Rental Gran Prix = 30mpg small tank, 26.5 mpg big tank - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

brickinthewind · 09-06-2008, 01:11 PM

Hey all,
Rented a car from Alamo for a trip from Seattle to Vancouver. Of course they were out of the Aveo I had requested and the smallest car was the Grand Pig. Uh, I mean, Gran Prix. A little disappointing mileagewise, but I still beat EPA. I inflated the tires to about 40psi (didn't want to push it on an unknown rental) and did P+G with the manual trans. It's got a relatively long glide - it's fairly aerodynamic. Got 30mpg on a fillup just before the Canada border, and then 26.5 on my final fillup back in the states. EPA combined is 20mpg, and I got my 26.5 in mixed driving, but mostly freeway.
I might have gotten close to 40 in an Aveo, but I'm happy to at least beat EPA by a good margin!

RH77 · 09-06-2008, 08:11 PM

They almost always have Grand Prixes waiting on the rental lot.

I'll say that 25-30 MPG is actually quite good. I used to get stuck driving these all the time and got closer to the 25 mark.

From a stop, stepping on the gas is akin to getting out of a beanbag chair! The torque converter must be pretty large for that V-6. Plus the intensely RED gauges and seating position are previous-gen Pontiac. I also found the steering to be numb and heavy. This may be the last year for this model run -- it's the "odd one out" in the lineup.

RH77

Binger · 09-07-2008, 03:04 AM

a former coworker of mine has one with the supercharged v-6 and he said that it runs really low rpms at highway speeds and he averages about 30mpg highway.

Higelac · 09-07-2008, 01:33 PM

We went to Colorado about a year ago and as I was selecting a rental out in the lot I noticed there was not much left to choose from. I was walking right past a Grand Prix not even considering it when I spotted a v8 badge on the rear. Huh?? Did not know this at the time, but they shoehorned a slightly shorter version of the 5.3L v8 in there! I grabbed that car because I was on vacation (I can save the world when I get back home). It drove very well, had excellent power, and a very pleasing sound. It did not feel like a front-wheel drive car with a v8. They did a pretty good job on it. It served us well on our trip all over Colorado. It had a trip computer which showed MPG's. If memory serves, I think I averaged around 20MPG with mostly highway driving and a lot of passing on winding roads.. For comparison, the Sonata v6 I rented in Chicago turned in about the same mileage but was a lot less fun. It was a fine car also, but I definitely prefer the Pontiac with the American v8, especially if its gonna get the same mileage!

RH77 · 09-07-2008, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Higelac

We went to Colorado about a year ago and as I was selecting a rental out in the lot I noticed there was not much left to choose from. I was walking right past a Grand Prix not even considering it when I spotted a v8 badge on the rear. Huh?? Did not know this at the time, but they shoehorned a slightly shorter version of the 5.3L v8 in there! I grabbed that car because I was on vacation (I can save the world when I get back home). It drove very well, had excellent power, and a very pleasing sound. It did not feel like a front-wheel drive car with a v8. They did a pretty good job on it. It served us well on our trip all over Colorado. It had a trip computer which showed MPG's. If memory serves, I think I averaged around 20MPG with mostly highway driving and a lot of passing on winding roads.. For comparison, the Sonata v6 I rented in Chicago turned in about the same mileage but was a lot less fun. It was a fine car also, but I definitely prefer the Pontiac with the American v8, especially if its gonna get the same mileage!

I agree -- have fun on vacation!

I've driven with a similar engine in the Monte and Impala -- I believe it has cylinder deactivation and the same low-RPM operation on the highway. The best part is the instant and abundant power

I see the G8 GT in the "VIP" spot often. That means it will end-up in the "as you choose" section later. I'm anxiously awaiting that test drive.

OK, not friendly on the FE, but fun!

Side note: Alamo had a Prius in the "Luxury" car section last week.

USA Today featured a story mentioning that high gas prices are forcing more leisure travelers to book compact cars. Often, they end up with a much larger "upgrade" because they can't keep them on the lot.

RH77

greenitup · 09-07-2008, 11:16 PM

who would buy one?
My truck gets better mpg than that 30+ (4 tanks in a row)
and my truck has versatility, the only thing it has on me is the amount of power.

(its amazing how weak my engine is)

TrikeKid · 09-08-2008, 03:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenitup

who would buy one?
My truck gets better mpg than that 30+ (4 tanks in a row)
and my truck has versatility, the only thing it has on me is the amount of power.

(its amazing how weak my engine is)

And just how many people does your truck comfortably seat? How much fun is it to drive?

My mom had a 98 Grand Prix GT, 3800 Series II V6 with an automatic. That car was reasonably quick for a mid size sedan, handled well, and was rock solid reliable. It made it to 212,000 miles before it needed anything more than basic maintinence and a serpentine belt/idler pully.

At 212, the trans went. That was fixed to the tune of 2600 bucks then traded it in on an 06 PT Cruiser (which by the way, was the worst car buying experience I've ever witnessed, we sat around for 4 hours when we should have been there just long enough to do the paperwork, none of us will be dealing with Puyallup Chrysler again).

taco · 09-08-2008, 11:16 AM

i didnt know they made the grand prix in a manual.

RH77 · 09-08-2008, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taco

i didnt know they made the grand prix in a manual.

I believe it's a typo/error.

GM went through a miserable phase of not pairing manual transmissions with their front-drive V-6s (probably still in that phase for the most part).

In '95, I could get a manual 4-cylinder Beretta, but at the time I wanted the 3.1L V-6 with the Level-II suspension. Automatic was the only answer.

I later traded it on a '90 GTZ / Quad-4 (more power than any V-6, lighter, high-feature content).

Great idea, great car, poor implemenation. We all know what happened to those wonderful engines.

That's when I bought my first Honda. The rest is History.

RH77

Binger · 09-08-2008, 05:09 PM

I think that the active fuel management is a great idea.
However the Impala SS I drove only kicked when cruising above 55mph. I think it would be nice if it kicked in cruising at any speed around town as well. And if they could kill the motor when you stop like the prius...now that would be an efficent v-8.

brickinthewind · 09-09-2008, 03:31 PM

Did I say manual trans? Brain gaseous expulsion. Auto. It was pretty smooth doing P+G, but there was more lag than in the rental Focus I used earlier this summer. I like the Focus more, overall.

I wouldn't mind renting a performance car for a day if I didn't have to travel too far - in fact, I did! I did a rental Shelby GT-H in SoCal last year, and that was a hell of a lot of fun. Especially on mountainous roads. ;-)

The G8/GXP/V8 Gran Prix in general looks like a lot of fun, kind of like the big "saloon" muscle cars they have down in Australia. It would be fun to try one one of these days, but until then I'll just watch Top Gear. ;-)

RH77 · 09-09-2008, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brickinthewind

I did a rental Shelby GT-H in SoCal last year, and that was a hell of a lot of fun. Especially on mountainous roads. ;-)

You lucky dog! Those look like a blast. I would get in way too much trouble for sure, especially on those roads!

I ended up with a Chrysler Crossfire in Indy once, but not nearly as fun as even a Mustang V-6. Any car that you can't fully disengage the stability control is waste of resources.

Next in line would be the Infinity M45. Doing some "non-ecodriving" maneuvers ended up engaging the seatbelt tensioners. I guess it thought we were going to crash. It definitely wins the "easiest rental burnout" award

RH77

greenitup · 09-09-2008, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrikeKid

And just how many people does your truck comfortably seat? How much fun is it to drive?

it can fit 2 people but, and it is pretty nice to drive, it can really move on flats and downhills, just not uphills.

Plus i can take it on dirt roads and fly.

brickinthewind · 09-09-2008, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RH77

You lucky dog! Those look like a blast. I would get in way too much trouble for sure, especially on those roads!

I ended up with a Chrysler Crossfire in Indy once, but not nearly as fun as even a Mustang V-6. Any car that you can't fully disengage the stability control is waste of resources.

Those Crossfires are beautiful. Yeah, the traction control was actually already disabled on mine! It was a sweet ride. It cornered in the hills much better than I actually thought. I was ready for the acceleration, which was impressive but I thought there would be a little more. I was very impressed with the braking and handling - the Shelby prep really tightens it up.

And there is a nice place to do donuts at the very top of Mt. Baldy, which, uh, somebody told me about.

The girlfriend was not amused.

Ontario, California airport is one of the places you can rent it with unlimited miles, so we got the cheapest "Ding!" Southwest fare, flew down on the earliest flight, drove around, went to LA, came back, and then left on the very latest flight. Because you actually have to have a flight # to rent it from the airport.