Dodge Viper Gas Mileage Challenge! City MPG vs. Hypermiling!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
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This is the Dodge Viper gas mileage challenge! I drove my Dodge Viper in the city and hypermiled it on the highway to see what gas mileage I could get.
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Replace air filters, clean injectors and intake manifold, make sure tire psi is correct might get you a couple extra MPGs.
Cleaning the max airflow sensor too :)
This Auto-Trader/Oversteer is quickly becoming some kind of meme.
*Doug, you monster.*
Haha. To be honest, I kind of like that.
Doug DeMuro vehicle-exchanger/underturn
Doug DeMuro Doug, I love you ❤️
Don't normally comment on videos but what the f**k is the tropico 5 music doing on this video.
Ikr i noticed that too
;)
buy a 488 or 458
It's better than most people's music on their videos.
David Scott that comment was amazing 😂😂
I'm earlier than Doug's next visit to the gas station!
Amazing
hahaha this ^^^
Well. Congrats. This is the first "I'm early" comment I've ever found entertaining.
The only good "early" comment.
Well I am 3 years tardy to the party... but its nice to see Good Guy Doug stop before each crosswalk instead of in the crosswalk.
For everyone else:
5.6 mpg = 42 l/100km
18.7 mpg = 12.6 l/ 100km
Actually, the highway numbers are quite good. My Volvo does that in city driving. :D
For hypermiling, when you are going downhill, you would want to leave it in gear. Modern cars shut off the fuel supply to the engine if the engine is has an outside source to power it. It may get your a slightly better 0.001 mpg rating in that car.
Interestingly, for older cars (mpgs calculated with the old method) , I can usually get better highway ratings then listed, even with the car not being new, and without hypermiling.
I don't know, man. When I dropped it into neutral it dropped like 1,000 RPMs!!!
Doug DeMuro yes but it took fuel to idle, if it is being turned over by the cars momentum it isn't on most cars. Viper of that vintage? Who knows
TTMR1986
I'm thinking the Viper of this vintage would have that feature. Chrysler loved computer systems, and being fairly cutting edge with their cars.
That's beause manufacturers were being honest in the old days and gave you their honest to god, real world conditions estimate. Now they try to BS the number to make the car as fuel efficient as possible on paper because lots of countries tax vehicles that are not very fuel efficient either directly or indirectly more.
snoopdogie187 I would guess the same. Just don't want to speak absolutes without knowing for sure
11 mpg city for a viper? That seems optimistic.
thats the kind of mileage it gets when you drive it on a trailer.
i dont even then the vessels used to bring the parts together made that kind of mileage
+hojnikb haha, it's like an SR-71 Blackbird. Just leaks fuel out the body panels when on a trailer lol
depends on the city... cities with terrible traffic hell no... those with decent traffic flow it could happen... plus i'd rather see an average for a full tank not just a day of driving
For you normal people, that's 42 l/100 km in the city
West Senkovec "for you normal people" 😂😂
UncleNever | No one ever uses km/l
anywhere that isn't america uses km/L
All the car adverts use L/100km, but if you ask anyone about their milage they will say how much km they can drive per liter ( km/L )
I find it more relatable atleast. it seems its a very regional thing.
So where are you from?
~ Netherlands here ;)
There are two kinds of countries. Those which use the metric system and those which have been to the moon.
How did you get a license plate number "2"? Was there only one other teen driver?
probably covered up everything else for the video.
The plate has the same digits regardless of the backdrop/cover thingy
Check again at 7:05. That plate is unedited. It's 2.
Doug, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, you should measure the mileage you get after doing a long highway stint at 70mph in top gear. The engine is probably WAY more efficient in top gear at the slightly higher rpm you'll be turning, and thus yield better economy.
70mph in the Viper, which has a final top gear engine to wheel rotation ratio of 1.54, with nominal rear tire circumference of 82.4 inches, should equate to a hair under 1400rpm at 70mph. Should yield better efficiency than the sub-1000rpm you were doing at under 50mph.
You forgot that wind resistance at 70 is almost twice as much than 45 (so you burn much more fuel)
.
This is a pretty aerodynamic car. It's going to have very low wind resistance regardless.
That city mpg is exactly what the E60 M5 does and the F10 M5 does a staggering 6.7 mpg
That's bad, my E39 M5 does 6.3 mpg at full throttle on the highway
Acquadelic my v10 m6 does 11
I have a e60 m5. This is true lol. Normal driving though I get about 12.5
I got about 11-12 in the E60 M5 6MT I borrowed for a few weeks too! The highway mpg is a much better 19-20, though
The F10 M5 gets way better gas mileage than the E60 in every aspect. I avg 13.8 in my E60, and will get a good bit over 20 on the highway.
"5.6 mpg" Ehh still better than a Ford GT
Loll
Ugh I love Doug but who hates when he says the autotrader thing i miss when he didn't use to say it
Oh you don't like it? Wow unreal, I thought everyone loved it.
Guys gotta make a living I guess.
Well he doesn't work for jalopnik anymore. Now he works for auto trader. so.....
its his job, relax
TJC450
5:10
"What's that guy doing, Mom?"
"Oh he's recording a video."
"Oh, ok"
*looks away*
I had no idea how small the Viper actually is, (never having seen one). You get a real perspective at 1:43, relative to that Honda.
Yea, they're deceptively tiny. They have a lot of presence, so when you see one, it doesn't actually look that small, until you walk up to it and the roof line is like at your stomach lol
Kaleido Motoring No its not
You must be short
The Civic is 10 inches taller in height, same length, and the Viper is 8 inches wider, the reason it seems so small is due to the low profile of the Viper, from a Viper owners perspective, it's 50% motor with little storage space, but it's my favorite car I've ever owned.
Doug I think the shot of you and your viper in front of that old aircraft carrier was 100% win! lol (Yeah that sounded sort of dumb but you get the idea :P)
I thought that was to give a sense of its actual fuel economy. On par with an old aircraft carrier.
Doug, as a man who is obsessed with this car but has not yet had a chance to own one, I want to thank you for your videos. It shows what it's like to live with these beautiful creations.
wow he was coasting like a banshee on the highway!
Jack1138 Nice pun
Nice reference
Not a pun.
Not a reference.
Sky Of Melee Hell
I thought he was referencing the real car to the GTA version of it, which is called the Bravado Banshee
A few years ago I did this with my 02 Z06 vette. Over a 50 mile distance I got almost 31 mpg, I found that it worked best if I gave it gas going downhill to build up speed then let it coast on the uphill. Not bad for a car with over 400 hp.
4:55 Putting the car in N consumes more fuel than just rolling in high gear. I though you have "excellent Hypermile skills" ;)
The garbage fuel at the pump today only makes those EPA numbers from yesteryear more of a dream. Also most fuel stations have been selling fall/winter blended fuel for more then a month now.
when that car was produced we used less ethanol mixed in with the gass
My mom has a 2010 dodge journey sxt...and it get 20.3 mpg.
Doug, When the numbers for the Viper's MPG came out there wasn't a 10% ethanol mandate for gas in the US. E10 drops mpg by up tp 6% bringing 21mpg to roughly 19.5mpg. Take away another 1mpg for wear and tear plus your Viper's age and 18mpg sounds about right.
Tropico 5 Music is real
The EPA is when it's new and with nothing in it, so the oil, old tires, stuff in the car, etc etc etc reflect on the EPA mileage. I have a WRX in automatic (don't ask), and it does about 5-10 mpg better than the EPA estimate on the highway without hypermileing. Take it for what it's worth.
he's got that killmington awareness down pat
don't let them catch you lackin
To be fair that is an awfully old car so it probably got better gas mileage back in the day.
I imagine once you start pushing the Viper you could start measuring your mileage in GPM if you wanted a number larger than 1
Didn't the guy you purchased the Viper from tell you not to drive it in the rain?
The EPA Fuel Economy estimates were updated in 2008 to reflect more real world use (faster speeds & acceleration, a/c use, cold engine starts). So not surprised the Viper did not achieve the old EPA standards, they were unrealistic in most cases.
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Alpaca Guy columntrader.steer.overauto
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When you first try to hypermile ... you discover every hill and incline you never knew existed ... your sensitivity to 0.5⁰ inclines will become legendary.
That maxima at 1:00 looked great.. Nissan enthusiast here.
I think you should diagnose that viper.
I'd be shocked if this vehicle newer, but it could just be in need of some servicing. I also believe the EPA's testing procedures were different and the mileage estimates were less accurate in 1997.
doug, i know it sounds weird but i found my car gets worse gas mileage at 90 km/h than at 110km/h. plus the vehicle feels sluggish below 110. could this be the same problem your having? try another fuel economy test at about 60-70 mph.
that has to be some kind of problem. at 110 the engine is turning faster (more engine and transmission loss) and you're moving through air quicker.
The best economy you get is by going at the highest gear possible, at the lowest speed possible in that gear.
Jonny Oliveira it also depends on load. when an engine can run at max efficiency it is more powerful
kennedy796 on a flat terrain doing 30-40 the engine isn't having much load
Jonny Oliveira its honestly hard to explain it. on my car i use the same amount of fuel going 25 km at 80 km/h as it will use going 52 km at 110. my reasoning is the 4.6L v8 and aode (i drive a crown victoria) is pretty low geared. the rear end is a 2.87:1. so i found out my engine turns approx 2k rpm at 110. and about 1600 going 80. as the car uses overdrive at 60+ km/h. my reason for my issue is the torque converter can lock above 1700 engine rpm. so at 80 it wont lock, but if it does it will immediately unlock. but at 110 it wont unlock till you apply more than 50% throttle.
I believe the key is keeping the engine under peak manifold vacuum. I have a friend who claims his Skyline GTS25t gets better fuel economy going 130km/h than 100.
I realize this is just for fun, but considering the fuel numbers were so much lower than advertised, I wanted to toss out a few extra factors of fuel economy:
-Vehicle maintenance, including but not limited to the vehicle's systems and proper tire air pressure.
-Wind direction; a head wind or tail wind would dramatically affect long-term gas mileage.
-Density altitude, which is governed by elevation above sea level and change in temperature.
So there are a lot of factors that could be pushing those Viper numbers down, to say nothing of the weather and traffic conditions it was tested under here.
Doug: Wipers on = Headlights on.
Next, you put it in neutral when coasting down hill? Wasting fuel. The ECU has to feed the engine gas to keep it running when in neutral. When coasting in gear the ECU can cut all fuel and just use the momentum of the car to keep the engine spinning.
Dougfail.
coasting down hill? yeah, gravity is keeping you going. regardless even of it weren't that steep of a slope you're better off staying in gear, always.
Typically the engine doesnt drag enough to cause you to slow down when going down hill...even then I would hazard a guess that if you just barely had to be on the throttle to not be slowing down you would still be better off than idle. The volumetric efficiency of the engine at idle is pitiful. better efficiency = better fuel economy.
BeanerMan3k, the engine is still making noise because it's acting like an air pump. You'll notice that the sound is different compared to part throttle/coasting in neutral
Engine breaking at low rpm is minimal. If you drive normally just keep in gear so you can respond at any time for whatever happens on the road. If you really want to safe fuel tough and disregard safety go close behind a truck that drives on cruise control and grab your sellphone and go play wordfeud.
doug! I think you need to carry that test out one more time. From my personal experience with thirsty vehicles. I've noticed they love right around 70 mph. I squeezed 31 MPG from my cammed V8 auto Thunderbird and 28.7 out of my 6.0 manual 06 GTO. both on Route 80 in PA.
You shoud not be in neutrall if you want good gas milage
TheFrenchCarGuy Yes he should, the engine is idling and he's just rolling along.
It depends... I think the Viper kills injector pulse if it detects very high vacuum while at a certain engine speed, RPM, and throttle position. I don't know for sure, but based on my momentary exhaust crackle on deceleration in gear, that's my theory.
P1eased0nteatme if you are in neutral the ecu have to send gas to the motor to keep it rolling but he you have a gear engaged it runs by itself
ishootstuff yes but you have to have a gear engaged
TheFrenchCarGuy
Right, but the ECU has no way to know you're in neutral in the Viper so it uses other data.
Closed-throttle while in gear results in *infinite* MPG at that exact instant. Fuel injectors are shut off as long as you're above ~1,000 RPM or so.
Viper is everything you wanted in a hotrod sportscar. It can be anything you want straight from factory. Track car, somewhat off-roady, drag car, drift car, show car. ALL GO and show. Everything. Not perfect like a McLaren P1 or whatever, but still a bawsome machine
I haven't seen the end yet, but I'm guessing it gets 12mpg
Doug, when going downhill don't switch off gear, because the engine uses fuel to keep the engine running. When you leave it in gear and come off the throttle the fuel cuts out so no fuel is used. Not a hypermiler myself just know how the engine works.
How many miles did you travel in each test?
Thats what I want to know. Lower miles traveled means less accurate. If I only drive 20 miles, then it wont give me a good picture. If I drive 200 miles, it's more accurate. I would say to at least go 100 highway miles to even consider it worth the test.
runner316 . Wilmington Delaware is about 30 miles from Philadelphia PA.
For hyper miling- remember, slower speeds have you traveling a shorter distance can often be far less efficient, depending on the engine. 50 mph may still be 1500RPM vs 60 but 1600rpm. However, the 10mph will add miles for barely increasing overall engine consumption.
My car, for instance, does 2500rpm at 65, but at 80 does 3000rpm. 75 is at about 2750, and is super efficient, with figures going way past the EPA, with rear windows open, AC on at many points, and many hills.
But 48 mph is not the optimum speed for fuel economy. Around 60 for most cars. And probably more for the Viper with its ridiculously long gearing.
How did you arrive at that ?
Aero drag increases as a square of speed, so 48 mph -> 60mph, a 25% increase gives a drag increase of 56%.
Plus you have to consider the gearing of the car and the best point on the BSFC map.
Maximum mpg for the average car is at 34 mph.
Lewis72 I think he is mostly referring to the gearing.. however some cars do preform better at slightly increased speed.. this is because of the shape and design, some cars can form slip streams around some portions of the vehicle.. this can come from curves and arches, little intentionally turbulent area, etc etc. these intentional designs can pull air away from things life the side panels and doors and windshields, however at lower speeds the air is hugging the car more.. and can even negatively impact economy ..like windshield upfront, at increased speed on some cars, the front hood design is actively channeling air around it or over it... meaning at lower speeds the air is still hugging the car and acting as a parachute or a wall..
meehhhe Of You Most cars also rely heavily on downforce, which increases with speed and increase drag. I think engine speed and gearing are most likely the major factors.
yea, i agree, however every cars is different... some cars will have lower drag coefficient at 60-70mph than they do at 50mph, some cars its the other way around, they act like big parachutes at speed... i dont know if the viper, specially in this case would have better drag coefficient at 40-50mph ot 60-70mph, but some cars are different in how they move the air.
I am on my 3rd Viper. 1994, 1998, 2004. I did check the MPG of the 1998 - ragtop - on a combined route of all roads and a little bit of around town, no traffic jams. Got 28 to a UK gallon. Also, listening to your comments while driving, the speed you give at certain revs does not add up. They are geared 60mph to 1,000 revs in top. So, on the open road, you should cruise at about 70 mph, just over 1,000 revs, for best mpg.
Hey doug. Here's my question to you. And it's another one regarding Viper MPG.
Try doing the same highway test. But with E0 fuel. No ethanol. Hypothetically, more energy in the tank means more MPG.
You can't necessarily conclude that is the highest mileage you can get, because it depends entirely on the peak efficiency of the engine versus the load. For example, my M6 GTO would get 27mpg going 86mph. Going 70 would drop this number down to 21-22. 75mph wasn't any better. Going 45-55 mph would be about the same as going 70. That was when it was stock. When it was supercharged with different heads, making 550whp, it still got about 24-25mph highway going 85-86.
That's right, going slower yielded worse fuel economy. And those are calculated numbers, not based on whatever the fuel gauge told me. And that's also right, going faster with about 200whp more than stock STILL got better gas mileage than me going 70.
Remember, don't arbitrarily believe that going slow is automatically better, it depends entirely on the vehicle.
Doug's background music choice is always on point
People weren't mocking you. It's still genuinely exciting to see a Viper no matter how slow the person is going.
Doug! When you make a video, you gotta do a better job on continuity...outside shots of the car..bright sun, inside shots..cloudy and raining. Once I notice me I couldn't stop seeing it!..great video
One thing to keep in mind is when these EPA ratings where done for this thing there was no forced amount of ethanol in fuel. Ethanol is hell on older cars
I would be interested in discussing hypermiling techniques and rerunning this test. Mostly because when you lift off the throttle while still in gear the fuel injectors cut out and the accessories are driven by the momentum of the car through the transmission. When shifting into neutral to coast, the engine now has to idle to drive the accessories which uses fuel. Also, the viper engine is oversquare meaning that the bore is larger than the stroke. This means that the cylinder wall surface area is high which allows the heat of the combustion gasses to dissipate through the walls at low engine RPM. Friction from piston movement in an oversquare motor doesn't dominate efficiency losses until higher in the RPM band. I'm hypothesizing that it would be more efficient to chase down that ligthning quick SUV going 53 MPH and drafting than it would be to put along in clean air at 48 MPH.
I was able to hypermile a 2012 Evo X GSR to 30 MPG (admittedly with a decrease in elevation of 4,000 feet), but I was also able to hypermile to 27 MPG routinely on my 30 mile commute to work. Given the evo's sticker EPA rating is 23 MPG, I'm holding out hope that the Viper could clock in somewhere around 22 or 23.
Keep in mind that car was built and tested for E0 gasoline. E10 mixture found just about everywhere is less efficient
You should do this for all your cars. hypermiling a v10 is absurd, perfect Doug video
Don't forget that when your car came out, they probably didn't add 10% ethanol fuel. Try adding ethanol-free and then do the test.
Wow, Doug what a test in usually passing people on street in a ZR1 never thinking about the mileage I thought California city traffic was insane but looks like even in Philly there still bumper to bumper traffic expected for highways doesn't look super crowded to drive a high performance car.
I can't get over those wipers...so trippy.
I think as the car ages, the engine does get less efficient. That is a proven fact. If you do wish to get better gas mileage, the you should do an engine clean, where you clean out the carbon on the injectors, etc.. then change the air filter to a performance one and the exhaust to something that flows better.
That new maxima in the beginning was gorgeous
I know no one's reading these anymore, but the biggest source of variation missed here was that the auto-shutoff on fuel fillers is very far from consistent. And since Doug was using (I assume) small amounts of fuel between fillups, that inconsistency is magnified.
If you really wanna science this, there are only two options. Option one is you take a shitload of data points, running back and forth on the same stretch of highway multiple times and filling up at the same place repeatedly. Option two, well, you need to run the car out of fuel, add a known amount, and then run it till it dies again. #1 requires a huge time investment, #2 requires a track and/or complete disregard for the safety of yourself, others, and your car.
When you have a passenger in the car, you should mic them and have a second camera on them. I prefer when the passenger doesn't talk but I think that's just because they're off camera with bad audio. Just a thought.
Love your videos!
Im impressed Douglas, I've seen as low as 6 with almost half the liters and cylinders but I was going even slower average speed than you at the time. Land Cruiser Life. I got 16 mpg once though...
hypermiling is more stressful than it's worth. That being said, I tried it out in the city and it gets results. I burned through a full tank of gas in my old 2007 2.5L Jetta and averaged 43.7 miles per gallon. The car was rated at 18 city and I never got more than 16 when I drove it normally. Nothing I did could ever get my highway mileage above 27 though.
Pulse-and-glide normally dictates pulsing on the downhill (gravity assist) and gliding on the uphill sections.
Hey, Doug. Just happened across your channel the other day on your old Skyline videos. I have to say, I absolutely love your content. You've earned yourself a sub, sir. Keep up the great work :D
Holy crap, my C5 Z06 consistently gets better mileage driving in anger at Sebring all day long (yes I am nerd enough to have recorded this) than your Viper gets driving gently in city traffic. I'm not sure how the physics of that even work. And I've taken a class entitled "The Physics of Fuel Economy" last summer!
The Viper V10 is like 8.3L. That's more than a Honda in extra displacement compared to your C5 lol. That's where the extra gallons go :P
What an improvement in video and audio quality!
They tested the mpg by putting the viper down a 45° slope, and holding the clutch
@6:13 that moment when you're from california and freak out because it looks like Doug is filling a viper with diesel.
thats one of the most beautiful automobile i've ever seen.. good for you man
I feel you Doug, a Mazda RX8 has half the horsepower but with that tiny engine.. I'm roughly @5,5 to 6km/l city, 7.5km/l mixed, 13km/l highway (@130 kph though).
Translated in mpg, it should be around 17,6 mpg mixed courses and 30 mpg highway.
However if you consider the difference in between a 1,3L vs a 8 liter engine.. Guess what, the usual otto cycle is faaaar better than the rotary..
The thing with going slower to get better mileage is your running the car longer also. So you need to calculate the longer the engine ran and used fuel.
@DougDemuro love the video was waiting to see if you passed through Wilmington. You weren't exactly in the best area when you fueled up my friend! You own my dream car ever since I was 12 and saw the RT/10 roll into production I have wanted one!
Knuckles Motovlogs I was going to say the same thing. In Wilmington there are three pretty bad gas stations and that one is the worst. Glad he made it out with the car.
Pretty sure you are not supposed to put in neutral to hypermile - any modern car (ie. with fuel injection) will cut off fuel supply when the car is going downhill in gear, if you put it in neutral or press the clutch the engine has keep itself going - using fuel. Also, the pump-to-pump method of measuring usage is vague at best, but you need to at least use the same pump beginning and end (and ideally do a long distance).
your "teen driver" plate remind me of Rob's corvette with "STUDENT DRIVER" written across the bumper. I was surprised that anyone can get the "teen driver" plate though...
3:45 The River Otter license plate is back!
1:02 the guy stopping next to you and taking up the entire crosswalk; that does a pretty good job summing up Philly
you were never going to get anywhere near the city mpg rating in stop and go traffic. The "city" test the EPA does is meant to simulate fairly light traffic, and involves several sustained cruises of 30-40mph.
Doug should also get (or borrow) a Hellcat, put it in Eco mode, and have a fuel economy challenge to see which wins.
God damnit, that Tropico 5 music...
hmm, those numbers are even lower than I would have guessed. I must be spoiled by the relative efficiency of modern performance cars. Must admit that Viper looks boss, especially in that shade of blue with the white stripes!
Solution? Easy...
1. Curb down the weight of the car by replacing the wheel rims with re-inforced carbon fiber rims wrapped in Pirelli P Zero sticky tires.
2. Just keep a braking distance of at least 1.5 meters.
3. Use torque engine as braking assist and lessen the urge to brake every time when in panic mode.
4. Lower the window glass and use only the air conditioner when you have to.
5. Cruise like a beach car convertible by always lowering the window glass.
6. Don't whine because when in panic mode you accidently brake-throttle too much.
Solution: buy another car.
2007 VW Passat 2.0T Wagon which I have been driving for the last 1.5 year has sticker MPG of 19 City and 29 Highway. Living in NYC and driving 70% in the city I manage to make 15 city/ up to 37 highway. With 4 people inside it still makes 35 mpg highway. And VW recommends putting 91 gas.
in your hypermiling footage viper has the old plates and when you're filling up with gas its already with teen plates
I have been daily driving a 97 GTS since 2003, B/W just like yours. Normal city driving I get 15 MPG and state highways around 21, interstate 22, and once I set the cruise at 85 and got 24. Faster is better, remember 100 MPH is only 2000 RPM.
I beat my manufacturer mpg statement by 3 mpg in my 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5 limited. I found that if I cruise control it at 65 mpg and I'm alone in the car..... I'll get about 36+ mpg
Hey Doug, by chance, where did you learn how to hypermile? Thing is, that is a fuel injected engine, which means that if you had really wanted the best economy, you would have been leaving the car in gear going down hill instead of neutral, most modern cars basically shut off the injectors when you let off the throttle. By coasting in neutral, the car uses more fuel to keep the engine idling. Also, 45 miles per hour? In a car that tall geared? You likely could do better if you were doing at least 60, where the engine isn't lugging itself, again using more fuel. While no, you would likely have not been able to get more than the original EPA fuel economy, you would have done better than 18 I am sure. If a C5 Z06 Corvette can get better than 30 MPG at 90 MPH, I am sure the Viper could get at least 21, and likely better, miles per gallon.
Doug ever try driving a car with a vacuum gauge? when you have one you can really get the most miles out of the fuel....I had a sweet Saab 9000 and it had a factory display it was almost like a game.....and then when you it the boost it was another story...if you ever get the chance to drive a 94-98 9000 Aero you will see what I mean....pretty cool....
You can definitely get better MPG than that. My '96 GTS is Cammed/Tuned, Smooth Tubes, and M&M Headers...I routinely get 11mpg City and once got 23mpg Highway. Granted, my city driving isn't exactly a downtown environment, all suburbs. My highway 23 was between Denver and Cheyenne routinely going 80-90mph. I don't baby it a lot either, occasionally you have to let it roar, haha
I don't know this for a fact, but my best efforts to determine it show that this engine is using 1g or more of fuel per hour at idle. If that's true, then short of manual fuel cutoff, you really can't "hypermile" this engine. All things considered, 5.6mpg in that pathetic traffic is probably good.
it's an old car...when a car of mine was about 15 years old and getting below average fuel economy I gave it a very thorough tune up (including swapping all old engine sensors for new ones) making sure all systems were performing optimally. The car ran much better and I started to beat the mpg sticker estimates even with a shorter (than factory) ring and pinion gear ratio. I also saw increases from swapping out old accessories like the power steering pump and wheel bearings. Also while city driving, with as much torque as this engine has (with the car's lighter weight) you could skip shift and not pull revs past 2k. Basically once I got my car running tip top and I changed my driving habits I beat the factory mpg estimate. For you, I think this thing needs a good once over.
You are a brave man for visiting that particular gas station in Wilmington. I live here and wouldn't take my 200k beater there. Welcome to murdertown.
in the hypermiling segment, should've done the roundtrip before filling up and calculating mpg, for better scientific rigor.
City fuel economy worked out to 2.38 km per liter, or 42 L per 100 km. But hey, it's all about SMILES per gallon!
That metal gas cap is so fucking cool. Im shocked that a factory american car, has that. I do know that they are known to cause fire, during rollover, because of the caps sparking off of pavement.
I really hope the newer 2013 and later vipers have auto start stop or even cylinder deactivation when cruising.