[Out and Back]

93.3 miles, 6.115 gallons, 15.3mpg

Granted, we drove home from a dealership by O'Hare during rush hour, so that was a huge ding on the mileage (took ~1.5 hours to go 30 miles). Still, hoping out next fillup starts with a "2" in the mpg category, especially since we're doing a mostly-interstate 400mi trip.

 

[4wheeldog]

93.3 miles, 6.115 gallons, 15.3mpg

Granted, we drove home from a dealership by O'Hare during rush hour, so that was a huge ding on the mileage (took ~1.5 hours to go 30 miles). Still, hoping out next fillup starts with a "2" in the mpg category, especially since we're doing a mostly-interstate 400mi trip.

How do you know it was actually full, before you started?

 

[JAvendan]

yeah, toss that first one out and start will the tank that you filled up.

joel

 

[subiesailor]

Don't put much weight on average mileage till you get 10,000 miles on the car and yes sitting in stop and go traffic will Wipeout your average. Sitting in a parking lot in cold weather with car and heater running waiting for the wife you can watch your average drop through the floor.

 

[OBnube]

93.3 miles, 6.115 gallons, 15.3mpg.....

That's not a fill-up, that's a top off.

 

[Soon2bSubaru]

Not to worry. My first few tanks in my '12 2.5 CVT were nowhere near what the EPA said I should get. I was quite disappointed. It has gradually gotten consistently better to the point where now, at around 11k miles, I average up to 31mpg hwy on a tank.

 

[lavarock]

Wait until you have some miles on the car. Also need more miles on the checks.
I just finished a 2400 mile trip towing a 2200 lb trailer behind a 2012 3.6R Outback. I used 120 gallons of fuel so that calculates to 20 mpg. Have not had any significant trips without the trailer. But I am sure it will be much better than 20 mpg.

 

[Kolenka]

You aren't the only one seeing overly low mileage when it comes to extreme city conditions. I'm getting about 20 mpg a tank when driving city, although my city conditions are pretty bad. I live in an area with a dense mass of long lights, which hurts a lot, and I don't get out of those lights very often. When I do get on a freeway, I am getting 30 mpg or more for the trip itself.

Still an improvement when I was getting ~17mpg in these conditions with a 2001.

 

[NinjaTurtle2.5]

I will reinforce this point, wait until you have 10k miles. You wont see high 20's or low 30's until then, maybe a bit before.

 

[reddoak]

Nonsense to the 10,000 mile theory. As far as the OP's mileage, what did expect from stop and go city traffic? I say 15 is pretty good.

First month I had my car, I got high 20's on an all highway road trip. It did improve marginally after that, but it certainly didn't take 10,000 miles to reach into the high 20s. By 2,000 miles it was good to go. It really hasn't gotten any better since then.

Actually, a little worse, but the tires affected it, so no problemo.

From Fuelly, my first few fill ups:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="930"><colgroup><col width="49"><col width="72"><col width="44"><col width="54"><col width="64"><col span="2" width="111"><col width="64"><col width="361"></colgroup><tbody><tr height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt;width:37pt" height="20" width="49"> mpg</td> <td style="width:54pt" width="72"> odometer</td> <td style="width:33pt" width="44"> miles</td> <td style="width:41pt" width="54"> gallons</td> <td style="width:48pt" width="64"> price</td> <td style="width:83pt" width="111"> fuelup_date</td> <td style="width:83pt" width="111"> date_added</td> <td style="width:48pt" width="64"> tags</td> <td style="width:271pt" width="361"> notes</td> </tr></tbody></table>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="930"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:1792;width:37pt" width="49"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:2633;width:54pt" width="72"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:1609;width:33pt" width="44"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:1974;width:41pt" width="54"> <col style="width:48pt" width="64"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:4059; width:83pt" span="2" width="111"> <col style="width:48pt" width="64"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:13202;width:271pt" width="361"> </colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt;width:37pt" align="right" height="20" width="49">0</td> <td style="width:54pt" align="right" width="72">311</td> <td style="width:33pt" align="right" width="44">0</td> <td style="width:41pt" align="right" width="54">13.928</td> <td style="width:48pt" align="right" width="64">3.599</td> <td class="xl63" style="width:83pt" align="right" width="111">7/13/2011</td> <td class="xl64" style="width:83pt" align="right" width="111">7/13/2011 17:45</td> <td style="width:48pt" width="64">
</td> <td style="width:271pt" width="361">
</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">24.873</td> <td align="right">487</td> <td align="right">176</td> <td align="right">7.076</td> <td align="right">3.589</td> <td class="xl63" align="right">7/16/2011</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/16/2011 7:16</td> <td>
</td> <td>Bj's osceola pkwy</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">26.613</td> <td align="right">935</td> <td align="right">448</td> <td align="right">16.834</td> <td align="right">3.699</td> <td class="xl63" align="right">7/17/2011</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/17/2011 7:47</td> <td>
</td> <td> Drive to Pensacola.</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">27.683</td> <td align="right">1407</td> <td align="right">472</td> <td align="right">17.05</td> <td align="right">3.599</td> <td class="xl63" align="right">7/18/2011</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/18/2011 5:41</td> <td>
</td> <td>Drive back from Whiting Field. Hit by falling tree on I 10.</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">21.378</td> <td align="right">1595</td> <td align="right">188</td> <td align="right">8.794</td> <td align="right">3.639</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/28/2011 9:00</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/29/2011 7:15</td> <td>
</td> <td>Driving around town</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">30.08</td> <td align="right">2070</td> <td align="right">475</td> <td align="right">15.791</td> <td align="right">3.689</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/29/2011 22:00</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/29/2011 17:57</td> <td>
</td> <td>drive to pensacola</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">29.184</td> <td align="right">2561</td> <td align="right">491</td> <td align="right">16.824</td> <td align="right">3.619</td> <td class="xl63" align="right">7/31/2011</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">7/31/2011 8:30</td> <td>
</td> <td>Drive back from Whiting Naval Air Station. All highway.</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" align="right" height="20">22.287</td> <td align="right">2938</td> <td align="right">377</td> <td align="right">16.916</td> <td align="right">3.539</td> <td class="xl63" align="right">8/6/2011</td> <td class="xl64" align="right">8/6/2011 13:11</td> <td>
</td> <td>
</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

 

[OBjockey]

As has been posted before, EPA city estimates are really a combination of stop and go with long stretches of 50mph cruising. All cars do much worse in real city driving, where you rarely go more than 3 or 4 blocks without stopping.

 

[rockthebeef]

As it has already been stated, wait until a full fill-up and not a 1/3 tank top-off.

I get an average of 25 MPG on my Outback. There was only one time where it got less than 20. I topped off the tank after driving under 100 miles because I wanted a full tank to begin a road trip. The car didn't magically become less efficient.

As an extreme example, fill up any car, drive it 30 miles, and then fill it up again then calculate the MPG. It will not be what you expect. A full tank will have the advantage of a larger sample size (more miles driven) and the variability of pump-to-pump differences will become more negligible. Don't trust that all pumps shut off at the same point every time, so it's best to minimize that error by lengthening your fill-up intervals.

 

[goatGibson]

You aren't the only one seeing overly low mileage when it comes to extreme city conditions. I'm getting about 20 mpg a tank when driving city, although my city conditions are pretty bad. I live in an area with a dense mass of long lights, which hurts a lot, and I don't get out of those lights very often. When I do get on a freeway, I am getting 30 mpg or more for the trip itself.

Still an improvement when I was getting ~17mpg in these conditions with a 2001.

Yup for Seattle. I Live in Bellevue/Issaquah, on a hill around 300-350ft above sea level. Lots of hills, lots of traffic, bad traffic. 11,000 miles, 21.9 mpg average. I think the 6-speed is rated at 22 mpg city so its close to the EPA rating. When I drive east of the cascades I get a cool 30-31mpg highway.

 

[Nickshu]

I know its a different engine, but on my 3.6 the mileage went way up after about 5K miles.

 

[Novablue]

Yup for Seattle. I Live in Bellevue/Issaquah, on a hill around 300-350ft above sea level. Lots of hills, lots of traffic, bad traffic. 11,000 miles, 21.9 mpg average. I think the 6-speed is rated at 22 mpg city so its close to the EPA rating. When I drive east of the cascades I get a cool 30-31mpg highway.

True that!

I'm luck on gas and traffic as I have a reverse commute. Even driving in traffic though I have not gotten worse than 22, but I do have the CVT.

 

[gomjabber]

Drove up to the cabin and back and recorded my highest mileage to date.
All highway mileage, 31mpg.
16k miles

 

[Bikermike]

I've had my 2013 Outback Limited for about a month and 1780 miles and so far I am at 28.2 mpg, driving in the NW suburbs of Chicago.

 

[OB1995]

Wow, I am thankful that I don't live someplace where it takes 1.5 hours to go 30 miles!