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Superb Fuel Mileage; Unsurprizingly

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Old 09-21-2017, 10:42 AM
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Velocity_Vette
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Default Superb Fuel Mileage; Unsurprizingly

When I tell people my six speed C5 consistently gets well over 30 MPGs with the mostly highway driving I do they barely believe me.

Last weekend I took a friend (newer Mustang owner who's a fellow enthusiast) and drove over 1,100 miles total down to Austin, TX to COTA for the FIA World Endurance Championship race and averaged just under 31 MPGs. This is with a 70-80 mph cruising speed, getting stuck in stop and go traffic for an hour and a half between Waco and Austin, possibly doing some pulls in "Mexico" when no one was looking, and driving around Austin for two days & eating with hipsters. Had I not got stuck in traffic before Austin I'd have probably seen even higher MPGs.



I did get a little salty at one point when a truck blew a tire and the carcass slapped the front fascia (had no where to go with concrete barriers in the fast lane). Shot some WD-40 on it, wiped it down, and other than some clear coat scratches it mostly came out when I got back.



I know there's that saying about smiles per mile/gallon or whatever but 30+ MPGs out of something nearly 20 years old is pretty extraordinary.
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Old 09-21-2017, 10:56 AM
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AnabolicZod
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Awesome!!!
Old 09-21-2017, 11:15 AM
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c4cruiser
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My '02 coupe will get 30+ MPG while cruising on freeways using 6th gear at speeds of 72. I do use the cruise control so that probably helps some with the mileage. Driving on fairly flat roads with no mountains to deal with keeps mileage high as does not getting caught up in slower traffic.

What I like about my gas mileage figures is that my car has a Vortec supercharger, larger injectors and a tune. Dyno runs shows HP is 450 at the wheels with just over 400 ft-lbs of torque.
Old 09-21-2017, 11:33 AM
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4XLR8N
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Low 30's regularly on the highway, 70 - 75 mph.
Old 09-21-2017, 12:11 PM
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JR-01
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I have an auto and the performance gear option and average 26+ mpg highway. I am very happy with that. Better than any of my other cars.
Old 09-21-2017, 12:21 PM
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ztheusa
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Originally Posted by JR-01
I have an auto and the performance gear option and average 26+ mpg highway. I am very happy with that. Better than any of my other cars.
What is the "performance" gear option? I wonder if my new C5 roadster (same color as yours) has it. EDIT: Never mind.....found it! 3:15


Last edited by ztheusa; 09-21-2017 at 01:22 PM.
Old 09-21-2017, 12:28 PM
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Grandpa1
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I've had my 03 Vert a few months now and went on a 1000 mile round trip in Texas. I averaged 24.6 for the whole trip. Sometimes did 80 but most of the time 70 - 75. Checked it with a pencil.
On the gauge it showed 26 sometimes up to 28 right after fill up.
It's an automatic and my wife and I love it.
Old 09-21-2017, 01:25 PM
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neutron82
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you aren't driving the car right if you get 30mpg, if you want good gas mileage get a hybrid
Old 09-21-2017, 01:41 PM
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Jeff T.
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I drove my car home 700 miles from eastern PA to Chicago. Being a tad nervous/excited and driving a bright yellow Corvette I felt it was in my best interest to be "good".

I averaged better than 30 and was truly impressed.

I haven't seen that number lately!
Old 09-21-2017, 02:11 PM
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JR-01
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Originally Posted by ztheusa
What is the "performance" gear option? I wonder if my new C5 roadster (same color as yours) has it. EDIT: Never mind.....found it! 3:15

Nice looking car!
Old 09-21-2017, 02:15 PM
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acuevo
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Originally Posted by neutron82
you aren't driving the car right if you get 30mpg, if you want good gas mileage get a hybrid
I agree, my mn6 is at about 22.5 usually

Last edited by acuevo; 09-21-2017 at 02:17 PM.
Old 09-21-2017, 02:26 PM
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JR-01
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Originally Posted by neutron82
you aren't driving the car right if you get 30mpg, if you want good gas mileage get a hybrid
How do you drive your car on a 1000 mile trip?
Old 09-21-2017, 02:34 PM
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I don't go on 1k mile road trips and if I did I would not take my c5
Old 09-21-2017, 02:40 PM
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JR-01
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Originally Posted by neutron82
I don't go on 1k mile road trips and if I did I would not take my c5
Sorry to hear that. You don't know what you are missing.
Best road trip of my life was the 3500 mile round trip to Connecticut and back. C5s are great touring cars. If you take something else you might as well fly.



The Black Hills trip was fun, too.

Last edited by JR-01; 09-21-2017 at 02:48 PM.
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Old 09-21-2017, 02:45 PM
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zeevette
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When my Z was new, (and stock) it got 24 on highway trips. When I did the H/C with higher compression, it jumped to 27 highway (and about 15 around town), and that's with 450+ RWHP.
Old 09-21-2017, 04:41 PM
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Originally Posted by JR-01
Sorry to hear that. You don't know what you are missing.
Best road trip of my life was the 3500 mile round trip to Connecticut and back. C5s are great touring cars. If you take something else you might as well fly.
The Black Hills trip was fun, too.
I agree, I love my C5 on long trips. Took my 99 cross country several times and my 03 has gone half way and back as well.
Old 09-21-2017, 04:53 PM
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JR-01
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Originally Posted by jrprich
I agree, I love my C5 on long trips. Took my 99 cross country several times and my 03 has gone half way and back as well.

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Old 09-21-2017, 05:03 PM
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Stephen Meredith
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Average 15.5mpg in my auto w/3.15. But that is virtually no highway miles
Old 09-21-2017, 05:18 PM
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Route99
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Originally Posted by Stephen Meredith
Average 15.5mpg in my auto w/3.15. But that is virtually no highway miles
About what we get in town, too. Getting ready to go to a 3 rib Z06 diff with 3.42 so it'll probably drop a little, but also going to do a new tune so maybe it'll jump up some. Our next road trip is to Memphis in a couple of weeks so will try to track it then. It'd be nice to be close to 30 like some of the others.
Old 09-21-2017, 05:21 PM
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The mpg that these cars get is not really surprising. While my A4 won't approach the 30 mark (it gets 26-27 mpg), the two M6 C5s that I had would regularly get 30+ mpg.


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