Winter MPG

Crusader · 04-16-2015, 03:53 PM

I expect a slight dip in mileage when the weather turns cold. Denser air, longer warmup with a richer mixture, longer to fire up the cats; but this year has been exceptional. Normally, summer MPG is 29.5 or so, winter 28. This year, not much colder than last year in the deep south, it dropped to 26.5. More ethanol in the mix (local shell now claims ethanol even in V-Power), a loss of tune (just turned 40K), or normal engine operation? My driving hasn't changed in either style or conditions. 2011 N52.

rookieoftheyr90 · 04-17-2015, 08:34 AM

29.5 mpg seems awfully high...even 26.5.

I live in CT and w/ xdrive , n51 average 20 mpg. mostly city driving mon-fri and highway almost exclusively on weekends.

what engine is this? even for a rwd car, 29.5 seems pretty high

Volasko · 04-17-2015, 08:49 AM

29.5 mpg seems possible if you do alot of HWY miles and you are soft on the pedal. I assume he also is reading the computer average which tends to read high.

bNks334 · 04-17-2015, 08:53 AM

I am guessing OP is referencing MPG at a steady speed of 60 MPH. No way you can avg that kind of mileage unless you drive pure highway mileage and never stop. Driving around town I avg something like 16-18mpg. Yes I can pull 29 mpg on an perfectly flat, straight, low elevation highway, but stop and go traffic drags my overall avg down to 18-20, realistically.

I actually think your car is more fuel efficient in the winter. Colder air is denser and allows for a more optimal burn and power production from your fuel. Longer warm-up times would easily negate that effect though. If you were getting 29+ mpg before, it wouldn't take much at all to drop that to 26 seeing as how 29 was impossibly high to begin with. Maybe you're cruising slightly faster now? I notice the difference in MPG when cruising at 55 MPH is negligible compared to any speed up to 75 MPH. Anything over 75MPH and my MPG starts to drop off noticeably. Ill take 26mpg at 75mph over 28mpg at 55mph and getting run off the road.

hassmaschine · 04-17-2015, 10:16 AM

Funny our cars get better economy at 80 vs 55..

16-18sounds awful, that has to be all city. You kinda have to assume he's doing mostly highway which is definitely realistic.

Eddien123 · 04-18-2015, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Funny our cars get better economy at 80 vs 55..

16-18sounds awful, that has to be all city. You kinda have to assume he's doing mostly highway which is definitely realistic.

Our cars will get about 35+ at 55. Going 80 I see 31-32.

DaanBMW · 04-21-2015, 12:16 AM

hmm... interesting..., i've been pondering my recent (since it actually got warmer !) dip in mileage. about 1 mpg on avg.

new formulations for gasoline ?

Kgolf31 · 04-21-2015, 06:21 AM

Winter vs Summer blend for gas if you guys get that down south.

DaanBMW · 04-21-2015, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kgolf31

Winter vs Summer blend for gas if you guys get that down south.

Yeah, but that happens every year in the springtime. Had car fo 4 yrs now. This time I got hit, never before...

chris82 · 04-21-2015, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Volasko

29.5 mpg seems possible if you do alot of HWY miles and you are soft on the pedal. I assume he also is reading the computer average which tends to read high.

That would seem high for a 328i, but when I used to do some 3 hr highway trips up from Central to Northeast Pennsylvania, I would consistently average 28-29.5 mpg and I could verify each time based on my own calculations. Usually I would stop once for gas/food/bathroom and I would do a few hard accelerations on the on-ramps and such. My car is lighter but it's also at 260hp tuned, so it's definitely not impossible to see that mileage with a 328i imo. However, on my commute to work now which is 18 miles highway and 5 miles city, I am getting only 22-24 mpg. I don't think I've ever dropped below 20 though. In winter and on winter tires I was getting 21-22 consistently on the same commute.

hassmaschine · 04-21-2015, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddien123

Our cars will get about 35+ at 55. Going 80 I see 31-32.

automatic?

Eddien123 · 04-21-2015, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddien123

Our cars will get about 35+ at 55. Going 80 I see 31-32.

automatic?

Yes

Crusader · 04-25-2015, 11:00 AM

Car is a N52 6sp, no mods except Euro intake. My commute is 11 miles of largely country roads, a few stop signs. Speeds vary from 60 to 35. The MPG is done the old-fashioned way dividing miles driven by the gallons pumped (there's an app for that). Yes, the computer is way optimistic (though you can tweak it by changing its base parameter). Best mileage ever was in Wyoming (altitude!) and 36 MPG to, from, and in Yellowstone. Automatics typically do better at speed because of taller gearing. I wonder what impact winter vs summer formulations for gas have? I also suspect the almost unavoidable E10 has an impact, there's roughly 3% less energy per gallon ... that's about 1 MPG lower in our cars.

04-16-2015, 03:53 PM	#1
Crusader Private First Class 15 Rep 157 Posts Drives: E92 M-sport Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southeast iTrader: (0)	Winter MPG I expect a slight dip in mileage when the weather turns cold. Denser air, longer warmup with a richer mixture, longer to fire up the cats; but this year has been exceptional. Normally, summer MPG is 29.5 or so, winter 28. This year, not much colder than last year in the deep south, it dropped to 26.5. More ethanol in the mix (local shell now claims ethanol even in V-Power), a loss of tune (just turned 40K), or normal engine operation? My driving hasn't changed in either style or conditions. 2011 N52.
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04-17-2015, 08:34 AM	#2
rookieoftheyr90 Private 13 Rep 68 Posts Drives: 328i xDrive LCI Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Norwalk, CT iTrader: (0)	29.5 mpg seems awfully high...even 26.5. I live in CT and w/ xdrive , n51 average 20 mpg. mostly city driving mon-fri and highway almost exclusively on weekends. what engine is this? even for a rwd car, 29.5 seems pretty high
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04-17-2015, 08:49 AM	#3
Volasko Colonel 714 Rep 2,607 Posts Drives: 06 330i E90, 18 530xe G30 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Toronto iTrader: (2) Garage List 2018 BMW 530e M Sport [9.00] 2006 BMW E90 330i [8.28]	29.5 mpg seems possible if you do alot of HWY miles and you are soft on the pedal. I assume he also is reading the computer average which tends to read high.
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04-17-2015, 08:53 AM	#4
bNks334 Major 427 Rep 957 Posts Drives: '11 135i (N55) Join Date: May 2014 Location: New York iTrader: (1)	I am guessing OP is referencing MPG at a steady speed of 60 MPH. No way you can avg that kind of mileage unless you drive pure highway mileage and never stop. Driving around town I avg something like 16-18mpg. Yes I can pull 29 mpg on an perfectly flat, straight, low elevation highway, but stop and go traffic drags my overall avg down to 18-20, realistically. I actually think your car is more fuel efficient in the winter. Colder air is denser and allows for a more optimal burn and power production from your fuel. Longer warm-up times would easily negate that effect though. If you were getting 29+ mpg before, it wouldn't take much at all to drop that to 26 seeing as how 29 was impossibly high to begin with. Maybe you're cruising slightly faster now? I notice the difference in MPG when cruising at 55 MPH is negligible compared to any speed up to 75 MPH. Anything over 75MPH and my MPG starts to drop off noticeably. Ill take 26mpg at 75mph over 28mpg at 55mph and getting run off the road. Last edited by bNks334; 04-17-2015 at 09:02 AM..
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04-17-2015, 10:16 AM	#5
hassmaschine Major General 3975 Rep 7,215 Posts Drives: "NBO" 330i Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: earth iTrader: (0)	Funny our cars get better economy at 80 vs 55.. 16-18sounds awful, that has to be all city. You kinda have to assume he's doing mostly highway which is definitely realistic.
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04-21-2015, 12:16 AM	#7
DaanBMW Captain 84 Rep 777 Posts Drives: 2007 328i coupe Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Portland, OR iTrader: (1)	hmm... interesting..., i've been pondering my recent (since it actually got warmer !) dip in mileage. about 1 mpg on avg. new formulations for gasoline ? __________________ 328i Sports Pkg, Michelin PSS on Staggered 18" OZ Ultraleggeras . BMS Powerbox. Cyba scoops + Rev motoring intake hose + charcoal delete. Wavetrac LSD . M3: subframe bushings + sways + control arms (fr & rr). Meyle rear toe arms. M3 diff fr bushings . BMW Perf: v2 springs + v1 dampers. Valeo SMFW+clutch. 034 MotorSport engine mounts . Short Shifter + Turner PU bearing + ZHP M weighted shift knob. CDV delete
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04-21-2015, 06:21 AM	#8
Kgolf31 Brigadier General 461 Rep 4,531 Posts Drives: 2007 Z4MC, 2012 128i Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Ohio iTrader: (4)	Winter vs Summer blend for gas if you guys get that down south.
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04-25-2015, 11:00 AM	#13
Crusader Private First Class 15 Rep 157 Posts Drives: E92 M-sport Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Southeast iTrader: (0)	Car is a N52 6sp, no mods except Euro intake. My commute is 11 miles of largely country roads, a few stop signs. Speeds vary from 60 to 35. The MPG is done the old-fashioned way dividing miles driven by the gallons pumped (there's an app for that). Yes, the computer is way optimistic (though you can tweak it by changing its base parameter). Best mileage ever was in Wyoming (altitude!) and 36 MPG to, from, and in Yellowstone. Automatics typically do better at speed because of taller gearing. I wonder what impact winter vs summer formulations for gas have? I also suspect the almost unavoidable E10 has an impact, there's roughly 3% less energy per gallon ... that's about 1 MPG lower in our cars.
	Appreciate 0 Quote