Fuel Economy

Bmhdg76

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2012
769
516
93
North Lakes, Qld.
Ok, I have been disappointed in the fuel economy from my Mitsubishi Challenger compared to the Hilux I traded last year (sob sob sob)...

Now is the time for people to brag, cry or gloat!!!

Thought it might be worthwhile seeing as a lot of people keep track of their fuel economy for a thread to be started for people to give real life examples of the economy they are getting from their tugs.
Highway, around town, towing, not towing etc. This way anyone (like me) who wants to research real life examples of what people are getting rather than the dodgy figures as posted by the car manufacturers.

So what has everyone been getting? what type of car etc...

Eg,

Mitsubishi Challenger 2013 (Auto)
2.5L Turbo Diesel
Around town - 12.5L/100klm
Highway - 10.1L/100 (empty)
Towing van (approx 1.8t) - 14.8L/100klm

BJ
 

DRW

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2013
2,644
4,293
113
69
Beautiful Burrum Heads QLD
I bought a Jeep, yep I bought a Jeep
Town 9's
Hiway 7's
Towing anywhere between 14 and 18 it usually returns after a long run about 13 to 14 LPH but I do tend to push fairly hard around 100 to 110KPH. If I where my slippers it returns about 12 - 13 LPH the van is close to 2.5 ton I expect with all the crap we take!
 

fishinglizard

Active Member
Nov 4, 2012
216
130
43
West of Sydney East of Lithgow
I just towed my 2020kg Disco 17-55-5SH with 2010 challenger. Now I was going to keep the figures, but after driving from Mildura to Port Pririe with a head wind like nobodies business, it cost me 52 dlrs to get from Mildura to Renmark. Then I filled up at Burra and then when I got to Port Pririe. Then it was a howling gail driving to Woomera. My wife who was keeping the figures decided it was stressing her out at the cost so we stopped counting (we had no choice the route was planned and we where going regardless). The car km thing in my 2010 Challenger said 25ltrs/100km, stayed at that from Woomera to Coober Pedy and then changed depending on weather. Now coming back to Adelaide with no wind it was reading 14.3ltrs/100. The fuel economy was directly related to wind. I sat on 100km/h the whole time.

I think the problem with the Challenger is the 70 lt tank. You have to get fuel every Road house 250 to 300km apart because you can't stretch to 450km - 500km. So it felt like we where always stopping for fuel but we where only getting half or 3/4 a tank when we stopped. I used the Gerry can once on way from Coober Pedy to Lake hart near Woomera. I stopped at Glendambo and didn't fill up because I thought we would make it, que head wind and need to put fuel in at Lake Hart.

I was travelling with my brother who was towing 2600kg van with 2013 challenger, we compared figures on the car read out via uhf in same place and at same speed he was always 3 or 4 ltr/100 above mine. So the full van and extra 600 kegs was 4 litres per hundred more.

So to conclude the ramble that didn't really answer the question the right way, if I was planning another trip with my set up I would allow 300 dlrs per 1000km. I did 8422 Blue Mountains - West Wyalong - Mildura - Port Pririe -Woomera - Coober Pedy - Kulgera - Uluru - Kings Canyon - Crystal Brook - Adelaide - Wilpena - Broken Hill - Cobar - Molong - Blue Mountains . Had a fantastic time to by the way. And would do it again tomorrow if I could.
 

Smergen

Well-Known Member
Jun 8, 2014
2,354
4,716
113
Bacchus Marsh
OK... love the stats and have been keeping the fuel in the short time I've had the Paj (~2000km....)

Tug: 2002 NM Pajero 3.2L Diesel (with 300k+ on the clock)
Highway: 9.6L/100km
Around Town: N/A... (Ive only done the commute and one mixed use tow.)
Towing: 13.8L/100km (Only one short trip but I refuelled at the end so use didn't get mixed up with other uses. Van and car were pretty empty though. Expect this to increase)

Given the age and kilometres of the ol' girl I was pleasantly surprised. A few minor gasket repair to the exhause might improve it a little more hopefully.
 

crackacoldie

Well-Known Member
Jan 8, 2013
2,593
3,802
113
Newcastle NSW
100 series 4.5l petrol Auto

Town 16
Highway 16
Towing old van 2.7t. 35-40

Have not towed the Expanda with the 100.

Ford Ranger 3.2l diesel Auto

Town 11.1
Highway 11.1
Towing Expanda 2.1t. 17.5
 
  • Like
Reactions: Smash

Meanderthals

Aka PhilD
Mar 16, 2012
837
1,356
93
Near Darwin
Way back in the 1970's I had a Falcon with a 351 Cleveland engine, with some modifications, that cruised at 12mpg and on occasions the 36 gallon tank couldn't get me from Mt Gambier to Adelaide. It was capable of getting down to 6mpg but as fuel was 50c per gallon who cared but one 3 day weekend cost me $200. I had a Range Rover (3.5 litre, low compression with carburetor) for 30+ years that also drank like you wouldn't believe. Anything else now is so much cheaper to run that I no longer get anal about fuel economy unless there is a significant variation from normal. Now you know why the fuel companies are so rich, it was me.
 
Last edited:

Marv_mart

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2014
1,275
2,019
113
Adelaide
I have a 3.2l turbo diesel Mazda BT50 towing an Expanda 14.44-5 OB.
As said above, depends a lot on the wind and it's direction. I have been keeping a log of FC for my whole current trip.
Also depends on road flatness, hills, winding roads, having to pass very slow GNs who don't want to do more than 80kph.
So many factors!
My worst has been 17.6 on the Barkley with a head wind, best is 12.8 after leaving Mt Isa to Cloncurry
Average for the 8000km travelled so far on my Adl - NT - Qld - NSW trip is around 14.5l/100km.
I am not unhappy with that.
Marv
 

Capt. Gadget

Obsessive & Compulsive Gadget Man
Dec 1, 2011
1,894
1,843
113
59
Busselton W.A.
bbmwa.com.au
See Below! in my signature
2014 Ranger Dual Cab Auto
Towing the Expanda at Easter we did roughly 1000k's I averaged 14.36 for the week there would have been maybe 100k's of that not towing
Worst Tank was 16.67l/100km Towing Expanda with a head wind from here to Narrogin
Best so far 11.26
Also the accuracy of the economy gauge in the car has a lot to be desired mine always reads better than what it calculates to over a whole tank
 
  • Like
Reactions: skippy

davemc

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2013
4,360
4,737
113
55
Viewbank, Victoria
www.expandasdownunder.com
Well I get worried with the V6 4.0 Petrol and Disco. its not a cheap mums taxi fuel wise.. When you think doing shopping run costs $3-4 :(
Although 2 long and 2 short trips worst we got is 19's on the Bendigo run.. all the rest highway and 17's
I went to look at a Pathfinder last weekend and looking around lots of forums people say they get around 15-16's with Pathfinder and 2tonne van. If we keep under 20's then will take a long time to pay for upgrade. Although the other reason we looking is 4 kids do not fit in the Mini I drive for school drop off's.. So we always swapping cars depending who is working.
 

DRW

Well-Known Member
May 29, 2013
2,644
4,293
113
69
Beautiful Burrum Heads QLD
@PhilD only a couple of weeks ago I threw out a 40 gallon XY tank, it was an alloy copy I was going to use as a grey water tank. My old man had a '57 Chev (my first car) and it used to get 25 MPG (11 litres per 100K) with the old blue flame, that was economy!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billrw136

Colsar

Well-Known Member
May 10, 2014
701
868
93
56
Mornington Peninsula
Well I get worried with the V6 4.0 Petrol and Disco. its not a cheap mums taxi fuel wise.. When you think doing shopping run costs $3-4 :(
Although 2 long and 2 short trips worst we got is 19's on the Bendigo run.. all the rest highway and 17's
I went to look at a Pathfinder last weekend and looking around lots of forums people say they get around 15-16's with Pathfinder and 2tonne van. If we keep under 20's then will take a long time to pay for upgrade. Although the other reason we looking is 4 kids do not fit in the Mini I drive for school drop off's.. So we always swapping cars depending who is working.

Just to make you feel better, i once had a holden crewman dual cab ute and towed my boat (1600kgs) from Melb to Whyalla SA, and it cost me as much as the weeks accommodation. we filled up every 300klms. (felt like we stopped at every town)
The car was sold 3 months after purchasing, my fault should have done my home work and not listened to the salesman.
 

Stan53

Well-Known Member
May 27, 2012
477
293
63
Melbourne, Victoria
G'day BJ. I am surprised at your fuel figures. I also had a Mitsubishi Challenger. I think mine was a 2011. It was the same as yours.
Round the city 11.9/100. That was my worst figures. In the country 9/100. Towing our Jayco Swift 10/100 all the time. Never varied.
I now have a 4.5 Litre petrol 80 series Toyota. 22/100 round the city and 18/100 in the country and towing our Jayco Swift. The fuel does tend to vary a lot.
But I am surprised at the Challenger figures. Can only put it down to head winds and a taller van. I also note yours is an auto.
Why did we get rid of the Challenger? It's a long story.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bmhdg76

Pace

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2011
2,041
1,323
113
51
melbourne
www.expandasdownunder.com
HQ Premier 3.3 red motor single stromberg towing jetski/ dirtbikes toys at the time was ok, 450ks to the tank then the,
WB Statesman 5.0 stroker towing same toys plus at times drag car and ski boat was absolutely shocking on lp gas, 330ks to 90 lts though we travelled in luxury,then
For a while never had anything but a 6 x 4 which was behind a EL Falcon.
Tarago towing Swan was good for family of 6, getting around 400ks to 70lts. As for the Pathy my daily drive now with the goodies mentioned below,around town high 8s to low 9s, on the highway low 8s and towing along the flat road 14s. Can't wait the exhaust to go in.
Pace.
 

Bmhdg76

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2012
769
516
93
North Lakes, Qld.
Thanks for the replies so far...
Some of the figures given don't make it look too bad.

It is only a relatively light van compared to some, and as mentioned (but didn't give the figures for) not as good as the Lux.
To compare, same van with the Lux is averaged 12/100klms with the van FULLY loaded on a trip down to Sydney through the mountains. So even towing the van I was able to get decent range out of the standard tank. Around town it was averaging 8.5l/100.

It is good to see all these figures in the one spot from "real world" scenarios rather than the BS figures the dealers spout.
Had the car checked a couple of times and they say all good. Time will tell when it bed's in some more - have only just clocked over the 10000klm mark. @Stan53 you are spot on with the fuel tank size and range. Does being auto make that much of a difference? The Lux was a manual but hated reversing the thing with the van on. Was one of the two reasons I traded.

BJ
 

davemc

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2013
4,360
4,737
113
55
Viewbank, Victoria
www.expandasdownunder.com
We tried cruise control for a little bit to Bendigo went up to 24's without we did 19's. Tried sport and normal drive did not seem to make much of a difference.
@Pace 14's not bad on the flat my mate said he gets that almost around town although he thrashes the crap out of it.. Working out if I can get him over to hook up the Starcraft and take the Pathfinder for a spin
 

Pace

Well-Known Member
Sep 16, 2011
2,041
1,323
113
51
melbourne
www.expandasdownunder.com
@davemc Was never one to give my motors a hard time, have been told many times I drive like I'm going to lawn bowls on a Sunday morning,no offence intended anyone. Lol.
Re cruise control, never used it while towing as I like to feel what the engine is doing and wants while looking at the tachometer. Oh, manual is much more economical too, IMO, plus no stress on tranny temps also, IMO also.
Pace.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bmhdg76

Billrw136

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2011
849
1,216
93
North Rothbury
Best I ever got on highway 6.6, around town about 9, recent trip West 14s - overall very happy - 3.8l Pajero used to return 17-18 around town, Disco 3 diesel about 11 around town......
 

davemc

Well-Known Member
Oct 29, 2013
4,360
4,737
113
55
Viewbank, Victoria
www.expandasdownunder.com
Yes @Pace I get that as well.. I often drive slowly and see if I can get the consumption down.. too many speed cameras around here and not like I am in a hurry. Mini I get down to 5's on freeway. 8's around town.. We normally take a avg of 14's between our cars.
The Disco pulls the van no worries only notice its there on hills, air suspension works nice.. Hence the thought if we save 4-6 litres only.. Take a while to pay off $20k.