VX on craigslist: Is 60 mpg an unrealistic MPG claim?

[monroe74]

I just took a close look at the garage. There are 25 VXs (I excluded any car with major mods, like radical aero mods, or a non-VX engine). The highest reported avg mpg is 59. The lowest reported avg mpg is 36. 11 of these owners report avg mpg between 43-46. The median of this data series is 45 mpg.

(I used the 90-day average, except in a few cases when that was unavailable, for some reason. Then I used the lifetime average.)

This is a crude analysis, for various reasons. For example, some owners have only reported one or two tanks. Yet this analysis gives them as much weight as owners who reported many tanks. Just something to keep in mind. But the analysis seems to indicate that 45 mpg is a very typical result. And it's a result from 25 owners, covering thousands of miles, in aggregate, so that seems like a pretty solid sample.

[monroe74]

Just for fun, I did the same analysis at cleanmpg, looking at the average mpg reported for the Prius (136 cars). The median in that data series is about 48 mpg. So it's probably fair to make the following generalization: a Prius typically does about 3 mpg better than the VX.

The highest reported avg was 76. The lowest was 35.

[mrmad]

I think the answer is more are you capable of getting 60mpg out of the car. There's enough members here getting around 60mpg to prove the car is capable of doing it, but at lower speeds with alot of highway miles.

I read on here that most people expect a CRX HF to get near 50mpg, and I imagine my car might be capable of it, but I'm averaging aroung 42-43. This is averaging 75-80 mph on my 40 mile commute and no hypermiling, so I can't blame the car, I can only blame myself.

[monroe74]

OK, I might as well take this a little further.

The EPA rating for the VX (federal) is 39/50/43. That's the new, adjusted (2008) rating. (The old rating was 47/56/51.)

The EPA rating for the Prius is 48/45/46.

If we look at the combined figure (43 vs 46) we see a 3 mpg advantage for the Prius. Exact same advantage I found when I looked at the two garages! And the EPA result for each car is only 2 mpg away from the garage result for each car. So maybe the new EPA test is pretty realistic.

[monroe74]

"This is averaging 75-80 mph"

On a couple of tanks when I was doing 85-90 mph, my VX mpg dropped to about 37. But it's nice to know I can go fast and still get better mileage than virtually everyone I'm passing.

[mrmad]

Originally Posted by monroe74

"This is averaging 75-80 mph"

On a couple of tanks when I was doing 85-90 mph, my VX mpg dropped to about 37. But it's nice to know I can go fast and still get better mileage than virtually everyone I'm passing.

Yes I'm guilty of driving too fast. Though my HF is no rocket, I'm also not babying it between stoplights. I tried for the first several months I owned the thing to drive alot slower, but I guess it just isn't in me. If gas gets alot more expensive, I may change my mind though.

[monroe74]

Years ago I used to be much more of a speeder (and I have a stack of tickets to prove it). But I eventually got tired of paying the tickets, and the insurance surcharges. Even with a good radar detector, I would still get caught too often. So lately it's very rare that I would be more than 10 over the limit. Usually my maximum is 5 over the limit.

Those times I did 85-90 mph, I was out West, where the limit was 75. And it was ideal conditions: perfect weather, zero traffic. I could see for miles.

[smccall]

Definitely 45-50mpg is good for our VXs and is consistent with normal driving. You can achieve number as high as 60+mpg, but you'd have to be on the highway most of the time and only go 55-60mph. This in it self is not too realistic, at least for me in Atlanta. I'd get run over by Billy in his F350 dually or a tractor trailer if I only did 55mph. I usually drive between 70-80 mph and get mid to high 40smpg.

[GasSavers_Ryland]

He says what "you can get with a VX" not anything at all about what that car does get, or has gotten, if someone made a claim like that I would want to see their note book of fill ups and miles driven, otherwise it's just a civic VX, just like if someone on here who was getting 60mpg was selling there car they would supply proof to back up their claim and at that point only would it become a selling point.

[smccall]

Originally Posted by Ryland

He says what "you can get with a VX" not anything at all about what that car does get, or has gotten, if someone made a claim like that I would want to see their note book of fill ups and miles driven, otherwise it's just a civic VX, just like if someone on here who was getting 60mpg was selling there car they would supply proof to back up their claim and at that point only would it become a selling point.

True