Gas mileage disappointing

[mollyshark]

This week was the first real road trip for my 2007 X3. Turned the 10K mark. It was highway all the way..400 miles each direction. I checked the figures on the last fillup and I'm averaging a tiny bit over 20 mph. For highway driving??? I don't get it. Thoughts?

[M5X3]

That sounds low. There are many variables - transmission, speed, type of measurement, altitude, etc. We now have 34K on our '04 3.0 six-speed. It has averaged about 20, mostly city driving. On trips it gets as low as 23, with average speeds near 80, and as high as 28 in the mountains where speed is limited. I would expect your '07 with the new engine to do better. The trip computer is notoriously inaccurate, often optimistic by as much as 5% during my experience with 6 BMWs since 1995. Many who report higher mileage depend on this computer data.

[rirrgang]

We routinely run back and forth between Prescott AZ and Central California. About 1400 miles round trip. When we can we'll run at 90mph through the desert and a more "reasonable" speed everywhere else. Most often we average about 24-25mpg on the trip. Mileage will be affected by head wind and the like but we've made this trip dozens of times with about the same result. We have an Automatic.
-Rick ©
www.livesafeandhealthy.net
www.livelifewithoutlimits.net
BMWCCA 162285
06 X3 Silver Gray/Black / Sport / Prem / Step
My other car is a 07 Jeep Unlimited
05 Dolphin 5376, (that's 37' of fun)

[jsturdiv]

Suggest you manually check your mileage instead of depending totally on the car's computer. However, I have found my computer mileage to be quite accurate. I have an automatic 3.0 2004 and consistently get 26 plus mpg with cruise control at speeds above 75 mph. Returned this morning from a trip where I average 65 to 70 mph and got 27.4 mpg. In the city, I average around 17mpg.

[zauber]

20 MPG seems really low epsecially if:
- Tire pressure was correct
- 91 octane or higher fuel was used
- Very little idling
- Normal weight loads
- Not towing

I don't know where you made your trip, but here in NY the oxegenated fuel they make us use in the winter returns gas mileage at least 10% lower than the "summer gas" we use for about 9 months out of the year

[mollyshark]

I'm figuring it totally the old fashioned way. Start at 0, fill up, drive, fill up, divide it out. I'll check the tires again tomorrow. The trip was Texas/Arkansas. Flat as a pancake. Averaged 75-80 on the road. Virtually pure highway drive on I-30. After the tire thing, going to do an oil change and see if life gets better. I was really startled. Our 650 almost gets that highway and the Z8 is close also and these engines aren't even CLOSE!

[M5X3]

We have lots of similar experience. I live in North Texas, do a lot of driving at similar speeds on I30, and my other car is a 750i - same engine as your 650 with more weight to push. I also owned a couple of E39 M5s with the same motivation as your Z8. I never lived with mileage as poor as you're currently experiencing, and I record it every time I fill up. On a trip from DFW to Hot Springs when the car only had 2500 miles it got 22 mpg.

[Min]

no more bmw's for me now.. x3 is my first and last!

[RM]

[Unregistered]

I have a 2006 X3 sport, I have never gotten over 21mpg, either hwy or city.... The miles are bad, the ride is bummpyyy, but I love my little white SAV going on 76k and 3rd set of tires, I have 18's staggered! I prefer to drive this more than my 335 coupe, which is also white...

[Unregistered]

x3 is a special machine, near exotic of the world of suv. One cannot expect high figures unless one drives Mini or similar. x3 is a high performance large vehicle one needs to realize before purchase.