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I just looked at a 1999 Maxima on fuelly and it was supposed to be averaging over 30 MPG, so I looked at the stats. One entry has it getting 70 MPG, over 400 miles on just over 6 gallons, while another has it using 15 + gallons and no mileage is entered. That one is total crap. Not sure about the rest but if that is an example then it is useless. Most of the rest are close to 22-23 MPG while my last tank was 28 with my mild hypermiling techniques and local route knowledge. Give me a deserted road and no traffic lights and I could probably put along at 45-50 MPH and get close to 48-40.
Mine are usually very consistent, with winter temps costing some and extreme heat in summer costing some with AC use. The CBR was at low 80s this summer and now it is the low to mid 70s with the colder weather.
As the manufacturers learn to build more efficient vehicles, it will get harder to get high percentages over EPA in mileage, unless you average speeds as very low and your efforts to utilize all hypermiling techniques are dedicated. Lower average speed get you there with less total energy consumed and will always provide much higher mileage.
I have driven our Sorento locally and on the highway for short distances and I can match the EPA figures if I am fairly careful. To get to 35% over in the Maxima is easy, in the Sorento it would be impossible.
In the context of my experience, my Austin Healey Sprite got 32 MPG in 1969. The Maxima got close to the same in 1999 and the Sorento got close to the same in 2011.
The Sprite was 1 liter and about 1200 pounds. The Maxima is 3 liters and just under 3000 pounds. The Sorento is 3800 pounds and 2.4 liters. The Sprite was probably 40 HP and would not go over 84 MPH. The Maxima and Sorento are much faster both in acceleration and top speed. 52 years of progress.
regards
Mech
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