average mpg?

[mikeyc4]

Hi, was wondering what kind of mpg, most of you get from your cars? Ive been told to expect around 20mpg, is this correct, or is this optimistic. As petrol over here is around 7 of your dollars, i need to know that they arent major gas guzzlers.

 

[singledad_9]

It depends both on your style of driving and the type of driving you do. If you accelerate hard every time, eeking out every last rpm out of the engine before shifting, you own a gas guzzler. If you drive 2 or 3 kms to the pub and back and 5 or 6 to work and back, thru stop and go traffic or cities, you own a gas guzzler.

To get the best fuel economy out of your vette, requires you to drive it smoothly. Also it requires the engine to be running at it's peak efficiency. Engine temp, oil and even fuel that you use will either positively or negatively effect your mileage. The engine develops really nice torque at lower rpm verses other cars I've owned and it uses less fuel (don't lug the engine). The instant fuel mileage gauge will teach you how to drive it most efficiently.

I got up to 25 mpg out of my 87 when I only drove it on the highway. Around town and stop and go, it was considerably worse. But the car had some problems with the intake and just after I got it fixed, I got double tee boned. So I would bet I would have gotten better mileage with a well tuned and well maintained engine.

 

[nd4speed]

i dont think anyone buys a high performance car for the gas milage.

 

[FX GS]

I agree. If I was worried about gas mileage, I would not be driving a Callaway SuperNatural & my daily driver would not be a SUV. Anyone going to Yugos @ Carlisle?

 

[rrubel]

Yugos @ Carlisle? Didn't think any could make it there under their own power! I do sincerely hope that was a joke... but given the strange car-interest groups out there, I'm half afraid you're serious.

Regarding gas mileage, the later C4's (with LT1 and 6-speed) get noticeably better highway mileage - but you're in England, where there are more twisty two-lanes than anything else. I seriously wouldn't expect more than 15 mpg for average driving (and much less for the first couple months you own the car! ).

I can safely say that the whole six weeks I was in England I saw maybe one Vette (and that one owned by a PCS'd American). Did see a couple in France this summer, but again not many. Definitely a unique car over there...
[RICHR]

 

[vader86]

I get 16-17 in town and 25 hwy

 

[c4cruiser]

Last June, I attended the 50th Anniversary celebration in Bowling Green, KY driving my 92 roadster with automatic tranny. The total miles driven for me was 6,010 miles which included all of the side trips, city driving and the main route from Portland, Oregon to Bowling Green and back thru Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico finally going thru Las Vegas and Reno before getting home.

My average gas mileage for the entire trip was 24.6 MPG. My best single tank was 28.2 while travelling thru Nebraska on I-80 (flat as a board and no turns :eek ) and the best observed gas mileage on the "Instant MPG" display was 31.7 at a speed of 81MPH on level ground! I used the cruise control wherever possible.

I had just installed new plugs NGK iridium plugs and MSD 8.5mm SuperConductor wires before the trip. Tire pressure was set at 32psi all around and checked every morning. Didn't think that was too bad for gas mileage.

 

[mikeyc4]

thanks alot, seems that you get better mpg out of a vette, than i used to get out of my v12 jag xjs, average on that was around 7mpg! As fuel is 7 dollars per gallon here, i only intend to use it at weekends and holidays, but if i got 18 to the gallon i would be chuffed! Yes corvettes are extremely rare over here, and finding the right one is proving difficult, ive looked at several now and still not brought one home, but the general idea is to get the newest one possible, does anybody else agree? Average price for one over here is about £6000,for a early 84, 85 model thats about $8.500 in your money, what price do they fetch over there, as im considering importing one myself?

 

[nd4speed]

to me its all personal preference. i would prefer a 68-73 steel bumper. but would buy a 74-76. dont like the newer body style.

 

[c4cruiser]

$8500 is pretty steep for an early C4. Although there are a lot of C4's available for less, you should always try to get the newest and best car for the money you have to spend. I have seen a number of later C4 Vettes (92 and newer) in the $10K range with reasonable mileage and in very good condition. Like buying any previously owned car, it's important to have it checked out by a competent mechanic or garage before you plunk down your hard-earned cash!!

Have you contacted any clubs in the UK to see what some of their members have done to acquire their cars. This club:
http://www.corvetteclub.org.uk/frame.htm looks like it's pretty large. Might be worth looking thru their website or contacting some of the members.

 

[rrubel]

I wouldn't import one unless the rules are less restrictive for an older car. GM has specific euro-export models with a number of changes, including a rear fog light (req for England) and amber turn signals (req for elsewhere in Europe, not sure about UK, and which require a decent amount of rewiring). I have a friend who recently considered importing an Audi AllRoad from the US to the Azores and gave up because of all the red tape and changes, and this was a European-design car to begin with.

I would also not buy an 84 because there were a lot of one-year-only parts that may prove difficult to get if needed. Best mileage, best reliability can be found on the later C4's (93+, 92 was first year of LT1 and less reliable) but they're also harder to work on (less room under the hood) and more expensive so it's a tradeoff.

If you like DIY car work, I'd consider the later L98 C4's (88-91) because they're cheaper, parts are easier to come by, they can be tuned for a lot of power, and the 6-speed version still has decent gas mileage. Given England's, um, DAMP climate, you also probably want one with ABS, which rules out anything before 86.

Good luck with the search!
[RICHR]

 

[mikeyc4]

Thanks, ive been quoted £750 to import a car from the states,here to sunny england, but as far as changing lights to EU standards, that was something i never considered. Sureley i could get the parts from a corvette specialist that we have here called claremont corvette, not sure about the cost though.

 

[rrubel]

If that $750 includes everything to make it pass MOT, then that's a great deal. If it's only freight, you're opening a big can of worms. I'd investigate further.

There are a lot of little issues with LHD cars from LHD countries... the headlights are aimed wrong, for one thing - we illuminate the right side of the road for signs, you need to light up the left.

Also, not trying to steer you away from the Vette, but have you ever DRIVEN a LHD car on the left side? It's downright scary when passing because you cannot see AT ALL past the car in front of you. Some places like St. Thomas, that used to be Brit but are now US, use US cars but still drive on the left. Been there, did NOT like that...

[RICHR]