What's your mpg?

[Dezines]

I just bought a 2010 Camaro LS with 38k. Looking at the mpg of 17/29, I expected to get around 20 as a minimum combined. I am on my 3rd tank and do about a 50/50 mix of city and highway. I have been taking it easy and not punching it too much and getting only 15 mpg with 87 gas and no mods.

I was going to put in 93 octane this past tank but decided against it because it was a $10 a tank difference and I didn't think I would see that much difference.

I would like to know what other LLT owners are getting. Please include your mods and octane you use.

[Burton]

I have a 2011 V6 ls with 80k and no mods except a catch can on the engine. First its 30 miles to my work. Its two miles on a side road to the highway, 26 miles on the highway then two miles again on a side road to my work place. As a experiment I drove all week exactly 55 mph using cruise control on the highway and 25-30 on the side roads to test my mileage. I got between 31 to 32 mpg. I did this more than once to be sure. If I dive at 65 mph it drops down to 27 mpg. These numbers were done by hand with the pump receipt figures and the car's onboard dash computer MPG number. Both always match each other. 87 octane is what I put in the tank (Also if it matters, it's all hills around here in New England (Massachusetts). Not a lot of flat land driving on my daily commute.)

[BlazeNGlory]

With minor mods (Airaid intake, VMAX Ported throttle body and Magnaflow axleback exhaust) using 87 octane, averaging around 16-17 mpg with mostly (80%) city driving.

[rtcat600man]

I have 101K on mine. I drive 35 miles each way to work. first 5 miles are 2 lane black top, speed limit 50 MPH, only 1 traffic light. I then get on the highway for a 25 mile stretch, setting the cruise at 70 MPH. Final 5 miles is a couple traffic lights speed limit of 40 - 50 MPH. I average 30+ MPG during the morning commute, and have checked often using the D.I.C. to evaluate MPG. The commute home is a whole other story as I have some fun going home.

Below are some of my MPG examples over the years.

My total MPG as of now is 24 MPG for the life of the Camaro as I have every fill up recorded on a spread sheet.

Mods are listed in my signature. I use 93 octane, I want every HP I can get, and anything less for octane starts to pull timing.

[seishuku]

Get 16.9MPG city, which is pretty much the only kind of driving my Camaro sees.

I've found that a 1-2-4-6 (45+MPH zone) or 1-2-4-5 (25MPH zone) shifts helps a lot, though that doesn't help auto owners...

[KenKat]

I get right around 20 mpg in my bone stock 2014 V6. That's mixed driving of about 50/50 city/highway.

[DK68]

I am getting around 23-24 mixed driving about. I am driving 26 miles one way to work everyday with 19 miles on the highway.

[Dezines]

Thanks for you comments.

Last week I installed the vararam ram air intake and after about 50 mi I reset the mpg calc on the car. I had a trip on Sunday that was a nice mix. I averaged 23 mpg and I am starting to think it is the city driving home from work that is KILLING my mpg. 2 big hills, lots of stop and go. ( I only work 3.5 mi from home). Construction has stopped on the exit to my house so I am thinking of going back to taking the highway both ways. I hope this helps...

[NilesW]

In Tampa, Fl. 2012 auto convertible. 90% heavy traffic with very long traffic lights. 89 octane, and moderate driving. Occasionally heavy foot. Car computer says 23 mpg over several tanks. I'm very sure that could improve if I ever got on a freeway that actually was moving.

[sdmaro]

18 mpg.. 93 octane, Injen SRI, Magnaflow catback and x-pipe, catless, BBK headers. All city traffic. Occasional spirited driving.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

22/23 MPG. Lots of traffic on the highways, car says I average 38mph on my trips (should average 70 or so).

If your MPGs are that bad, I would check to see if there is a lot of carbon buildup. Does that car have a catch-can?

I would run the higher octane too. I have written a bunch on the topic, and looking at the stock tune you really should be running 93 on these cars.

[Dezines]

Originally Posted by ChibiBlackSheep

22/23 MPG. Lots of traffic on the highways, car says I average 38mph on my trips (should average 70 or so).

If your MPGs are that bad, I would check to see if there is a lot of carbon buildup. Does that car have a catch-can?

I would run the higher octane too. I have written a bunch on the topic, and looking at the stock tune you really should be running 93 on these cars.

Thanks, no catch can. I was going to try 93 Octane last fill up but I didn't think I would see enough of a difference to make up the $10 cost. It is something I am going to eventually do. But I have also been doing mods and other changes. I want to get a GOOD baseline before switching so I can evaluate the benefits.

I have seen a lot about catch cans but did not understand what they do. I just looked it up and it looks like it goes between the engine and air inlet tube. This tube has been modded on my car (very recently, last week) and no longer feeds back into the intake. This is part of the Vararam Ram Air mod. A "breather" is put on the end of that hose. Those contaminates no longer have a way back into the engine. I think, I may have seen an improvement to mileage... but it is too early to be sure.

[rtcat600man]

Originally Posted by Dezines

Thanks, no catch can. I was going to try 93 Octane last fill up but I didn't think I would see enough of a difference to make up the $10 cost. It is something I am going to eventually do. But I have also been doing mods and other changes. I want to get a GOOD baseline before switching so I can evaluate the benefits.

I have seen a lot about catch cans but did not understand what they do. I just looked it up and it looks like it goes between the engine and air inlet tube. This tube has been modded on my car (very recently, last week) and no longer feeds back into the intake. This is part of the Vararam Ram Air mod. A "breather" is put on the end of that hose. Those contaminates no longer have a way back into the engine. I think, I may have seen an improvement to mileage... but it is too early to be sure.

Keep doing more research on the catch can. What you describe is the clean side return. The catch can goes between the PCV and the intake manifold, on what is known as the dirty side. The idea behind the catch can is it helps remove oil droplets and vapor from entering the intake manifold. I have seen it prevent as much as 1 ounce of oil per 1000 miles. Since I have had the can in place, I have stopped over 88 ounces of GUNK entering my intake manifold and coating my valves, and since no fuel passes over the valves to keep them clean, a CATCH CAN is a must for Direct Injected engines.

[ChibiBlackSheep]

Originally Posted by Dezines

Thanks, no catch can. I was going to try 93 Octane last fill up but I didn't think I would see enough of a difference to make up the $10 cost. It is something I am going to eventually do. But I have also been doing mods and other changes. I want to get a GOOD baseline before switching so I can evaluate the benefits.

Don't switch the octane just for the MPG benefits, these engines are a very high compression. Very high compression and knock are NOT a good combination.

The stock tune knocks like crazy, you need to be running premium in the engine from the start, for the health of the engine.

GM put a low octane tune in the car to get it to run on regular, but that does not mean it runs well on regular. They pull so much timing out of it, and it still knocks way more than I would ever want to see on an engine.

You mention modifications and spending money in a quest to save money at the pump. Is that really worth it? Seems odd to be wary of $10 at the pump, but willing to dump money on a modification. I highly recommend just switching to premium now, unplugging the battery for an hour to reset the fuel trims, and sticking with premium for the life of the car.