2013 Sentra EPA & dashboard readout vs. actual gas mileage

[smithfam7]

EPA rated gas mileage of 30 city, 39 highway, 34 combined, FAR BELOW actual calculated gas mileage. Dashboard readout gas mileage is 3 to 5 MPG lower than actual calculated. Any other 2013 Sentra owners having issues with this?

In an attempt to justify the fuel savings on my new purchase of a 2013 Nissan Sentra (SR), I've been feather-footing this thing in ECO Mode like a senior citizen. Despite long trip highway miles and combined city/highway miles, my Sentra is coming up short. WTF is going on here? By the looks of other 2013 Sentra owners on Fuelly, we've all got the same issue. Comment please on your results, driving habits, and how pissed off you are about not coming close to the 34 MPG "combined" EPA rating.

[Draigflag]

Sounds like a fairly new car, give it time and a few thousand miles, and your economy should improve. Official figures are always way off as they are often tested in a lab. The UK tests, the car doesnt even go above 40 MPH in the tests, so its no wonder some cars get 97 MPG in the tests! As for dash display, over the 50,000 miles ive done, I find the more miles you do, the more accurate it becomes, but it's generaly 2 to 3 MPG's out.

[smithfam7]

Update: 2,185 miles on the vehicle. Last tank: 329.8 miles traveled. Dashboard computer showed at the time of fuel-up: 34.1 mpg, manually calculated actual 31.7. All dashboard stats reset for current fuel-up.

[Draigflag]

Sounds about right to me, as said, the trip MPG computers tend to be 2 to 4 MPG optimistic, they're only there as a guide really. It calculates fuel used over the miles youve done. Trouble is, there's no accurate way of measuring fuel left as it tends to slosh around. Other wise the "range" display would be more accurate too!

[smithfam7]

Again, pretty far below the EPA city/highway/combined gas mileage ratings of 30/39/34. I've only achieved 34 mpg once, mostly highway miles. Looking at the other 2013 Sentras posting on Fuelly; many are achieving even lower average MPG. This situation is seeming more and more like the infamous Hyundai Elantra's 40 mpg highway claim, which resulted in a class action suit and a reduced mpg rating by the EPA. Simply put, I'm a bit disappointed thus far.

[BDC]

You haven't even broken in the engine yet. Based on the fuel logs, my Scion delivered roughly 10% lower mileage during the first 5,000 miles after purchase than the lifetime average, which is pretty typical from other reports. Add 10% and you are at 34mpg which is the same as the EPA combined mileage.

[smithfam7]

[UPDATE] Total mileage at alst fill-up: 5,275. Dash computer mpg indicator reset at every fill-up. Manually calculated mpg is averaging 2.3 mpg less than what the dash computer indicates at fill-up intervals. I wonder how the EPA requires auto makers to test and report? Window sticker claims 30 city, 39 highway, 34 combined. Interesting to say the least.

[BDC]

The EPA doesn't require automakers to report. The OEMs do their own testing and submit it to the EPA with very little oversight.

I would still not be that disappointed at your gas mileage and your still-low odometer. I would say getting within 2mpg of the combined rating is not that bad relative to the current state of things. Just think if you had bought a new Impreza, or Dart, or god forbid a C-max hybrid, and you were falling 6-10mpg short of the EPA combined rating.

This is just one more in a long list of warnings to new car buyers -- DO YOUR RESEARCH before buying. So many new models are not reaching their EPA ratings that everybody should be looking at sites like Fuelly before buying a new car...

[B00ST3D]

This isn't something that is limited to newer models. EPA ratings are usually a bit off, whether up or down. Onboard computers are usually 1-3mpg optimistic. I have calculated the past 6K miles straight on the onboard MPG computer in my BMW. It says I am getting 27.0 overall. Fuelly calculated it at 25.8 overall. Just a little over 1mpg over, which is pretty good if you ask me.