Speed vs. MPG chart: 2002 Toyota Camry 2.4 auto (impressive highway MPG sleeper car?)

[BLSTIC]

Fuel economy sleepers? The large Australian sedans of the 98-02 era were all capable of 6.5l/100km on the highway, all with non-vvt 3.5-4.0 litre engines and 4spd autos, at 100km/h. One of mine indicated 9l/100km at 140km/h.

Just don't drive them around town. 15l/100km best case

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

In the fuel economy department, the "new" car surprisingly lost the dashboard fuel economy gauge.

Now I'm wondering if the MPG gauge is actually present in the dash display (simple 1 line LCD screen), but simply unavailable without the steering wheel control to allow you to page through the various "screens".

There's a blank on the steering wheel where the display control buttons should be - I tried prying it out to see if the wheel is wired for the buttons, but it looks like I'd have to take the horn/airbag center out to be able to remove it.

Foiled again!

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by BLSTIC

The large Australian sedans of the 98-02 era were all capable of 6.5l/100km on the highway, ...

Just don't drive them around town. 15l/100km best case

Yikes: 15L/100km = 16 mpg US!

For comparison, all-town driving this 2005 Camry in record cold winter conditions (eg. many days below -20C): 11 L / 100 km or 21 mpg US.

[BLSTIC]

I've no doubt the Aussie cars could do the same equipped with the right gearbox. Proof of that is the last falcon came with a 6spd auto and I think pulled economy into the 12l/100km region around town. The ecoboost 2L (170kw I think, we got the big'in) in the same car gets 10l/100 overall in the Australian economy tests

[Mesverrum]

Just came across this thread and wanted to add a datapoint. I've had my 2003 Solara (coupe version of the Camry) 2.4 I4, 5 speed manual for about 2 years now and consistently averaged ~27 mpg in mixed driving and ~33 when i take it out on long road trips based on calculating miles per gallon used when I fill up. Stock tire size that is probably reasonably accurate on the odometer, no scangauge, no elaborate driving method beyond trying not to hit the brakes when I don't need to. Just jump in it and drive. The coupe actually weighs more and has measurably worse aero than the sedan so I think with a good technique and some light body mods high 30's to maybe even 40 mpg seems obtainable for these cars..


When the weather is nicer I prefer to drive my 90 Corolla wagon though. In town the corolla averages mid 30's and gets about 38 on long trips, but it is lighter and more tossable to drive plus the added utility of the wagon when I need to get large items. Because I can't leave things alone I've actually been laying the ground work to transplant the entire drive train from the Solara into the Corolla. Everything from the ECU and engine through to the wheels will be moving over basically intact. Parts of this swap have been done on assorted combinations of cars that have close enough similarities that I'm confident it will work out. And those two years of welding classes I took in community college will finally be put to use. I'm thinking that moving the 2.4 into a car that will be about 800 lbs lighter will still net me comparable economy to what I got from the old 1.6l, but add a lot more driving fun and I'll be able to have a/c again I don't want to begin the swap until the Corolla gets a bit more worn down but I'll be sure to open a build thread about it here.

[MetroMPG]

5-speed Camry: unicorn!

I actually VERY NEARLY bought a 4-cylinder, 5-speed, brown 1989 Camry wagon.

Also, I drove across Canada in white Corolla wagon 5-speed, just like yours. Almost as loaded down, too! But nothing on the roof.

[Mesverrum]

Posting the picture made me curious last night so I pulled out my MPG records and saw that I was getting about 27 mpg on that trip in the corolla. Was going from Dallas to the Las Vegas with at LEAST 500 lbs of extra gear in the car, roof stacked with junk, and driving around 70-75. I really stung to see how low my average was and I knew i could have slowed down to improve economy but for that trip I felt like paying for the extra tank of gas was worth getting home 2 hours faster.

[MetroMPG]

Out with the old, in with the new...



The folks' Camry only has 210k km / 120k miles on it, but it's been having "17 year-old car problems" (latest: can smell gas around it - probably a rusted line or filler neck).

So my sister just sold them her 2018 Soul EX. (She got a new Rav4 ... non-hybrid.)

We also urged Dad to do this for his extremely bad back: It's quite a bit easier to get in & out of the Soul with its higher seat height & taller door openings.

EPA Soul vs Camry:



City ... 21 ... 25
Hwy ... 30 ... 31
Comb ... 27 ... 25

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find...38830&id=20930

Not surprisingly, the Soul's highway fuel economy is worse, despite the extra gear, being a box on wheels. But city economy is noticeably better.

I'm currently doing all the driving for my folks (Mom can't see & Dad's not currently mobile enough to drive.)

I hate the Soul's tinted glass - I want to be able to see out (especially at night). I thought I'll just scrape off the film with a razor blade! But the tint is IN the glass. Rats.

[Xist]

The Soul's windows are made out of beer bottles?

[MetroMPG]

And without the benefit of the car being full of beer!