Just bought a 6mt sedan last week and have burned through my first tank of (dealer supplied) gas. I've put 303 miles on her so far and the "gas light" just popped on. Good Lord I hope the poor mileage is due to the fact that the car isn't broken in yet AND because the dealer most likely got cheap and filled her up with Regular Octane. I know it's a sports car, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get my mileage up to 22-23 MPG.

Did any of you notice poor mileage with your first few tanks? Did it improve with age? Dare I ask, could it be my driving style???

 

After posting the message, I discovered that this mileage actually isn't that bad at all. I was under the impression that I would be pumping 20 gallons into the tank, which would translate to 15 MPG. It looks like most of you put between 16-17 gallons in on average, which (in my case) would translate to 18MPG. I expect that once I get 3000 miles on her, change the oil, and give her a steady diet of premium octane, I'll be able to get in the 22MPG range. I live in a rural part of Seattle where I don't get stuck in the bumper to bumper traffic. I'll be driving 125 miles per day with an average speed of >50.

Sorry to respond to my own post.

 

1/ The gas may have been regular
2/ The tank may not have been full
3/ It's a new engine that needs to be broken in
4/ Driving style has a lot to do with mileage
5/ Low fuel warning lights can come on arbitrarilly
6/ Gas gauges are notoriously inaccurate
7/ .. and finally, 'guess-timating' gas mileage is....well, a guess.

You did 303 miles, but to know your mileage, you have to know how much fuel went back into the tank.
More than that, in order to do an accurate check, the tank has to be filled properly to the top b4 you start, and subsequently filled to the top again on refilling. --

*Refilling must be done carefully due to difficulty in 'topping off' the tank.

Then it's an easy calculation of dividing the miles by the gallons to obtain your true MPG's.

I suggest not worrying about it until your engine is well broken in.

C.

 

Just finished my first tank as well.

1 - mix of city and highway driving
2 - as fast as 80mph and as slow as sitting in traffic
3 - never exceeded 4000RPM
4 - tried to not 'get on it'

I put in 14.7 gallons after traveling 317 miles for 21.5 MPG. Not bad.

 

With 225 miles on the clock, I am halfway through my tank of dealer installed gas. They filled it at 72 miles. So far, I don't think it is terrible. It's on par with the 2003 Maxima I traded in on the X. I must say though, driving this car is a pleasure. Seats are awesome, steering is great, and the sound of the engine is just right. I took it for a ride to the airport to drop off the wife, and was very impressed at how it handled the on/off ramps. If I get 17mpg I will be ecstatic. This is a SPORTS sedan in every way. I am just thinking to myself...why did I wait so long to get one?

 

RichK

5AT or 6MT?

Congrats on your new car!

 

It's a 5AT with the sport shift. BTW, the rev matching of the sport shift is the coolest feature I have encountered on a new car. Tried it today a little and it is exactly like a stick without the clutch. Well done Infiniti!

 

Agree about the rev matching... Cool stuff. Don't miss the manual at all. hehe..

A buddy of mine has an 2002 Acura TL S-Type. A few mods and very well maintained - he's a car nut (aren't we all) and takes good care of his car. He's freaking green right now. I took him for a ride and was running manual shift mode and he noticed it right away..

"how the hell did you do that" says he...

"G magic" says me..

LOL..

 

When the low fuel light pops on you usually have at least 2 gallons left.

 

After 1200+ miles on my G and 4 fillups or 5 I forgot, my avg mpg is still 16. Regardless, even if I had alot of highway miles between or mainly city. I also don't push it hard, rarely go over 4,000 rpm. I've been feeding it the premium supreme gas too. Go figure. Have no idea how you guys manage 20+ mpg.

 

What's your tire pressure?

 

I wish my tank said 225 at half full! Check again! Mine says 110-120 at half full and the light comes on at 240. Your light doesn't come on until 450 miles? no way.

I get about 14-15 miles per gallon, no highway miles. 1.5 mile trip to work and back.

 

Very first tank I think I got 19 on average. I have gotten as high as 22. I now have 2800 miles on it and it is winter time. I figure I will get 23-24 in the summer with synthetic oil

 

That's your problem - you don't drive far enough for the engine to operate at an optimal temperature and/or speed for any length of time. My commute is about 3 or 4 miles each way - I'll be curious about my own mileage because I think I'll be right at the lower-edge of reaching an efficient engine speed/temp combination.

 

That's your problem right there. First highway is where you get the best mileage, particularly if you keep your speed constant. Also a 1.5 mile trip to work is way too short. The engine hasn't even warmed up yet. You can 't really expect to get very good mileage.