Disappointing Gas Mileage

[Backfire1]

First I would like to let all know that I love my van.  I was hopping it would get 14 to 16 MPG.  Sadly I am getting 11.5 to 12.9 MPG.  If I had know the mileage would have been so bad with the V6, I would have purchased the V8.  I have been told that it will get better after 5000 miles.  I have the drop in K&N filter and I just had my first oil change and I used mobile 1 synthetic.  I just wanted to let others know about the gas mileage of the low top V6.  Maybe it will help someone make a purchase decision.

[vanguy]

Hi Backfire1

If fuel mileage is important to you, the time to find out about such issues is BEFORE you buy!

[Backfire1]

Hi Vanguy,

 

I did do my research.  I actually came to this forum.  Everything that I read said 14 MPG or more.  Maybe it will get better with more break in but I think I am stuck with 12.5 MPG.  It is sad that the research that I did came from this site and I read that others were getting 16 to 18 MPG.  I think they are full of it.  Or they don't know how to divide gallons into miles accurately.  Motor Trend did a review of the NV 2500 and they averaged 14 MPG.  It doesn't take a rocked scientist to figure out that if they got 14 MPG with a V8 that one should get slightly better with a V6.  But that is not the case my V6 gets worse mileage than the V8.  So my report about gas mileage was not to offend, but to let others know so that they can make a better buying decision.  If I had  to do over I would have purchased the V8, it is a no brainier.  You get better gas mileage and much more torque and HP.  And for those that are getting more than 18 MPG with the V6 I wish you would tell me your secret.  Again, I love my Van and I put approximately 100 miles on it a day while doing HVAC service work.  

Edited July 14, 2014 by Backfire1

[radin2son]

I do the math and do not rely on the mpg display on my 2012 NV 2500 with V8. I also add up the miles and divide by gallons used during our trips, as who knows what the pump cut off is at each fill up. Last trip of almost 5000 miles, mostly secondary roads showed 15.6 mpg. This included a lot of mountain driving, eg 13% grades at 10,000' and periodic idling the engine to keep the camper house batteries charged when dry camping for long periods. Hope your mpg improves.

[Backfire1]

Radin2son I hope my mpg improves to 15 MPG.  When I bought my van I had figured I would get at least 14 mpg based on my research.  I have 4500 miles on my van now and the best mpg to date is 13.  Next time I am at the dealer I will let them know how poor my mileage is and maybe they can see if there is something wrong.  I even increased the air pressure in my front tires to 60 psi and I have the back tires over inflated to 85 psi.  Makes the van ride a litter rougher.  My salesman told me that my mileage would be around the mid teens.  If I could get 15.6 mpg I would be super happey and would have nothing to gripe about.  

How was your mileage for the first 5000 miles?  Also what grade gas do you run?  I just started running mid grade hoping it would make a difference.

[radin2son]

Hi backfire1,

 

As luck would have it we put 4954 miles on our NV between 9/27 and 12/2012. The mpg was 14.1 or 15.3 if you believed the computer. (This optimistic reading may be why it was deleted, I won't include it below.) The best per tank mpg was 17.2 and the worst was 12.4, when we were towing out car home after picking up the NV in California.

 

By the end of 2013, we added 16,834 mi and averaged 16.3 mpg. The worst fill up mpg was 13.2 and the best was 17.8.

 

2014 looks about the same. Worst fill up mpg was 11.5 (Saga of 30 psi under inflated rear tires and dry camping) and best was 18.1 and 18.3. I don't believe 18+ mpg so toss the high and low out.

 

I put whatever regular grade we can find, 85 or 87, since we are often in very isolated areas. So far the engine has not protested.

 

One other obscure thought... Does location impact mpg? Any climatologists out there? Does humidity, rain, snow etc. impact mpg? Do you get better mpg at altitude? Based on the numbers I get, it appears to be the case. In normal driving in FL, we saw mostly low 15s mpg, while on at higher (4000'+) elevation, we see 16 and 17 mpg.

 

Hope this helps.

Edited July 12, 2014 by radin2son

[wollip]

Backfire 1,

 

For some reason I just can't stay out of this.

 

At some point you stated - "Again, I love my Van and I put approximately 100 miles on it a day while doing HVAC service work."

 

My question to you is this - have you ever taken the van out for a 100 to 200 mile trip ( or longer), that was mainly (95% or better)highway or Interstate, at a steady rate of speed, and checked the mpg the old school way with a pencil and division?

[Backfire1]

Wollip,

 

You ask if I have ever driven my van for a 100 to 200 mile trip ( or longer).  I have driven to and from my dealership which is 75 miles away.  But most of my driving is service work that extends across Fayetteville, Raeford, Spring Lake, Hope Mills, Linden, Eureka Springs, Wade, -- I think you get the idea, it is about a 60 mile circle with most driving done at speeds between 45 and 60 MPH.  I avoid down town were there is slow driving and congestion. 

 

I do all of my calculations with a calculator, I divide gallons into miles driven.  I also use a app called Fuelly.

 

My van does not calculate my MPG.  It does do Average MPH -- why I don't know.  But I herd that people like me were complaining to Nissan asking them why my MPG so crappy and my friends MPG is so great.

[Backfire1]

Radin2son

 

Am I understanding you to say that the mileage gets better after 5000 miles?  You did'nt post an average for the first 4954 miles.  By the way that was alot of driving in a short amount of time.

 

I really think that the V8 gets better gas mileage.  Even if you go over to some of the other forums - Frontier and Xterra and Pathfinder.  They complain about their gas milage with the V6.  17 MPG seems to be the norm and they weigh 2000 lbs. less.

I think the V6 is a great motor, but it is not a fuel efficient motor.

It makes more HP than alot of V8s, maybe that's why it gets poor gas milage.

I have noticed with mid grade gas that my van seems to have more bottom end grunt.  Maybe it's in my mind, but it feels like I have to give it less gas to go up the same hill.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Backfire1

[radin2son]

Backfire1,

 

14.1 mpg was the average mpg. (The computer generally is 1-1.5 mpg higher.) So yes, mpg has improved.

 

We use our NV for travel. The joke in Tucson is that you have to drive 500 miles to start your trip.

[Backfire1]

radin2son,

 

You give me hope.  Hopefully my mileage will get better.  Some of my lower mileage may be due to having a ladder rack on my van.  Not sure if that would be the cause of my poor mileage.  I would also like to thank you for your feedback and insight.  

 

Wow, Sounds like you live in the middle of no were.  500 miles is a lot of miles.

 

Again, thank you for your replies. 

[radin2son]

My other car is a '05 VW Passat TDI wagon and I sometimes carry 2 bikes on top. This decreases mpg by 4-5 mpg. The rack alone decreases it by 1-2, so maybe I won't be so lazy and leave it on.

 

These numbers come from a mtb review of a hitch mounted bike rack (1UP USA ) that I am considering for the NV. I have a new to me Thule hitch mounted rack that does not fold up like the 1UP. It folds up into its shipping box and can be stashed in the NV along with our 2 "Break Away," as in frame comes apart, bikes.

Edited July 13, 2014 by radin2son

[wollip]

Backfire 1 -

 

Any discussion of mpg is dependent on so many variables. But over several days and posts you have laid out good information and others have posted pertinent clues to their success or failure in the mpg quest.

IMHO - you seem to be doing everything anyone can do only to be tripped up by a ladder rack - an accessory vital to your business; therefore, a cost of doing business. So it goes......

I agree with others that you will see a slight increase with break-in (probably 1 mpg). I had that increase with the V-8 only to see it disappear when I bolted an air conditioner to the roof. I've got the ac, mud flaps, running boards, and a rooftop exhaust fan all dragging down my mpg. In my case, the cost of comfort. So it goes .....

[Backfire1]

I do need the ladders for work.  I did not think about them being the cause of my poor mileage.  As my son would say: it is what it is.  I was just taken back by how bad my mileage was compared to others.  Maybe one of those curved wind deflectors that you see on top of the 18 wheelers.  I am only using 3 of the 4 mounting points for the ladder racks.  Plus I keep my ladders at the back of the truck so maybe I will look into a little wind deflector to help with fuel mileage.  

 

Thanks to all for the feed back.

 

If I find something and it works I will post my results.

[Hawkeye77]

Backfire 1,

I see that you are in the great state of North Carolina as well. As you know, it is summer time, so MPG will be affected by use of the A/c. I have the V8, and just got it two weeks ago. Already, I have put a CAI on to help with airflow. I am monitoring my MPG's via an OBD II reader. Anyways, have looked for a CAI for the V6? Mine is for a Titan, but it worked with adding a longer hose connector. See if there are any CAI's for other Nissan models with the same engine as the SV.

[Backfire1]

Hawkeye77,

Did the CAI help your MPG?  Also Which OBD II reader are you using?  Is it Bluetooth?  I looked at a few on amazon that worked with an app called Torque.  I thought I could use it to monitor my MPG.  I also thought that if I could monitor my MPG as I was driving that I could maybe learn to drive better so that I could increase my MPG.  Their were so many OBD II devices that I did not know which one to get.

 

Did you get your NV from Michael Jordan Nissan?

I am sure you will love your new van.  I have had mine for a little over 2 months and every time I drive it, --- It makes me smile and is a joy to drive.  I have had 0 problems.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Backfire1

[Hawkeye77]

Backfire1,

I bought the OBDLink MX Scantool off of Amazon. It is Bluetooth and also has a battery saver feature so it doesn't drain the battery. Also, it is supposedly hacker proof. It is going for $100.91 on Amazon today. If it is too much, a cheaper ELM327 device will work too. I bought the cheap one first, but upgraded due to the battery saver feature and form factor of the device.

As for the CAI, I am still monitoring the MPG since install last week. I will probably fill up today and see how it went. My engine still is getting broke in, plus I am currently hauling 10 people as my in-laws are in town. I hope to see an improvement. My first tank I got

14.2 hand calculated, not to bad coming from a Suburban with the 5.3.

BTW, we bought our NVP at Capital Nissan in Wilmington.

[Backfire1]

I ordered the ODBLink MX Scantool.  I almost ordered the LX version but I know so little about them that I ordered the more expensive MX.  My first tank of gas was 11 MPG.  My last two fill ups were 11.5 and 11.3.  I have been driving heavy footed and it shows in fuel mileage.  I have calculated every fill up and the best I have had is 13 MPG.  When I bought my van I thought I would get 14 MPG, and that would save me $150.00 a month in fuel cost.  My old 3500 service body would get 10 MPG.  I guess the only reason they offer the v6 for the NV is to help keep the initial cost down.  Because it does not save me at the pump.  If I knew this when I purchased I would have opted for the 2500 with the V8.  I hope that my review of the poor gas mileage will help others who might be on the fence about which motor to get.  I didn't need the v8 and I thought that the v6 would save me at the pump and boy was I mistaken.  I am hoping that there is something wrong and the scan tool will find it, if not I am sure it will help me keep my foot out of the pedal. Thank you Hawkeye77 for the info. 

[MikeyNV]

I am currently on vacation with my 3500. I have driven from Texas to San Francisco and I am really happy with the way the NV has handled the highways, mountains and of course the streets. I am unsure on how to determine how much MPG the van has been getting, but the Dallas to Las Vegas leg of my trip only cost me $300.00 in gas. That is about 1200 miles.

[Backfire1]

To calculate your gas mileage reset your trip odometer when you fill up. Or write down your mileage.  I prefer to reset my trip odometer.  When I fill up the next time I see how many gallons it took to fill up my truck.  I then divide the gallons into the miles driven.  If you do that every time you fill up you will be able to get an average MPG.  Mine seems to range from 11 to 13 MPG.  Hope this makes sense.

[axulsuv]

Hi Backfire 1 ;

I'm one of those 'must be full of it guys ' ! I'm a 53 yr. old master mechanic and I love my NV 1500 V6 . I've got 56k on it now and I use it for a daily driver and for road trips and camping with my Trials motorcycles  . My 2012 has the mpg average monitor and Nissans logic in the program is silly . But after not resetting it for over 15k , (it showed 19.6) forever ... I reset it last week to see what my new commute would show , and it settled right back in @ 19.6 . And yes I back it up with a paper and pencil too and it is fairly accurate . I get into the low 20's when traveling with aluminum bike trailer in tow / draft behind the van ...

How I do it ...

 1: on your new van , use the manual shift option when decelerating when possible , to let some compression braking slow the van . Helps float the rings a little so they will seal better , giving better performance .

2: I run a K&N drop in with 0-20w or 0-30w mobil one oil .

3: Learn how to accelerate ! Roll away from stops , it's not a race to the next light ...

4: I run ethanol free 93 octane , makes a serious all around difference , in NC you should have sphynx stations so you can get ethanol free regular easily , your on your own to find good premium :)

5: a deflector for your ladder rack would be a plus .

6: Have your dealer check your alignment ! Mine is setup with 1/16 total toe in , and rolls with almost no resistance (aka when you let off the gas on level ground it doesn't slow much on it's own !) , still has the stock tires inflated to spec and they are wearing perfectly , still better than 1/2 of their tread depth . ( I wish they would wear out so I can get some Michelin's on some cool rims ! :) )

7: Watch your driving habits , it's fuel injected so warming up the engine @ temps above freezing is futile , a few seconds while you buckle your seatbelt is all thats needed ...

8: learn how to anticipate stops , roll to them and roll away , it's alot of mass to start and stop ! conserve energy and you brakes and fuel will last longer . :)

9: Relax when you drive , In the end you don't get there any faster by speeding ...

10: enjoy the van ! They've got the best mirrors ever !!!

11: I'll be going back and forth between Charleston SC and Monroe NC alot between now and November to lay out a trials event up there  , so if you see my white low roof with a bike trailer behind it, stop me anytime to have a look at my mpg and speed average displays , it's all in how you drive your ark ...:)

12: have fun !

Glenn

[axulsuv]

And not to rub salt in the wound , But I just got home from a trip to my mom's house to do a quick tune-up on my stepdads 98 frontier . As I said previously I had just reset the mpg monitor to check the mileage on my new commute and it had stabilized @ 19.6 again , but without doing anything out of the ordinary when I backed back into my driveway just a few minutes ago the monitor said 21mpg ... So 160 miles on my commute (stop and go with 45 mph speed limits ) and another 80 miles at 55  on backroads and about 15 miles on the freeway at 70 my mileage average increased a bit . But I know it will drop back to 19.6 when I'm commuting again next week ! it'll take it a few miles but the average will drop . But if you are a math wiz , you could figure out she had to be getting fantastic mileage today to raise the average like that .

I still love this van for what it is and what it isn't :)

Glenn 

Edited July 20, 2014 by axulsuv

[Backfire1]

axulsuv,

I read your post in another forum on this site.  I bought my van because I think it is a great deal and your raving reviews of the gas mileage.  As you can imagine, I am quite disappointed that the van gets mileage that is well below what everyone even the dealer has told me that it would get.  I expected 14 to 16 MPG and I have never seen anything above 13, and it averages 12.  So when I read your post about 19 and 20 MPG I have to say that either you are mistaken (maybe your vans computer is wrong) or their is something wrong with my van.  Now please don't think I am trying to be a jerk, look at it from my perspective.  When I was looking at vans, one of the important things was MPG.  I wanted to offset the cost of ownership with better gas mileage.  Going from 10 MPG to 14 MPG saves me $150.00 a month.  So that 150.00 is almost half of my payment. (I traded in a truck and put 5000 down, my payment is 338.00)  I wanted my van to have a low cost for ownership and MPG is one of the cost of ownership.  For me I don't understand how 2 vans with the same motors have such a HUGE difference in MPG.  I did my research, I bought the van that I thought would fit my needs and it has done a fabulous job in all areas except the poor gas mileage.  I will try the down shifting thing.  I am running the K&N drop in filter and Mobil one synthetic oil.  I am not posting this to offend and I apologize if I have.  The low MPG is very frustrating.  Thank you for the input.

 

Let me ask you this how many miles are you getting out of a tank of gas?

Edited July 21, 2014 by Backfire1

[MikeyNV]

OK we are back from vacation and I did calculations based on filling the tank when it is half full (I'm paranoid ). I averaged 16-17 MPG, all highway from Las Vegas, Nevada to Arlington, Texas.

[DennisV]

I have '13 2500 high roof v6.

 

I'm mostly driving 2 lane rural highways with little stop and go activity. Some freeway too.

 

I'm seeing 18 + regularly, calculated at the pump. No computer. Have not seen 19 or better.

I use a light foot, accelerate slowly, and rarely go over 62- 63 mph. I'll draft a big rig on the freeway.

 

If you want the good mpg, you're gonna have to drive like a little old lady.

 

Do you hustle away from the stop lights, and go 75-80 mph when you can?

There's just too much weight and parasitic drag to do that and expect good mpg.