29.4mpg

[300hp]

I got 29.4 mpg on a 80 mile trip, in DS 8th gear. Who needs a hybrid

[rh71]

diesels are only 6-speeds so you're talking about a gas engine? "300hp" = 35i I suppose. That's sweet... wish I had those 2 extra gears too. While cruising and feathering the gas, I can't even get the MPG needle to go above 30 without slowing down too much.

What kind of wheels are you on? 19" RFTs?

[xoutpostking]

Originally Posted by 300hp

I got 29.4 mpg on a 80 mile trip, in DS 8th gear. Who needs a hybrid

My meters were at 50 mpg, 75 mph, 1100 rpm, all at the same time.

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Going downhill section of the interstate, foot off the gas.

Who needs to mess with the dirty diesel?

[AzNMpower32]

It's interesting how different people have different expectations on what "good" fuel consumption is. I've driven my dad's X5 35d on a 90km (about 55 miles) stretch of I-95 averaging 115km/h the whole time and still got 7,7 l/100km (30,5 US mpg). And that's with the ancient diesel engine and older 6AT. If I had the 40d I would probably do better.

I complain about the fuel economy on my X3 because it only achieves 8,2 l/100km (28,6 US mpg) on level highways and the long-term average listed below is 22,6 US mpg. For my standards this is too thirsty- my next vehicle has to do better than 5 l/100km or 47 US mpg on the highway. Salesmen look at me funny when I tell them that......but it's completely possible!

It's all in the driver technique- often I'm still one of the faster, if not the fastest vehicle on the stretch of highway. So my "hypermileing" doesn't necessarily come at the expense of speed.

[seattle]

We diesel owners are getting trolled these days .
You posted MPG of 80 mile trip, where a significant portion of it was downhill? Come on..

I have reached 99.9MPG on my Altima once going down a mountain pass. Should have made a thread about it, and conveniently not mention the mountain pass portion of it.

Maybe I should go up to Snoqualmie Pass in my 35d, reset the trip odometer on top, drive down for 20 minutes (many times in neutral), take a picture of the MPG reading, and post here

[EVBear]

one time got 29 on the trip computer form home to The Dalles OR. more like 28 on a normal trip 35D

[300hp]

I have the 19 rfts. My x has about 15,000 miles now. I noticed that at 60 the truck was using more gas than at 70. When I put in DS I realized it was not in 8th gear most of the time at 60 so I put it in 8th for the rest of the trip. Travelled from PA to NJ so you have a sense of the terrain. This is not a troll thread, I invite anyone to do the same, use 8th gear and given my truck is one of many this should be repeatable.

I observed that even when going uphill, there are times the mpg gauge is doing over 30mpg.

FYI my speed was between 60 and 70 on this trip.

[seattle]

Originally Posted by 300hp

I have the 19 rfts. My x has about 15,000 miles now. I noticed that at 60 the truck was using more gas than at 70. When I put in DS I realized it was not in 8th gear most of the time at 60 so I put it in 8th for the rest of the trip. Travelled from PA to NJ so you have a sense of the terrain. This is not a troll thread, I invite anyone to do the same, use 8th gear and given my truck is one of many this should be repeatable.

I observed that even when going uphill, there are times the mpg gauge is doing over 30mpg.

FYI my speed was between 60 and 70 on this trip.

Ok, I take my words back about trolling. Your first 2 posts had very little info, so had all the signs .

I have traveled from Philly to NJ coast last summer, so I have an idea of the terrain. It's mostly flat with few hills - at least compared to W.WA.

You owe the forum to fill up the tank, and take a looong trip somewhere .
If the 8th gear trick works, you should get 600+ miles on a tank.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by seattle

Ok, I take my words back about trolling. Your first 2 posts had very little info, so had all the signs .

I have traveled from Philly to NJ coast last summer, so I have an idea of the terrain. It's mostly flat with few hills - at least compared to W.WA.

You owe the forum to fill up the tank, and take a looong trip somewhere .
If the 8th gear trick works, you should get 600+ miles on a tank.

300hp,
No dis to the OP, but reeling 'mpg' numbers from the OBC is like saying what the Dow is doing, at any minute, on a spikey trading day, imo.

I remember your thread about your SC to NJ trip, and your 'mpg' was also noted via the OBC, at different intervals...but, do a half dozen tanks full, do the arith, and report your real world mpg, if you wish to.

It will not be "29+ mpg" on any tank, unfortunately. No arm wrestle intended, but gas X5s don't average 29, on a tank...

My best tank, a repost of the pic:
GL, mD

[Crash513]

I've probably posted this previously in so many words, but I for one am delighted with the improvement in mileage I've seen in driving my 35d. My basis of comparison is my old gas fueled (4.4i) E53. In fairness, I probably shifted the 6 speed steptronic manually a lot more in the old car. Driving the Diesel, I notice that I can just leave the trans in sport mode and I don't need to shift manually very often. Anyway, I drive pretty much a 50/50 mix of flat freeway and mountain driving. I'm getting close to 30 MPG on the freeway, and around 17-20 in the hills. Both are much better than my old X5.

As for the 8 speed vs. 6 speed question, there is no doubt the 8 speed should yield better mileage and keep you running in the meat of the engine's powerband more of the time. But in the case of a diesel, I'm just not sure the 8 speed would do much to improve either the performance or mileage of a car with an engine that has 425lb ft of torque on tap. Comparing my car to my wife's 535i Xdrive with the 8 speed (300/300 gas engine) I totaly understand why the 8 speed rocks. But I'm not sure anyone with a diesel is missing to much by not having one.