[allmet33]

Having put just over 100 miles on our new Outlook since this past Tuesday, I flipped through the trip computer and checked out the gas mileage. I was astonished to see it read about 9 mpg!!! I filled up, which cost me $32 (the tank wasn't quite on half a tank yet...gas was $2.99/gal.). From last night driving home and then driving into work this morning, I checked again and the gas mileage is at about 12 mpg. The driving we have been doing has not been all city or all highway driving, it's been a mix. I certainly expected better numbers than that!!! hno:

Anyone else having an MPG issue??? ???

 

[gig229]

allmet33,

I don't have an Acadia/Outlook yet, but I can give you some insight as to why your mileage is low: First, your Outlook is new. The engine is tight and still needs to break in. I wouldn't make any judgement until you have about 5000 miles or so; it depends on how long your engine will need to break in but 5000 miles is reasonable. Second, once you hit 3,000 miles, I would change over to 100% synthetic oil - Amsoil is what I use in my wife's 2004 Mustang. It's more expensive, but the car runs much smoother and gets better gas mileage. From what I read about the Lambda SUVs, the 3.6 is shipped with mineral oil so switching to synthetic will definitely reduce the wear, make the engine run smooth, and contribute to better gas mileage. Also, what type of gas are you using? I use only 92 octane (premium). My Firebird runs better and gets better gas mileage with premium gas. It knocks sometimes with the cheap gas and I do get less gas mileage.

I tend to keep my cars 10+ years. Using high quality oil, changing it regularly, and using good gas will make your engine last a lot longer and run better.

 

[Boltbacker]

It only gives you accurate mileage for about 5 mins or so then stops for some reason.

 

[boylem002]

Having put just over 100 miles on our new Outlook since this past Tuesday, I flipped through the trip computer and checked out the gas mileage. I was astonished to see it read about 9 mpg!!! I filled up, which cost me $32 (the tank wasn't quite on half a tank yet...gas was $2.99/gal.). From last night driving home and then driving into work this morning, I checked again and the gas mileage is at about 12 mpg. The driving we have been doing has not been all city or all highway driving, it's been a mix. I certainly expected better numbers than that!!! hno:

Anyone else having an MPG issue??? ???

Did you reset it when you filled up? You should reset it each time you fill up. The mileage when you are stopped is 0mpg, so any stopped time is really hurting the average reading. also, when you're on the freeway, you're probably getting the best mileage you're going to get, so reset it once you get to freeway speed (like on a long trip) to get a good 'guage' on your freeway mileage. Stop and go will kill your mileage, but it won't be much less than around 13mpg. The average reading is only useful for same-situation driving, like on a long freeway drive.

 

[czar97]

I strongly urge everyone to hand calcuate their gas mileage. I would also encourage you to check it against the driver information center just to see how close it comes in to the actual hand calculated numbrers.

I'm sure you all know how to do this, but here it is anyway. I usually fill up the tank by locking the pump about three quarters on (this would be the setting just before full on). Then once the pump clicks off, wait a few seconds for the gas in the neck of the gas tank empty into the tank. Then pump, without locking the handle, at half speed until the pump kicks off again. Then you're done.

Take the gallons that you just put in and divide it by the trip (how far you've traveled). That's your previous tank's average mileage. Then the best part is to compare it to what the fancy computer (DIC) is telling you your gas mileage was.

Sounds very particular, I know. But it's a pretty acurate method.

 

[allmet33]

Czar97...you are correct, hand calculating is a much more accurate method. I like the info center on the Outlook because it provides you with a very key variable...fuel used! After finding this and using the mileage to calculate the MPG...it came out much, much better. Without that fuel used info, using the amount on the pump when you fill up will get you close, but you don't know how much fuel you actually used from the last fill up till this one because you will never fill it up the same two times in a row...even if you go till you get to the first click off.

Anyway, I have found the numbers to be very dead on and think they can get better.

 

[snobrd]

First short trip
Went to visit family. Nothing in the car but me, the wife and golf clubs.
Cruise on 65 flat expressway no inclines,round trip
Ok I know its not a long trip and it was on flat land,but it is really good mileage.
106.6 miles and 3.7 gallons of gas = 28.8 miles per gallon.

 

[Tom H]

Czar97...you are correct, hand calculating is a much more accurate method. I like the info center on the Outlook because it provides you with a very key variable...fuel used! After finding this and using the mileage to calculate the MPG...it came out much, much better. Without that fuel used info, using the amount on the pump when you fill up will get you close, but you don't know how much fuel you actually used from the last fill up till this one because you will never fill it up the same two times in a row...even if you go till you get to the first click off.

Anyway, I have found the numbers to be very dead on and think they can get better.

allmet33,
The fuel used is always available from the gas pump reading. It has to be accurate by law. All that is necessary is to record your odometer reading after a complete fill up. On the next fill up record the miles traveled (current odometer reading minus the reading at last fill). Then note the amount of fuel put into tank on new fill up as indicated on the pump. Divide the miles driven by the gallons used to get your MPG rating.

On the other hand todays computer controlled fuel injection systems generally have very accurate metering and monitoring of fuel usage. Your DIC readings should be giving you highly accurate readings of fuel consumption.

Opinion - I prefer the instantaneous MPG readings of the recent past model year vehicles. The one in my 2004 Volvo XC70 is very helpful in monitoring the effects of speed and throttle technique. It's interesting to observe that I can always get a 1 to 2 MPG improvement by using the cruise control. Todays modern cruise control systems precisely control fuel usage, using the exact amount of fuel necessary to maintain the set speed. They also act almost instantaneously to irregularities in the road surface and make adjustments far faster than a human can.

I have observed in my last 3 cars with this feature that most cars fuel economy is optimized at 55 MPH. In the Volvo, I loose 1 MPG efficiency when going from 55MPH to 65MPH. I loosed roughly 2+ MPG when going 70 ~ 75MPH. I saw this same effect in my last Toyota Highlander and in the wife's Volvo S60. I wish the Acadia/Outlook had the instantaneous MPG function on the DIC.

 

[allmet33]

By law, the pump only has to tell you how much gas has been dispensed, that doens't accurately tell you how much gas you used. You will never fill the tank up the same way twice even if you go by the clicks. Sometimes the pump will click if gas is being pumped too fast and the foam up hits it. So you might not have as much in there even if it's "full" than you had previously. Not saying it'll be off by a large number or anything, but not as accurate as the onboard computer that tells you how much fuel you used since your last fill up.

It's no big secret that any settings on a car are optimized for 55 mph since that was the average speed for most highways in the country for a kabillion years. Now that you see more speeds of 60 mph up to 75 mph, they need to average that out and make the settings to optimize at a speed of say 65 mph since that's what most folks are doing on the highways any way.

 

[SUPERPOWERS]

I just got my Outlook and I am not very satisfied with the mileage. I have a 2007 AWD with the dual exhaust. It is rated at 17/24 mpg.

The first tank, city driving and 90 miles of highway driving but at 80 mph. That tank was 12.8mpg. I drove the Outlook.

Next tank almost all highway. 250 miles highway and 70 miles of city. The highway driving was at 80-85mph. That tank was 16.9mpg. That tank also had an average mileage of 39mph which seems slow considering how fast I went on the highway. Wife drove this tank.

I sure hope that it gets better. I traded my very nice Tahoe for this thing because of the gas mileage.

 

[akpeper]

I think the MPG you get depends a lot on your driving habits(e.g. how fast you accelerate), we have put on about 2k and the last three trips (highway over 70 and 80, mixed, highway kept it at just under 65) we got approximately 20, 19.8, and 25.

I have read on other posts and it seems to me that once you start getting above 65 mph on the highway it drastically impacts your MPG.

 

[tk421]

I just got my Outlook and I am not very satisfied with the mileage. I have a 2007 AWD with the dual exhaust. It is rated at 17/24 mpg.

The first tank, city driving and 90 miles of highway driving but at 80 mph. That tank was 12.8mpg. I drove the Outlook.

Next tank almost all highway. 250 miles highway and 70 miles of city. The highway driving was at 80-85mph. That tank was 16.9mpg. That tank also had an average mileage of 39mph which seems slow considering how fast I went on the highway. Wife drove this tank.

I sure hope that it gets better. I traded my very nice Tahoe for this thing because of the gas mileage.

First off, the 2007 mpg ratings are unrealistic. The 2008 AWDs are rated at 15/22 with the new EPA mpg ratings. Secondly, you can't even begin to sniff the true mpg of a vehicle until you have at least a couple thousand miles on it. I usually withhold judgement until 5000 miles once the engine is truly broken in. And the mpg ratings for highway are set at 65mph. If you're going 80-85, you're probably not going to see 22 mpg.

 

[compnurd]

08 AWD is 16/22.

My MPG is slowly going up. Started at 16 average (mostly rural driving). Just passed 2k and am averaging 19 now. I suspect i will keep going up for awhile.

The A/C seems to take a nasty hit on the MPG so keep your eye on that. Also driving 60-70 will help on highways. Driving 80 will only hurt you

 

[darrell_f]

It will improve, but don't expect much. Gas mileage is the only disappointment that I have with my Outlook. When new, I could not get above 16 mpg; with about 5000 miles and one oil change, it is now up to only 18 mpg. It's really not much better than I got with my 8 cyl Tahoe.

Darrell_F

 

[8seater]

I purchased my Saturn XR in December 2006. I was pleased with the highway mileage (25-26 mpg @ 65-70mph). Since October 2007, the mileage has slipped to 19-20 mpg on the highway (same freeway). The dealership re-calibrated the 6-spd transmission around the same time. What would cause a 5 mpg drop? Tires, air filters and weather cannot add up to this change. My previous 3.6L (same engine but in the Buick Lacrosse with a 4spd transmission) had 60,000 miles and never fluctuated. I would average 25-26 on the highway. Can anyone explain?

 

[ABCMom]

I bought my 2007 Outlook XE AWD in June 07. I have consistently got 13 mpg. When my transmission was reprogrammed in September, it caused some issues that made it impossible to calculate the mpg realistically and I don't have the DIC

Recently it has started to seem like it's going up. Whether it's because I don't drive much anymore unless it's freeway driving, or something is actually changing, I don't know. I would love to get more than 13 mpg!

 

[f3qu3t]

I bought my 2007 Outlook XE AWD in June 07. I have consistently got 13 mpg. When my transmission was reprogrammed in September, it caused some issues that made it impossible to calculate the mpg realistically and I don't have the DIC

Recently it has started to seem like it's going up. Whether it's because I don't drive much anymore unless it's freeway driving, or something is actually changing, I don't know. I would love to get more than 13 mpg!

How can you not calculate mpg realistically?

 

[VMMVMMM]

I bought my 2007 Outlook XE AWD in June 07. I have consistently got 13 mpg. When my transmission was reprogrammed in September, it caused some issues that made it impossible to calculate the mpg realistically and I don't have the DIC

Recently it has started to seem like it's going up. Whether it's because I don't drive much anymore unless it's freeway driving, or something is actually changing, I don't know. I would love to get more than 13 mpg!

Something is wrong with either your car or your calculation. There is someone else trolling the forum claiming that the Lambdas don't get more than 13 mpg, but this is the first time I have heard of anyone else experiencing that. These cars consistently get far better than 13 mpg, I don't think I have ever seen mine that low, even in heavy stop and go traffic.

 

[tk421]

Obviously it depends on your driving style. My wife is pretty much strictly a city driver, and gets about 14.4 mpg. I'm a little disappointed in that. I understand how the HWY mpg can vary based on your speeds, but I would think that city ought to be awfully close to the 16mpg that it's rated.

 

[ABCMom]

How can you not calculate mpg realistically?

When the reprogrammed my computer in Sept 07 it affected my odometer. I made a 150 mile trip and my car only registered 48.9 miles. I didn't notice it for sometime though. When I filled up after the reprogram, I thought maybe they had reset my odometer while they were working on it as it only showed 131 miles for that tank. Once I went thru that tank of gas and my odometer only registered 74 miles, I knew something was wrong. So I reset it, drove 150 miles and checked it. It was at 48.9 miles.

On another note, I filled up today and got 18mpg! :thumb: