6th Oct 2011, 10:56

I think a lot of fuel mileage has to do with tires and how you drive. My tires are almost to the wear bars and I keep them at 32 psi, both of which lower "rolling resistance." Because the car is so heavy, it takes off down hills, so I slow down near the top, coast over the crest, then I coast down the other side, and end up needing to brake lightly if the hill is long enough. It helps to know the roads, too.

I don't have a mileage computer, but I reset the trip when I fill up and do the math in my head, best I got was just over 21 mpg. It doesn't matter if I tow or run the A/C, it always gets 20 mpg. The only exception is in winter, I have beefy winter tires, they are soft and squishy on highway curves, but with the studs, very safe on back roads. Winter mpg averages 16-18, that is without towing or running the A/C, like in summer, or it would be even less.

So I guess it would be more accurate to say I get 20mpg with worn summer tires and 17mpg with winter tires. But not everyone needs to change tires in winter or even drives a car like this in winter, so for most people's driving it would not be too hard to get 20 mpg all year round if you have the right tires and drive smoothly. I try to drive like it's a limo with passengers drinking in the back, like "there's an egg on the gas pedal," which probably saves on wear and tear, as well as fuel consumption.