Hi All,

My wife's 2013 Outlander Sport ES AWC is averaging about 18 city 23 highway in 2WD (and she drives like a grandma ). The car has about 1,000 miles. Does fuel economy improve once the car is "broken in"? She is stressing because she wanted to get closer to the EPA mileage figures. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.

 

You might want to take a few minutes and read through the other threads we have on fuel economy.

But in short, yes, efficiency will improve after 3k-5k miles.

 

Really..? You sure??
The facts of 18MPGs in FWD tells a different story... She's got LFS*.
just kidding



There's a Big thread about this (in detail) here >
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ou...rt-se-4wd.html

or

IF, you wife wants instant satisfaction, then perhaps you/she should consider Burton's RAM (quick fix) here >
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ou...am-intake.html

*Lead Foot Syndrome

 

This is helpful. Thanks, guys.

 

You bet.
And, welcome to the O.Sport Club!

 

You know, the statement that mileage will improve after 3-5k is misleading and very subjective. Personally, I was seeing >400 miles/tank between 1-2k and ended up averaging 360/tank with no modifications to warrant the change. It's already been established that we all are experiencing variations in MPG. Perhaps it would be beneficial to create an improving MPG sticky to address the issue, rather than shrug it off.

 

You're in the minority. Even eco-conscious drivers like mRVRsport have noticed considerable gains after a break-in period (and he's had TWO Outlander Sports). Making a sticky is unnecessary, in my opinion, especially considering that you just said you disagree with basically the only advice we have. There is no drop-in filter available for the 2013 models, so the only advice we can give people is wait until after the break-in period, and then drive efficiently. I don't think recommending a $200+ cold air intake like my Takeda or a Lancer Injen setup is reasonable. Yes, it will improve mileage, but the upfront costs are significant.

Accelerate slowly, drive the speed limit, and use the air conditioning as little as possible. When the air is cool, drive with your windows up on the highway and use the vents. This increases aerodynamics and the blower motor doesn't make too much of an impact on economy (just the vents, not A/C obviously).

 

Granted.
& I did not apply any scientific analysis to come up with the (average) mileage range. Nor did I gather any wide environmental variables, just the same routes to and from work here in Texas weather and more specifically only in Dallas. (Plus one round trip to Oklahoma)

However, I did diligently observe and "document" my MPGs as shown in my original thread. And, it was mainly to give others a general reference but also a realistic expectation with stock configs on our AWD vehicles.

Now, factors like how hard you accelerate and how often, how fast your top speeds are, your weight, etc etc. should be considered when individuals determine their own MPG efficiencies. Or, how soon (or later) the MPGs will improve..

Keep in mind it's just an average baseline. I'm sure some folks never achieves the EPA estimates because of their geography, altitude, how well they maintain their vehicle, or even simply > they really got a case of LFS. Who knows.