17.4 MPG, a bit low?
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
17.4 MPG, a bit low?
Have driven a new 2016 Panamera 4 for 2 months, about 1500 miles. Nice car! The only thing is avg MPG 17.4, a bit lower than expected.
Understand actual MPG depends on many factors: normal use of A/C (73F), drive 50/50 high-way and local, non-passionate driving style (rarely press sport button). Living in Connecticut. 33 psi on all 4 20'' wheels, consistent with car manual.
Called dealer and told to check again when reaching 3k miles. It is normal, or I am just too paranoid
? Appreciate comments from you gurus.
Understand actual MPG depends on many factors: normal use of A/C (73F), drive 50/50 high-way and local, non-passionate driving style (rarely press sport button). Living in Connecticut. 33 psi on all 4 20'' wheels, consistent with car manual.
Called dealer and told to check again when reaching 3k miles. It is normal, or I am just too paranoid
? Appreciate comments from you gurus.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 211
Likes: 63
From: SF, CA
Ymmv.
Seriously though, I think urban driving creates the biggest variation. Even how you define urban varies. When I lived in DC, my car (not Panny) averaged 17-19 mpgs in what I considered 50/50 city highway. Here in SF, I am getting 15. Same car. It comes down to type of urban environment. In DC, the streets were long and traffic light distances were longer and overall less traffic and congestion.
In SF, complete opposite. Just to get out of my neighborhood, I stop at 6 stop signs, and 6 lights in 10 minutes.
Seriously though, I think urban driving creates the biggest variation. Even how you define urban varies. When I lived in DC, my car (not Panny) averaged 17-19 mpgs in what I considered 50/50 city highway. Here in SF, I am getting 15. Same car. It comes down to type of urban environment. In DC, the streets were long and traffic light distances were longer and overall less traffic and congestion.
In SF, complete opposite. Just to get out of my neighborhood, I stop at 6 stop signs, and 6 lights in 10 minutes.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 212
Likes: 2
I have driven a 4S for the past 6 years, for mixed highway/local I get about 26 mpg, on straight high way at speed limits. I can get as high as 32 mpg. This is 4.8L 4 wheel drive and currently about 48,000 miles on it.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,469
Likes: 37
I have my Panamera 4S (V8 DFI, normally aspirated) ..only since about 3 years and half, (and 40'000 miles) BUT : I fully agree with your numbers.
The efficiency (and pleasure to drive) of this car is totally amazing, I have not see anything that can beat it.
Btw : I just cannot understand the marketing of Porsche, as I will simply NOT update this car, at ANY conditions ..with a V6 Turbo : no way José.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 586
Likes: 2
From: Boston
About what I get...
Do not often check MPG, but on a long trip recently measured 25.5 MPG with my PGTS with about 10k miles on the clock. Oil usage is much less than on my '13 PGTS.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 802
Likes: 59
From: Albuquerque
It's worth noting that, in addition to stop / starts affecting city mileage, speed affects highway mileage. Once speed climbs above about 40 MPH, in any car you can expect efficiency to drop proportionally to speed. So if you're getting 26 MPG at 70 MPH, you can expect 26 * 70 / 80 = 23 MPG at 80 MPH.
This is true because wind drag goes with the square of your velocity, and of course distance covered goes with your velocity.
This is true because wind drag goes with the square of your velocity, and of course distance covered goes with your velocity.
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Racer
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 302
Likes: 34
It's worth noting that, in addition to stop / starts affecting city mileage, speed affects highway mileage. Once speed climbs above about 40 MPH, in any car you can expect efficiency to drop proportionally to speed. So if you're getting 26 MPG at 70 MPH, you can expect 26 * 70 / 80 = 23 MPG at 80 MPH.
This is true because wind drag goes with the square of your velocity, and of course distance covered goes with your velocity.
This is true because wind drag goes with the square of your velocity, and of course distance covered goes with your velocity.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 802
Likes: 59
From: Albuquerque
To be specific, Drag force = 0.5 * drag coefficient * air density * drag area * speed^2.
The drag coefficient only changes if the car's shape changes. I.e. deploying the rear spoiler will increase your drag coefficient, but nothing else will. Reducing speed does not increase your drag coefficient.
80 MPH -> 60 MPH should increase your MPG by 8/6 = 1.33, from 26 MPG to 34 MPG, if everything else is the same. Either you're not measuring correctly in one of those cases (probably the 80 MPH figure, you're not going to see that kind of fuel efficiency in any of the Panameras except the Hybrid), or something else is significantly different.
The drag coefficient only changes if the car's shape changes. I.e. deploying the rear spoiler will increase your drag coefficient, but nothing else will. Reducing speed does not increase your drag coefficient.
80 MPH -> 60 MPH should increase your MPG by 8/6 = 1.33, from 26 MPG to 34 MPG, if everything else is the same. Either you're not measuring correctly in one of those cases (probably the 80 MPH figure, you're not going to see that kind of fuel efficiency in any of the Panameras except the Hybrid), or something else is significantly different.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 260
Likes: 137
From: Atlanta, GA
I haven't checked mine in a while but I'm around 17mpg for mostly city driving...
I also hit the sport button right after I turn the key.. Im sure that has a lot to do with it.. The car doesn't respond the way I'd like in normal mode.. I have a 12 P4S with the V8 btw..
I also hit the sport button right after I turn the key.. Im sure that has a lot to do with it.. The car doesn't respond the way I'd like in normal mode.. I have a 12 P4S with the V8 btw..
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 586
Likes: 2
From: Boston
not bad
Don't drive my PGTS in Sport Plus consistently, so do not know MPG. MY '15 991 TTS got about 5 MPG in Sport Plus on the track, so I would say that 12 MPG on the road for the much heavier PTTS is not bad. Sport Plus is far too harsh in stop and go traffic for me.