Seen From My 2011 Cruze Today MPG...

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MrCritical

MrCritical

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9700 miles on the odometer. 2LT package with 6AT. 200 mile round trip on interstate. Had 1/4 tank 87 octane top tier fuel when I left. As soon as I got on the interstate and tranny shifted into 6th gear, I reset the mpg calculator. 70mph, no stops, hilly terrain. No a/c, 31.9 mpg. Quit calculating when I exited the interstate. Filled up with 93 octane Top Tier fuel. Same reset on mpg calculator, same cruise speed, ect. Got back home 37.6 mpg. Had tried experiment before with 89 octane. Could see no verifiable difference. Just an fyi.
 
93 octane yields better fuel economy in my Cruze also. I've done my commute on a few tanks of regular and again on premium. The premium got about 3-4 mpg better for me, or enough where it saved a few nickels over regular. Less time spent fueling is another bonus. Recall the EPA fuel economy tests specify 91 octane. Turbo engines especially like 91 octane, so it's not surprising that you got better fuel economy on 93 than on 87. Car and Driver did too, IIRC.
 
I just drove my 2011 Cruze 1LT with 1.4T and 6 speed A/T from NY to Florida and back with about 800 additional miles driving around Florida. I averaged about 32.5 on the highway doing 75 most of the time. As I said in another thread...not bad, not great. The 2012 Focus that I rented in Texas last October got about 38 driving it the same way. I think that GM should have used a 1.6 turbo rather than a 1.4 so that the turbo wouldn't engage on the highway until after 75 mph..(this is just my opinion). I don't know if I trust the new technology in the Focus's A/T enough to buy one but I did like the car. The Cruze is a very nice road car and is very well screwed together....it reminds me of a European car qualitywise.
 
Originally Posted By: jmsjags
you may have been going downhill on the trip back (or uphill on the way there). did you check elevation?
It's Louisiana. Basically no elevation. The interstate is separated by about fifty feet one way from another. Any elevation is maybe 100 yards or so long. It evens out. You could also factor 1/4 tank going vs a full tank coming back weight wise.
 
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Remember that the EPA uses 93 octane gasoline without ethanol as the test fuel. Even with the recent adjustments to the MPG's on the window sticker, your results will probably be less. A turbo, producing boost during cruise can, if properly sized, end up as a net gain in efficiency. The exhaust energy is converted into intake manifold pressure. It is actually possible (and likely in the right setup) to achieve more intake manifold pressure than exhaust pressure. Thereby reducing pumping losses, by (put very simply) pushing the piston down on the intake stroke. It's more complex than that, but you get the idea.
 
I am not surprised by the results. If it was me the car would only get Shell 93 V-power. flamesuit on/ Honestly I fill every car I drive with V power no matter what kind of car it is. flamesuit off/
 
With the carbon problems the DI cars are having, the top tier fuels just make sense...
 
Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Everthing I drive gets premium. The 4 to 10 bucks a tank on fill up comes out in the wash.
Premium isn't good enough. It has to be Top Tier as well.
 
Yeah but its an economy car it should run fine on cheap fuel. My moms ancient 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass used to get 31-32 mpg driving down to FL with the whole family in the car 12 years ago, and that had a V6 and only got the cheapest of fuel. These modern little cars should be getting 40+.
 
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They were designed where the cheapest of fuel would allow them to get by. Now it will clog fuel injectors, build up carbon on valves, and cause all kinds of driveability problems. The 10-20 cents you save per gallon will seen like nothing when your dealer gives you a big bill for fuel related problems not covered under your factory warranty. The minimum allowable additives that most cheaper fuels have won't prevent driveablity problems. That's why most manufacturers have warned owners in writing: Burn them in your fuel tank at your own risk, not ours.
 
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
With the carbon problems the DI cars are having, the top tier fuels just make sense...
Huh? What does the carbon problems that DI cars having make you think that Top tier fuel will help them? Esp when the fuel does NOT GET NEAR the valves? As someone who does NOT run top tier and never had a single injector problem with many vehicles over hundreds of thousands of miles in normal motors I'd like to hear how normal fuel causes the deposits in DI motors. Thanks, Bill
 
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
With the carbon problems the DI cars are having, the top tier fuels just make sense...
Huh? What does the carbon problems that DI cars having make you think that Top tier fuel will help them? Esp when the fuel does NOT GET NEAR the valves? As someone who does NOT run top tier and never had a single injector problem with many vehicles over hundreds of thousands of miles in normal motors I'd like to hear how normal fuel causes the deposits in DI motors. Thanks, Bill
Not to mention the cruze doesn't even use DI at all. =\
 
The Cruze isn't DI. GM's website incorrectly lists it as DI. It's still has good ol' port injection. Really, it's a very traditional powertrain. A port-injected, turbocharged gasoline engine mated to either a conventional torque-converter automatic or a manual. There's not much new there. Also, the 2011 Cruzes are known to be worse on gas than the 2012's. GM had a ridiculously high final drive ratio in the 2011's that was lowered quite a bit for the 2012's (automatic, the manual stayed the same since it already was lower). The 2011 owners are always complaining about gas mileage, while the 2012 owners aren't due to the lower FDR in the 2012 AT cars.
 
3.83 to 3.53 is hardly "ridiculous". I know the Cruze isn't DI, but the driveablity problems caused by non top tier fuel problems are still real. BMW,GM, Toyota, Honda, Audi, and VW all recommend the top tier fuels.
 
Most of my modern vehicles have experienced better fuel economy on premium. Even my regular ol' Camry. Most modern engines have enough room in the timing maps that the timing will advance further on premium compared with regular, usually yielding better economy. I haven't yet tried premium in the Honda, but I might soon.
 
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
3.83 to 3.53 is hardly "ridiculous". I know the Cruze isn't DI, but the driveablity problems caused by non top tier fuel problems are still real. BMW,GM, Toyota, Honda, Audi, and VW all recommend the top tier fuels.
Thank you for ignoring the question and facts of DI and top tier fuel. duh Bill
 
There are very few Top Tier gas stations in my area. Mobil is the only one, and the Mobil station in town is filthy. I'll fill up in a Mobil a few towns over since that station gets lots of turnover, and is kept up well. In town, the non-Top Tier stations are much busier and cleaner than the Mobil. I fill up at those stations in town. I haven't noticed a difference between the Mobil and the other stations.
 
Originally Posted By: sciphi
There are very few Top Tier gas stations in my area. Mobil is the only one, and the Mobil station in town is filthy. I'll fill up in a Mobil a few towns over since that station gets lots of turnover, and is kept up well. In town, the non-Top Tier stations are much busier and cleaner than the Mobil. I fill up at those stations in town. I haven't noticed a difference between the Mobil and the other stations.
Same here. The only top tier fuel station I have is 45 miles north of me. I have the options of a fairly clean Mobil station, Gulf, lot's of Stewarts, and HESS. Not much to choose from really. I usually get it at the mobil station because they usually have the cheapest premium. The nox usually gets Gulf, because it's the cheapest regular.
 
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