How is the MPG?
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Realistically, you probably won't get your car's rated gas mileage. Not that it's an incorrect rating or anything, it's just that nobody accelerates very gently the way you're supposed to. And most people have to deal with traffic, which hurts your gas mileage as well.
My car is rated at 20mpg city/29mpg highway, but the best gas mileage I have gotten has been 19mpg, but I do have absolutely no regard for gas mileage in the way I drive.
My car is rated at 20mpg city/29mpg highway, but the best gas mileage I have gotten has been 19mpg, but I do have absolutely no regard for gas mileage in the way I drive.
![[werd]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_werd.gif "Werd [werd]"){kind=icon}
Maybe because my car is older, with a ton more miles... I'm getting 20+ around town and about 30+ on the highway. Most of my miles are on the highway as well. I also find that my car gets better gas mileage with 94 octane vise 93, therefore I use 94 about every other fill up. ![[driving]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_driving.gif "Driving [driving]"){kind=icon}
I, like bmwrocks, have a 2004 330Ci. I'm right around 3000 miles on the car and get 23.6 - 23.8 on a mix of 50/50 highway and city driving. During the week, I'm on the highway about 60 miles a day. On the weekends, all my driving is in the city. I usually see a projected 400 miles with each tank of gas--projected because I'll usually be at 350 to 370 miles on the trip odo, with about 50 to 30 miles left until empty according to the OBC. On my last tank, I got 23.6 mpg which included getting stuck in bumper to bumper traffic a couple of times (probably a total of 90 to 120 minutes driving time).
Amazing... I get 11 mpg city driving. With extended city/highway driving (not including quick 4-5 mile drives) I get about 16mpg. While on a long distance highway trip I get 24mpg. I wouldn't complain if I got the above posted MPG readings, the BMW is quite a gas guzzler. all this and I'm at a little over 8k.
I think the 2.5i is a rugged unrefined engine..... It puts out 184hp yet is less efficient than the 225hp 3.0i Maybe the value initially gained in opting away from the 3.0 is lost in poor fuel efficiency... or maybe it's just the 2003 325i's I have been hearing and experienced quite some stuff with those. Maybe it has something to do with that BMW plant strike.
I didn't really pay attention to my MPG during break-in, but after the 1250 miles I did notice slightly better fuel economy. I then spent about a week obsessed with getting the best MPG I could--babied the car, practiced gradual acceleration only, etc. Then I decided to just drive her like I normally would with any car--agressive on the throttle when getting onto the highway, revving well past 4000 rpm before shifting, and generally getting up to 80 mph (when traffic allowed) or more on the highway real quickly and cruising up there. I've since found that a more "robust" driving style seems to yield better gas mileage for me. As usual, YMMV.
Currently at about 7500 miles. City I get 16.5 - 17.9 mpg. Usually right around 17. Freeway is about 24 - 25 mpg. Combined 50/50 seems to be about 22-23 mpg. Highest I ever got was 28.0 mpg. That was pure freeway, with the only time under 60 mph was when I left the gas station and got off the freeway to go to one. Mileage drives me nuts. We only get 91 octane here, but it's damn expensive. Car has like a 16 gallon tank so the amount per tank I gotta pay is insane. Yeah I know SUV drivers get it worse, but they're the idiots driving those tanks around the cities or suburbs with just one person and no cargo. Course, this diatribe is coming from an ex-Civic owner used to 27 mpg city and 30 mpg freeway.
There is something wrong with your car. BMW 3-series are not gas guzzlers. If they were, don't you think the gov't would catch on and charge the "gas guzzler tax" when we buy (I think they still do that??)? My 5000 lb X5 3.0i (68K miles, same motor as the 330, steptronic) gets an overall 20+ MPG, and that's with my wife as the principal driver, and she pays NO attention to how much gas she uses.
My neighbor's brand new Suburban gets better that 11 MPG city. If you haven't already, you need to have your 325 looked at by the dealer, IMO.
My neighbor's brand new Suburban gets better that 11 MPG city. If you haven't already, you need to have your 325 looked at by the dealer, IMO.
Since you're in NYC, I'm not really surprised that you get such bad gas mileage in the city. Try resetting your OBC to clear the MPG average. It could be that you drove the car in the city a lot when you first got it, and it would take a really extended amount of time on the highway for the average to even out. Clear the OBC next time before you get on the highway and see what that gets you. If you're still under 20, I'd definitely take the car to the dealer.
my 328i gets me about 15 in the city (GOD DAMN NYC TRAFFIC), and 25-30 in the highway. I've noticed that if u cruise under 40 the car tends to want to eat gas. Plus it makes sense that you don't get the same mileage cruising at 30.. compared to cruising at 60. car uses same amount of gas with the exception of the amount used to accelerate the car.