How much mileage improvement over a new cars Mfg’s mileage rating can I can expect to receive if I drive conservatively. I have a 2000 LS that was rated at 23 on the highway. I consistantly get 29 to 30 freeway mileage by driving no more than 70 avoiding quick starts, hard accileration coasting to slow down etc.?
It’s too much to say without knowing about the car. Some cars will be better, some much better.
Which LS do you have? There seems to be a Lexus and a Lincoln LS.
pleasedodgevan: I have a 2000 Lincoln Ls with the 3.9 V-8. Has been a great car but am looking to move to a HIGH gas mileage new (such as 50mpg) if possible.
Jim
The manufacturer does not issue an mpg rating for its cars. Those data come from the EPA, who require posting the information on every new car’s window sticker. These values should be used only for comparative purposes, one model to another.
The EPA recently changed its testing methods, lowering virtually all mpg values because their previous methods turned out higher than real-world results.
Since you are currently adopting conservative,fuel-saving driving techniques, it would not surprise me if you could consistently achieve a 30% improvement over posted EPA economy figures (highway only). This is just a guess. If you succeed with your new car, let us know.
My daughter in law had an '01 Lincoln LS until recently trading it in and she usually got about 27 on the highway. She has a bit of a lead foot so this could explain why her mileage was less than yours. Hers was also the 3.9 V-8 version.
The EPA revised mileage figures downward but one has to wonder if those are really real world now. My Lincoln Mark does about 3-5 MPG better than the EPA figures of 16 and 23.
Do you rally need a new car, or are you just interested in better gas mileage? If you want to save money, continue to drive the Lincoln until it is worn out. If you want a new car, that’s great. But don’t expect to have a car that is as smooth or as quiet as the LS. Again, no problem if you really want a new car, but don’t sell a car that already gets great gas mileage if it’s what you like.
SteveF:
Once I started doing the math it is apparent that it becomes almost impossible to justify dumping the LS to get a car that gets 40-50MPG from a paid for car that gets high 20’s. I no longer work so do not have the daily city commute that would make a hybrid a good choice. Also, the LS has minimal value.
Jimboh55
Very sound reasoning.
If you no longer work, you must also drive a lot less. In that case, keeping your present car makes the most sense. Gas is usually ony 1/3 of the total cost to run a car. So, if you like the Lincioln, keep driving it.
Way too many variables to give a meaningful guess.
It was never an easy answer and now it is more difficult. New cars are rated on a different scale. Most of them have lower (more realistic) mileage now. Your car had the old system so it was likely over rated to begin with.
Since driving conditions vary so much my results and yours with the exact same car would likely be very different.
Sorry, misunderstood - you’d need a small 4cyl manual (Yaris, etc) and might squeek out 50 if driven very conservatively, but if you are now driving little, it’s not worth it.