GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I just got the Vibe and I am confused by my mileage and the gas meter. Just wondering about others observations.On the Vibe the tank is 13 gallons, and I should expect to get around 30 per for commute driving. Right now I have gone 200 since the fillup and the guage is just below the last notch next to the bottom (not empty the one above that). Either the guage is inaccurate or the mileage claim is false.Previously I had a V6 3.1 liter Malibu. This car claimed 22 per gallon for commutte driving. Yet I could go around 300 miles per tank no problem ?Any input would be appreciated.T

Well I certainly won't claim to be mechanically inclined but.... my understanding is that you usually get terrible gas mileage on a new engine until it's broken in. I don't have the figures here for my Vibe but I'm pretty sure my mileage is now significantly better than it was for the first few thousand km's (I have about 36,000km now). I'd say wait a month or two then see where you are at before getting too concerned.

There's a thread here somewhere about the accuracy of the gas gauge. I know that mine will sit a full for a long time and then drop faster than I like to see, but overall I've been getting decent mileage. I would prefer that the gas gauge was accurate, but I'm ok with the way it works.Depending on the gas pump, sometimes I can squeeze in an extra gallon after the pump shuts off. Keep track of your mileage and the amount of gas it takes, and average it over a couple of tanks, that will reduce any error from varation in how full is full. What version of Vibe do you have? I bought a base 5 speed for the mpg, and I'd be upset if it was consistently getting mileage like your numbers,3/4 tank is about 10 gallons, 200 miles, 20 mpg.

A gas gauge is exactly that: a gauge. It isn't designed to be accurate -- just an idea of how much you have left. It's also designed to register empty when you still have 1-2 gallons left in the tank...Also, as previously mentioned, you need to give the engine time to break in...I got, if I was lucky, 20 mpg when I first got it, driving normally...now, driving very hard, I rarely get under 28...

quote:I just got the Vibe and I am confused by my mileage and the gas meter. Just wondering about others observations.It isn't quite an exact science... Best way to find out is to run it over 200 miles, fill up, and calculate... Mileage may be a little poor for a while, as others have noted. I've seen as low as 19 last winter and a high of 35 so far. The only consistent thing I can say about the gauge is my low fuel light usually comes on around 300 miles. Other than that, it's difficult to judge where the gauge should be for any certain amount of mileage... The gauge is just a general representation, it is pessimistic by default, and rightly so. Keeps folks from running out of gas.quote:Previously I had a V6 3.1 liter Malibu. This car claimed 22 per gallon for commutte driving. Yet I could go around 300 miles per tank no problem ?I had one as well... Honestly, my base/auto Vibe doesn't do that much better than my V6 Malibu did for my normal commute - I'm at 29 right now with the Vibe, where the Malibu was consistently around 26 for the same drive. Out on the highway, I'll usually get 33 or so from the Vibe. Not bad. The Malibu saw numbers close to that on the highway every now and then, but for the most part I got about 30 out of it.Also, the Malibu's fuel tank is 15 gallons... Usually lasted me around 300 miles as well. The Vibe's better mileage and smaller tank still has me running low at 300 miles.

Hi, I am from Canada and I am not familiar with galons... But my Vibe is great on gas, its only 3600km, I havn't spoiled it either, with full tank of gas (50liters) lasts me about 650km +.... I don't know but I do drive slow (90-100km/h) using my cruise control, I guess I do save gas that way too... Take it easy on the gass padel if you want to save up gas..

The Vibe doesn't have a low wind resistance ratio. That means it has to work harder to travel at highway speeds than a lower, smoother car. If you want the best possible mileage, I hope you have a base 5-speed and drive it like you've got a sleeping baby in the back. I have a base auto, and drive like I'm trying to wake up a dead man in the back. The best I've been getting is 26.4 mpg. And that's in town when I've been driving carefully and peacefully.KSNeptune

Here's my take on the gauge... I tend to run about 3 gallons to each quarter so I can rough estimate how my mileage is doing. the odd thing is that as I've driven more, I've noticed less than 3 gallons on the first quarter then this week I took a trip to Ohio, filled up at a gas station and found that once the gas clicked off, I pulled the nozzel out about half way and proceeded to fill almost another 2 gallons with no over-fill. So now I'm completely lost as it pertains to estimating.I did however, on the way home, go to the same station and the same pump, had the same situation and calculated a 33.52 mpg with 7 gallons of gas at just above the half-way mark (had somewhere around 230-235 miles at that point. previously, I was lucky to have 180 or so)So, to state the obvious, the miles you get to a certain quarter mark really depends on how much you top off and when the gas tank nozzle actually shuts off if you don't. As a rule, I've always heard, go to the same pump for both fill-ups when checking these things and don't top-off. I top off usually only to the next 1/2 gallon up so I know my mpg won't be all that accurate.DaveP.S. I know this really doesn't solve your dilemma but at least you have another view point on it.