E36 3-Series MPG figures

[Chris71]

Hi,

Could any E36 owners give me an idea what sort of MPG they get on the motorway?

I've got a couple of weeks to pick up a new daily driver and the idea of one rather appeals. The problem is I do 15,000+ miles a year and I've already got a RWD toy, so I can't justify 'sportscar' running costs.

Chris

[dan101smith]

Depends how you drive - I've had my motorway MPG down to 10mpg before, but then it can do 34mpg if I don't hoon too much.

[Pentoman]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[1ians]

My E36 328 sport is better on MPG on the motorway than my 318is. The gearing on the 318is is too short and is therefore a little noisy and drinks a bit. To be fair it will still go down the motorway at silly speeds. The gearing on the 328 is too long but that makes it a really comfortably cruiser and should return over 30mpg on a run quite easily.

[jamesson]

33mpg from my 1994 325i. Not bad in my book.

[Chris71]

Hmm, decisions... You see the other options are all FWD warm (or even not-so-warm) hatches and most of them will crack the best part of 40mpg on a run and I do quite high mileages (15k+ a year), there's also insurance to take into account and a potential raping on fuel tax when the government innevitably back date it to pre-2001 cars.

On the one hand it sounds like a less practical/economical choice, on the other - it's got to be more fun than a Fiesta.

[clonmult]

The old 318iS coupe got around 30/31mpg on the run to work - generally taking it easy, but a few too many points where the rev limiter got a workout. On a long run averaging a few leptons over the limit it once managed to return 40mpg. Normally more like 35 though.

[BountyHunter]

a decent 328i will average 33 ish on the m/way @ 80 - 85 ish

[andye30m3]

I get 30-32 out of my M3 evo (sixth gear helps)

get around 28-29 in constant moving traffic on A roads and 26 as an overall average.

Having said that i've seen 12 on the track.

[N24]

BountyHunter said:

a decent 328i will average 33 ish on the m/way @ 80 - 85 ish

I 'had' to use the wife's 328 auto for a trip to the 'ring the other week - returned 36mpg according to the computer - then again at 80mph it's running 2000 rpm. I didn't venture much below 3,000 revs for as much of the journey given it was late night/early morning. Cracking!

[wiggy001]

I get about 370 miles max out of a tank of motorway driving (60 litres I think? So 28mpg) and 240 around town (so 18mpg)

[MitchT]

My 1999 318is gives me 40-50mpg on the motorway depending how constant my speed is. I also use V-Power which seems to return better fuel mileage - so much so that my annual fuel bill works out less on V-Power than it would if I used ordinary unleaded. Last week I drove from Bingley to Southport and back - The return trip amounted to a 134 miles mixture of A roads, B roads and Motorway - and I averaged 39.2mpg for the whole trip.

Edited by MitchT on Sunday 13th July 22:34

[ironictwist]

Dont know whether I'm a bit late pitching in on this one.

I do about 20k a year & over a daily 64 mile commute in the 328, 32 there and 32 back home, If im "relaxed" I hit 40mpg on a good run, if I really give it some it drops to mid 30's, usually hovers around 37mpg despite my rather mash the throttle to the floor style.

Commute consists of 10 miles of Motorway style roads & the remaining 22 are fast A/B roads/lanes.

Either way, I put aside roughly £350 a month towards petrol & it comes within budget, so I dont know whether that helps?

Edited by ironictwist on Monday 14th July 01:56

[clonmult]

MitchT said:

My 1999 318is gives me 40-50mpg on the motorway depending how constant my speed is. I also use V-Power which seems to return better fuel mileage - so much so that my annual fuel bill works out less on V-Power than it would if I used ordinary unleaded. Last week I drove from Bingley to Southport and back - The return trip amounted to a 134 miles mixture of A roads, B roads and Motorway - and I averaged 39.2mpg for the whole trip.

Edited by MitchT on Sunday 13th July 22:34

What the hell had you done to that engine? My 318iS ran absolutely perfectly, never missed a bit, smooth as a 4 cylinder could be, but I never got over 40mpg. hate to ask, but do you drive like an old woman?

[evenflow]

A mixture of driving has me averaging 27-28 in my '99 328i Sport.

[MitchT]

clonmult said:

What the hell had you done to that engine? My 318iS ran absolutely perfectly, never missed a bit, smooth as a 4 cylinder could be, but I never got over 40mpg. hate to ask, but do you drive like an old woman?

Well it was raining heavily on the outward journey and raining quite a bit on the way back, so bearing in mind the conditions, the fact that the OH was in the car and the presence of luggage in the car I decided to take it reasonably steadily, but I wasn't dawdling. I had a spirited drive to Brackley - most of it on the M1 a few years back - think typical BMW-driver glued to the outside lane - and I averaged about 40mpg on that occasion too. I also do a regular run between my home and my mate's place in Harrogate - mainly 'enthusiastic' A-road driving, and again I seem to get about 40mpg. I can only put it down to the V-Power which seems to give me quite a lot of miles for my money. The car only ran on bog-standard unleaded for the first year or so - maybe that has helped.

Edited by MitchT on Monday 14th July 22:27

[clonmult]

MitchT said:

clonmult said:

What the hell had you done to that engine? My 318iS ran absolutely perfectly, never missed a bit, smooth as a 4 cylinder could be, but I never got over 40mpg. hate to ask, but do you drive like an old woman?

Well it was raining heavily on the outward journey and raining quite a bit on the way back, so bearing in mind the conditions, the fact that the OH was in the car and the presence of luggage in the car I decided to take it reasonably steadily, but I wasn't dawdling. I had a spirited drive to Brackley - most of it on the M1 a few years back - think typical BMW-driver glued to the outside lane - and I averaged about 40mpg on that occasion too. I also do a regular run between my home and my mate's place in Harrogate - mainly 'enthusiastic' A-road driving, and again I seem to get about 40mpg. I can only put it down to the V-Power which seems to give me quite a lot of miles for my money. The car only ran on bog-standard unleaded for the first year or so - maybe that has helped.

Edited by MitchT on Monday 14th July 22:27

I've tried putting 99 octane in the Laguna for the coming week, see if it makes a difference on that. I'm wanting to have my 318iS back now though, had a look on Autotrader for 318iS saloons - I think there was something like 3 for sale in the entire country!

[Fer]

I am averaging just under 30mpg in a 328i, but have been trying the eco-drive to see what difference it makes, and I can get up to 33, at the moment, which is mainly back roads and minor A roads. Not tried for a long motorway cruise yet. (And not sure of that 10% is worth it).

[wpo750]

I used to get about 35mpg in the 328 auto on the run but only 20mpg in town.

The M3 Evo would get 30mpg on a gentle motorway journey and just over 20mpg in town.

OT but the 840ci gets 29mpg on the run with the lights down (27mpg with the lights popped up) and most recently 14mpg in congestion.

[wiggy001]

wiggy001 said:

I get about 370 miles max out of a tank of motorway driving (60 litres I think? So 28mpg) and 240 around town (so 18mpg)

After seeing some of these other figures, I double-checked the manual as I assumed my fuel tank (328 convertible) must be smaller than I had thought.

Er, no! It's 62 litres (13.6 gallons) making my best 27mpg and around town under 18!

Is my right foot really that heavy?

Going to Devon on Thursday so will see how gentle I can be and what I manage from a tank...