Is it just me, or is anyone else having trouble hitting the estimated MPG? I drive 5 days a week to work, just 12 miles round trip, all freeway. My grocery store is half a mile away, and I don’t drive anywhere else. I can’t seem to get above 19 MPG on average, and the most I’ve gotten from a full tank is 278 miles. This doesn’t seem right. Anyone else?
Check what drive mode you’re in. Are you using ‘I’ mode for fuel efficiency, or are you in ‘S’ or ‘S#’ mode, which prioritize performance?
I get around 21-25 MPG depending on how I drive and the length of my trips. Using mid or premium fuel instead of regular has helped me. How quickly do you accelerate? If you’re heavy on the pedal, it’ll definitely hurt your MPG. I like to drive fast, but easing up from a stop has made a difference for me.
I have the same issue, and my trips are super short too—like 3 miles or less. Short trips and winter gas blends kill your mileage. If the engine doesn’t fully warm up, it can’t run efficiently. It’s frustrating, but kind of normal for short drives.
I’ve got the 24 RS and average around 24.7 MPG, usually getting 320 miles on a tank. My commute is 28 miles with no stop-and-go traffic. A few tips: I always use Chevron gas, keep my tire pressure in check, and turn off the auto start/stop. I also wait for the RPMs to settle after starting the car before I drive off—not sure if that helps, though!
Your trips are probably too short for the engine to fully warm up and run efficiently.
Toni said:
Your trips are probably too short for the engine to fully warm up and run efficiently.
Exactly this. My commute used to be 7 miles round trip, and I’d get about 24 MPG. But on long trips like Vegas to Denver or Phoenix, even with hills, I hit 31 MPG going 70-75 MPH.
I get 19 MPG too, but that’s when I’m driving for fun and not trying at all. When I focus on efficiency, I get around 22-24 MPG.
Short trips like yours are rough on MPG. It takes time for the engine to warm up, and during that time, it uses more gas. Even idling to warm up doesn’t help much—I’ve tried. Take a long road trip and you’ll feel better about the MPG. The RS does great on the highway with cruise control.
I get about 26-27 in the city and 32-33 on the highway. I always turn off auto start/stop, and I keep my tires at 33/32 PSI.
Winter fuel mix can hurt your mileage too.
I’m averaging 26-28 MPG, which is lower than I expected. My 2022 Forester used to get 30-32 MPG.
If you’re not driving on highways daily, the mileage can be pretty bad. I’ve noticed that too.
I do a mix of city and highway driving and have been getting about 27 MPG and 400 miles per tank since I bought mine last year.
That sounds normal for winter and short trips. It takes a lot of gas to get up to freeway speeds just to slow back down after a few miles. For my commute, I take a backroad at 45 MPH instead of the freeway—it’s better on gas even though it’s slightly longer.
Something might be off. My display shows 27 MPG.
Ashwin said:
Something might be off. My display shows 27 MPG.
The display might not be accurate. Try calculating it manually for a better idea.
If you’re driving mostly freeway, it should be better. I get around 22 MPG with stop-and-go city driving but easily over 30 MPG on the highway.