MPG on your Spectra/Cerato

[tt2jzgtes]

and also i purchased NKG iridium plugs for 8 a peice and now i just ordered my new NKG plug wires and waiting for it in the mail. and everytime i change my oil i only use systhetic oil like i said 5w30 in the winter and 10w30 in the summer heat.

[flatblack]

I get about 27mpg (all city driving) with ethanol mix. Always alone in the car, no passengers, and no heavy cargo. I'm very light on the gas and keep RPMs low. 2004 Cerato 5 speed with 135,000km.

Last month I managed to pull off 40mpg (all highway) on one road trip. No luggage, one small-ish passenger. Must have had the wind behind me the whole way or something.

(10w30 oil+filter change done 2 months ago. Weather where I am is around 25degC.)

EDIT (Update): MPG is in US Gallons. Shell Unleaded 10% ethanol (max) with 91 octane (min) rating. Not sure about the barometric pressure when I drove. My 27mpg (all city) number above is high - more closer to 22-23mpg with the 10% ethanol mix (apologies, 27mpg is what I get for mixed city/highway). I literally never drive more than 20 minutes per trip in city driving - all stop and go traffic. For the 40mpg (all highway) trip, I was using normal 91 octane with tires slightly overinflated and was only one trip. I stayed under 100km/hr which is about 60mph (sure did piss off a lot of ppl that day). Usually for mixed city/highway 50/50, I get around 27mpg with 91 octane 10% ethanol mix. No idea what spark plugs are in my car.

[DavesSpectra]

flatblack... and others...
We need to be careful of comparisons.
Wash, DC, USA - US Gallons= 3.79L and US Miles =1.6093km
Austrailia - Liters (and sometimes Imperial Gallons=4.546L)
and Different ways of rating gas quality (octane)
So conversions can throw off comparisons a fair amount just using "Gallons".

And then there is the Washington DC units of measurements used by the politicians (what ever makes them look good at the moment)
(Sorry tt2jzgtes... I just had to throw that in! :-) )
Dave

[tt2jzgtes]

Originally Posted by DavesSpectra

flatblack... and others...
We need to be careful of comparisons.
Wash, DC, USA - US Gallons= 3.79L and US Miles =1.6093km
Austrailia - Liters (and sometimes Imperial Gallons=4.546L)
and Different ways of rating gas quality (octane)
So conversions can throw off comparisons a fair amount just using "Gallons".

And then there is the Washington DC units of measurements used by the politicians (what ever makes them look good at the moment)
(Sorry tt2jzgtes... I just had to throw that in! :-) )
Dave

LOL.. yeah when i say traffic/city driving i mean 15-30mins from one light to the other which is less than a mile away and depends on weather conditions rain or snow people around here seems to forget how to drive. that could be effecting my gas mileage also. i live about 5 miles from my job my drive from work to home without traffic about 9-11 mins because there is like 1 million traffic lights inbetween with rush hour traffic its about 40-50 mins if its snowing or raining its over an hour. better off walking to work or riding my bicycle, i refuse to take public tranport. lol

[hogger]

Hi all,
Just a chance to jump in here and throw in my 2 cents worth. I've had a lot of 4 cylinder cars in my time, in fact, I've had a lot of cars 4,6,8, cylinders, as well as transmissions, from GM 2 sp power glide automatics to the 6sp Allison, in my time since 1968. Porshe, Jaguar, VW, British Leland, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Nissan, Datsun, etc. I have never had a 4 cylinder get worse gas mileage than this 2005 Spectra5 with a 2.0 ltr. 5 spd manual. It's a beautiful little car, lots of power and great performance. Cruises quite nicely @ 50 - 75 mph. The car has 136,000 miles on it, uses < 1/2 qt. oil between changes, has some electrical issues when cold under -0 farenheit (it gets -30 here) but heck, I do too.
I purchased the car for my daughter as a college graduation present to replace her beat 1995 Corolla with > 265,000 miles and have been driving the car all the time since 10/12 to get all the bugs worked out of it (any father knows better than to give his daughter a car with issues). I have replaced both E-brake cables, rotors and pads all around, 2-calipers, 2-O2 sensors, Filter(s), Front strut brackets, sway bar bushings as I've looked at all of it as average maintenance parts for a car this year and mileage. The car was previously owned by an elderly couple from Vermont (where it is my experience that nobody drives over 45 mph anyway) who used to tow it to Florida behind thier motor home every fall since new. It has no rust, interior and exterior black paint is very good. It appears that all routine maintenance was done regularly. The timing belt was last done @ 126,000 miles (seems to me you shouldn't have to replace it regularly every 65-85,000 miles). With Firestone 16" all season tires with < 5,000 miles is one of the worst I have ever driven in the snow. After a week of putting up with it in the snow, spent about $480 and put studded snows on it and now it's a tank. Boy, 16" snow tires are expensive! This little car really doesn't need but 13-14" wheels anyway IMO. I drive 18 miles one way to work 5 days a week with 6 stop signs on the way, rural driving. I usually drive 63 mph. of posted 55 mph limits. I have taken several short day trips of about 3-400 miles and have varied my steady speeds between 50 and 75 mph for each full tank of gas. It's not hard when your tank will only go 300 miles or so. I check my mileage every tank of gas using the odometer, hoping it will get better (it doesn't) but it's real easy to divide 284 miles by 12 gallons. The slower you go the better the mileage about 31 mpg and the worst of 22 mpg on the freeway going 75 mph. I've probably run about 25 tanks of gas through it. In the cold, it has always started, however when it is below zero, neither the dash lights or the power windows til something warms up and suddenly they all come on after driving 6 or 7 miles. That reminds me of a conversation I once overheard at a diner when an elderly lady was complaining to her "mechanic" after he had repaired her car, she told him that everything was fine until she turned on the windshield wipers and her car died and he told her, "Don't drive in the rain." It has only stranded me once when I was with my girlfriend and the strut mount broke away about 30 miles from home (but thankfully near a restaurant and bar). That then reminds me of what the farmer said when the cow died, "Funny, she never did that before."

[DavesSpectra]

hogger..
You must have severe problems with road salt..E-brake cables...Strut mount breaking. Your needing studded snow tires indicates pretty harsh weather conditions... Have you checked with your local KIA Dealer about the mandatory recall on the gas tank straps? They will replace them N/C in the "rust belt" states.

We have two Spectras (06SX and 07EX) and I have found in both they like to drink gas "if" you accelerate hard in town or go over 70mph...My wife has the lead foot. I can drive either car and get MUCH better mileage than hers.
I always look ahead to see traffic and lights and get off the pedal way back..and try to keep the car keep rolling right up to the light changing green. It takes a lot less gas "if" you don't accelerate from a full stop...Feathering the gas pedal and try to keep it's RPMs below 2100 before shifting..
I have had fun seeing how far I could go on a couple of gallons of gas..

The Spectras and Rios can get better mileage than most post.
Most "variables" really have been eliminated with ECMs, TCMs, fuel injection, and variable timing between cars of the same model/year/accessories providing that basic upkeep has been done (plugs/wires/filters/fluids/tires).

The BIG variable is the driver and his seldom thought about "habits".
My wife hits the accelerator every time the the light changes..She's not flooring it.. but harder than needed in the current traffic pattern. Then she has to SLOW while coming up behind the car in front.. then when the traffic starts moving she does it all over again... I coast, watch traffic and estimate what the traffic is going to do in the future by looking a few cars ahead...and I stay back from the car ahead of me... I found keeping the Specs just under 70 on the highway and either use the cruise or mindfully keep from moving the pedal quickly I gain there too.. You really pay a penalty OVER 70...and at 80 both of our KIAs gulp gas. I let others go around and enjoy the drive..

As far as your Spectra having electrical problems during weather changes...
I see Specs are having one increasing problem with the BCM/ETACS/Fuse Panel inside the car...Not an epidemic but starting to be a concern..
It sounds like your Spec may be having the same problem...Do a search for "ETACS" and/or "BCM" in the Spectra area of these forums. We have some recent members replacing them and curing their problems... Don't go to the dealer for this repair...The BCM/ETACS are available from the bone/salvage yard for much less than at the dealer ($45~100 compared to $400~600).

BTW...Welcome to "our" KIA forums...Lot's of great info here and people that really care about keeping/getting your KIA going..
Dave