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R/T AWD - Let's talk real-world MPGs...

26K views 68 replies 40 participants last post by  MAGRT06AWD 
#1 ·
OK, seriously, 5.7 AWD LX owners...what gas mileage are you actually getting?

My understanding was that the MDS was supposed to help, that the EPA figures were something like 17/24. That ain't happenin' here, not even close

Already did two battery disconnects and never saw any improvement in mileage.
No codes.
Passed Ohio emissions flawlessly.
Tracks straight down the road, doesn't feel like there's any resistance anywhere in the driveline.
...what I'm trying to say is...I try to tackle car problems as they arise.
Runs 14.7's at the track, no mods.

And the best I've ever coaxed out of a tank on the Magnum is 16.1. That's the tank I just ran through the car. I have a stock exhaust and no MDS indicator mod, so I don't know when my MDS is on or off (having never driven anything else to compare it to).

I bought this car because the EPA said it was comparable, mileage-wise to my last daily-driver. My last daily driver was EPA-figured at 17/24, and I routinely got 26hwy out of the car.

Is this what real-world driving is going to continue to yield me?
 
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#3 ·
16-18 MPG in "around-town" rural driving, and 21-23 on a 70 MPH highway run.
Those would be acceptable numbers to me but are, as of yet, elusive.
Around town is usually 15ish.
Highway is anywhere from 14 to 18.

Best mileage is between 40 and 55 (usually around 19), so I have been planning many of my trips on roads that have this mileage, even if it isn't necessarily the fastest or most pleasant drive.
 
#4 · (Edited)
OK, seriously, 5.7 AWD LX owners...what gas mileage are you actually getting?

My understanding was that the MDS was supposed to help, that the EPA figures were something like 17/24. That ain't happenin' here, not even close

Already did two battery disconnects and never saw any improvement in mileage.
No codes.
Passed Ohio emissions flawlessly.
Tracks straight down the road, doesn't feel like there's any resistance anywhere in the driveline.
...what I'm trying to say is...I try to tackle car problems as they arise.
Runs 14.7's at the track, no mods.

And the best I've ever coaxed out of a tank on the Magnum is 16.1. That's the tank I just ran through the car. I have a stock exhaust and no MDS indicator mod, so I don't know when my MDS is on or off (having never driven anything else to compare it to).

I bought this car because the EPA said it was comparable, mileage-wise to my last daily-driver. My last daily driver was EPA-figured at 17/24, and I routinely got 26hwy out of the car.

Is this what real-world driving is going to continue to yield me?
To work and back 15 miles there 15 back I average between 18 and 20 mpg at speeds averaging probably 55mph (35 zone, long 55, short 50, medium 65 stretch, back to 55).

City mileage definately drops quite a bit, but I haven't done a whole tank of city driving for an actual number.

I have slightly smaller than stock tires (~1" smaller diameter) and speedometer is DEAD ON. Factory speed is off, you are actually going more miles than your odometer shows...might be part of your mileage hit. MPG's seems to have gone up ~ 1 mpg with cold air intake (from ~19 to ~20 mpg avg to work and back).

Check your speed with a GPS for accuracy.

- Mark
 
#7 ·
Check your speed with a GPS for accuracy.
Even if the tire sizes were causing issues, the fact remains...the mileage blows. I mean I could forgo a 1mpg drop, and not even worry about it.

I get 15 - 19 MPG on average (mixed city & highway)

Can be as low as 14 in winter with a lot of remote start use, and warm-up time.
This sounds more like where I'm at.
 
#5 ·
I get 15 - 19 MPG on average (mixed city & highway)

Can be as low as 14 in winter with a lot of remote start use, and warm-up time.
 
#10 ·
On a 2010 300C AWD I usually get 17-18 MPG in mixed suburban driving. On a recent trip from ROC to PHL (about 340 miles each way) I got a solid 25 MPG down and back running at 70 MPH. The car now has about 2500 miles on it so I think it may slightly improve as it loosens up.
 
#12 ·
Your posts do not elicit confidence, guys...:banghead:
 
#13 · (Edited)
I have to agree-see my signature where Fuelly has been tracking since did cam install. My long-term average over about 5 months is 19+. The Fuelly site says that is 38 fill-ups over 9932 miles (yeah I drive A LOT). Best tank was 22.2 and last tank I got 21.2

I had done some testing last summer with Superchips and Diablo on roadtrips (80+ and AC) and got over 23 with Superchips. http://www.lxforums.com/board/showthread.php?t=171350
Need to get one of the tuners. Need to get a Dashhawk or MDS light so you KNOW when it comes on and off. Need to learn how to feather pedal to milk MDS as much as possible. It will make a difference.
 
#16 ·
#17 ·
Anyway to fix this with a Diablosport/Johan tune?

I dont recall seeing it, but what sort of mods do you have? Hows the plugs and all that stuff? I have an Airraid CAI conversion box thats just taking up space. If you havent already converted your paper filter, then maybe that could help some? I dont have the cone filter though...
 
#19 ·
I dont recall seeing it, but what sort of mods do you have? Hows the plugs and all that stuff?
No mods. Car is 14.7x on the quarter mile.

Plugs looked great when pulled last year.
 
#18 ·
Click the link in my sig for MY real world numbers. I live in a small town. Probably only 2-3 miles to work. If I use a whole tank in-town only, is between 12 and 14. Probably 10-12 in the winter.
 
#22 ·
I have 2006 ALL STOCK R/T AWD, have owned/driven it since new . . . around town it is 18-20mpg (course that is IMPERIAL gallon, so would be more like 15-17mpg US gallon) and on the highway typically around 65mph it is 26-28mpg (again, IMPERIAL gallon, so more like 23-25mpg US gallon) . . . has been like this since I have had it. Usually can go 400-420miles on a tank on the highway. . . now for company car I have 2010 Dodge Journey R/T with AWD - 3.5 litre V6 . . . same mileage as the Magnum, but way less power (Arrggghhh) . . . . .

Mark
 
#24 ·
I've averaged 18.84 mpg over the first 40K miles. No long trips, 80 mile round trip commute per day & more winter than summer miles. I run 89 in the winter & 91 in the summer with a Superchip tune, Mobile One, CAI & Blasting Bobs pipes. 14.6 was my low during a bitter cold stretch & 23.2 was my best.
 
#64 ·
I've continued to track my mpg the old fashioned way in a notebook. I do every tank, a combined every 10K miles and the an overall.

From 110K to 120K it averaged 19.35 mpg with a couple 600 mile round trips and a 2,000 mile trip.
From 0 to 120K it averaged 18.08. Quite an improvement over the Dakota.
 
#26 ·
The mpg's float back and forth throughout the week pending on how much stop and go driving I have to do. Regardless of the mods I have put on, I consistently get over 21+ mpg's with a 70 mile round trip to work. Some of you guys must be pounding the throttle early and often to be averaging 15-17mpg's.
 
#27 ·
My city mileage is ridiiiiiculous. I sometimes hit 20L/100km (yes metric to mess all you americans up) and that's when I'm not even that aggressive!

22's hurt the cause but I don't think my other mods do so much. CAI aefis stage 1, FRI Sidewinder Cam, PWR CNC Ported 5.7 Heads 2.08 Intake Valve, 1.55 Exhaust Valve, PAC Racing Springs, 6.1 pushrods/header bolts, JBA Shorty Headers, 180 thermostat, Diablosport CMR 91 octane Tune, Dual mufflers (suitcase delete), Magnaflow X pipe, Straight Magnaflow Pipes.

Vacuum leak, or what do you guys think?
 
#30 ·
My city mileage is ridiiiiiculous. I sometimes hit 20L/100km (yes metric to mess all you americans up) and that's when I'm not even that aggressive!

22's hurt the cause but I don't think my other mods do so much. CAI aefis stage 1, FRI Sidewinder Cam, PWR CNC Ported 5.7 Heads 2.08 Intake Valve, 1.55 Exhaust Valve, PAC Racing Springs, 6.1 pushrods/header bolts, JBA Shorty Headers, 180 thermostat, Diablosport CMR 91 octane Tune, Dual mufflers (suitcase delete), Magnaflow X pipe, Straight Magnaflow Pipes.

Vacuum leak, or what do you guys think?
Not really sure about yours. For the rest of us having a transfer case, front driveshaft, front diff and halfshafts make a difference though. All of the other mileages being listed here are for AWD cars. LOL!
 
#28 ·
My MPG is nothing stellar, 16-17 MPG in town with little highway. My drive to work is only about 7 miles one-way. The motor hardly has a chance to reach opertaing temperature. My best MPG was 22.76 MPG attained recently doing a lot of nice flat interstate driving on the way to Daytona for our first anniversary. I'd been tracking my MPG personally for a while off and on and just haven't put them all into Fuelly. One day when I have absolutely nothing to do, I'll transfer them all.
 
#29 ·
I'm about the same as the OP. But i'm on heavy azz 20's and only 8 miles commute to work and most of it through the city. Only about a 3 mile stretch on an interstate. Best i ever got was just over 20 on a trip from Indy to Gatlinburg, TN. Usually though I'm lucky to get 14 out of a tank. Even when my wife drives it for a whole tank (she drives much "lighter" than I do.)
Over the winter I had the stock wheels on with winter tires and my MPG's picked up 2-3 mpg and the MDS came on much, much more. I don't have the indicator light, but my Magnaflows give me the "MDS Drone" so I know. Just doesn't come on as often with the 20's.
 
#31 ·
I'm about the same as the OP. But i'm on heavy azz 20's and only 8 miles commute to work and most of it through the city. Only about a 3 mile stretch on an interstate. Best i ever got was just over 20 on a trip from Indy to Gatlinburg, TN. Usually though I'm lucky to get 14 out of a tank. Even when my wife drives it for a whole tank (she drives much "lighter" than I do.)
Over the winter I had the stock wheels on with winter tires and my MPG's picked up 2-3 mpg and the MDS came on much, much more. I don't have the indicator light, but my Magnaflows give me the "MDS Drone" so I know. Just doesn't come on as often with the 20's.
Yeah, Magnaflow could market the MDS Drone as it's own signature MDS indicator lol. At first I hated it and then realized that whenever I heard that drone, my MPG was going up. Turns a long trip into a challenge to see how long can I keep the drone going lol.
 
#33 ·
I took a 1565 mile trip to Colorado last weekend and drove 2 lane roads where I could and the speed limit was usually 65. The lowest I got was 21.8 and there were three times that it got over 24. One 317 mile section I got 26.5; all of the previous figures were calculated using actual gallons pumped and miles driven. I was using 91 octane fuel. In the winter, I used 88 octane with 10% ethanol and around town it would show 10-12 mpg and on the highway around 21-23.
 
#34 ·
My average MPG is 19.5. Mind you, I have a v6, but thought I'd throw that in, since the next bit is relevant: On the same route, doing the same amount of driving, I've lost about 2-3mpg going from 225/60/18 ( or whatever stock tire size is) to 255/55/18's. Mind you, it rides nicer, and looks nicer, so I don't care much, but it is a noticeable loss...
 
#44 ·
Never did answer this.

89 octane.
 
#36 ·
Im running the stock predator 93 tune, and 93 octane.
I just did a trip this weekend from DC to Watkins Glen and got 22 on the highway doing about 65-75. Driving around the track and around town with a lot of idle and low speeds and start and stops, I averaged 20 on that tank.

Typically i get, around 15 around town (heavy foot) and on true highway trips get 22-23 and thats traveling 5-10 over the posted speed limit.
 
#37 ·
That's really about what you can expect your neck of the woods. At lower DA's your mileage will improve. I notice that down here in Florida as the temperature begins to rise, so do my MPG's. I can get as much as 27-28 during the hotter months on the highway, 20ish in the city. Best I can get in the colder months on the highway is low-mid 20's and upper teens around the city. If youre still running stock exhaust, I would *highly* recommend cutting out the factory suitcase muffler and going straight pipes. Thats where I noticed a huge difference in not only seat-of-the-pants get-up-and-go, but my mileage dramatically increased. Not sure how that will effect emissions testing or what not since we dont have emissions testing here, but thats just my input.
 
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