2016 Versa SV sedan MPG (42 MPG first tank, with CVT)
 

I just figured the mileage on the first tank of gas I ran through this car. I'd driven 408.8 miles and it took 9.654 gallons to fill the tank giving me 42.345 MPG. The on board computer was quite optimistic saying I was getting 46.8 mpg more than 10% above actual mileage. Most of the driving on this tank was 45-55 mph on rural 2 lane roads, 4 lane, and maybe 30 miles in a small town with a few traffic lights.

I bought this car a couple weeks ago, it had been involved in a rear end collision with just over 10K miles on it and received a rebuilt title. The rebuilt title saved me lots of money on this one getting it for only $5300. with 10546 miles on the odometer.

I know Nissan has had problems with their CVT's and would be interested in hearing everyone's experience with them and how often they change the fluid and what brand fluid they've used for refills. I've been thinking about adding an extra air cooled transmission cooler to go along with factory engine coolant type cooler but am concerned about whether it would be too much cooling in the winter. We sometimes see temperatures as low as 0* to -10*F. What' everyone's idea's on this. Would you add the air cooler or not?

Which body style did you get - Note (hatchback) or sedan?

Nice going! EPA rating is 34 MPG combined.

That must have been a bit of a letdown - getting your hopes up on your first tank before figuring out how far off the factory gauge is.

Sounds very similar to my typical driving environment. Very MPG-friendly.

A few problems have started cropping up with the JATCO CVT7 transmission that your Versa uses, in high-miles cars. It's the same transmission Mitsubishi uses in the Mirage, and even in that low-stress (74/78 hp) application, some failures have happened.

One mechanic who maintains a fleet of CVT7-equipped delivery vehicles thinks the problem is related to wear on a particular thrust washer that contaminates the trans fluid with metal particles/debris. So it would make sense to change fluid regularly. What does Nissan recommend?

I had a chance to spend a week driving a Mirage sedan with that transmission, and I was pretty impressed with how aggressively it tries to save fuel. (50 MPG overall fuel consumption after 2 fills covering 1277 km = 793 miles)

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

I would give it a few tanks to see what the error for the trip meter works out to be. Fuel pumps aren't very consistent. The error rates for my vehicles are:

1.4% - 2005 Prius
3.6% - 2009 Prius
4.8% - 2011 BMW R1200RT
6.5% - 2014 VW Sportwagen TDI

The VW is only an average of 4 tanks and so far they vary from 5.5% to 8.0%.

I would not add an additional transmission cooler. If you are concerned about the CVT I would change the fluid more frequently than the 60K miles recommended by Nissan.

@Metro MPG I wasn't too surprised by the computer being off. Knowing the size tank and where the hand was showing I was pretty sure I wasn't getting as good of mileage as it said. I wasn't able to find a set in stone mileage recommendation for changing the fluid. Some on the Nissan forums say every 60K miles, some say every 30K. I think I'm going to do about every 30K and hopefully that will keep it happy for years to come. The Nissan fluid is about $20-25 a quart but is still much cheaper than a new transmission. I'm also hoping to find out if anyone uses any of the aftermarket brands and if they've had any problems with it's use. I know Valvoline makes a fluid that's supposed to be compatible and is less than $10. a quart at Walmart. If I could find someone that's using that fluid and having good luck with it I'd use it and change it about every 15-20K. I've still got about 19K miles before it will be due at 30K so I've got a little time to do some research since I have other cars and this one will probably only be getting around 10K miles per year.

@JSH If I decide to put another cooler on it I think I'll probably put one on that's thermostatic controlled and doesn't allow the fluid to circulate through the cooler until it reaches about 180* so it doesn't keep the fluid extremely cold during the winter months.

Yesterday I drove it to church then to my mom's house for lunch then back home approximately 50 miles and it was clear that during the first few miles of warmup the computer was giving a lower MPG reading and the engine RPM's were up. It was also raining so the wet roads also played a factor. As of right now the computer is saying I'm getting 43.5 MPG but the high temperature was only in the mid to upper 30's here yesterday with wet roads.

Good suggestion on the computer.

I have had a chance to put a few tanks of gas through a couple of Canadian market Nissan Micras, which are built in the same factory, on the same chassis, and use the same 1.6L hr16de engine as US market Versas.

I saw a discrepancy of 4.5% (optimistic) when I checked the accuracy of the factory MPG gauge.

I'm driving a 2015 Nissan Micra for a week... observations & fuel economy results
https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...uel-29461.html

Review: driving a $9998 2015 Nissan Micra (Nissan's most efficient manual in Can/US.)
https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...ost-32097.html

@Metro MPG I forgot to address your question about which version I have. It's the sedan.

No need to search forums. Nissan has the service schedule online.

"For these vehicles with a CVT transmission, cube, Murano (except HEV), Altima, Altima Coupe, Juke, Maxima, Rogue, (except HEV), NV200, Sentra, Pathfinder (except HEV), Quest and Versa, replace the CVT fluid every 60,000 miles or request the dealer to inspect the fluid deterioration data using a CONSULT. If the deterioration data is more than 210000, replace the CVT fluid.

https://owners.nissanusa.com/content...ance-guide.pdf

I had checked the owners manual and it didn't give a number. With all the Nissan CVT's I've read about online with failures at below 60K I think I'll stick with 30K mile intervals. If I can figure out the procedure no dealer will get their hands on it, I'll do it myself. I'm pretty sure I could count on my fingers how many times my cars have gone to a mechanic in the past 25 years and some of those times have been for oil changes when the weather was just too cold and rainy to lay on the ground and do it myself.

I'm the same way. The first time I tool one of my cars to an oil change place they didn't put enough oil in and the engine seized.

My 2003 VW TDI went to a mechanic twice for timing belt changes. I had a co-worker do the new springs and struts while I was on a 3 week business trip.
My Astro went to a local mechanic to have the A/C fixed.

That is it besides recalls.

I may have the VW dealership do the DSG service on the 2014 TDI when I take it in for some warranty work. I must be getting lazy in my old age. :)

That must come with getting older. When I was younger and working 40-70 hours a week if something needed to be done I'd do it as soon as possible, now I'm disabled and I put things off as long as possible. Lots of times I don't feel like doing whatever it is that needs doing because of chronic back pain but sometimes I'm just lazy and put it off. I've got 4 cars that need work as soon as the weather permits. One needs a tie rod end replaced but it's not to the point of not being safe so it can wait till spring, two need the timing belts replaced because of age, and the other is leaking brake fluid and isn't being driven at the time, I suspect it's probably got a a leaking wheel cylinder. I used to do a timing belt/water pump on an Escort in about 4 hours. With the back pain and having to stop and rest I think the last one I did took about 8 hours spread out over a few days. I can only stand to be bent over under the hood a few minutes at a time before my back is killing me.

Book time on the TDI is 8 hours by the time you pull out all of the turbo plumbing and put it back in. I travel enough that I don't want to waste a weekend doing car maintenance anymore.

That's pretty good mpg! I wouldn't recommend another transmission cooler. The factory one should be sufficient--plus it helps your transmission warm up faster.

If I were you I would concentrate on some aero mods like a partial grill block. That requires less leaning over the hood and minimal getting under the vehicle.

My back just goes out, sometimes just standing straight. I let my mechanic do all that stuff. I wanted a Versa for a long time, but got a Dodge Caliber with CVT, for $3000 cheaper. I loved the CVT, but sold the Dodge because it was aging, not wanting to pay more for a new transmission than the car was worth. The CVT was best, while in stop&go traffic or climbing to mountain passes with varying slopes that the CVT would match perfectly.
Using 87 octane 100% ethanol-free gasoline (E0) will accurize your car MPG computer, because you will get 8% to 5% better MPG.

Not sure if you want to go to stealership for DSG service as I hear of that being many hundred dollars. My last 40k miles was close to a grand on the Golf and it's a manual 6 spd.

I never noticed a difference using ethanol free gas on my 97 Jeep. However it is more expensive than premium over here so it is not worth it in my opinion.

My last five 87 octane, low compression ratio gasoline vehicles, over 15(+?) years, gained 8%, 8%, 7%-8%, 7% & 5% better MPG, efficiently burning 87 octane 100% ethanol-free gasoline vs. inaccurate, but "designated" & inefficient 87 octane ethanol-blend E10.

I just filled the tank again for the 2nd full tank I've run through the Versa. 488.6 miles, 10.621 gallons, 46.003 MPG. The onboard computer was reading 49.9 MPG so it was still optimistic but not quite as much as last time this time it was optimistic by 7.82%. My Ultra Gauge wasn't put in until I'd already driven I think over 100 miles on this tank and it was showing 47.9 MPG so the Ultra Gauge is much closer than the factory unit.This tank had more highway miles than the last.

Since 87 octane, 100% ethanol-free gasoline(E0) gets 8% to 5% better MPG than inaccurate, but "designated" 87 octane 10% ethanol blend (E10), the efficient burning by 87 octane, 100% E0, will accurize your MPG car computer.

Slightly off topic but I noticed this last week that the Nissan Versa has almost completely taken over the taxi market in Mexico City now that the Nissan Tsuru is gone.

Recently was gifted a 2015 Sentra with 22,000 miles. I've never driven a car with a worse transmission than the CVT on this thing. Absolutely awful and if the car wasn't given to us by a relative it would be sold quicker than it took me to type this. Nissan has a long way to go on CVTs.

I wonder if your Sentra's CVT is the same as in the Versa / Canadian Micra / Mitsu Mirage / Chevy Spark. That would be the "CVT-7".


What don't you like about it?



Oh and welcome to the forum.

Thanks!


It is the clunkiest shifting transmission I've ever driven. Had it checked out twice now because I keep thinking something is wrong. Stealership says it's normal for that transmission. Sentra owner forums back that up.

This is my first experience with a CVT and mine shifts smooth. I like it OK, my biggest concern is the longevity of it. My biggest complaint with the CVT is that when the c/c is set sometimes when I start up a steep hill the RPM's will suddenly go from 1500 to 3000. I can regulate the speed in hilly areas without near as much RPM variation as the computer makes when the c/c is set.

My son has a '14 Sentra. I haven't ridden in it many times but I've never noticed anything like you describe when riding in his. Pay close attention to it, Nissan has had their share of problems with their CVT's and it could be you have one of the problem transmissions. I've read of several reports online of Nissan telling customers their transmissions were working correctly right up until the transmission went out.

The mileage on this car just keeps getting better. Today I filled the tank with 390.3 miles taking 8.136 gallons for a tank average of 47.972 MPG. I'd never used this station before and I didn't realize when I pulled into the station they sold E/15 instead of E/10 so I may see a slight decrease in the next tank but I'm hoping warmer spring temperatures will offset the difference. According the Ultra Gauge I was expecting about 1 MPG better than the last tank, but I actually got 2 more MPG so I may have not got the tank quite as full as last time either. I thought about going to another station but if I had I'd have been driving about 6 miles out of the way so just thought I'd take a chance on the E/15. On the 3 tanks I've ran through the car I've traveled 1287.7 miles on 28.411 gallons and saved 9.463 gallons over EPA estimates. My average fill-up has been 9.470 gallons so on 3 fill-ups I've saved almost enough gas to cover the 4th fill up.

Try to get a few tanks in a row not just from the same station, but from the same pump. Calibrate the UG each time, until it's dead on. Then fly free, and the UG should be spot on.

About 95% or more of the time I use the same station and same pump. Yesterday was just one of those off times. How do you calibrate the UG? I've had it for a few years but until I bought this car I'd never used it, I always used my Scan Gauge before. After I filled up yesterday I cleared everything and informed it I'd filled up but didn't see a way to calibrate it.

Page 37 of the manual.

Calibration Procedure:
1. Fill up the fuel tank.
2. Set the ignition to the RUN position (Engine Off)
3. Press and hold the UP key to cause UltraGauge to recognize the fill-up
4. Zero the Average MPG. MENU --> Gauge/Page Menu .. --> Zero Ave MPG, G/H.
5. Exit the Menu system
6. Drive until it’s time for the next fuel fill-up.
7. At the next fuel fill-up, fill the fuel tank and note the number of gallons/liters used (pumped). (Always use the same fuel
station and the same fuel pump)
8. Set the ignition to the RUN position (engine off)
9. Press and hold the UP key to cause UltraGauge to recognize the fill-up
10. Select MENU --> Vehicle Setup.. --> Calibration.. --> Calibrate MPG/Fuel, and change the value displayed to the amount
of fuel recorded in step #7. Press MENU when complete to set and save the calibration.
11. Exit the Menu system the cal is complete

I figured it could be calibrated I just hadn't seen it in the manual and as I said for years I've been using a SG in my other car but didn't want to be moving it back and forth between vehicles when I had the UG that wasn't being used..

Just my $0.02, I always do a halfway calibration. For instance, with nice round numbers, if UG says I used 10 gallons but I pumped 11 gallons in on my fill, I'll set the calibration with 10.5 gallons used, and continue to refine it as time goes on and more tanks go in. Helps eliminate wild variations.

A while back, our two Elantras got their 60,000 mile maintenance for the 100,000 mile warranty. The automatic 6speed cost $550 & the manual 6speed cost $400. So much for the sub-$13,000 "good deal" on the manual. Anyhow, at a total 125,000 miles, neither Elantra has had any problems & get very good MPG.

I just booked the 40k mile service for my VW Sportwagen TDI DSG. It is $490. I had them quote just the DSG at that was $350. The VW dealer in a better part of town wanted $900 for the service and $450 for just the DSG.

Litesong... what did they do to the manual trans that cost $400??

Hopefully they disassembled it and lovingly hand polished every gear, then reassembled and filled with new fluid. My guess is a fluid change, probably with something like BG.

For the most part I've always considered most gas to be very close in quality. The last tank in the Versa was Marathon it was the first time I'd ran Marathon in this car and I got 51.17 MPG and was my best tank yet in it. I knew I was getting better mileage on this tank so I refilled with Marathon again today to see if the results are consistent. Up to this point I'd ran 5 tanks though the Versa and had an average of 45.18 MPG. Marathon is about $ .05 a gallon more here in my home town than Shell, BP, or Murphy's but if I can get more miles per gallon I'll be using it all the time. When I lived in NC I ran Texaco most of the time because it was the most convenient station for me to fill up at. I compared the Texaco to a Citgo I used sometimes and I always got better mileage on Texaco than on the Citgo gas. We don't have a Texaco in town or I'd see how it does in the Versa.

It was not just the tranny, but the 60,000 mile warranty maintenance. Since Hyundai's are cheaper than other cars, they have to make some money on the warranty maintenance.

Thought I give an update on the Versa. I just filled it up again yesterday for the 11th fill and 4370.7 miles tracked since I bought it. The lifetime MPG figure at this point is 46.976 MPG. This has been an unusually cool summer here so I don't have any tanks where I've used the a/c all the way through the tank so I haven't been able to determine just how much of a hit the mileage takes on 100% a/c usage. The last tank had quite a bit of a/c usage and I was able to get 48.321 MPG. Best tank to date is 51.167 MPG, worst tank was the first tank I ran through it at 42.345 MPG.

Last year my 2008 Hyundai Accent had 18 tanks in a row that were over 40MPG. Looks like you will pound my record into the ground.

Most fuel is identical is quality. My Uncle drove a fuel truck. He filled the tanker in the morning at the depot and then spent the day topping of tanks at every brand of station from that same tanker.

The '88 Escort Pony I used to drive consistently got 40+ MPG unless there was something wrong with it. Maybe that's the reason I was willing to keep driving it all those years and put over 500K miles on it. If I remember correctly my best tank ever in it was over 54 MPG. I also had a tank that was over 700 miles and it was still running when I pulled into the gas station to fill the tank.

Nice!! Congrats. If you ever need a little ego boost, go check the Versa average on Fuelly. :D




I measured a 6% hit, based on steady speed testing I did with a Canadian market Micra (same 1.6L engine & AC components as your Versa).



Thread: AC vs. MPG: impact of air conditioning on fuel economy tested