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      04-30-2015, 03:46 PM   #1
dim3314
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Z4 35IS Conservative MPG

Hi guys, I know some people might say I shouldn't be asking this if i'm buying this car and etc... but just out of curiosity, has anyone tried to drive their IS conservatively for long trips? I want to know if the car can average around the rated 24 MPG highway. I commute 85 miles ONE WAY to work at the beginning of the week, and drive 85 miles back the other way at the end of the week. So before I get a IS, I just want to know if the 24 MPG (hopefully even better) is achievable on a 85 mile commute.

I'm currently driving a Honda CR-Z right now (6MT), which is rated at 38 MPG highway, but I actually get between 46 - 52 MPG Highway avg. So i'm hoping the IS can get better then 24 MPG.
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      04-30-2015, 04:44 PM   #2
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Based on how you are able to get that mpg on your current ride, I'd say it is possible. Not by me though as I've always had a lead-foot and I cannot avoid the temptation to put her in sport and sport+ mode to listen to that sweet exhaust note.

So if you have enough discipline to drive a 35is fuel-efficiently (which I believe takes a lot/lot/lot of discipline - probably more than I have =) ) - I would say it is possible to get 24+mpg. In comfort mode the engine runs through DCT gearing so quick and smoothly with plenty of low end torque, you find yourself in D7 in no time at all at cruising speeds. I typically average 17mpg on my short commute and that is city drive and as I said - I have a lead-foot and like to hear that exhaust in sport & sport+ mode a lot!
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      04-30-2015, 05:05 PM   #3
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Problem is keeping it from the 3K+ RPM range so the turbos are not working (yea I know, humor me).

Did a few long trips and was seeing 26 mpg, but if I got up above 70 mph - the RPMs crept in that magic range where the turbos wanted to spool up and mileage would go down to 20'ish.

Solution is drive the CR-Z to work an have the z4 for the weekend...
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      04-30-2015, 05:23 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForZ4 View Post
Based on how you are able to get that mpg on your current ride, I'd say it is possible. Not by me though as I've always had a lead-foot and I cannot avoid the temptation to put her in sport and sport+ mode to listen to that sweet exhaust note.

So if you have enough discipline to drive a 35is fuel-efficiently (which I believe takes a lot/lot/lot of discipline - probably more than I have =) ) - I would say it is possible to get 24+mpg. In comfort mode the engine runs through DCT gearing so quick and smoothly with plenty of low end torque, you find yourself in D7 in no time at all at cruising speeds. I typically average 17mpg on my short commute and that is city drive and as I said - I have a lead-foot and like to hear that exhaust in sport & sport+ mode a lot!
I'm commuting from Orange County to Point Mugu, just past Malibu. I leave my house at 5am, so theres no traffic so i'm able to cruise at high cruising speeds of 55 ~ 60 mph!

I've heard the car on cold start a few times, the exhaust note is pretty damn nice.
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      04-30-2015, 05:24 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lurcher View Post
Problem is keeping it from the 3K+ RPM range so the turbos are not working (yea I know, humor me).

Did a few long trips and was seeing 26 mpg, but if I got up above 70 mph - the RPMs crept in that magic range where the turbos wanted to spool up and mileage would go down to 20'ish.

Solution is drive the CR-Z to work an have the z4 for the weekend...
Lurcher, how far were your trips? Were you just cruising at under 70mph to get that 26 mpg avg?
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      04-30-2015, 06:04 PM   #6
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Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but since the EPA mileage is the same for both the 35i and 35is and the latter (in theory) only uses more gas when it's running in overboost, I would imagine both engines gat comparable mileage when driven sanely. That said, my wife's 35i consistently gets 23.7 mpg (by the dash readout) on her 20 mile commute over a winding mountain road and when we bought the car home from Ariz. where we bought it (a 600+ mile trip) it got 27.5 hand calculated mpg. And that was doing an average 75-80 mph.
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      04-30-2015, 06:14 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paris1 View Post
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but since the EPA mileage is the same for both the 35i and 35is and the latter (in theory) only uses more gas when it's running in overboost, I would imagine both engines gat comparable mileage when driven sanely. That said, my wife's 35i consistently gets 23.7 mpg (by the dash readout) on her 20 mile commute over a winding mountain road and when we bought the car home from Ariz. where we bought it (a 600+ mile trip) it got 27.5 hand calculated mpg. And that was doing an average 75-80 mph.
Did you calculate: 600+ miles/XX gals of gas you had to pour = 27.5 mpg?

If so, that's something I could most definitely live with, especially going at 75-80 mph!!!
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      04-30-2015, 06:45 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dim3314 View Post
Did you calculate: 600+ miles/XX gals of gas you had to pour = 27.5 mpg?

If so, that's something I could most definitely live with, especially going at 75-80 mph!!!
Yes; that's what I meant by "hand-calculated". I was pleasantly surprised too. I don't put a lot of faith in dashboard display avg. mpg, but this one seems reasonably accurate and very consistent. When we got the car it read 22.6 mpg and had been owned by a woman who had been driving it around the Phoenix area for several months. I zeroed the readout when we got it home and with my wife using it as her DD it slowly climbed to 23.7 mpg where it has remained for the past 2-3 months. As others here have said, it helps if you stay out of the turbo, but that's not easy to do entirely as during normal acceleration you can hear the turbo whine. It's actually a rather pleasant sound. Leave it in comfort mode and it's the same thing as eco mode in lesser cars. Shifts up quickly in order to get you to high gear as soon as possible, but with all the torque this thing has, you'll never feel like you're out of the power band.
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      05-01-2015, 07:10 AM   #9
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35i 6MT. I'm getting 22 mixed driving and 28 highway. Should be similar or better for 35is, especially if you'r driving in automatic mode.
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      05-01-2015, 07:26 AM   #10
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With my 09 35I, I have experienced 23.3 MPG on the higway keeping it on crusie at 70 over and 85 mile trip.
It is possible.
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      05-01-2015, 07:33 AM   #11
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Hey guys, correct me if I am wrong, but don't you have to drive always conservative in the states with your overdone speed limits?

At constant 130 km/h (~80mph) < 9l/100 km are possible. This should be approx. 26 mpg. But my Z isn't used to drive that slow and hates it...
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      05-01-2015, 09:02 AM   #12
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I'll throw my $0.02 in here. I've kept track of the mileage achieved with my 2012 35is since I brought it home in January of 2013. On strictly highway trips, throwing away the highest and lowest recorded numbers, I've always gotten between 27.0 and 32.8 mpg.

If you're just cruising and keep your foot out of the turbos, my guess is you'll be okay.

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      05-01-2015, 09:15 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dim3314 View Post
Lurcher, how far were your trips? Were you just cruising at under 70mph to get that 26 mpg avg?
It was 1500 miles (PIT-DFW) once, the other was around 1200 (DFW-Panama City Fl-DFW) - so good sample sizes.

A few tanks inside TX with speed limits of 85 or 80 would kill mileage, as I would be around 3200/3500 rpm. Cruising though LA/Miss at 70 (around 2800-3000 rpm, cruise control) would increase mpg. I was really paying attention, as my in-town mileage is typically in the 16-18 range, and I like to push the stops to the last minute

At the time, all stock on Michelin PSS
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      05-01-2015, 11:03 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMWZ4RIDER View Post
With my 09 35I, I have experienced 23.3 MPG on the higway keeping it on crusie at 70 over and 85 mile trip.
It is possible.
Cruising 70+ got you approx. 23.3 MPG? Hopefully cruising at 60~65 will get over 24.
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      05-01-2015, 11:06 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Putzo View Post
I'll throw my $0.02 in here. I've kept track of the mileage achieved with my 2012 35is since I brought it home in January of 2013. On strictly highway trips, throwing away the highest and lowest recorded numbers, I've always gotten between 27.0 and 32.8 mpg.

If you're just cruising and keep your foot out of the turbos, my guess is you'll be okay.

If I could get around 27 ~ 32.8 MPG, i'd be soooooooo happy! Gas in California isn't particularly cheap, and the grade on it is garbage. If we were able to get 93 at the price the East Coast gets it for, I would have no problem getting 19 mpg... but that's not my case
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      05-01-2015, 11:12 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dim3314 View Post
If I could get around 27 ~ 32.8 MPG, i'd be soooooooo happy! (
IMHO, to get that kind of mileage out of this engine you would have to be doing steady-state/level ground cruising @55 mph or something to that effect. Don't count on the upper end of that range as being realistic in real-world conditions!
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      05-01-2015, 11:21 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paris1 View Post
IMHO, to get that kind of mileage out of this engine you would have to be doing steady-state/level ground cruising @55 mph or something to that effect. Don't count on the upper end of that range as being realistic in real-world conditions!
Cruising to work at 5am in the morning through downtown LA, I should be able to cruise at 55 no problem. IDK why these people are awake, but the freeways are already congested at 5AM in the morning. Hopefully cruising at that speed will give me over 30!
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      05-01-2015, 11:31 AM   #18
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I got 9km/l average for the past 4 years.
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      05-01-2015, 12:28 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dim3314 View Post
Cruising to work at 5am in the morning through downtown LA, I should be able to cruise at 55 no problem. IDK why these people are awake, but the freeways are already congested at 5AM in the morning. Hopefully cruising at that speed will give me over 30!
That would be almost what my 2 ltr CX-5 Mazda gets under such conditions. I wouldn't hold by breath.
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      05-02-2015, 05:18 AM   #20
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Now the weather in Finland has been better so..last refuel was something like 16,8 mpg (14,5 l/100km). My average consumption is now 19,6 mpg (12,2 l/100km). When I bought the car and drove it home about 100 miles (160 km) @ 68 mph (110 km/h) fuel consumption was 33,6 mpg (7,8 l/100km).

My car is 2010 35is.
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      05-02-2015, 11:38 AM   #21
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I have a 2014 35is. I have got 28/29 mpg driving at a steady 70/75 in comfort mode on the motorway. Usually average about 25mpg !
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      05-02-2015, 12:01 PM   #22
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Thanks guys for the input. Getting a wide range of sample sizes!
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