Anyone not know / care about their MPG?
Discussion
I use roadtrip so know my MPG. However, my car is a 1.6l Ford Focus, and so is extremely boring on a daily basis. Therefore I don't really care about my MPG and since i stopped caring it has dropped from 44mpg down to 38.0mpg 
Feel like whenever i drive it, i need every single horse power it has ;p
Feel like whenever i drive it, i need every single horse power it has ;p 
heebeegeetee said:
I definitely think "real" petrolheads like to know what their cars are doing and wouldn't enjoy being in ignorance of how their cars are performing. If you enjoy driving and choose to drive a lot, I think range is an important factor too.
But not once have I ever deduced an issue from MPG figures.Running rich, running lean, misfire, bogging down, rough idle, hesitancy, sticking caliper etc.....all recognisable to a petrolhead, especially if they enjoy tinkering, surely?
Perhaps, had I not noticed or ignored certain issues, I would eventually have started to think I was filling up more, but it hasn't happened yet.
It would lead me to ask what kinds of problems those who do base the condition of their engines on MPG figures are facing.
And how accurate would it be anyway? I could get 50+ mpg showing constantly on the dash of my 330D, a half inch press of the pedal would see that drop in to the 30's. You would have to base it on the exact same journey and conditions, with the exact same amount of stop starts, the exact same traffic conditions, exact same inputs over the distance...
Bought my first integrale 20 years ago. That's a long time ago. I think I'm old. I knew all the technical information about it, I studied the back of every car magazine memorising performance and power figures.
I still don't know what mpg my integrale does.
An Elise joined the driveway, this was bought with fuel economy in mind. However I still don't know how many mpg it does. I deliberately only half fill the tank and run it low as it goes faster.
I had a few big engined cars which came with trip computers, I tried a few times to see how low they would go.
Never had an interest in mpg. Never owned a diesel.
I still don't know what mpg my integrale does.
An Elise joined the driveway, this was bought with fuel economy in mind. However I still don't know how many mpg it does. I deliberately only half fill the tank and run it low as it goes faster.
I had a few big engined cars which came with trip computers, I tried a few times to see how low they would go.
Never had an interest in mpg. Never owned a diesel.
swerni said:
bertie said:
No, never calculated it or cared, it is what it is, but I don't do many miles at all so I guess that makes not caring an awful lot easier.
Don't any of those pretty cars have a little computer in that tells you?I find it hard to believe that anyone with a fairly modern car doesn't know. Not caring is a whole different ball game.
Two have mine have computers that tell me they both average less than 20mpg, the other is a TVR which I genuinely have no idea what it does to the gallon.
If i cared I'd buy a sensible car, thankfully I don't.
Jag_NE said:
im not sure what defines a "petrol head" but people of a serious technical persuasion would and undoubtedly do have at least a passing interest in the fuel usage of a vehicle as it is a key technical characteristic and as other have mentioned, a major change in consumption could highlight a failure in the system. the genuinely posh folk that I have associated with tend to be quite savvy with their money, fuel economy bravado has a whiff of new money to it!
Aligning social class to attitudes to fuel consumption. Didn't see that coming.swerni said:
Don't any of those pretty cars have a little computer in that tells you?
I find it hard to believe that anyone with a fairly modern car doesn't know. Not caring is a whole different ball game.
Our MPS tells you.... in either litres or gallons per 100Km or 100Miles...I find it hard to believe that anyone with a fairly modern car doesn't know. Not caring is a whole different ball game.
It can be worked out to mpg (last time I bothered something like 18 on average) but not really worth it, just keep putting fuel in it.
No, life is to short.
Would I buy a 7.0 Dodge Truck to commute in, probably not, would I buy a diesel, probably not.
CLA works out MPG in L / 100 KM so I remain in ignorance of MPG, probably quite good as it just goes up and down the Autobahn mainly.
Spitfire has a little light that tells me its low on fuel, MPG I have no idea.
Vantage, I use my range display so I know when I need to visit a petrol station.
Would I buy a 7.0 Dodge Truck to commute in, probably not, would I buy a diesel, probably not.
CLA works out MPG in L / 100 KM so I remain in ignorance of MPG, probably quite good as it just goes up and down the Autobahn mainly.
Spitfire has a little light that tells me its low on fuel, MPG I have no idea.
Vantage, I use my range display so I know when I need to visit a petrol station.
Digby said:
Someone once told me "real" petrolheads never know and never try to figure it out. 
I've heard people say that real petrolheads don't have time to look under the bonnet too - Clarkson is responsible for a lot of people thinking they count as a "petrolhead" simply because they watch Top Gear I would say that any petrolhead knows the useable size of their fuel tank, and the range that will get them in various scenarios. I.e. cruise, pootle, mixed hoon, full hoon, and therefore knows their mpg even if they don't bang on about it.
I'm yet to meet a petrolhead (in person) who doesn't know the above and can't do basic engine maintenance and repairs, but I'm sure others would think I'm not a petrolhead because i can't identify every Ferrari type ever made at 100 yards :lol:
All we can say is that "a love of cars and driving" is the only common factor that defines all petrolheads.
M1C said:
This thread comes across as a bit "ugga bugga me not care about mpg, me drive big fast car, me REAL petrolhead"
I'm a petrolhead, i am interested in mpg too. You can be both!
Is it not caring, or knowing the score and accepting?I'm a petrolhead, i am interested in mpg too. You can be both!
As for the tarzanspeak, enough already
and why just the one car 
I like to know what the cars will do, I can't say it's particularly important to me though.
When I ordered the M135i, the first thing my father in law (who thinks he knows about cars) asked me was the expected mpg, I had no idea! I'd not even looked.
Sometimes I'll try eco mode on a commute and divert from the boredom by seeing how high I can get it whilst still making progress. Normally I end up around 26/27 instead of the usual 21/22. It's not worth it.
Other times mpg has stood out was with the Cayenne Turbo. I had prepared myself for high fuel bills, but it still took me by surprise. Circa 250 miles for £130 (12-13mpg) got boring quickly.
When I ordered the M135i, the first thing my father in law (who thinks he knows about cars) asked me was the expected mpg, I had no idea! I'd not even looked.
Sometimes I'll try eco mode on a commute and divert from the boredom by seeing how high I can get it whilst still making progress. Normally I end up around 26/27 instead of the usual 21/22. It's not worth it.
Other times mpg has stood out was with the Cayenne Turbo. I had prepared myself for high fuel bills, but it still took me by surprise. Circa 250 miles for £130 (12-13mpg) got boring quickly.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff