[bzzzp]

I'm experiencing some rather poor gas mileage. 14L/100km or 16MPG average. That works out to 330-380km per fill and i'm getting flack from SO about it.

Many of the miles are very short trips (<5km) and consists mostly of shuttling the family back and forth between school, playdates, parents and shopping trips nearby with highway on the weekends between neighbouring cities (20-30km each way kind of thing) when we go out for fun as a family.

Perhaps the short runs don't really give the car sufficient time to get up to operating temperature has something to do with it? During these short trips, the car is driven very lightly. It's only on the longer trips when the car has a chance to warn up before I really step on it.

FWIW, It's factory stock (M Performance edition) with MPE and MPK w/8spd auto. Car has ~13,000km on it (bought it at 10k) and run with 91-94 octane fuel.

I'll ask the dealer at the next service, but figure someone here might have some ideas?

[Emilim]

14l/100km sounds about right if you're mostly doing city driving and if most trips are short hops. That's pretty much the worst case scenario for fuel consumption.

[DerekS]

Originally Posted by bzzzp

I'm experiencing some rather poor gas mileage. 14L/100km or 16MPG average. That works out to 330-380km per fill and i'm getting flack from SO about it.

Many of the miles are very short trips (<5km) and consists mostly of shuttling the family back and forth between school, playdates, parents and shopping trips nearby with highway on the weekends between neighbouring cities (20-30km each way kind of thing) when we go out for fun as a family.

Perhaps the short runs don't really give the car sufficient time to get up to operating temperature has something to do with it? During these short trips, the car is driven very lightly. It's only on the longer trips when the car has a chance to warn up before I really step on it.

FWIW, It's factory stock (M Performance edition) with MPE and MPK w/8spd auto. Car has ~13,000km on it (bought it at 10k) and run with 91-94 octane fuel.

I'll ask the dealer at the next service, but figure someone here might have some ideas?

Having owned a twin to your car, except my 335i was RWD without the M Performance upgrade, I well recall the disappointing fuel economy for urban short trips. Your are correct: short trips of less than 5km don't really give the engine time to fully warm up. Only on longer highway trips did my 335i come close to meeting the advertised fuel economy.

[bzzzp]

Alright, well I guess as long as it's in range of what others are seeing. I do wish the fuel tank was a little bigger though. Being at the pump every week makes it feel worse :P

OK, so a related question: It sounds like hybrid drive is the most economical in these scenarios. How does diesel or the 4cyl models fair for this kind of usage pattern in comparison?

[DerekS]

Originally Posted by bzzzp

OK, so a related question: It sounds like hybrid drive is the most economical in these scenarios. How does diesel or the 4cyl models fair for this kind of usage pattern in comparison?

Actually, the most fuel efficient model would be a 328dX sedan or 328dX Touring.

For the 328dX Touring, Motor Trend achieved on their Long Term Test the following figures:
urban - 29.8 miles per US gal or 7.9 L/100 km
highway - 44.2 miles per US gal or 5.3 L/100 km.

I have read numerous reports of even better highway efficiency for the 328d and 328dX.

[jinnrice]

It's right. My mpg from home to work- half city/highway 25 miles. Gets me 19 mph in sport and 26-28 in comfy mode.
Short trips around town running errands I'm at 14-16 mpg.
You kind of bought the wrong car for your situation. No worries though... You look dam good in it!

[Fast400]

I got 24mpg cruising at 130mph on the autobahn!
It's got to be the short distances and idling in traffic causing your bad mpg

[hollandog]

Sounds normal. I average 14-16mpg when staying in the city.

[JunkStory]

Maybe you'll feel better knowing that my mom's 328xi (with the old N52) has the exact fuel economy and she drives mostly city as well, but your car has 100hp more!

xDrive is the worst for fuel economy. I wish BC BMW dealers would stop configuring their cars with xDrive, especially when it only snowed like 2 days last year in Vancouver and the lower mainlands.

[Eriphill]

Never understood people who buy a 300+hp car and then are unhappy about gas mileage. What exactly did you expect? If that's what really matters to you buy a Prius.

[dcastx]

16.8mpg is what I get for my 435i stock xdrive on half normal and half sport plus mode city driving

[otay]

Somewhere between 23-26mpg all the time for me...but I'm RWD. Probably 50-50% mix of highway & city.

I measure this myself, so don't really know what the car says. I'll check. Are you looking at the display? Or measuring?

[Wagstafari]

City driving for a week will get me around 300-350 miles.

Long trips will get me around 500+

335d X drive

[abhibrandy1]

I get between 20-21 MPG, 60:40 City:Freway driving. This is a 15 435i.

[bimmercar]

gas usage is higher when oil is cold

[bzzzp]

Originally Posted by JunkStory

Maybe you'll feel better knowing that my mom's 328xi (with the old N52) has the exact fuel economy and she drives mostly city as well, but your car has 100hp more!

xDrive is the worst for fuel economy. I wish BC BMW dealers would stop configuring their cars with xDrive, especially when it only snowed like 2 days last year in Vancouver and the lower mainlands.

Pretty much all the vehicles on the lot were xDrive. Seemed to be the case with other dealers that I went to as well (Lexus IS, Q50, etc). I think buyers just perceive AWD as being better, so that's what they buy.

[bzzzp]

Originally Posted by Eriphill

Never understood people who buy a 300+hp car and then are unhappy about gas mileage. What exactly did you expect? If that's what really matters to you buy a Prius.

20 mpg, like BMW claims? I totally understand that there are a ton of variables that go into mpg estimates, but until everyone else chimed in, I had no idea if what I was seeing was even in the range. It seems that it is, so I'm fine with that.

[bzzzp]

Originally Posted by otay

Somewhere between 23-26mpg all the time for me...but I'm RWD. Probably 50-50% mix of highway & city.

I measure this myself, so don't really know what the car says. I'll check. Are you looking at the display? Or measuring?

Looking at the display in the guages/iDrive.

[N55Nick]

Just drive in eco mode if you care about mileage

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by bzzzp

20 mpg, like BMW claims? I totally understand that there are a ton of variables that go into mpg estimates, but until everyone else chimed in, I had no idea if what I was seeing was even in the range. It seems that it is, so I'm fine with that.

Yes thats what i got too. Also saw 36mpg on 65mph highway drives.

City driving just isn't that fuel efficient, especially if you are hitting the gas harder and getting into the boost

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by bzzzp

OK, so a related question: It sounds like hybrid drive is the most economical in these scenarios. How does diesel or the 4cyl models fair for this kind of usage pattern in comparison?

You mentioned the <5km trips and shuttling family around, (I imagine a lot of it from cold or warm starts) not the best use of any engine. Even the diesel will have a heavy fuel penalty, particularly if a lot of cold starts.

To be fair, gauging mpg is very difficult for a lot of very short runs, with all the stop starts it typically involves.

[Paz1]

Why are people so concerned about the mpg. Buy a civic if you are