Real world mileage: 6-cyl OB almost as good as my newer Impreza

[vito]

I really appreciate the greater power of the 6-cyclinder engine on my 2011 Outback as compared to the standard 4-cylinder. And I have found that on the highway this engine doesn't give up much in the way of mpg. Keeping up a steady 75 mph or so, I get about 26 mpg pretty consistently for the tankful (I've got about 55,000 miles on the car). But I also own a 2012 Impreza, which is lighter and has the much smaller and less powerful 4 cylinder engine. Driving the same steady 75 mph gives me about 27 to 28 mpg, which for me is not very significant as compared to the OB. I do find that this little Impreza, if driven at a steady 55 mph, will go up to about 33 or 34 mpg, but where would you be driving that slowly on a highway? The bottom line for me is that the OB, that is far superior in every way to the Impreza, gets about the same mpg as the weaker, smaller, and more noisy Impreza. If I had to do it over, I would have not bought the Impreza even though it was about $10,000 cheaper, but would have gotten a second Outback. I have owned many, many cars in the 50+ years I have been driving, and I don't think I have ever had a car that I have been as satisfied with, overall, as my 2011 Outback. I used to think of myself as a VW man, then became a Honda man. Now I KNOW I am a Subaru guy!

[arthuruscg]

This is why the EPA needs to provide MPG estimates based on speed.

[1stgenfarmboy]

My 03 H6 gets 27 hyw @72 mph, and 21 mpg driving back and forth to work, 1/2 country roads and 1/2 60 mph.

i would like to see 25 in our weekly driving, but i can't seem to get it over 22.

Dar

[vito]

Yesterday I drove my 2012 Impreza 260 round trip to my daughter's home, all but about 10 miles of it on the Interstate. The dashboard claimed I was getting an average of 28.8 miles per gallon, which means to fill up it should have taken 9.0 gallons. It actually took 10.45 to fill, which works out to 24.9 mpg. Granted, I may have "topped off" the tank when filling, but even when it clicked off automatically, it had 9.65 gallons, or 26.9 mpg. It just confirms for me that buying the 6 cyclinder for my Outback means I gave up very little mpg in return for the greater power and smoothness. If Subaru offered a 6 in the Impreza, or a turbocharged 4 I would have bought it (or would this have made my Impreza into a WRX?)