gas mileage

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Jeannie Smith - 25 Jun 2006 02:49 GMT

I have a 2004 Malibu Classic (4c. not V6) and i get 25-29mpg going to
work(42 miles a day) and when i take a trip i get 30-36mpg. I have 48,900
miles on my car.
I was wondering if this is good.

JSmith

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ace - 25 Jun 2006 12:03 GMT

dunno, if it was my car, the v6, i would say yes, but that seems good
on the high 29, but low ont eh low side 25.

> I have a 2004 Malibu Classic (4c. not V6) and i get 25-29mpg going to
> work(42 miles a day) and when i take a trip i get 30-36mpg. I have 48,900
> miles on my car.
> I was wondering if this is good.
>
> JSmith

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Eric - 28 Jun 2006 03:37 GMT

It's better than I get with my four-cylinder '04 Classic; also it's in
line with EPA estimates of 24/34.

I've complained about this before on the newsgroup, but poor fuel
economy has been the one and only major disappointment I've had in
seven months with my Classic. I have never, ever reached 30 mpg, let
alone 34, even on long highway trips.

In the winter, with snow tires and winter-blend gas I got 21-24 mpg
with an average of 23.

Since I've put the Eagles GA's back on, at 35 psi, plus changed the air
filter and switched to Mobil 1 full synthetic, and with summer-blend
gas, it has gotten better....but not much. Now I get 24.5-29 mpg,
average about 26 to MAYBE 28 if it's nearly all highway driving near
the speed limit.

Meantime, every time I post here I get replies from folks who say they
get nothing but 30s and very high 20s mpg with an identical car. Apart
from the poor gas mileage, I have had (knock wood) NO problems with
this car. Bought it with 30K miles, now it has 38K.

It's baffling and frustrating.

Anyway, congrats on hitting the 30s and good luck with your Classic.
Dollar for dollar and feature for feature, it's still one of the best
cars out there; if only I could get gas mileage someting close to what
was advertised, and what you and others report....

Regards,
Eric M

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Eric - 28 Jun 2006 05:12 GMT

> > I have a 2004 Malibu Classic (4c. not V6) and i get 25-29mpg going to
> > work(42 miles a day) and when i take a trip i get 30-36mpg. I have 48,900
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> Regards,
> Eric M

Ugh. This post caused me to fill up my tank tonight to see what the
numbers would say this time.

Bad news. I should not have bothered. This time I got 25.3 mpg. Granted
it was only about 60/40 highway/city (with the highway being the 60)
and I had the a/c on briefly a few times....but OTOH I had no
passengers or luggage and I stayed at or very near the speed limit.

I just don't get it. Nothing else is wrong with this car, but I just
don't get the fuel economy everyone else gets. At least everyone who
reports their mpg on this and other newsgroups.....ERM

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Cy Welch - 28 Jun 2006 06:00 GMT

>>> I have a 2004 Malibu Classic (4c. not V6) and i get 25-29mpg going to
>>> work(42 miles a day) and when i take a trip i get 30-36mpg. I have 48,900
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> don't get the fuel economy everyone else gets. At least everyone who
> reports their mpg on this and other newsgroups.....ERM

What part of the country are you in? Some parts of the country get the
reformulated gas that gets much lower mileage. My 03 with v6 gets about
22 combo city and highway, and I get about 29 or 30 highway. If I get
out of CA, and get on NORMAL gas, it goes up a lot (up 35 or so highway
and 25 or 26 mixed). The oxygenated gas just doesn't contain as much
energy per gallon and so you get lower mileage. This might not be what
your problem is, but it's something to consider.

Signature

Cy Welch
89 Camaro RS 5.0 TBI
98 Passport
03 Malibu

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Eric - 29 Jun 2006 03:36 GMT

> >>> I have a 2004 Malibu Classic (4c. not V6) and i get 25-29mpg going to
> >>> work(42 miles a day) and when i take a trip i get 30-36mpg. I have 48,900
[quoted text clipped - 60 lines]
> 98 Passport
> 03 Malibu

Thanks for the advice, but I've filled up at several stations in and
near my hometown, in northeastern PA, plus several times at different
stations in NJ, plus twice in Ohio when I took a road trip there in
March.

The first few months I had the car I was convinced something had to be
wrong with the engine or the innards in general, and held my breath
waiting for the shoe to drop.

However, it's now been more than 7 months and more than 8,000
miles....and (thankfully) I have had no problems at all apart from fuel
economy, which has been a bitter disappointment.

Go figure. (But thanks again for the advice.)

ERM

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Repairman - 30 Jun 2006 12:32 GMT

I'm in your neighborhood just over the flooded river in Milford, all the
fuels around here now are 10% ethanol, which means less fuel mileage.
Ethanol has less energy so now with the mix you'll get worse mileage than
you used to with 100% gasoline. Plus NE PA used to get non oxy gas so that's
why the mileage is dropping. It's a 1 - 2 punch in the fuel mix.
I've lost 2 mpg in my Yukon and when you're only in the teens that's a big
hit. I don't even check the 'bu or other cars anymore.
The 'bu is a bigger, heavier car so will never be a mileage champ, but
bigger is safer since your in PA which is home of the over the line oncoming
driver.

> Thanks for the advice, but I've filled up at several stations in and
> near my hometown, in northeastern PA, plus several times at different
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> ERM

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Eric - 30 Jun 2006 22:54 GMT

> I'm in your neighborhood just over the flooded river in Milford, all the
> fuels around here now are 10% ethanol, which means less fuel mileage.
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> >
> > ERM

Yes, ethanol makes things worse, but I would be amazed if it accounts
for all of the difference between the gas mileage I get and what other
folks report, not to mention the EPA estimates.

Sounds like your area was hit hard in the flood. I'm north of you,
closer to Portland-Columbia and the Delaware Water Gap. It was bad
here---real bad in spots---but not as bad as last April. It seems the
farther downsriver you went the worse it got.

You are right about the crossover drivers and crazy drivers in general
'round here....ERM

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frankletank - 21 Aug 2006 21:22 GMT

I'm glad someone else in the world is having the same problems as me! I
also have an '04 malibu classic and I get horrendous gas mileage. When I
first bought it in AZ(used, go figure) I got great mileage, usually about
26 mpg mostly city. but ever since I drove it out to connecticut, it's
dropped dramatically and I'm lucky to get 20 mpg city/highway mix. You're
lucky enough to have that be the only issue, but I also am having
difficulties accelerating at a normal pace. I have inclinations that the
problems are linked, but am clueless about cars. Any thoughts?

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Jeannie Smith - 22 Aug 2006 22:01 GMT

I have an 04 classic and on trips i get 32-36mpg and city/hwy 27-30. I get
good gas milage on certain types of gas(exxon, bp, ect) Phillip 66, Walmart
gas, Hess it does not get good milage,but exxon, texaco i get great milage.
We change the oil and check everything every3-5,000 miles. I do not know
what to tell you. I bought mine last August with 32,939 miles and i have
50,005 on it now and going strong. The only problem i have is that the
brakes make a noise other than that it's a good car!!!

> I'm glad someone else in the world is having the same problems as me! I
> also have an '04 malibu classic and I get horrendous gas mileage. When I
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> difficulties accelerating at a normal pace. I have inclinations that the
> problems are linked, but am clueless about cars. Any thoughts?

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Cy Welch - 24 Aug 2006 22:37 GMT

Yeah, it's the oxygenated gas they sell in high population areas. About
4 MPG sounds about right for going from non-oxygenated to oxygenated.
When I make trips out of CA, my mileage goes up by about that much on
ALL my vehicles.

Signature

Cy Welch
89 Camaro RS 5.0 TBI
98 Passport
03 Malibu

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