Micra fuel economy

cisco

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I was just reading some current article on fuel economy.

I thought how good are the new small cars getting?
Yeah they're getting smarter, but they're also getting heavier.

I checked this site: http://www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au/
To get a search results list of the most efficient current model cars. The Toyota Prius wins (its a petrol/electric hybrid).

Its figure is 4.4L/100Km (Not sure if that's city, highway or average figure). There are only a handful of other cars anywhere near that low amount.

Then I look up some other link they have to "OLD!" cars, including the micra. We're officially rated at 4.4L/100km on the highway and just 6 in the city.

How awesome is the micra. I just reminded me that for a 10 year old car, it really was so ahead of its time. Its a great little hot hatch that doesn't burn much petrol at all, even by today's standards which are basically no better, if not worse!

Go the micra!

I remember I first chose the micra because it was the small car with BOTH the fastest 0-100 and quarter mile time AS WELL AS having the best fuel economy. PLUS great handling in the reviews compared to the others.

Go the micra you good thing.
 

CMF_NotAnotherSSS

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Plus when you weigh up the extra cost of buying a petrol/electric hybrid, the normal small petrol motor in a light car is the cheaper option in the long run.

The hybrid cars a really only emissions based AFAIK.

But yeh, micras ROCK!
 

cisco

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Yep. I can't see myself parting with my car for many many years until cars took a huge leap forward. Until there's no point unless you just feel like/need a change.
 

CMF_evade

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haha i have never gotten anywhere near 4.4lt/100km..

i think the best tank i ever got out of the CVT stocky micra was 580km..and that was pushing it

in my turbo car i usually can just get 400km out of a tank if im not driving it like a spastic..(spastic driving equales about 280-300km a tank)

Spastic = spirited driving..heh
 

cisco

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Hehe, yeah me either, but its the official figures, in the same way the other cars are rated officially aswell.

In the first white micra I had a really great run from Burleigh Heads (QLD) to Hexham (Just outside of Newcastle) and the petrol light came on. I was very impressed. There was 2 of us in the car and all our bags too.

There must be a lot of minor tuning things that go out on micras after a while, maybe just the Air Flow meter or throttle body joints or something. But yeah after a few years the factory ones seem to lose the economy a bit I reckon.
 

CMF_NotAnotherSSS

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All cars use more fuel as they get older.

Look at SR20DE's in pulsars.

When new, 8L/100KM wasnt uncommon.

These days most Pulsars with SR20DE's struggle to use less tha n 10L/100KM. That is absolute baby-driving as well.

Just age - I think if you replaced every sensor in the micra you would get factory fuel economy - so long as the engine is in good condition mechanically.
 

CMF_SAK11LX

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i can never get the 4.4l in the micra.....i can get 5l in the echo sedan...but thats 950kg with 80KW and 143Nm...far more superior to the micra...but the micra wee's over the echo in handling and smoothness
 

CMF_NotAnotherSSS

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I replaced the O2 sensor in my pulsar with a mate's brand new one (i did a swap-a-roo when he wasnt watching hehehehehe) and i got much, much better fuel economy. I was no longer watching my fuel guage go down at a rate which was relative to my speedo.

I've since swapped them back around btw :p
 

CMF_daily_ricer

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Daily driving, an hour each day to work and back, about 30km in ruch hour, then maybe 150km regular use on the weekend I manage around 6.5lt/100km. The best I have ever gotten, and I dont know how, was 5.5lt/100km there was some city driving there, but I think a couple long trips as well, but the thing is, it was summer and I had the aircon on about 30% of the time...

I love the micra for this reason. When my girlfriends dad found out that I used to do pizza delivery, he told me that you can usually get away with keeping the uniform when you quit, but you really should give the car back lol.

He's one of these guys that don't like small cars and thinks that if you want economy you buy a Commodore and put it on gas...

I could have told him something cocky, and slightly cheesey, like "but then I wouldn't be dating your daughter, I'd be like all the other blokes riding around with Commonwhores..."

but I didn't.
 

cisco

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That's awesome.

Yeah the figure aren't deadset realistic, always calculated to the standards which I think don't include the aerodynamics of something.

But the safe thing is that they are all calculated the same once they're on the .gov.au website, so you can at least consistently compare across brands. They are usually all a bit worse in real life that those figures.
 

CMF_nz_aj

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Best, 6.2L/100km CG13DE 5spd 5dr 150,000km, driving around Auckland (not flat).
One reason older cars use more fuel is because younger drivers own them. The other is maintenance including thermostat, O2 sensor, temperature sender.
I can get 8L/100km out of my U13 SR powered Bluebird when not driving it digitally. It's done 260,000km. It's obviously a bigger heavier car than a Pulsar.
 

CMF_micragirl

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When I bought my mic new in 95, the dealer told me that 900k's per tank was the spec...and no, I didn't believe him, the best I can get is 500 with no air con going, one person in the car (me) and lately the max I can get is about 450 per tank, so yeh as it gets older the fuel economy is dwindling but its still good economy
 

CMF_LWC

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The Little White Car gets 6.2-7.0L/100ks in Canberra traffic with 170,000 on the odometer and 4 pax. Last Jan got 5.5L/100ks from Can to Ulladulla loaded with 4 pax on board towing the alumimium trailer! Best ever was 4.9L/100ks, 4 pax, loaded on Pacific Highway in rain east of Melb. sitting on 100kph. Official fuel consumption is measured on a dyno., so no wind resistance is taken into account (original 1995 Micra figures 4.2/6.0 Highway/City driving). cheers LWC
 

CMF_tonydav

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Just purchased a Micra as my "spare" car. Can't believe the economy figures you guys mention even as "bad" figures (7-8L/100kms). With my main car I'm lucky these days to get 350kms out of a 55L tank.

tony
 

CMF_Grincheuse

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The best i could get to in my 1000 cc micra was 6.4 l but that was just before I installed an air induction kit. I know it improves fuel consumption ....provided you don't change you driving habits..which is quite hard with the sound that's great...

Does anyone have any indication on the improvement on consumption it might bring?

Cheers
 

CMF_Grincheuse

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Its been about 2 weeks since i last installed a simota pod filter in my micra.I was impressed by this one. Bought the kit designed for the micra which includes an alu tube going from the throttle body to end behind the battery where the filter is fixed.
The results were amazing... after running on country roads at a normal speed of 80-90 km/h without pushing the car too much up the rerves i got to 5.3 l/100 km !!!!!
Compared to what i mentionned n my previous post with my original air box & air intake i'm very impressed. the car is also more fun to drive now... i'll try to see what it gives with a diferent driving style
 

CMF_MALLIE

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I dunno what my Micra's fuel economy is, about 400-500kms a tank.

All I know is that it's still $1.26 for petrol at the moment, the Micra is still half full while my Maxima is sitting on empty in the garage.
 

CMF_Yom

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Because Alex_B is a non-believer, I am going to get 600km out of my micra before i have to fill up.

Specs: Relatively stock s2 Super S (so it is the fat edition with aircon and powersteer).
-15" ROH Adrenalin wheels (which arent exactly light)
-2" Cat back exhaust, striaght through muffler.
-3" Cold Air intake to factory airbox (not very good, but better than factory)
-advanced timing (17.5 degrees)
-Oil & spakrplug change 2,500km ago. Currently has a bottle of Nulon 80,000km engine treatment in the oil.
-Fuel filter is approximately 20,000km old, will be running on 98RON fuels (probably Shell Optimax) with 30mls of Morey's Upper Cylinder Lubricant.

Where or how I drive it is going to be irrelevant at this stage because I am simply going to be proving that the Micra can do do 600km from a tank.

My highest figure so far was about 580km (580 calculated, 510 before i filled it up with 36L of optimax). That was a mixture of running into the City, around suburbia with some spastic driving and a trip to Bribe Island and back and then a trip up Mt Mee, which was rather enthusiastic).

Stay tuned...
 

cisco

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I think they are all getting old and need simple servicing tasks completed to get their economy back.

My first micra laughed in 600km from a tank.

I got from Burleigh Heads in QLD to Raymond Terrace in NSW. Total distance about 680km. Yeah on the highway, but also with 2 people in the car and a heap of luggage.

I was always pretty impressed with that from 42 litres. That's about 6L/100km just from that, but would have been even better with some weight removed and taking is easier.

The fuel economy in the white micra has gone a bit ordinary, but (a) the adjustable fuel regulator is mostly responsible for that, and (b) I think it needs a new o2 sensor which I am going to get replaced soon.
 

cisco

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Ahh great find Makes.

Thanks, I'll try to source one of those then.
 
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