Nashwill Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 New to this forum, and to the current generation of Subarus: we got a 2001 Forester a few months back. We love everything about it except that we can't get more than 20 miles out of a gallon of gas, whether it's around town or over the road. This is the fourth 2.5 liter car I've owned, and easily the most technically advanced, but it gets worse mileage than any of the others. I've had a '59 Daimler V8, a '60 Falcon straight-6 (with 2-speed automatic), and an '87 Alfa Milano V6, and they all returned 25-30 mpg on the highway. It can't just be weight - it's only about 300 lb more than the Alfa. What gives? Will Owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 All Wheel Drive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
felipe01forester Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I have an 01 Forester, but I suppose it's all about the way you drive. I can usually get about 20 on the road, but the highway is even better. I've gotten slightly better mileage ever since I got my clutch replaced a couple of months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lothar34 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Did you already check the plugs and run some fuel system cleaner through it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johngenx Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 The Forester is sensitive to driving style for fuel economy. My wife always gets better than 10.0L/100kms in city driving. (24USMPG for the metric imparied) Me? Not so good! I drive with a bit more "spirit" and I also do goofy things like climbing over big snow berms just for the heck of it. That playing causes the economy to drop. I've had some 14L/100kms tanks! (17mpg) Also, the Forester is a brick, so don't expect dramatic highway mileage. Make sure your engine air filter is fresh, plugs are good, fuel filter is new and check your tire pressures. After that, drive with a light foot. Among the Subaru owners I know, the AT versions also seem to get a teeny bit better fuel economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nashwill Posted March 2, 2005 Author Share Posted March 2, 2005 The Forester is sensitive to driving style for fuel economy. My wife always gets better than 10.0L/100kms in city driving. (24USMPG for the metric imparied) Me? Not so good! I drive with a bit more "spirit" and I also do goofy things like climbing over big snow berms just for the heck of it. That playing causes the economy to drop. I've had some 14L/100kms tanks! (17mpg) Also, the Forester is a brick, so don't expect dramatic highway mileage. Make sure your engine air filter is fresh, plugs are good, fuel filter is new and check your tire pressures. After that, drive with a light foot. Among the Subaru owners I know, the AT versions also seem to get a teeny bit better fuel economy. Okay - I do drive hard. My point is that a modern car with a fancy electronic EMS driven hard should get better mileage than a 45-year-old car with a carburetor driven the same way, especially if said modern car is rated at 27 mpg highway (yes, it is an automatic)! And I flog the bejeezus out of the Alfa and still get about 20 urban/27 highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjwirth Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 If you search the archives, you'll find the common responses of "change O2 sensor, take it easy on the gas pedal, don't use A/C...." I'm also getting below expected gas mileage as are many others who have also followed the advice that's usually written. It seems based on some of the responses I've read from this board only (and I could be way off here) that there are 2 populations of subaru owners, those that get mileage in the low 20's and those that get mileage in the upper 20's for easy highway driving. While things like O2 sensors, plugs, lead feet, etc are problems that affect mileage, I gotta think there's somethinge else that's being overlooked. I did follow all the advice that was written and I went from 17 mpg to 22 mpg for highway mileage. fwiw, I do have an auto forester. maybe it's the transmission?? maybe I should start a poll, who has an auto and gets better than 25 mpg and who has a manual and gets worse than 25 mpg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I posted this before in another thread but I never got much of a response: Gee..........someone else with the same problems as my 2000 Forester. I replaced the fuel filter, plugs, PVC valve, air filter, FRONT 02 sensor. I'm still only getting 14-15 MPG in city driving. We do use special winter gas here in Philadelphia so I'm waiting until spring to talk to my independent mechanic. By the way there are NO CEL's. My tires have been replaced and are at 35 lbs. I also got a 4 wheel alignment. Someone told me to replace the throttle position sensor but that's an expensive part just to see what will happen. I'm clueless at this point. Everyone tells me I should be getting higher MPG's. ~Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I posted this before in another thread but I never got much of a response: Gee..........someone else with the same problems as my 2000 Forester. I replaced the fuel filter, plugs, PVC valve, air filter, FRONT 02 sensor. I'm still only getting 14-15 MPG in city driving. We do use special winter gas here in Philadelphia so I'm waiting until spring to talk to my independent mechanic. By the way there are NO CEL's. My tires have been replaced and are at 35 lbs. I also got a 4 wheel alignment. Someone told me to replace the throttle position sensor but that's an expensive part just to see what will happen. I'm clueless at this point. Everyone tells me I should be getting higher MPG's. ~Howard Winter city driving with winter gas in Montreal (real city driving: short distances, idling at stop lights, never above third speed, etc.) gives me about the same fuel mileage as you get. I put that on the account of driving conditions and not on the car since I regularly get 8L to 100 km (around 30 miles to the US gallon) when on the road during the summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lothar34 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 FWIW my mileage went up slightly when I put 5w30 in the engine instead of 10w30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubasuGirl Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I have an '01 Forester L. I have an extremely heavy foot while driving and am currently averaging 22-24 mpg. in the city... and am creeping down to 21 -23. But, in about 4kmiles, I will have a service done on my car, including a fuel injector clean, new spark plugs, new fuel filter, new air, oil, and tranni filter, and change all my fluids. Then, I will average 25-27 mpg in town. I also am picky on my gas. I only use name brand gas (Shell, BP, Amoco, etc), no "discount" gas. Out of desperation, I had to use "discount" gas once, and got 18-19 mpg. So, check for the last time you had a good service done on your car and where you get your gas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjwirth Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I have an '01 Forester L. I have an extremely heavy foot while driving and am currently averaging 22-24 mpg. in the city... and am creeping down to 21 -23. But, in about 4kmiles, I will have a service done on my car, including a fuel injector clean, new spark plugs, new fuel filter, new air, oil, and tranni filter, and change all my fluids. Then, I will average 25-27 mpg in town. I don't have a heavy foot, used seafoam, new plugs, filters, etc, use name brand gas (no EtOH) and I WISH I got your 22-24 for city mileage. I'm lucky to get that for ALL highway. I've heard the stories about winter gas and I've talked to a friend that works in a refinery and he tells me that it doesn't make a significant difference in mileage (not 5-10 mpg, maybe 1 mpg). I guess this will go down as one of those mysteries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfg9k Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I posted this before in another thread but I never got much of a response: Gee..........someone else with the same problems as my 2000 Forester. I replaced the fuel filter, plugs, PVC valve, air filter, FRONT 02 sensor. I'm still only getting 14-15 MPG in city driving. We do use special winter gas here in Philadelphia so I'm waiting until spring to talk to my independent mechanic. By the way there are NO CEL's. My tires have been replaced and are at 35 lbs. I also got a 4 wheel alignment. Someone told me to replace the throttle position sensor but that's an expensive part just to see what will happen. I'm clueless at this point. Everyone tells me I should be getting higher MPG's. ~Howard I'm in the same boat. My '98 Legacy L (2.2L engine, auto) gets 19 mpg on the highway. In the last 6 months: plugs & wires changed, air & fuel filter changed, complete transmission rebuild due to failure, Redline fuel injector cleaner added, switched to Amsoil 10w30 synthetic oil, new Nokian WR tires, changed front O2 sensor. The ONLY thing that helped was the new tires, that got me a 2 mpg improvement. My daily commute is 13 miles each way, about 11.5 of which is highway, and I manage to use cruise control set between 65-70 about 2/3 of the time. The car is rated for 30 mpg on the highway! I don't have a lead foot either, I easily get 31-32 mpg highway in my Saab 9-5 wagon, a bigger car with a more powerful turbo motor... I'm at a loss to explain the horrendous mileage. :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I bought a 2005 Forester 6 weeks ago and I have not gotten more than 20 per gallon. I love the car, but it does get thirsty quickly. New to this forum, and to the current generation of Subarus: we got a 2001 Forester a few months back. We love everything about it except that we can't get more than 20 miles out of a gallon of gas, whether it's around town or over the road. This is the fourth 2.5 liter car I've owned, and easily the most technically advanced, but it gets worse mileage than any of the others. I've had a '59 Daimler V8, a '60 Falcon straight-6 (with 2-speed automatic), and an '87 Alfa Milano V6, and they all returned 25-30 mpg on the highway. It can't just be weight - it's only about 300 lb more than the Alfa. What gives? Will Owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubasuGirl Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Just a question, what grade gas do you put in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Premium Unleaded. Just a question, what grade gas do you put in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lothar34 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Premium Unleaded. Yours is a turbo though, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Yep. It's a turbo with an automatic transmission. But I'm still surprised that it doesn't get at least 24 or 25 mpg. I don't really care. It's still the most awesome car I've ever owned and I plan to keep it for a god while. Yours is a turbo though, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 I'm in the same boat. My '98 Legacy L (2.2L engine, auto) gets 19 mpg on the highway. In the last 6 months: plugs & wires changed, air & fuel filter changed, complete transmission rebuild due to failure, Redline fuel injector cleaner added, switched to Amsoil 10w30 synthetic oil, new Nokian WR tires, changed front O2 sensor. The ONLY thing that helped was the new tires, that got me a 2 mpg improvement. My daily commute is 13 miles each way, about 11.5 of which is highway, and I manage to use cruise control set between 65-70 about 2/3 of the time. The car is rated for 30 mpg on the highway! I don't have a lead foot either, I easily get 31-32 mpg highway in my Saab 9-5 wagon, a bigger car with a more powerful turbo motor... I'm at a loss to explain the horrendous mileage. :-\ If I got 19 MPG, I would do hand stands ! Right now in Philadelphia we are using the special winter fuel so it hard to tell but the last time I checked I was getting about 14-15 MPG all city driving. ~Howard :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 stop complaining. j/k I've got a EA82 that gets 14 mpg. I'd love to be getting the mpg you guys are getting.. :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo2001 Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 My 2000 Forester has been getting around 20-22 mpg in the winter. My '98 Forester got much better mileage, don't know why. I do know that when I use the AC, which I use a lot for defogging, it's like putting a hole in the gas tank. Also the winter additives they put in the gas here in the northeast hurt the mileage. Still, when I read what a lot of other suv's get for mileage, I'm happy with my Forester. Anyone think Subaru will come out with a hybrid eventually? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjpm Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 I bought a 2005 Forester 6 weeks ago and I have not gotten more than 20 per gallon. I love the car, but it does get thirsty quickly. Bonnie, Does your car have an automatic or a 5-speed? Is your driving mostly city or highway? A manual transmission will always get better mileage (1-3) miles per gallon than an automatic in an otherwise identical car. Also, the first few thousand miles on any new vehicle are "break-in" miles. That is, the metal to metal parts in your engine are sort of polishing each other to a smoother surface. As they do so, the engine begins to loosen up a bit and less is lost to internal friction. Engines are usually fully broken in by four or five thousand miles. Have your first oil change at 2500 miles and the second at 5000 miles. You should notice by then that it is returning better mileage than you are getting now. I bought a Forester, 5-speed, six months ago and it now has 5500 miles on it and it just sings. Good luck with your new Forester! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howards11 Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 With the normal <non-winter> gas the last time I figured, I was getting about 16 MPG; mostly city driving. I haven't measured it with the A/C on. ~Howard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 manual trans do not always get better mileage for the same vehicle. usually, yes. always, no. depends on gearing. if the auto is geared higher it can get the same or better mileage than a manual for the same car. those do seem like low mileages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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