Like the title said, just got 34mpg from our 2004 Saturn Vue.
I had to make a run to go chase down some parts out of town (craigslist find) so I took my wife's Vue knowing that it had enough room for what I was getting (my SL2 just didn't have the room) and was going to be a bit better on gas than our Expedition (duh!). I filled up at the gas station before I left pumping in $.70 extra after the "click" (I always cram that last little bit in there). I took off, drove there and back and then refilled at the exact same pump and put in exactly $.70 after the "click" (in an attempt to be consistent). Figured up the mileage and it came out to exactly 34.0mpg.
The conditions were favorable but not ideal
-temp was in the 50's, dropping into the high 40's on the way home
-wind was 15-ish mph from the south/south-east (I was heading east); dying down somewhat on the return trip
-it was all 2-lane highway (55mph) but there were a couple of cities to pass through along the way (complete with countless ill-timed stoplights
).
-I employed no hyper-mileing tricks; no EOC, No P&G, no drafting, nothing but careful driving, shifts at not more than 2000 rpm, cruise set at 57-58mph, and a good amount of coasting to stops; a very repeatable driving style for me.
Now, the trip was only like 74miles so my results are hardly definitive. However, it was VERY encouraging to me to see a number like that as I feel that I can repeat that drive pretty easily and, theoretically, that mpg. There was nothing special about that trip to get an artificially high mpg # (no strong tail wind or Semi to draft for 40 miles at a time) and I did everything in my power to control error (aside from taking a longer trip). Time will tell though if I can
really repeat that accomplishment. Ultimately though, I'm stoked and hopeful.
A few minor mods could have me into the mid-upper 30's with a very roomy, comfortable, and versatile vehicle.
I'll probably take it to work next week (80mi a day) and see what I can average during my typical commute, which has similar conditions to my "parts chasing" run. A weeks worth of driving should give me a reliable mpg # for mixed highway.