I am sorry for asking, I am new here and have tried to search all the posts I can find so this might be redundant but I need help...

Simply, had my E for less than 2 week, about 400 miles on it but only getting about 15 MPG. I may not be the best driver but drive about 40 miles per day, and 30 of that is HWY.

Is this just a new engine / must be broken in issue or should I really be worried??? I could live with 18-20 MPG range, but 15...REALLY?

Please HELP...

Yeah, that was about what I was getting with my 2010 LX until my first oil change at about 5,000 miles. After that, my mileage improved to about 23 on the highway and 21 in town, which is what was expected. The Element has never been marketed as a gas saver -- it's a box on wheels -- so I knew what I was getting into. Perhaps check out this report, if you want to get the most out of your car:

http://www.publicradio.org/columns/marketplace/business-news-briefs/2011/09/increase_your_gas_mileage_a_guide_to_hypermiling.h tml

Bought mine 2 months ago and I am up to 3.4k miles now. Same highway miles as you, but my mileage has varied. If I am easy on the gas and staying 70 mph (cruise control helps a lot), I get 22-24mpg. Otherwise, 21-22 is about average. Worse was 18 mpg when it was in its first break in. Changed the oil and filter at 1500 miles, and it seems much better.

Bought mine 2 months ago and I am up to 3.4k miles now. Same highway miles as you, but my mileage has varied. If I am easy on the gas and staying 70 mph (cruise control helps a lot), I get 22-24mpg. Otherwise, 21-22 is about average. Worse was 18 mpg when it was in its first break in. Changed the oil and filter at 1500 miles, and it seems much better.

1. "Changed the oil and filter at 1500 miles"

The Owners Manual says in the Break In Period section, "Do not change the oil until the Scheduled Maintenance time." It's confusing because it follows a discussion of how to drive during the first 600 miles, however, the first scheduled maintenance isn't until 5,000 miles. Many owners have previously reported gradual improvements in fuel efficiency during the first 5000 miles of operation.

The factory oil fill has special additives to help the engine parts lap-in (self-polish) to a final fit. 1500 miles might not have been not long enough to have fully lapped-in the engine.

2. Rated highway mpg is at a constant 55mph. Fuel efficiency drops at an exponentially increasing rate at higher speeds. So "easy on the gas" and "staying 70 mph" are mutually exclusive. ;-)

If your average mpg is in the range between rated city and rated highway mpg, you're doing better than those of us who use fuel blended for high pollution urban areas and do mostly city driving. Our cross-country mpg has been as high as 26 mpg, but last winter our local usage dropped it into the teens. :-(

its waaaay to early to tell.

Give it at least 1500 miles before you bother checking...it'll get a bit better after that, but around 3-5k the motors are usually finished "breaking in."

Besides...400miles isn't a big enough "sample." you need several fill ups to see a real average.....better yet, figure out how much fuel it uses in 10,000 miles and you'll have a very acurate reading.

If you can, check your odometer, speedometer, and trip meter (yes, all 3, not just 1) against a GPS. Use the miles really traveled divided by the fuel used.

Welcome and good luck!

I've noticed that as the summer here in Vegas wore on... and my a/c dial was cranked farther to the left, my mileage in town was pretty crummy, while out on the freeway, it went back up to what I considered normal. I too have very low mileage, (less than 1100) I'm loving my E and can hardly wait to see how it does in the long run.

I just looked at my logs for my 09... Got average of 21.5 mpg from new to 1500 miles. Then 24.2 mpg for 1500 to 3000 miles. Then average from 25 to 30 mpg from there after.
Typ highway and city. Easy on the right foot, avoid braking. Sometimes a little lower as in the winter when I have to warm up to help scrape off ice, or traffic jams cause excessive idle.

I just looked at my logs for my 09... Got average of 21.5 mpg from new to 1500 miles. Then 24.2 mpg for 1500 to 3000 miles. Then average from 25 to 30 mpg from there after.


thanks for the info. i'm getting 20.5 thru my first 3 fillups which is disappointing. i was hoping for close to 25 mph once the break in period was completed, and your results indicate that this is a real possibility.

only have 1800 miles on mine. first and only time I checked it was 26.3.
mixed, mostly two lane driving. I don't do jack rabbit starts.

I've noticed that as the summer here in Vegas wore on... and my a/c dial was cranked farther to the left, my mileage in town was pretty crummy, . . . .

Makes sense that the hotter it gets, the more the A/C runs, the more energy is required to run the A/C. In cooling mode, the farther below the dew point, the lower the heat transfer content of the air, and the more velocity (air exchanges) is needed to carry away heat.

Given the low humidity, if you set the temperature and mixture knobs full counter-clockwise, and use the cabin fan speed to control the A/C, recirculating the air will help maximize the A/C efficiency.

thanks for the info. i'm getting 20.5 thru my first 3 fillups which is disappointing. i was hoping for close to 25 mph once the break in period was completed, and your results indicate that this is a real possibility.


Just mentioning that I got a boost of 1 MPG with Mobile 1 0-15w high MPG (??) oil. I changed oil to std Mobile 1 5-20w and lost .5 MPG or so. Next change I'll go back to the 0-15w MPG oil.

curt

You're going against the manufacturer's oil specification to save half a mpg? Also, IMO the inherent margin of error in measurement, and variations in conditions from tank to tank, put 0.5 mpg below the limits of accuracy.

But to each his own.

38-40 psi in your tires will increase your mileage, most people don't check pressure regularly and have 30-32 psi

Gas Saving Myths: Do Over Inflated Tires Really Boost Gas Mileage?

July 8, 2011 by Clinton


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You are probably aware that driving with under-inflated tires will negatively impact your car’s gas mileage. Since under-inflated tires cause drag, they ultimately require more horsepower. The end result is that the car uses more gas per mile.

What about over inflating your tires? Conventional wisdom seems to suggest that if under-inflated tires reduce gas mileage, over-inflated tires should improve it. Is there any truth behind this thinking?

Debunking the Myth

The logic behind the myth actually makes sense. Over inflating your tires means that they will bulge slightly in the center. Less surface area making contact with the road should mean less rolling resistance. With decreased rolling resistance and friction, your car’s gas mileage should respond in a positive way, right?

The answer is slightly more complex than you would expect. The truth is that your car was built with aerodynamics in mind. This basically means that at highway speeds, your vehicle is already near its maximum fuel economy. Any small changes you make to your tires will be virtually undetectable.

Yes, over inflating your tires can decrease your car’s rolling resistance. However, it will probably not provide you with the monumental gas saving results you were hoping for. In fact, over inflating your car’s tires can actually be dangerous. When tires are over inflated, the steering becomes compromised and limited. The end result being that you are more prone to end up in an accident.

The best gas saving and safety advice is to follow the manufacturer’s recommended tire pressure. Get in the habit of regularly checking the PSI of your tires. With the proper maintenance, you can ensure that your vehicle continues to run at its optimal performance.

In other words don't over inflate your tires.

Given the low humidity, if you set the temperature and mixture knobs full counter-clockwise, and use the cabin fan speed to control the A/C, recirculating the air will help maximize the A/C efficiency.

Will try this next summer, the major heat has passed for the time being. Thanks for the advice!

After just 3500 miles (mostly street, driven easy) I am getting 17 mpg...I hate this car. If not for the space in the back..I would dump it in a heartbeat. Thank god I have a good motorcycle and live in CA where I can drive it almost 9 months of the year.

Tell us more about that 2011 Magnesium Metallic Element, Amglo.

hey Miles, if you add your location info to your posts it will help a little. For example, after 8 years I am averaging 19.8 mpg, but all of that is stop and go across NYC. If you are in a light traffic area your mileage will be much different.

Almost 5000 miles. Average 25 mpg from day one. Mostly hiway.

I get 23-24 MPG since I took it off the lot and I do mostly city driving. I have a little under 5k miles on the car now.

Wouldn't it be great if all of the people who complain about bad mpg could be given an element that had a track record of a certain mpg in their area to drive. Then they could see if it was their car or their driving habits that was the problem.
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