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Your mpg? And mine

arsinist01

arsinist01

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Just wondering what you guys are getting for mpg out there. I have a 74 satellite 318 2 barrel 3 speed auto on the column. Figured I'd be getting around 18 mpg if I was lucky. Did about a 100 mile highway run today and filled back up, figured I would check it out. The answer.......26.5 mpg!!! I couldn't believe it lol. Almost convinced me not to mod the motor at all, for about 3 seconds. Then I decided I still want a bit more power lol, I am ok losing a couple mpg for some more HP!
 
Average it over several tanks and see what you get over all. Also, the best way to check mileage for one tank is to top it off as much as you can then take your run and come back to the same pump. Also, check your speedometer to the mile markers. That will give you a good idea if it's right. Anyways, my 97 2500 gets 25 cruising at 70....but it's also a diesel :D
 
I only get 20 miles a gallon in my 73 Satellite.. And with a double take on Cranky s post (insert mouth dropping here) when i seen his in his 97 until i seen diesel lol. I have a 97 Ram 1500 i get about 16, This is more stop go driving with me though.. 26.5 is pretty good! Mines a 4-barrel (Satellite) but thats a big difference..
 
Must be nice... My 318 gets 9-10mpg on a good day cruising... getting into it, thats another story... but the previous owner built the motor with a big cam, 360 heads and a 650edelbrock 4bbl... running rich to make up for the low comp... but it does make nice single line burn outs haha
 
I'd double check your numbers because that seems to be way too good of gas mileage for an older V8. I drove a 68 Mustang GT 302 4 spd for 9 yrs., which weighs nothing compared to that Sat, and best I got was 14 commuting and 18 straight HWY. I was also skeptical about those numbers and figured the speedo might have been a little off. Even my old 71 VW bug never got better than 25. My new Dodge 1500 get's 17 HWY and my 02 Durango is about the same.
 
Meep-Meep said:
I'd double check your numbers because that seems to be way too good of gas mileage for an older V8. I drove a 68 Mustang GT 302 4 spd for 9 yrs., which weighs nothing compared to that Sat, and best I got was 14 commuting and 18 straight HWY. I was also skeptical about those numbers and figured the speedo might have been a little off. Even my old 71 VW bug never got better than 25. My new Dodge 1500 get's 17 HWY and my 02 Durango is about the same.
Click to expand...

Now that i think about mine, im afraid im going to need to try the Satellite again when i get a new speedo cable, thinking about this it was jumping, the needle on it which could or would give me a false reading.. I just unhooked it because of this.. so ill be trying it again.. Id sure like to think the 20 was right though..
 
I get 17.5 out of a worn out almost stock 318 (302 heads, headers and holly 650 DP) with an od 4spd and 3.55 gears (235/60/14 rear tire) on the freeway in a light weight dart. ('71 swinger)
 
interesting topic. i am just starting to get into this with all my personal and work vehicles, not my old cars though. for the few miles i put on them a year i will pay the price. started last week replacing a car for one of my sales reps. replaced his pontiac vibe that had over 350,000km, 210,000mi on it with a hyundia that the sales rep says will get 42 plus mpg. now i am looking to replace 2 straight trucks and mpg will have a bearing on the decision.
 
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Meep-Meep said:
I'd double check your numbers because that seems to be way too good of gas mileage for an older V8. I drove a 68 Mustang GT 302 4 spd for 9 yrs., which weighs nothing compared to that Sat, and best I got was 14 commuting and 18 straight HWY. I was also skeptical about those numbers and figured the speedo might have been a little off. Even my old 71 VW bug never got better than 25. My new Dodge 1500 get's 17 HWY and my 02 Durango is about the same.
Click to expand...
Had a 66 Mustang Fastback in the mid 70's with a 289, 600 DP, Torker, headers, 4 speed and a great for the highway 2.80 gears. It got 21 on the highway and 12 in town (DP's suck for in town driving, no pun intended!) and a best of 15.00 at the track. A 70 383 Challenger that got 12 in town with a 3.23 gear went up to 15 with a 2.94 but never bothered to check it on the highway because it was never driven for mileage once on the road. That car never saw less than 80-100 and only slowed down when the radar detector started beeping but based on distance traveled, I would say it was also around 14 on the road. 2000 Durango gets 19 at 60 but 13 doing 80. It's a 5.2 (318) with 3.9 gears and 30" tires.
 
All 5 of my previous 318s got in the neighborhood of 20 on average.
My 67 burned so clean it dripped pure water from the exhaust.
That car got 22 and 26 on the highway.

I just got a 73 318 Sat, and we'll see how it does.
I've got a good feeling about it :)

My wife's Hyundai 04 Elantra (slightly larger than the accent) gets 29 average.

2000 5.9 3.92/OD gets 19-22 at 50 mph, 17 at 60, and 15 at 70, etc. Averages 14.1
 
I use alternative calculations, so my '72 gets five or six TPS -- tankfuls per summer. :grin:
 
Believe me the mileage wasn't off, and I filled the tank both before I left and after I got back. I know the location I was going and figured it was 100 miles both ways. According to my odometer (I wrote down the numbers before I left) it was actually just under 99 miles so I rounded down to 98. Then when I filled up the tank it took just over 3.66 gallons so I rounded up to 3.67. I will eventually do the math to find out what my average mpg is, but I wanted to see what the best I could get was, which is why I did a highway only run. Believe me I couldn't believe the numbers either but they are accurate. Doing 65 for most of the trip with no jackrabbit starts and very few stops seems to be a good combo lol. Also I'm not sure what gears I have in the rear end but I am guessing it is probably the lowest set of gears that was the option (I think that's around 2.75?) because my satellite doesn't seem to rev high at all on the highway. Just going off of sound I would guess it is around 1500 rpm or maybe even less. Probably explains why I think I need more power lol.
 
I always use google to figure out the miles. That way it doesn't depend on my odometer at all. Also, refilling is not exact, so that is why it is best to average over 4 fills.

Here is my mileage:
'67 Barracuda, 340 4speed with 2.76 gears: 20 mpg highway

'63 Nova wagon, straight 6, 200-4R overdrive, 3.08 gears: 22 mpg highway

'70 Satellite wagon, 318 2bbl, 904 auto with TERRIBLE single exhaust: 17 mpg highway. Swap to 700R4 overdrive and headers: much better, but as yet undetermined.

'56 Plymouth Savoy, 277 poly 2bbl 2-speed powerflite, 3.31?? gears 17mpg at 55mph. Swap to tired 331 hemi, 16 mpg at 55mph.
 
26-1/2 MPG from a 318????..... ARE YOU SURE???....sounds like your speedo is off brother....coz thats unheard of
 
arsinist01 said:
Just wondering what you guys are getting for mpg out there. I have a 74 satellite 318 2 barrel 3 speed auto on the column. Figured I'd be getting around 18 mpg if I was lucky. Did about a 100 mile highway run today and filled back up, figured I would check it out. The answer.......26.5 mpg!!! I couldn't believe it lol. Almost convinced me not to mod the motor at all, for about 3 seconds. Then I decided I still want a bit more power lol, I am ok losing a couple mpg for some more HP!
Click to expand...

You do not say what your rearend is, but a 93 vette 6sp gets 27 hwy at 70 mph and my 340 4bbl 73 charger got 15 at 70 mph over 75 miles and some of that was going down a large hill.
 
My 06 SRT8 Charger averages about 16mpg and that's with a od on the auto. My 72 is meassured in gallons per mile lol
 
arsinist01 said:
Believe me the mileage wasn't off, and I filled the tank both before I left and after I got back. I know the location I was going and figured it was 100 miles both ways. According to my odometer (I wrote down the numbers before I left) it was actually just under 99 miles so I rounded down to 98. Then when I filled up the tank it took just over 3.66 gallons so I rounded up to 3.67. I will eventually do the math to find out what my average mpg is, but I wanted to see what the best I could get was, which is why I did a highway only run. Believe me I couldn't believe the numbers either but they are accurate. Doing 65 for most of the trip with no jackrabbit starts and very few stops seems to be a good combo lol. Also I'm not sure what gears I have in the rear end but I am guessing it is probably the lowest set of gears that was the option (I think that's around 2.75?) because my satellite doesn't seem to rev high at all on the highway. Just going off of sound I would guess it is around 1500 rpm or maybe even less. Probably explains why I think I need more power lol.
Click to expand...

One question I have is were there any hills on the route you drove? If not that makes a big difference on MPG. The few starts and stops also will give you increased mileage. Interactions with cars also because of slow downs and speedups. That mileage is very possible, just not where I live.

For me :

94 2500 Cummins 5 spd w3.94s empty 22-23 driving easy, 18-20 driving hard
towing 17 easy, 14 hard

93 E350 4x4 W/cummins auto and weighs 9500 lbs. 12-14 w/o intercooler

I had a 68 valiant 225 w/13 inch tires that got 23 city and highway, it didn't matter.

My 67 gtx vert 4 spd, I'm lucky to get 7, but the engine isn't running right.

Mty 67 gtx hdtp auto w/3.23 is 12-14 all the time, it runs awsome (when it starts!)

Now for some unrelated MPG, to make you feel better if you think you get bad mileage, 96 Volvo 2.5-3 MPG (it's a cab over 10 wheeler) and a slighly smaller 6 wheeler that gets 4-5MPG.
 
SRT 10 get between 14 to 17 MPG
Harley Road king get 35 MPG going 70 or less
Mini Cooper S clubman get between around 38
Suzuki Hayabusa get 50 MPG if you can stay out of it.

The Dodge Coronet get 0 miles per gallon cause it still at the body shop which should have been done 6 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
ws27 said:
One question I have is were there any hills on the route you drove? If not that makes a big difference on MPG. The few starts and stops also will give you increased mileage. Interactions with cars also because of slow downs and speedups. That mileage is very possible, just not where I live.
Click to expand...

Nope no hills, it was smooth sailing the whole way. Barely had my foot on the gas pedal for most of the trip. I also checked the route with my GPS which verified my speed and my trip distance. I did do this on a sunday which around here means there were very few people on the road. So I didn't have to slow down or speed up for traffic either. I maintained a speed of between 60-70 mph accounting for variances in my pedal foot lol. Also when I was pulling onto the highway I took my time. Probably took me about 30 seconds to make it from 0-65 lol.

Just doing a guesstimate on around town driving (haven't had time to check it) I would guess I am getting 14ish (but here we have either a light or a stop sign just about every block too. Just messing around when I first got it I figure mixed driving was probably around 18-20 or so. But I will know more later when I actually test all this out.

I'm not saying that my car gets near 27 mpg all the time lol. I am just saying that is the best I can expect under near perfect conditions.
 
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