Topic: Any suggestions? Our 2009 Nissan Versa SL fuel consumption is too high

[mgm]

Hi, we just bought a Nissan Versal SL in October. Since the first refill we realized that it consumes aprox. 10% instead of the average in specs (7.5%). We went back to the dealer and were told that there's a break in period up to 5000 km or until we change the oil two or three times. My concern is that they would say nothing is wrong and we are driving a brand new car with the consumption greater than a 20 YO car.
What do you suggest we do next? Because we will not accept this situation anyway, but which do you think are the steps to take in order to solve this situation?

Thanks
mgm

[wing]

10%?  Do you mean 10L/100km?  If you are city driving this sounds normal.

[mgm]

Yes 10%. But over 60% is on the highway.

[mgm]

From their website:

7.9 (36)  in the city
Highway  6.3 (45)

[Rupert]

What is meant by 10% and 60%.

[wing]

You'll never get 7.9/6.3 in Toronto.

[airbalancer]

Those test are done in a control setting, so all the cars tested can be compared in the same conditions
Hwy calculation are done at 55 km/hr ( please correct me if I am wrong)
do you drive fast then that on the highway?
Then your mileage will go down.
The best way to get better mileage is to look in a mirror
Here is a link to look over http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/buying/energuide-winners.cfm?attr=8

[KRS]

  
 As wing Noted 10%? In any case in my experience a new car will improve in mileage over the first few thousand miles. Also If you bought the car on the theory that you will get the government tested mileage you are going to be bitterly disappointed regardless of what car you bought. A quick review of the NRC site shows the Versa rated at 7.9l/100km city and 6.3l/100km highway with the manual.  If you can achieve 8.5l/100 km's once its broken in then your car is likely very normal. and just so you know the numbers 10% and 60% are meaningless. fuel consumed over a distance have meaning. % could refer to furlongs per fortnight for all I know. If there is an issue with your vehicle it will be far easier to get repairs when your communicating the details in a manner the technicians and service writers can understand.

   For you to actually get the mileage the government tests achieved you need to be on the same conditions. Mileage in the middle of summer if you don't use A/C and keep the windows up may get close but you'll never get that in mid winter with all the fluids cold.

  As far as it having greater consumption then a 20 year old car I am willing to bet that the new versa has far greater creature comforts and far greater safety features over your old car, all of which add weight and drag economy down from were it could be.

[mgm]

To Rupert


60% of our driving is on highway.
10 litre/100km

[tpl]

Our Fit just about manages those numbers... only just... in a suburban and country road usage with an engine 300cc smaller and manual transmission. I would not expect to get those numbers with a combination of Toronto ( real city) and real 400 series highway at 110-125 km/h which is the speed that the traffic I see is moving.
The Transport Canada numbers are a bit optimistic as well.

You have been driving the car in cool weather.  Have you carefully adjusted the tire pressures as the weather cooled from fall into winter/   Are you using winter tires now which are usually less economical that summer tires.  How many KMs has the car done now?  My previous car ( BMW ) did not attain its best economy until about 20,000 km

[Squishy]

That break-in period is not BS.  Wait 5-10,000 km before calculating your mileage; you will still be within your warranty period should anything be amiss.

[mgm]

To KRS
Thanks for your time to write the message.

It's true, except the fuel consumption, we are overall very satisfied with the car.
So what would you do in this situation? Just leave it as is?
At the dealership, the people there admited that the fuel consumption is too high.
The manager for the Nissan Service said we must wait for the break in period and see afterwards.
But I read some review and other owners complain of the same problem in regards to fuel consumption.

Thanks
mgm

[mgm]

waw! Thanks everybody for your replies! It feels good to hear some other opinions on this.
It bothers us  ???as we expected to buy a fuel economy car...
In conclusion, we must wait and see, right?

All the best and a happy 2009!!!
mgm

[Rupert]

The average fuel consumption will be worse in the colder months. The qouted figures on the Monroney sticker are standard test ratings and will not be achieveable in practice generally although you may have a good run on the highway occasionally with the wind blowing from behind. What I do is add the highway and city published mpg figures and divide by 2. Then divide this number by .8 and the figure obtained will be close to the overall practical average. At least that is what I find. For the Versa this will be about 32.4 mpg (combined average) Which is a little better than what you are currently getting.

(36+45)divide by 2 = 40.5 mpg

40.5 x .8 = 32.4 mpg.....a more realistic number...this is 8.73 L/100 km.

[KRS]

 10l/100km does seem high for 60% highway driving. Have you checked tire pressures? If you are driving at much over the speed limit the mileage drops quickly which if your keeping up with traffic on the 401 would account for worse mileage.

  Once the car has 3000 km's on it I would fill her up, drive it at the speed limit for the one tank, and document how many miles were on what roads and then see how the cars mileage is. Then take what you have to the dealer and see if their are any service bulletins or ecu reflashes to address this issue if it has failed to improve at that point.

 
 
 

[gottarondo]

Do you have a trip meter or are you calculating your fuel usage per tank?  If per tank you may not be as aware of the little things in your driving day that increase your consumption.  I have a trip meter and can watch the impact of every little thing I do, and the effect of even one off- or on-ramp on the rest of a highway trip is astonishing.  If I zero the meter once I'm up to speed on the highway I can get under 8L/100 km, I think I've even gone under 7 for the odd stretch (downhill with a tailwind, most likely).  But if I zero it before I get on the highway, or if I have to slow down/speed up for traffic on the highway, the average quickly climbs.  

I have also tested for how bad it can get in the city:  zeroed the meter at the gas station and then driven home (about 5 blocks:  one red light, 5 corners, one U-turn, parking) and find it reads well over 30L/100 km.  Then I go for a longer, smoother trip and it averages out.  But obviously, if I include a lot of such super-short stop/go trips in a tank, the overall efficiency will be poor.  But if you are assessing your driving from memory, I think we tend to sort of discount those little trips on the assumption that being short, they don't matter much.  But they do.

And I have compared the per-tank readings with manual calculations so know the meter pretty accurate.  

I had less impact than I expected from reaching the break-in point, but have the impression that running the air conditioner increases usage a fair bit, and consumption has been really high this past two weeks driving in snow (and in cold with lots of heater fan use, which on several settings also runs the A/C if I understand correctly).

[Squishy]

Also, how are you calculating your mileage?  I keep a spreadsheet on my computer that records the previous 56 fill-ups.  I fill up to the first click-off at the pump and then reset the trip computer.  At the next fill-up, I record the number of kilometres travelled and write it on the receipt, then input date, price/L, litres pumped, and kilometres travelled into the spreadsheet.  It then calculates L/100 km, MPG US, and cost/km, along with a table of averages and projected mileage for the year.

In-car gas mileage gauges do not always match reality, although the new ones are usually close.

EDIT: I see rondo beat me to the "how do you do it?" question.  Well played. 

[Squishy]

Those test are done in a control setting, so all the cars tested can be compared in the same conditions
Hwy calculation are done at 55 km/hr ( please correct me if I am wrong)
do you drive fast then that on the highway?
Then your mileage will go down.
The best way to get better mileage is to look in a mirror
Here is a link to look over http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/buying/energuide-winners.cfm?attr=8

I think that may be 55 MPH for the EPA test.  Here are the guidelines for the Transport Canada test:

Testing procedures for vehicle fuel consumption
New vehicles are "run in" for about 6000 km before testing. Vehicles are mounted on a programmable two-wheel laboratory chassis dynamometer and, using two-wheel drive, are run through simulated city and highway driving cycles. This carefully controlled method of testing, including the use of standardized fuels, laboratories and testing equipment, is used instead of on-road driving to ensure that all vehicles are tested under identical conditions.

Fuel consumption ratings are generated based on test cycles and correction factors that take into account the aerodynamic efficiency, weight, rolling resistance, drive mode of different vehicles and average real-world driving conditions in Canada. Other adjustments are made to reflect the average fuel consumption of vehicle configurations, options and sales mixes sold in Canada.

All vehicles, including four-wheel (4×4) and all-wheel drive (AWD), are tested in two-wheel drive (2WD) mode.

Simulated city course
City fuel consumption ratings are based on a 22-minute simulated drive of 12 km, with 16 complete stops. The average speed of the test is 32 km/h.

Simulated highway course
Highway fuel consumption ratings are based on a 12-minute simulated highway course of 16 km with no stops. The top speed during the test is 96.5 km/h, and the average speed of the test is 77 km/h, reflecting an urban-highway driving environment.

For additional information about vehicle testing, visit the road Web site of Transport Canada.

Also:

You may experience consumption other than specified in the Guide
While the Guide allows for a reliable comparison of the fuel consumption of different vehicles using the same testing methods, your own vehicle's results may vary from what is indicated in the Guide. The published ratings are for typically equipped vehicles and are adjusted to reflect average real-world driving conditions in Canada. The fuel consumption of your vehicle may vary from its published rating, depending on factors such as your driving style and behaviour, vehicle acceleration and driving speed, the overall age and operating condition of your vehicle, temperature, weather, traffic and road conditions. In addition, power-driven accessories (e.g., air conditioning) and other options that are installed in your vehicle will also affect your fuel use.

The ratings that appear on the EnerGuide labels for vehicles and in the 2005 Fuel Consumption Guide are an indicator of what fuel efficiency you may achieve if you keep your vehicle properly maintained and drive with fuel efficiency in mind. For more information on vehicle fuel consumption and related topics, including tips on how to get the most fuel efficiency out of your new vehicle, visit the Personal Vehicles Initiative Web site.

[mgm]

Hello gottarondo

Thanks for your reply!
“and in cold with lots of heater fan use, which on several settings also runs the A/C if I understand correctly”, yes, it’s true.
And no, we have no meter, we just calculate how many km we drive after we have the tank filled with gas. And so far, this is not a fuel efficient car. My husband drives it and most of the times on the highway, except for our shopping drive and my pick up which is 3 km/day only in the city.

We'll see what's next.
Thanks
mgm

[Ice]

Hrrmmmm thats really interesting Squishy.  Thanks for posting! So the highway test is not a "true" test of a 400 series highway where the average speed is more like in the 110-115kph range.

mgm, when your driving your Versa on the highway...whats your average speed?  Are you sticking to 100kph or are you like most on the road driving about 110 in the slowlane and faster in the middle and right?

You may know this but fuel economy greatly worsens above 100kph as the drag increases and the engine needs more power.  The Versa is, if I'm not mistaken, a little bit taller than say a Sentra or Civic as well so at highway speeds above 100kph your fuel economy is likely to be worse as the smaller engine pushes a bit harder.  Just a thought.