Guess the mileage??
 

I've got to make a business trip, Austin, Tx-Wichita, Ks (560 miles) and will be driving a 2007 Chysler Sebring. Official EPA, new, values are 21/29. Here's the parameters to help with the guess. The trip up will be all highways miles. Time is a factor so I'll be driving the posted speed limit +/- 5 which is 70 mph most of the way. Forecasting north winds(headwinds) the whole way with warm temperatures. I'm not doing anything special to the car except tire pressures at 40 PSI. I'll be gone for about 3 weeks and will post my city driving numbers before I return and then post the return highway numbers when I get back.

So if you want to go all out you can guess highway up. City mileage while there and return highway.

I say 34 mpg up (If you draft at ~70 mph)

Exactly 25.251256 mpg city.

36 back home, unless you are in a hurry to come back also.

I won't be drafting. Ankit your optimistic. I've have not done anything to the car and will be driving 70+ into a 15-20 mph headwind. It would be really tough to beat EPA under those conditions.

I just saw your Sig with the 71.3% above EPA so I figured that you could pull it off. O well, have fun driving a rental, I know I always do.

18City 25HWY 22combined

I won't be in a time crunch on the way home. I'll see if I can pull it off. :D

27mpg there
*23mpg city w/ time crunch
*28mpg city w/o time crunch
33mpg back

Make me proud, and godspeed. :turtle:

- LostCause

I'm cheating a bit, since I've driven the twinned model: 2008 Dodge Avenger :)

I'm assuming it has the The Chrysler/Mitsu 2.4L, which really works hard at 70 mph with a headwind. It all depends if you use the cruise control. Here are the Cruise estimates:

30 mpg highway outbound (headwind).
32 mpg highway inbound (tailwind).

16 mph avg. city in Wye-Cheetah.

Not using the cruise?
33 out, 35 back. City = N/A

The 4-speed tends to kick-down with the slightest grade. I averaged 27.5 in mixed driving with the 2006 model (pre-redesign), which tended to be a bit more efficient.

Enjoy the cooled glove box (if equipped) for sodas/water bottles. Hopefully it has Sirius Satellite Radio for that distance.

Have a good drive!

RH77

I topped off the rent car this morning and started out. I begain at 75 mph but just couldn't bring myself to run it that fast the whole way so after 20 minutes I backed it down to 60 mph (2000 rpm). For the first 3 hours I was DWL through the rolling terrian until I was wore out and then just put the cruise control on 60 and just let her ride.

I have not been in a car without aero mods in long time. This thing was a brick. When I got to a slope of 1-2% when I let off the gas the car would acutally start to decelerate even in N at 60 mph. I'm used to gaining 5-10 mph on a slope like that. With a belly pan and kammback i think this car would be awsome.:turtle:

Made the trip without having to make a fuel stop. 547 miles and the low fuel light did not come on. When I arrived I filled with 14.24 gallons. That's 38 MPG It might be some pump error there but I filled to the first click and then added a gallon and in both cases it was popping off quite a bit towards the end. Even if there is some error that pretty good for a unmodifed car.

The next fill will be all city I'll post that when I'm done and then the return so we can see if the first highway leg was a fluke. I really like this car and I think with some work it could do very well.:)

31% over EPA, when in a hurry. So jealous, but I'm guessing that it is the I-4 or V4 version. I just wish I could make 547 miles without filling up.

38 mpg! Nice going, Laz. It'll be interesting to see what you can do when you're not in a hurry. :)

Yes it the 2.4l engine with good gearing. At 55 the rpm is 1800. W00t. Keep in mind also that all but 10 miles was highway. I think this car is a great platform for a midsize sadan and with a little work could do very well.

If all goes well I'll be heading home tomorrow so I filled tonight. The totals 126.1 miles and it took 4.89 gallons for over 25 MPG This was all city driving with trips in the 1-3 mile range with the engine never really getting up to temp.

RH77(HW77) I don't know why this is so much better then the Dodge but as for now I give it 2 :thumbup:. It's a great platform. I'll post numbers for the return in a couple of days.

Avenging the Sebring
 

For those who don't know, I've lately become "HeadWind77". Bob Seger said it best (check the sig).

No joke, this morning we had 40-50 sustained and 60mph gusts on trash day. My lid is somewhere in Iowa :confused: and the big, heavy roller bins ended up at the fence at the end of the street.

Back to the car...

I need to drive the new Sebring to get a feel for it. Everything I've read says that the new Avenger and Sebring are virtually identical except for the sheetmetal (which is very similar in Cd).

Sourced from AllPar.com,

Interesting. I after reading up more on it, the interior noise level with all of the wind was rather low. It's an "OK" car, I'm mostly upset with the effort vs. FE (which I tend to focus on in reviews more these days).

Back to the Sebring...

Here's the data on it.

Check to see if yours had the Bridgestone Turanza tires. That may be a difference.

But alas, I recall the days of the of vacations in the Sebring Convertible:

http://pic16.picturetrail.com/VOL698.../311233335.jpg
Cheesy Vacation Rental Car Pic

Maybe it was because I was on vacation and not working that I liked it better :D

OK thread hijack over. Carry on. :)

Is the avenger/sebring available with a 6cylinder? I don't know much on it's engine selection, but the caliber comes in either a 1.8L I4, 2.0L I4, 2.4L I4, or the 2.4L I4 Turbocharged (SRT-4). and it's not a sedan, it's a hatch/sport wagon. I don't know why the avenger would need a larger engine.

The 2.7 and 3.5L versions are available in both cars (the 3.5 is likely the "Sport" variant). It is a heavy car, so the populace generally demands More Powah!

Link to engine stats.

RH77

(OK I promise to let you take your thread back over Laz...) :o

one more thing laz, then I'll guess :D"

Both cars meaning both the avenger and sebring?

lets see... seeing as how you did in the avenger... I'm gonna say.. 35 there, and upwards from 38-40+ if the tailwind stays the same and is blowing immensely. I've seen the thread :p oh, and you also do well anyway. over 70% EPA.

I hesitate to post this because it seems wacked but it is what it is. I left Kansas this morning and it was 40 degress drove 547 mile back home where it was 70 degrees with a 20+ tail wind the whole way. Cruise control set for 60 mph on the flats and off with me working the terrain through OK and south of Dallas. It took 12.60 gallons for an FE of over 43 MPG.

At the 1/2 mark on the fuel gauge I had gone 410 miles. Before refueling the gauge was sitting a little above 1/4 tank. I have to give the car :thumbup:. With a grill block and belly pan I think mid 40 would be doable which is great for a sedan.

The trip totals 1217 miles 31.73 gallons for a total of 38.4 mpg.

Just to clarify, we are talking about one of these, yes?

http://news.windingroad.com/wp-conte...bring-rear.jpg

Awesome driving, Laz!

Holy cow!
 

No way! Way? Bah, tailwind. :p

In all seriousness, awesome driving man. :turtle:

Without working the hills and just setting the cruise, I had the wind at my mercy.

As you mentioned I probably averaged 20 or so headwinds in the Avenger -- so that's 75 at 55 and 80 at 60, etc. Honestly, no Joke: KC-Wichita: 35 MPH. Wichita to York, Neb. headwinds at least 25 mph. I-80 Eastboud...then the winds shifted West: headwinds again! Omaha to Sioux City, heavy side winds, snow, and low 30's. Sioux City, winds shifted again, 20+ all the way to KC. 1006 miles at 29.x. Odd.

I gotta rent me a Sebring and have Volume 2.

Question: what was the low-end speed of the hill DWL-ing???

RH77

Yes that's the one.

50 mph was the bottom end any lower and it would down shift. With the tail wind I could actually gain speed on the down hill grades instead of maintaining to losing speed. I'm really suprised by the results. Yes please do rent one to see if the Avenger is just not right. This one did not have the ice box in the glove box maybe that's it.:p