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New owner, low gas mileage!

8K views 41 replies 22 participants last post by  Jimmyglendale 
#1 ·
Just purchased a 2007 RTS 6 weeks ago with 69,000 miles. I live in PA and so far i'm getting around 13-14 MPG per tank. While this is a slight increase from my 2001 Dodge Durango (11.3 MPG), this is not what I was expecting.

Maybe I haven't learned the truck yet, meaning, how far can i go when the low fuel light comes on, etc. But a combo highway/city trip put less than 250 miles on a tank and now city driving has my tank at about 200-220 per tank.

I drive 7 miles to work, 14 miles round trip in small city like traffic. The rest of the mileage is around town for errands, etc.

Thoughts anyone? Advice? I am leaning towards synthetic oil as well.....
 
#2 ·
Most of PA is hilly and that is a killer for not getting completely warmed up. I commute about 4-5 miles and if that was the only driving I did I would get about 14 mpg. I have learned to lighten my foot a bit from this truck. My best mileage is on trips that take at least an hour and average speed is from 45-65 with not much stopping, then I can get in the 19.5 range even in these(PGH) hills.
 
#3 ·
Maybe not expected but having a shorter commute of 12 miles per trip and combined with some city miles 13-17 mpg is typical depending on the road conditions, traffic lights and driving habbits. Maybe less should be expected now that the winter gas formula will be the only one available at the gas stations.
 
#6 ·
Welcome to the ROC:cheerleader:
 
#10 ·
#40 ·
:act024::act024:

Well yes..... and no.... :act018:

I drive pretty much on flatlands and mine is all over the map too. I've actually gotten over 22 once and as low as 13.6. My overall avg is about 17 in three months of ownership. Im out of the city so my commutes are usally 20-40 miles RT, with some city driving sprinkled in. Been looking at that fuelly thing on everyone's sig here and might sign up myself. Wish it was better, but I love this truck too much to worry about it.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Well, I'd say I'm a bit envious of your mpg. You seem to get a lot of highway miles in, but I also note that your best mpg was with 2/3 city driving! ??

I have never topped the mid-21s, but have a number of 400+ mile tanks.

Makes me wonder what the results would be if we switched trucks for a tank of gas.

Ourfarm09:


Mine:
 
#13 ·
I figure that you, who get better mileage, must have to drive further to get the engine completely warmed up, I find solace there. If I have to drive 8 miles a day and get 14 mpg vs. driving 40-60 miles to get 18 mpg I am still using less gas per day.

That's my happy place, no spoilers please.
 
#14 ·
Most of my driving is between 45 and 65 mph. My city driving accounts for 5 red lights each way, its not a big city unless we go to Savannah. I do shut off the truck at longer red lights. The terrain here is all flat. As far as that 23+, I'm not sure that the city percentage is correct. I did get 23.1 an other time but that was all highway.

Not trying to hi-jack the thread here.
 
#15 ·
No, but those are good data points for the OP to consider.
 
#16 ·
So far, love my new (to me) Ridge. I mapped my work drive, my daily drive day consists of 3.2 miles one way with 11 lights and 3 Stop Signs. I understand the not warming up, etc. I lived with the crappy Durango mileage (11-12 mpg), I was just hoping with a new vehicle that I'd actually get above 15 mpg in town and possibly 18 mpg highway.

Thanks for all your comments :)
 
#24 ·
Yes, RL (4500 lbs) compared to Si (?? lbs) is a big change. (how many bales of straw did you haul in that Si anyway?) ;)

Your right foot is typically the biggest enemy of better mpg. And short trips. And towing.
 
#26 ·
Just purchased a 2007 RTS . I live in PA and so far i'm getting around 13-14 MPG per tank. While this is a slight increase from my 2001 Dodge Durango (11.3 MPG), this is not what I was expecting.
I bet you are expecting and are getting a much nicer ride!! :act035:

Welcome to the ROC!
 
#28 ·
You should be happy with that. I seem to be one of the highest mileage ones here and on fuelly, and you got me beat!!!:cheerleader:
 
#29 ·
Your mpg beats mine by far. And I get accused of driving like an old man. Of course, I resemble that remark. ;)

What is your normal driving environment, Ourfarm09? Mine is generally around town with some 45 and some 35 mph limits. Stoplights, traffic... the normal stuff for a town of around 100,000 people.
 
#30 ·
Most of our driving is 45 to 60 mph. Perfectly flat. Our in town commute consists mostly of 45 mph with 5 red lights. I turn off the truck at 2 of the long ones. We might hit the interstate once a month and my max is 74 mph. I would believe that these are the perfect conditions.
I use the cruise all of the time, even in town when I can.

What also helps is that my wife is a school bus driver and her bus is at the house and I am a bus technician and my daily vehicle belongs to the school system. The truck really only leave the house once or twice a week.

Don't tell the wife, but I get better mileage then she does, by about 2 mpg. She doesn't use the cruise.
 
#31 ·
I have 2 fill-ups on my 2012 RTL and got 15.9 and 15.8. My driving has been 60 mile round-trips to and from work with mix of divided highway and rural/suburban. The interesting thing is that the onboard computer overstated mileage by about 1 mpg on both fill-ups. I was getting about 18 on average with my Jeep Grand Cherokee (still well worth the trade)
 
#32 ·
I will say, it seems like my mileage dropped in the past few weeks. I put in a new battery and the girl installing it at Advance screwed up when installing the battery, I reprogrammed the computer when I got home to the learn process described in another thread but it didn't seem to change my mileage, I also installed new tires at the same time that I thought was affecting my mileage.I again did the relearn according to the service manual which seemed to help(it is different than what is posted on here). My mileage was 17city and 24 highway,after new battery my mileage was 13 city 16 hwy, after the relearn and a trip to ohio my mileage is back up to 16 city 23 highway, the 1 mile drop in mileage I'm blaming on the tires and possibly winter mix fuel.
 
#33 ·
Speaking of winter fuel mix... is there any such critter these days? I thought all gas contained up to 10% ethanol all the time now. Or is there something else reconfigured for winter in gas?
 
#35 ·
I do think they change the formulation and change the vapor points or something. But I don't recall the specifics nor how that would affect mpg.

I'm still running both my Hondas on 100% gas. The RL seems to show the most improvement.
 
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