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For anyone interested I have just completed a 5526km journey from Coffs Harbour to Coffs Harbour via a number of interesting places.

Car was packed with 'stuff' for 2 adults and 1 baby. Headlights and A/C was always on (although across the SA desert it was only 16° outside). NSW outback speeds averaged a nudge over 110, as did SA. Victoria was a lot (lot lot) lower due to higher town/population density and a lot more stop/start driving.

Fuel was always the best I could buy and usually was Vortex or Vortex98 or V-Power. A couple of outback places onyl had 'premium' I am guessing RON 95.


Start - 109904 Coffs Harbour
ODO Litres Town Cost Travelled L/100km
110389 49.94L Coonabarabran $74.36 485km 10.29691
110794 41.73L Cobar $63.81 405km 10.3037
111259 50.20L Broken Hill $74.75 465km 10.7957
111476 25.92L Yunta $37.56 217km 11.9447
111832 39.02L Golden Grove $52.56 356km 10.96067
112258 50.06L Gawler $69.53 426km 11.75117
112664 44.81L Robe $67.62 406km 11.03695
113103 49.28L Warrnambool $69.73 439km 11.22551
113379 32.22L Anglesea $48.94 276km 11.67391
113704 43.34L Boxhill $58.48 325km 13.33538
114121 44.86L Albury $64.55 417km 10.75779
114599 50.05L Bathurst $73.53 478km 10.47071
115033 46.25L Tamworth $66.55 434km 10.65668
115430 45.26L Coffs Harbour $69.66 397km 11.4005

Total km 5526
Total fuel 612.94
Total cost $891.63
Average Consumption 11.09193

Overall pretty crap I think... My old 3.5L Magna would use about 8-8.5L/100km on a highway cycle which represents 137L less fuel for this trip, and also was happy eating normal unleaded to do it, another level of savings.

Any thoughts on where I should look first apart from right foot to get better economy??

just had a look at what subaru says in the brochure and it says 11
so wif the mrs and a little one plus luggage i reckon you did ok
....could buy a 2.5 litre i supose

I've only done a bit over 1000km since I bought my MY07 3.0R but around the Melbourne suburbs and one trip of about 250 km I have averaged 11.16 L/100km.

That includes some freeway driving at 100km/hr.

I have only used 95 RON Caltex Vortex but will in time try the United E10 which in 95 too.

I don't know for sure yet but I feel that I may get better economy using S rather that I drive. With the hills round here I think it labours too much in I and then I have to put the foot down a lot more to recover.

I had a 93 TR 3L Magna wagon before this.

Rob

Geez Ben, your not a hard task master are you. Being that the manufacturer says thats what they get I'd be pretty happy.
Maybe try running bike wheels and tyres for the extra weight saving and rolling resistance.

does your car have the trip meter? my old mans 07 3.0RB lib uses a fair bit less than what you are, more like high 8's/100km but i spose outbacks wouldnt be as aerodynamic. And dad always fills up with 98 octane.

alex

It's an MY03 model, so gen 3 and no fancy stuff

If Subaru quotes 11 then that would be on a city/highway cycle and for mostly highway I'd expect 9's...

Cobar to Broken hill is interesting....

Whole way looked pretty much like this

[ATTACH]748[/ATTACH]

And with cruise set on 119km/h (or thereabouts let's just say) and one of the better readings was recorded. 465km of nothingness - and when the nearest town is 125km away (wilcannia or cobar) you worry about the reliability of your car - makes me wonder about the folks that cross the simpson!

[quote="
If Subaru quotes 11 then that would be on a city/highway cycle and for mostly highway I'd expect 9's...[/QUOTE"]
Yes. That's what I would expect or even high 8.

Rob

dunno what your complaining about

best my patrol gets is 18L/100

Sorry to add insult to injury Ben but Amy just did a trip down to Albury and back via Wollongong in both directions, averaged low 7's on 1 tank she got 850km from 58L but it was just her, Tom and the basics for the two of them, not a big load by any stretch.

Every tank was V-Power

Also being on her red P's she pegged cruise control at 90-95km/h the whole way.

For anyone that doesn't know MY02 Gen 3 Outback 2.5L 5MT, ~230,000km, stock as a rock.

Jordan.

Yes. Before I bought my Outback 3.0 I hired a 2.5 and did a day trip of 300km. All freeway and country driving. Tullarmarine to Bendigo and return. 7.2 L/100km

I have never expected to get this low from the H6 but given I'm getting 11.2 around Melbourne I would expect low 9's or high 8's on a trip.

Am towing a dog trailer for about 100 km tomorrow so that will push up my figures.

Rob

Andrew wrote:dunno what your complaining about

best my patrol gets is 18L/100

There is something seriously wrong with yours! What car is yours? not a V8 I hope..
Cheers
AP

getting 7+..8+ from '98 OBW 2.5, around town mostly, and not being too particular in what fuel tanked up with - whatever looks convenient/cheaper i guess. Still heaps better than the 10..11+ used to get with ea82t,but I think I regressed to a very boring driver:rolleyes:.

Don't forget tire pressures, if your doing mostly tar, you can actually pump em up a bit harder, sure the ride may be a bit firm.
Type of tread makes a big difference too.
Staying below 100kmh is going to make the most difference imo.

AlpineRaven wrote:There is something seriously wrong with yours! What car is yours? not a V8 I hope..
Cheers
AP

Petrols ones go that high, and so will the 4.2 diesel if your in the NT

Ben wrote:.....makes me wonder about the folks that cross the simpson!

Wonder what? Prior preparation and planning. Triple checking everything and having spare bits and pieces, extra food and water for just incase. Don't forget a sat phone and several thousand dollars incase you need to get rescued.

When I crossed from sydney to perth I guestimate I was getting around 20L/100km!

Of course that was with a fully loaded car, and an ugly, heavy block-shaped trailer. I'd like to do it again with just the car + bags. Or even with some kind of tarp strung between the trailer and the back of the car. The crazies at ecomodder.com have been talking about inflatable boattails for the back of their cars, something like that would work well I think but is a bit too keen for me.



I drove to Toodyay and back the other day and I passed half on the gauge at 270km - that ought to be 540km from a tank, but I usually fill up with about ten litres to go so that brings it to 9.8L/100km - pretty good considering it's hilly roads and the aircon is blasting away.

My average since January 1st is 12.125L/100km so far - city driving in the summer with the aircon going nuts. Hopefully in the next few months that will come down with the temperature.

Lightning_Silver_RX wrote: Wonder what? Prior preparation and planning. Triple checking everything and having spare bits and pieces, extra food and water for just incase. Don't forget a sat phone and several thousand dollars incase you need to get rescued.

Not having a go at their mind, just how much of a state you could work yourself into!

I could have travelled 20km/h less than what I was travelling, but that would mean I would still be driving :P

Hey Ben , what did you think of wilcannia , didn't stay still too long did you .

Mike.

Those fuel stats sounds ok to me for the 3L engine

189 km today towing 360 kg dog trailer - high front and therefore a fair bit of wind resistance.

Trip computer says 12.4 L/100Km. I know its not 100% accurate but never-the-less I'm happy.

About 60 km was suburban roads and the remainder highway and freeway.

Rob

Suba wrote:Hey Ben , what did you think of wilcannia , didn't stay still too long did you .

Mike.

The worse part was having to slow down... Had no intention of stopping, hence working the fuel stops so I filled up at Cobar. Worse case scenario I could have stopped at Topar :P