife's Chevy Impala LS gets 34 mpg (highway) once it got about 20K miles on it, but when it was new we were lucky to get 30. (We've been making the same trip to Phoenix twice a year, and same time of year each time, for about 6-7 years now so it's a fairly good gauge).

Thought I'd jump in. I can see where trying to top off the same every time would help. I check every tank but I use all different stations. And I just let it click off the first time so my mpg. varies by 4 I get from 27 to 31 with my 04 base auto. I accellerate too fast i'm sure. Usually pull it to 6k rpm a few times a week. 4500 to 5k rpm is pretty normal for me. I hope this rig holds up to this Once I'm to speed I set the cruise. I don't pass much/ unless they are going really slow. I also shut it off at long lights. Dave

I don't see this as unusual for your model. For me, 04 Base Auto with cross-bars on roof-rack, 37-40 MPG is normal for all highway driving. Interestingly, my best tank was 42 while driving in the mountains via interstate. My daily commute with mixed highway-city averages 30-32. No doubt about it, the Vibe is a fun, useful, reliable, economical car to drive.

Dave,Wow, 6k rpm would freak me out. I don't think my Vibe has seen over 3k rpm since I bought it. My other car is a '96 Chevy Caprice with 5.7L LT1 V8 (280 hp, 340 lb-ft tq with a few tweaks I've done), so that's my thrill ride.

Yea I probably shouldn't but it seems to rev to 6 pretty quick. I guess I should read one of the blown motor threads....

2nd tank. Again about 80% highway, 20% city.508.8 miles / 11.778 gallons = 43.20 mpg. EDIT: Corrected 519.6 miles / 11.778 gals = 44.12 mpg.I'm pretty psyched! To think I was just hoping it would match my '03 Grand Am 5-spd (got 37-38 mpg consistently, but could never top 40).The low-fuel light had come on at about 490 miles. It wasn't convenient to stop at the time, so I pushed it a bit. Since it's a 13.2 gallon tank, I still had ~1.4 gallons. 3rd tank: Topped off before a big trip to get a good measurement.139.0 miles / 3.428 gals = 40.55 mpg. ( NOTE: corrected for trip-odometer calibration see note below)

Just got back from a round-trip to Phoenix, AZ for the holiday. Had the whole famn damily (me, wife and two kids 5 and 7) and every nook and cranny filled with cargo. Had the cruise set on 73 mph the whole way (no A/C necessary).1199.3 miles / 30.216 gals = 39.69 mpg. Truly amazing.By the way, my odometer calibration is slightly slow. I measured usingthe mile markers on two occasions and both times it worked out that 48.0 miles (by mile marker measure) registers 47.0 miles on my trip odometer. So, if I want an accurate measure of distance, I have to multiply my trip-odom measurement by 48/47. The miles above already have that correction.

That is unbelievable. My 2004 with the 4-speed automatic got some good numbers, but not that good. I tracked my gas usage with an on-line gas price web site. I entered every tank and mileage. The best mileage is in the fall and spring, when the a/c is off but the weather isn't too cold. Spring is a little better than fall because the summer gasoline kicks in early enough. Here was my typical mileage over 5 years (rounded down):Winter: Highway = 33, Non-Highway = 27Spring/Fall: Highway=34 Non-Highway = 29Summer: Highway=32 Non-Highway = 26

Here I go reviving another old thread I average 27 mpg. with my 04 Auto. I am getting ready to remove my crossbars and up the tire pressure a bit. I run 35 up front and they wear good but I only run 32 in back and they still don't really touch the outside 1/4 inch. I may try 35 in back and maybe 38 in front and see. I have had this car right at 2 yrs. and 40,000 miles and if I am doing my math right I have spent a little over 4000 dollars on fuel. The Trailblazer that it replaced at 18 mpg. would have cost me about 6000 dollars in fuel. I still can't believe the numbers. Did I mention I am getting ready to move closer to town