M3 E46 MPG

Well after picking up my M3 last weekend and driving it the 290 miles to work I was managing just over 31MPG around 80MPH.
When I upped my speed slightly I still averaged over 29MPG
At a 10 mile stretch on the M1 near Nottingham there are average speed cameras and a 50MPH speed limit. I set it on cruise to 50MPH and reset the MPG computer......After 10 miles....47.8MPG!!!
I am amazed at the MPG these cars achieve, and am so happy i bought it. A trip to the pumps and some mathematics proves the figures right.

Does everyone else get this or are you all heavy footed?

Well I never!

I imagine if you drove at 40mph in 6th it would be even better?


If you bought Polo Bluemotion you could get even better mpg...

I also got one last weekend, and have managed about 25mpg. But then I'm driving it in the way God intended.

How can you not hoon it in the first week of ownership?

This is a pointless test. You might as well reset the MPG counter, put the car in neutral and coast down a massive hill and see what amazing MPG figure you get. I've got a diesel shopping trolley for work, if I put that in neutral on a slope the real time MPG counter has shown an indicated 180MPG, but of course this figure is just as 100% useless as it has no bearing on reality.

Taking your "reading" does not include accelerating up to 50mph or the stop/start journey on the way to the motorway etc, its absolutely pointless. Try doing the same test but starting your car from cold, reseting the counter and then drive to the motorway and do your 50mph test. Who drives at 50mph on the motorway for 10 miles anyway in the real world?

M3's do not achieve good MPG, its as simple as that. For what its worth, my total average is 24 point something (can't remember exactly), and can get 28MPG on the motorway if driving on empty roads with cruise on at sensible speeds (MPG includes starting car from cold and driving from my house to the motorway). I really don't see why some M3 (and other performance car) owners are obsessed with MPG figures.

I agree, these cars will average 25mpg for someone doing quite a few miles, and for someone who is not sat in traffic very often it will be around the 20mpg mark.

Unless the whole tank full is steady motorway work 30mpg per tank is going to be a very rare thing.

I have an E320 Estate for most things and keep the M3 for when I'm on my own and want to have fun, I am averaging around 18ish, and get about 200 miles to a tank.

I think you're missing the point. What I'm saying is that cars that offer similar performance to an M3 (eg an Impreza) will be unlikely to achieve as good an mpg under the same conditions. I get mid 20's overall and that's fine, but if I have a long M'way drive I'll get mid 30's - my friend who owns an Impreza would never get over 30mpg.

You don't buy these sorts of cars if you worry too much about mpg however given the nature of the car it's mpg when driven sensibly is quite impressive, which I think is all the OP was pointing out.

My average fuel consumption on my e46 M3 is 18.4mph (over last 4 months). This includes the occasional motorway trip, but mostly a heavy traffic congested commute across London.

Wow, Some people are missing the point completely.
When i drive fast i achieve 23 MPG. When I drive on the UK roads at UK road speeds I achieved the figures stated.
I have A Toyota Starlet Glanza turbo which is only a 1.3 and that isnt as good on the 300 mile trips (average 28mpg).

Those who mentioned Subarus I can vouch as I had one and it was terrible.

I am not a penny pincher trying to save the planet, only mentioning what an achievment this engine is.

I've had a couple of E46 M3's now and as yet have not managed to achieve 30mgp on any journey - including some long, boring, traffic heavy, 200 mile trips up to Manchester.

The best I got was 29mpg once but me it was dull and not something I would ever set out deliberately to acheive. But fair enough to any of you who are trying to keep the fuel bills down.

I don't drive like a lunatic but I do try and make the most of one of my all-time favourite cars. That's why I bought it. The result seems to be 21/22 mpg on average.

My advice would be to turn off the mpg display. And the one that tells you how many miles are left. They're never going to deliver good news!!!