jarnold

Well always wanted a Vette and hope to get one soon. I have read that the 6 speeds manuals alway do better than the Auto's with the 92-96 LT1 cars. I am looking at a 68k LT4 tomorrow. Also have looked at a very nice Automatic LT1 car with the same Miles - LT4 asking 13500.00 and the LT1 Auto - 9500.00. Seems like an easy decision but I will be driving this car daily and want to be able to afford to drive it. I have read they can get 25-29 highway which I will be doing a lot of and mixed up to 20 which will work. Does the Auto get about the same as the 6 speed LT1's? Or even the LT4's?

I do all my own mechanic work and have also read they are pretty reliable as well. People do not figure the cost of owning Ricers and or cars with Timing Belts and CV joint front wheel cars. More maintenance and I really don't like the time added in working on these cars. Therefore a timing chain and no CV joint Vette. Also looking at the 2005 Mustang GT's and Nissan 350Z's. Don't Flame me on that notion of the alternative cars or better yet give me your opinion there as well. This forum looks like there are is a lot of knowledgeable people in it! Looking forward to being part of it.

John A. Marker

Most of all....it depends on the driver and traffic. I took my 95 LT1 to Seattle and got 28.0 mpg. I was getting better than that until I hit traffic in Portland. Going back to the bay area I kept my foot out of it and got 29.1. This is 6 speed manual. About a month later I went to Seattle again and was not paying attention to driving conservative and got 26.5.

The year before I drove my friends 94 LT1 automatic to Seattle and got it up to 26.5 mpg.

The trip up and back is about 1600+ miles.

Larry/car

With the high performance rear I get 20/21 mixed driving with 1995 auto.

desertmike1

I have an 95 M6 and get a solid 26+ highway, and around town 15+ No auto data..

Hey you do what you want too, I respect the fact that you are doing your home work first!

RollaMo-LT4

The LT4 can get up to 30 and some times a little better on highway.
But conditions have to be just right. Steady level ground cruising in the 70mph range.

But take that same car and mix in stop and go traffic, and the mileage will really drop off.

Also take into consideration the "fun factor".
Any car that is fun to drive, will cause a little more spirited driving most of the time.
That will affect fuel mileage more than anything else.

So, over the course of a years worth of "mixed" driving, I am usually around 22 mpg for an average.
I probably do 70% highway and 30% stop and go.

And finally, I didn't even consider fuel mileage when I was looking for a Corvette.
Also note, the LT4 has "Premium Fuel Only" listed.

If one of your main concerns is fuel mileage, you probably need to look at an economy car.

VeryUnoriginal

I took a two hour trip to Williamsburg last year and the road's a constant 55mph and I got well over 30mpg. At normal highway speeds (70) I can get around 28. City mileage is about 17 or so for me. My grandfather's C5 6-speed can get over 30mpg easily due to a lower 6th gear.

kimmer

Sounds like you're all over the place. Decide what kind of car you like and want then start looking. If you're worried about mph get a 4 banger or hybrid.

QCVette

I like driving Corvettes, and the mileage is bonus. When I had a long commute it made it possible for me to daily drive a Corvette.

I also have a 4 cylinder 5 speed, and my Corvettes get better mileage.

MyOtherCar

all these fantastic mileage claims, but I believe they are relating what the mpg isbeing displayed on the dash. Actual computation the old fashioned way, at fill-up, odo miles and gallons purchased, might be lower. Just sayin.....

ch@0s

In that case 1/2 half tank will last me 2 years.

93Rubie

Mine is actually higher when done the old fashioned way. Mixed driving with some VERY hard driving I get low 20's.

Highway only high 20's to low 30's no problem.

RollaMo-LT4

Fuel mileage chart from my '96 taken just as you mentioned.
This is a true calculation of actual miles driven vs fuel used over the course of this trip.
Since it was the "Power Tour", there was some quite the mix of different types of driving.
I left home (Rolla, MO) with 101,178 miles on the car and a full tank of fuel.
Last fuel stop was back home in Rolla.

Tom400CFI

My results are about the same as RollaMo-LT4's

'92 LT1 6 speed. See all results for the past year and a half, RIGHT HERE.

dukeallen

Any old car, but especially an old Corvette, is a money pit. If a few mph difference is that critical, you CANNOT afford this car. As said above, go get a 4 banger.

Besides...this is a sports car. Don't buy it to baby it.

TorchTarga94

When I bought my car in Stone Mountain, GA and drove it back to Florida (About 8 hours on I-75) I averaged 31mpg from the time I got on the interstate near Atlanta to where I got off in Gainesville, FL. This was with a 94' 6 speed. This was also with 94 Octane and 100 degree summer heat.

hcbph

If the cost of driving is of concern, why not look for something with a L98 engine instead of a LT1 or LT4? It has 9.5-1 compression so it can run all day on 87 octane gas instead of costlier higher octane fuel.
I've got an 86 that will run all day on regular and I've gotten a best of almost 33 mpg out of it on the interstate at 75 mph running cruise. In fact mine does better at 75 mph than it does at 60 mph (gotten around 28-30 mpg at 60), both running cruise on the highway during the 1300 mile drive bringing it home. I've gotten 18 mpg around town on one fill and 22 on another, but was having some fun checking it out on that first tank (just bought it in August so it's still NTM).

Admittedly, I stay away from no-name gas stations when buying gas. I use the majors like BP, Shell, Mobile and I've not had any problems so far. It gets respectible mileage and it is fun to drive and cruise in. I'm coming up on retirement, so I needed to work through what will happen when the paychecks stop. I think I made the right decision in my case.

Just some thoughts.

jarnold

Thanks for the good insights so far. This one is very good too. I am looking at the LT4 today. Wants 13500.00 with 67000 miles. What should I Offer? But anyway I am not afraid of the premium fuel as my Audi TT had to have it with it's tune. So no Biggie there. I would just like to get somewhere near its mileage 24/34 which the Vette seems to be. I had a nice 2000 Mustang GT with all the bolt ons and 4.10 gears and it got at best 18/23. Need to get better than that at least.

jarnold

A Hybrid?!! Geez why don't you just tell me I am an OBama supporter an kick me in the nuts. That is a low blow for a true car enthusiast. LOL!

I am just trying to get something that I would like to "Drive" not ride in.
Hence I prefer a shifter car.

Black'95

Seems to me like owning and driving a Corvette and worrying about miles per gallon is an oxymoron!

FirstC4

In my 6-speed '95, overall I average around 19/20 city, and 28/29 highway.
These are not dashboard readouts #'s. I keep track of all fuel purchases.