Average Fuel Economy of 17mpg?

[MCobaltLS]

Alright, I'm new to this website, but I'm just curious if I should be getting better fuel economy with my 2007 Cobalt LS (base, coupe).

Im only getting 14l/100km / 16.8mpg. I'm a student in grade 12 and my drive to school is about 4 minutes, speed limit of 30km/h, and 50km/h for my 4ish minute drive to work.

I try my best to not brake when unneccessary, and only accelerate when I need to. Is this type of fuel economy normal at these speeds? Or should I look further into it?

Thanks for any input,
Mike

 

[BankDude]

do you let your car warm up before you move? do you mainly do city driving versus highway? unplug your battery and plug back in and see what your average is after that. there are a lot of factors that can contribute to this. i had to unplug my battery to replace a sensor on mine and i only do city driving to work. letting it warm up about 5-10 mins and then stop and go driving all the way to work, which is about 4 miles to work. same routine back. my mpg is about 14 right now since i reset my battery.

 

[DJ-rb]

Doing mostly interstate travel using cruise control at 70MPH I usually experience 350-415 on a tank.
Just for reference... 2009 2.2L with K&N Drop In filter, Amsoil Signature Series 0W-30, and a mild performance tune.

I am not a mechanic..but when is the last time you:

used something like Seafoam or a Fuel system/Injector cleaner?
replaced spark plugs (if over 100k)
checked to make sure your tires were not below 32 PSI
Changed oil & Filter

All of these can impact fuel economy as far as I know not being a mechanic

 

[BankDude]

you also.. assuming... live in canada. the cold weather KILLS our gas mileage

 

[MCobaltLS]

you also.. assuming... live in canada. the cold weather KILLS our gas mileage

Yessss, I forgot to add that in. I have winter tires, and usually start my car 5-10 mins before I drive.

I'll take a look into replacing the spark plug and other things.

Thanks guys.

 

[LotusRenaultF1]

The cold weather kills fuel economy but it also allows more pounds of fuel into the tank which evens it out. Remember, warmer weather causes gas to expand. So this shouldn't be too much of a factor. Short drives are what bring the economy down too

 

[BankDude]

The density of the fuel shouldn't matter, its still putting out x amount of fuel. It goes by flow rate, not that you have 50 pounds of gas in your tank... Being it colder air, your maf is running cold which means you're probably running more rich than if it was warmer. Bottom line, maintain your car and it will take care of you. Fuel mileage sucks for anyone in the winter if you drive your car properly and let it warm up