Do you work out your EXACT mpg?
Do you work out your EXACT mpg?
Author
Discussion

Rollcage

Original Poster:

11,345 posts

223 months

Thursday 25th March 2010
quotequote all
So, who works out their MPG exactly, and do you do it every time, most of the time, sometimes or never?


I have just worked out my last tank was 46.6 mpg, so not too bad (depending on your point of view smile ), but do many people actually bother to work out their mpg, or in these days of trip computers is it all a bit unnecessary?

It is pretty rare for me to fill up, but a new job has meant a return to the world of commuting and so I will get into the habit again and will continue to do so. I bought an old Opel Monza many years ago, and the old boy I bought it off had recorded every journey he had made in it, and also noted every drop of fuel and worked out the average by tank and also cumulatively.

Any one else that obsessive?


(I would post a poll, but dont seem to be able to!)

Shropshiremike

24,494 posts

234 months

Thursday 25th March 2010
quotequote all
Rollcage said:
So, who works out their MPG exactly, and do you do it every time, most of the time, sometimes or never?


I have just worked out my last tank was 46.6 mpg, so not too bad (depending on your point of view smile ), but do many people actually bother to work out their mpg, or in these days of trip computers is it all a bit unnecessary?

It is pretty rare for me to fill up, but a new job has meant a return to the world of commuting and so I will get into the habit again and will continue to do so. I bought an old Opel Monza many years ago, and the old boy I bought it off had recorded every journey he had made in it, and also noted every drop of fuel and worked out the average by tank and also cumulatively.

Any one else that obsessive?


(I would post a poll, but dont seem to be able to!)
I do it every now and then - you can't rely on trip computers generally. On some cars you can recalibrate them and it's worth checking every now and then if you're bothered about accuracy

Beirut Taxi

6,636 posts

245 months

Thursday 25th March 2010
quotequote all
I don't bother working it out most of the time. I normally cringe when I see the result.

Edited by Beirut Taxi on Thursday 25th March 23:43

busta

4,504 posts

264 months

Thursday 25th March 2010
quotequote all
I occasionally do it in my head quickly but getting 28mpg from a TDI gets depressing if I do it too often.

Hollywood Wheels

3,689 posts

261 months

Thursday 25th March 2010
quotequote all
Couldn't give a st. Why? Are you going to sell your car if it's 'too high'?

rfn

4,609 posts

238 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I calculate my MPG from every tankful.

In fact I have a spreadsheet for each of my previous & current cars which does it for me - including average MPG, total miles etc, average per fill up.

I now use the "RoadTrip" app on my iPhone which is brilliant (I find) for calculation costs, expenses etc.

I think it comes from when I started driving, doing 35-40k per year, and doing 55mpg instead of 45mpg could save me a fair amount of money.

It's a bit obsessive I think, but doesn't stop me wink

otolith

69,559 posts

235 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I've an iPhone app that I stick miles and litres in. I used to scrawl on the back of fuel receipts and stuff them in the glovebox - eventually taking them all in and keying them into a spreadsheet.

Dale19

520 posts

223 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
On my old car the trip was 100% accurate on the numerous times i worked it out, so didnt bother.

Done it a couple of times in the current car, but cant really be arsed now as i dont care that much, just occasionally reset the trip and see roughly what i`m doing per 1/4 tank, so i`ll notice if it drops a lot due to a fault.

Mr E Driver

8,542 posts

215 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I have had my current car for 15 months and in that time I have done about 13k miles and the computer has always been showing 36.2 (IIRC) and I did a check for the first time on the last tankful of 75/25 motorway/town ratio and I did 42.8
I was quite pleased as the motorway driving was usually over normal leptons smile I can drive econonically if I want to but I soon get bored after a while.

kambites

71,659 posts

252 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
My car doesn't have a trip computer so if I want to know the MPG I work it out manually. The fuel gauge is also so rubbish that I tend to reset the trip odometer every fill up as a backup which means I pretty much automatically work out the fuel consumption every time I fill up.

Every car that I've ever had with an economy readout has actually been pessimistic rather than optimistic, although that is only a sample of two.

Edited by kambites on Friday 26th March 08:13

james_tigerwoods

16,347 posts

228 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
rfn said:
In fact I have a spreadsheet
Me too. Have done for years....

55mpg on a VW TDi? bks....

Dr.Doofenshmirtz

16,952 posts

231 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I do it every so often - it's a good indicator of your engines health, that and checking the colour of the plugs smile Yep - I'm old skool.

Rocksteadyeddie

7,971 posts

258 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
rfn said:
I calculate my MPG from every tankful.

In fact I have a spreadsheet for each of my previous & current cars which does it for me - including average MPG, total miles etc, average per fill up.

I now use the "RoadTrip" app on my iPhone which is brilliant (I find) for calculation costs, expenses etc.

I think it comes from when I started driving, doing 35-40k per year, and doing 55mpg instead of 45mpg could save me a fair amount of money.

It's a bit obsessive I think, but doesn't stop me wink
yes

Pints

18,451 posts

225 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
james_tigerwoods said:
rfn said:
In fact I have a spreadsheet
Me too. Have done for years....

55mpg on a VW TDi? bks....
Another spreadsheeter here. It's graphed and all! Includes cost/mile, actual MPG, OBC MPG and average daily cost. nerd

JRM Rossi

703 posts

220 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
My trucks has has a lpg problem @ the moment,So i worked out my mpg towing BAD MOVE 12MPG ! Was getting 24 on gas which was not too bad I have been looking @ other trucks to replace my dodge but cant find thing that comes close £ 4 £

DodgeRam Van Man

126 posts

207 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I use http://www.fuelly.com/ to work it out for me. Nothing you can't do with a spreadsheet, but you can compare the mpg of other similar cars which can be interesting (if you like that sort of thing!)

Cooper1999

326 posts

230 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
I do this nearly every tankful - it helped me realise there was a problem with the car once (increased comsumption).

havoc

33,496 posts

266 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
Spreadsheets?!? Thanks guys...I don't feel quite so bad now about working it out (in my head) to within 0.5mpg. biggrin


Oh, and I don't trust trip computers either...they lie!

smn159

16,106 posts

248 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
Spreadsheet here too, calculated by filling the tank each time and using the trip counter.

I can tell you that my 968 has averaged 27.86mpg over the past year on my daily 56 mile commute...

Ranger 6

7,728 posts

280 months

Friday 26th March 2010
quotequote all
Pints said:
james_tigerwoods said:
rfn said:
In fact I have a spreadsheet
Me too. Have done for years....

55mpg on a VW TDi? bks....
Another spreadsheeter here. It's graphed and all! Includes cost/mile, actual MPG, OBC MPG and average daily cost. nerd
...and here. I also include servicing, repairs and general expenditure with buying/selling prices to include depreciation and give TCO costs.

Oh yes - 55mpg from a VW TDi - bks here too hehe