Gas Mileage

[inland]

What kind of gas mileage are you guys getting with your cars ? I have a 2006 Malibu LT with a 4 cylinder. I just got it this month and checked to see how how much better this car is compared to my 1998 Malibu with a 4 cylinder. To my surprise,the '98 was better. The '98 got between 24-27 mpg. The '06 is getting 21.9 mpg. I thought the newer car would be better. Guess I was wrong.

[JQuick5156]

My car is an 07 SS it has the 3.9 v6

Your number sounds low....idk lol I get between 21 and 26 highway depending on how close I stay to 65...and between 17 and 19 city...also depending on how I feel like driving lol

[MalibuKen]

Originally Posted by inland

The '06 is getting 21.9 mpg.

That sounds really low to me.
Tell us more:
Where did you get it ?
Do you know who the previous owner is ?
What kind of a mix of driving do you do.......city/highway ?
Is that figure from the DIC display or from actual tank fill calculations ?
How many tankfulls ?

[Unfettered]

I have an '06 Maxx with the 3.5 v6 that gets about 27 with my wife driving it (rarely above 60mph) and when we took it on a long distance trip last fall got right at 32 keeping it at the posetd speed limits (75mph is what Kansas allows). That was calulated, the DIC said it was higher, but it has always shown higher. Sounds like either something isn't right with your car, or your driving habits aren't condusive to fuel efficiency.

Like MalibuKen said, what's the story on the car....that will help us help you figure out what's up.

Although, it's been a few years, I had a GM vehicle that got better mileage with a V6 than the same vehicle with a 4 cylinder, comparably equipped and doing the same job.

[Malo83]

When I made a 1200 mile round trip to Tucson,AZ from my home in cent Cal this what I averaged on the highway, depending on the area it went just a touch above and lower, 08 LTZ with the 3.6


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[Fr3AkAzOiD]

'05 LS 3.5 V6 with around 150k miles.

I average 36mpg and if I'm pushing it I can squeeze 40 mpg out of it.
Now those are the displayed DIC numbers and real mpg is probably 1 or 2 lower.

Inland you may want to get your car checked out, a bad O2 sensor, low air pressure in your tires or the wheels being out of alignment can hurt your mpg pretty bad.

[Drunken Elvis]

06 LS I4. At steady indicated 60 mph in ideal conditions, I can drive for hours and the DIC says 44 mpg.

[CMal11]

Remember, your MPG is all in the way you drive, where you live, your load and if it's city or highway driving. For example, someone with a lead foot could be driving up a mountain with a kayak on the roof to get to work in the city everyday

[inland]

Originally Posted by MalibuKen

That sounds really low to me.
Tell us more:
Where did you get it ?
Do you know who the previous owner is ?
What kind of a mix of driving do you do.......city/highway ?
Is that figure from the DIC display or from actual tank fill calculations ?
How many tankfulls ?

I bought the car locally from a guy I didn't know.

I live in a rural area and have been driving about 25 miles per day round trip to work plus a little bit of stop and go driving mixed in.

The figures I gave are from actual tank fill calculations. I filled the tank, drove it until the low fuel light came on, then filled it back up. Then I did the math. Miles traveled / gallons used.

I only checked it with one tank full. Since I'm not driving too far this week, I haven't check it a second time yet.

Also, the DIC says I'm getting about 24 mpg. And the car has 98,000 miles on it and runs fine.

[MalibuKen]

Originally Posted by inland

I live in a rural area and have been driving about 25 miles per day round trip to work

I only checked it with one tank full.

One tank isn't enough but since it's close to what the DIC said, it is probably about right.

What kind of conditions are those 25 miles ?
Freeway at 80+.......or two lanes at 55.
It makes a BIG difference.
Even if it's 55-60 MPH, a lot of stops along the way will sap the mileage too.

If you reset it and then drive to work.....or to home, what does the DIC indicate for that 25 miles ??

If you can't get better than 25 while cruising at 55-60, then I'd say something is definitely amiss. On flat land, at ~60 mine says 38-40. Goes down rapidly from there as the speed increases but to get it down to 22, I think I would have to be around 90 MPH.......or fighting a 40 MPH headwind......or going up a mountain.

I have seen a DIC reading about 24 or 25 when the wife has been driving it around town for a week or so.