Does gas mileage improve after a certain mileage?

[claud 3]

On Audi boards/forums, it is well known that gas mileage will improve after 10,000 miles. I experienced a 3 mpg increase in gas mileage between 10000 and 12000 miles at 77 mph steady cruise in my 06 A3 3.2 Q. My X3 gets about 23 mpg at 77 mph. Will this improve at some greater mileage like my Audi?

[AzNMpower32]

Yes. After about 10k miles, fuel consumption gets a bit better. 3mpg like your Audi is reasonably likely.

[Ishniknork]

I can confirm that too. Around 10K miles I noticed a jump from 23 mpg at 70-75 MPH to 26 mpg. City improved also, but only around 1-1.5 mpg. I have to work at it to get 16 in town. If it weren't for the terrible programming/synchronization of the stoplights here in Ft. Worth I'm sure it would be better. I'd swear they think because there's a light at an intersection they HAVE to make you stop there, even if there's no other traffic from any other direction.

[judybe83]

Originally Posted by Ishniknork

I can confirm that too. Around 10K miles I noticed a jump from 23 mpg at 70-75 MPH to 26 mpg. City improved also, but only around 1-1.5 mpg. I have to work at it to get 16 in town. If it weren't for the terrible programming/synchronization of the stoplights here in Ft. Worth I'm sure it would be better. I'd swear they think because there's a light at an intersection they HAVE to make you stop there, even if there's no other traffic from any other direction.

I noticed a small in town (.5) increase after our 04 had the transmission software upgraded. If you haven't had your pre 07 transmission reprogrammed you might want to check it out.

I actually made 1 of those lights on Hulen St that's ALWAYS RED, but on the way home the REPAIR truck was there correcting the problem.

[Ishniknork]

Originally Posted by judybe83

I noticed a small in town (.5) increase after our 04 had the transmission software upgraded. If you haven't had your pre 07 transmission reprogrammed you might want to check it out.

I actually made 1 of those lights on Hulen St that's ALWAYS RED, but on the way home the REPAIR truck was there correcting the problem.

...correcting the "problem"...

I have studied and learned the stoplight timing on most of my main routes at various times of the day and that helps a lot on mileage. There's one area on Camp Bowie that if you do the speed limit you'll stop at every light. But if you do 23 mph from this one light, with a really slow start , you can make it through the next without having to stop but then you have to speed up to at least 45 to make it through the next two. Only problem is the speed limit is 35!

On the programming thing, I'm pretty happy with the way it is and I'd rather not have to go through retraining it!

Thanks for the tip though, neighbor!

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by Ishniknork

Only problem is the speed limit is 35!

I stopped paying attention to those signs awhile ago. I find it easier to just pick a speed (in km/h) I feel like going at the moment and seems appropriate.

[Ishniknork]

Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

I stopped paying attention to those signs awhile ago. I find it easier to just pick a speed (in km/h) I feel like going at the moment and seems appropriate.

If I did that I'd be doing a lot more than those signs say! (...and probably getting a bunch of speeding tickets to boot!)

Even choosing a speed that feels comfortable or "goes with the flow" will have you hitting every red light in town around here. Ft. Worth has been rated as one of the worst cities in the country for traffic regulation. Most of the time you HAVE to either speed, go ridiculously slow, or BOTH to make it through a series of lights on a primary road. On primary roads I often see as many as 20 cars have to stop at a light to let ONE car enter from a cross street. And that ONE car sat there at a red light while the road was totally clear until the 20 cars got there and had to stop at the intersection. Plus, the 20 cars sit idleing at the red light for 2 or more minutes to let that ONE car on.
That is JUST__PLAIN__STUPID. I mean, . It only takes an IDIOT to realize this is utterly POOR traffic regulation that causes a huge decrease in fuel economy and increase in polution. Not to mention the time wasted.

The overly SIMPLE fact of the matter is that once you stop at a light on a main road you should be able to cruise through the rest if you maintain the posted speed limit unless you are making a left turn onto a cross street or hit an intersection with another main road. The penalty should be paid by the cars entering the main road. As it is now, both pay.

[AzNMpower32]

Yea, perfect example of poor synchronization.

A few weeks ago, I was driving thru a neighborhood and it occured to me. If we eliminated all stop signs and replaced them with Yield signs, we would be saving 8 million barrels of oil every year and reducing CO2 emissions by 20%. I mean, it takes SO much energy to accelerate from a stop, and think of all that wasted petrol.

[NowVoyager]

My X3 gets way better mileage than my CLS! I can go all week on one tank of gas in the city. With the CLS, I had to refuel every other day! Although both use premium, I get to pay less overall for the Bimmer at the pump and go farther per fill.

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Originally Posted by AzNMpower32

Yea, perfect example of poor synchronization.

A few weeks ago, I was driving thru a neighborhood and it occured to me. If we eliminated all stop signs and replaced them with Yield signs, we would be saving 8 million barrels of oil every year and reducing CO2 emissions by 20%. I mean, it takes SO much energy to accelerate from a stop, and think of all that wasted petrol.

But then we need to have a mass education campaign to let drivers know how a yield sign works--because most don't know--of course many don't know what a yellow traffic light means either--or in Florida what a red light means--so I guess whats the difference