My calculated MPGs

[LucWerkz]

So after reading a bunch of threads of people asking about everyones average mpg I decided to compile some data I collected over a two month span. I know a lot of people who fill up their cars with grade 91 to save a couple cents at the pump so I filled up my car with 91 first and then 93. I've found that I got better gas mileage using 93 and the car feels a little more aggressive. I personally don't think its worth using 91 after reviewing the data I collected, I was only saving about 25-30 cents every fill up. I used only Sunoco to prevent any conflicts. I plan to do Shell next because I'm not trying to promote Sunoco and I want to see if there are any differences.

2008 E92 M3:
These are all the things that I could think of that would contribute to a cars MPG.
M-DCT: D-3
19in style 220m wheels
Michelin Supersports
EDC: Comfort
Power: Normal
I used M Mode once during the two month span but left the average consumption out of the list (I averaged 10.2 MPG...)
No performance mods, only cosmetic.
No excessive weight stored in the car either, just my fat girlfriend from time to time.

15.42 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
15.23 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
13.91 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 70% City/ 30% Highway
16.00 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 45% City/ 55% Highway
15.29 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 45% City/ 55% Highway
17.81 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 30% City/ 70% Highway
16.62 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
16.35 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
17.30 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 25% City/ 75% Highway

I drove the car normally during the two month span making sure it doesn't rev higher than 3500RPM. I also didn't drive on roads I don't typically drive on. Just my usual route of: house to work, work to house, house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club.

[pbonsalb]

Sure would not be much fun to drive one of these cars for two months with the rpm below 3500 rpm. I hope there are a few tanks of gas burned up with 8400 rpm use that you are not telling us about.

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

Sure would not be much fun to drive one of these cars for two months with the rpm below 3500 rpm. I hope there are a few tanks of gas burned up with 8400 rpm use that you are not telling us about.

Maybe... But I try to slow it down nowadays ever since my reckless driving charge last November.

[smckenna]

I sure hope your girlfriend isn't an M3Post forum member!

[pbonsalb]

These cars definitely do not get anything close to good MPG, but they probably would not be nearly as much fun if they did. I have averaged 17.6 mpg in the 5k+ miles since I last reset the onboard calculator. I don't drive to conserve fuel, but I also do not drive in a big city. I know of one person who has a 25k mile average of 19.4 but he drives mostly highway.

[tico1028]

Originally Posted by lthai

So after reading a bunch of threads of people asking about everyones average mpg I decided to compile some data I collected over a two month span. I know a lot of people who fill up their cars with grade 91 to save a couple cents at the pump so I filled up my car with 91 first and then 93. I've found that I got better gas mileage using 93 and the car feels a little more aggressive. I personally don't think its worth using 91 after reviewing the data I collected, I was only saving about 25-30 cents every fill up. I used only Sunoco to prevent any conflicts. I plan to do Shell next because I'm not trying to promote Sunoco and I want to see if there are any differences.

2008 E92 M3:
These are all the things that I could think of that would contribute to a cars MPG.
M-DCT: D-3
19in style 220m wheels
Michelin Supersports
EDC: Comfort
Power: Normal
I used M Mode once during the two month span but left the average consumption out of the list (I averaged 10.2 MPG...)
No performance mods, only cosmetic.
No excessive weight stored in the car either, just my fat girlfriend from time to time.

15.42 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
15.23 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
13.91 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 70% City/ 30% Highway
16.00 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 45% City/ 55% Highway
15.29 MPG - Grade 91 Sunoco - 45% City/ 55% Highway
17.81 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 30% City/ 70% Highway
16.62 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
16.35 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 50% City/ 50% Highway
17.30 MPG - Grade 93 Sunoco - 25% City/ 75% Highway

I drove the car normally during the two month span making sure it doesn't rev higher than 3500RPM. I also didn't drive on roads I don't typically drive on. Just my usual route of: house to work, work to house, house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club.

hahaha. Good info though.

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by smckenna

I sure hope your girlfriend isn't an M3Post forum member!

Nope, she's too busy....lurking the Mustang forums.

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by pbonsalb

These cars definitely do not get anything close to good MPG, but they probably would not be nearly as much fun if they did. I have averaged 17.6 mpg in the 5k+ miles since I last reset the onboard calculator. I don't drive to conserve fuel, but I also do not drive in a big city. I know of one person who has a 25k mile average of 19.4 but he drives mostly highway.

You're probably getting the same MPG as I am because my onboard computer is saying I'm averaging 17.5 MPG, I haven't reset it in a while though. And I agree 110% that these cars are not fun when you're driving it like a Honda. You can't imagine how much I want to mash the gas pedal to hear the scream past 4000 RPM but knowing my luck, a cop will be waiting for me at the end of the street.

[roddyc]

I've gotten anywhere from 16 to 20.5 mpg...

20.5 mpg 100% highway averaging about 85 mph
16 mpg when I first got the car and was getting used to the clutch

Have been consistently between 17 to 18 for the last few months, ranging from 80/20 to 50/50 city/highway miles.

FWIW, the computer usually overestimates by 1 to 1.5mpg and I reset it every tank.

[shendrick]

I've never gotten better than the high teens when it comes to mpg. I also remember a couple years ago when they shifted over to 10% ethanol my mileage dropping. Its sad that 20 mpg is vitually impossible on the highway.

[Z K]

That's nice that 93 octane is available. A lot of us are stuck with 91 octane as the highest available you can buy.

[pbonsalb]

Originally Posted by lthai

You're probably getting the same MPG as I am because my onboard computer is saying I'm averaging 17.5 MPG, I haven't reset it in a while though. And I agree 110% that these cars are not fun when you're driving it like a Honda. You can't imagine how much I want to mash the gas pedal to hear the scream past 4000 RPM but knowing my luck, a cop will be waiting for me at the end of the street.

I did test the OBC a few times early on against the actual miles and gallons and it was very close, but then I decided to stop resetting it. Obviously, the 17.6 is over 5k plus miles in my case so if I have a tank of 15 mpg, it might change to 17.5 and if I have a tank of 20 mpg, it might change to 17.7. I like having the long term average. I can do a particular tank anytime. My 17.6 long term average makes sense to me, because I do little city driving and mostly secondary road or highway driving.

[M3PO]

I do 50/50 between city and highway and I have yet to break 15 mpg on a tank. I usually come in at 13.5 or so.

[tibra1]

LOL..I cant believe people go thru this exercise....I personally could care less about mpg..but then again I dont DD like most

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by lthai

house to work, work to house, house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club.

Good feedback, thanks for sharing ... make sure you DO NOT pick up a new g/f at that strip club.



Cheers and nothing for the road hear

[MKE_M3]

Nice work, very interesting. I agree, however, that "driven normally" and "keep the rev's under 3500rpm" should be oxymorons in the M3!

I understand your driving cautiously, but everything in moderation

[///My5UV]

Originally Posted by lthai

house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club.

I think you're doing that backwards.... should be:

house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club, strip club to girlfriends house

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by Z K

That's nice that 93 octane is available. A lot of us are stuck with 91 octane as the highest available you can buy.

Where are you located? Where I am Sunoco is the only place that offers 91. Everywhere else is 93.

Originally Posted by tibra1

LOL..I cant believe people go thru this exercise....I personally could care less about mpg..but then again I dont DD like most

Yeah I daily drive my car. Had it since 2008 and its at 53000 miles on the odometer...

Originally Posted by ///My5UV

I think you're doing that backwards.... should be:

house to girlfriends house, girlfriends house to bar, bar to strip club, strip club to girlfriends house

I've actually done that once. She asked me why I reeked of alcohol and why my hair was all messed up. I shoved a candy bar in my mouth and started to mumble like in the Twix commercial. She didn't buy it so I curled up into the fetal position and begged her not to beat me.

[dnotorious]

Originally Posted by lthai

Yeah I daily drive my car. Had it since 2008 and its at 53000 miles on the odometer...

awesome, this is my plan too.. its a DD for the next 2 years.. right now it has 21000 miles... i plan to ride it up to 60 miles before i put it back up on the market. was the car reliable through the years? apart from oil change/brakes.

[Morning Hawk]

I'm curious to see if anyone who has the new Auto Start/Stop function in their M3 have seen any major % differences in their fuel economy when used/not used.

I'm in Japan right now and all the busses here have that feature. Whenever we get to a red light the engine shuts down and when the driver takes his foot off the brake the engine kicks back on.

Knowing the Japanese, I'm sure they modeled the hell out of this before they implemented the program on all their buses...

[LucWerkz]

Originally Posted by dnotorious

awesome, this is my plan too.. its a DD for the next 2 years.. right now it has 21000 miles... i plan to ride it up to 60 miles before i put it back up on the market. was the car reliable through the years? apart from oil change/brakes.

I can honestly tell you that I have had no major problems with the car. The only real problem I had with it was a dead battery which left me having to wait 2 hours for a tow truck because no one would give me a jump. My M3 has been a lot more reliable than my old e90 3 series. Just keep up with the routine maintenance and don't race everyone at a stop light, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by Morning Hawk

I'm curious to see if anyone who has the new Auto Start/Stop function in their M3 have seen any major % differences in their fuel economy when used/not used.

I'm in Japan right now and all the busses here have that feature. Whenever we get to a red light the engine shuts down and when the driver takes his foot off the brake the engine kicks back on.

Knowing the Japanese, I'm sure they modeled the hell out of this before they implemented the program on all their buses...

Well when I got my car in 2008 the window sticker said 13/19 MPG. When I stopped by last week at my BMW dealership to look at the new 6 series I saw an M3 with auto start/stop in the showroom with a window sticker that said 14/20.

I personally think that with high performance cars gas consumption is dependent on your driving habits rather than technology.

[mateoR]

It's great to see other people getting abysmal milage, I thought my car was just unusually bad for the last three years.