# What is the worst winter fuel economy you experience?



## snowwy66 (Nov 5, 2017)

I averaged 4 in my semi. We're almost back up to 5 now that we're up to the 50's. 

I know, it's not the cruze.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

We were pretty much below 0F for 4-5 weeks since this Vortex started in mid January. We just saw 20F for the first time yesterday. 

My mileage has gone from averaging 44 MPG to around 39 MPG. With a tail wind I have still seen 48 MPG on longer highway trips. 

I think the weather is a bigger factor than the fuel mix. We have an Arctic diesel fuel mix up here for a good part of the year, but as soon as we get warmer temps and lighter winds my mileage comes up.


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

In warmer weather, I routinely go 700 miles on a full tank. I kind of feel like I've failed some way if I don't get the 700 miles. During cold weather, I almost never get to the 700.

My mileage tends to be locked into the 52-54 MPG range in cold weather. I get 56-60+ MPG when temperatures are mild to warm.

My lifetime average slips below 55 MPG in the winter and creeps up toward 56 through the summer.


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## rfhbrando (Oct 31, 2017)

I live in western Pennsylvania. Put on 140 miles a day all high way, and summer my 6M will do 51 all day every day. These winter months, I am usually around 44 mpg, with the worst tank ever being at 40 mpg. I still for the life of me don't know how a good deal of owners consistently are getting mid to upper 50's though...


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Most of the fuel stations around me advertise additive packages that are good to about -10°F. 

We had the Polar Vortex approaching and the one fuel supplier that I had an email dialog with told me they blended #1 diesel down to -18°F (the forecasted temperature). I filled up and drove my car north to park where it got down to about -22°F and has some very minimal gelling problems (one hard start where I was convinced it wasn't going to fire after extended cranking).

My averages for tanks of fuel are usually in the low to mid 40s with it getting into the 50s for all highway driving on some tanks. Starting with the Polar Vortex it's now averaging 34-36 mpg, so a significant drop in fuel economy. I'm convinced it's diesel #1 (lower energy content) being blended into the fuel for the past few weeks until we firmly get into warmer weather.


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## firehawk618 (Feb 24, 2013)

rfhbrando said:


> I still for the life of me don't know how a good deal of owners consistently are getting mid to upper 50's though...


Me either. I do have the worst possible combo for the diesel though. Hatch, automatic, rs package.

I am lucky to get 40 over a full tank. 

I drive 65-70mph 99% highway. 120+ mile round trip daily.

I suppose since there's no flat ground here might have something to do with it however since I drive the same route to and from work I would think one way might have more hill penalties but then reward when going back the other way.

oh well.


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## Carminooch (Mar 23, 2018)

I’ve been using a fuel recording app ever since I bought my car and it’s interesting to see how the economy fluctuates. An important note is that I also generally do not drive the car for economy, I really enjoy the 6 speed manual and torque of the diesel. Not as much fluctuation I’ve noticed but I “feel” like I did a little better in the summer, though the graph doesn’t show it

I do a 75 mile round trip all highway commute with 2 hours of traffic twice a week. (I work swing shifts and two days a week, hit it going to and leaving work)































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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

The plunge at the end of Jan and beginning of Feb coincides with the Polar Vortex, when I filled up with a fuel source that blended a lot of #1 diesel to get a low gel point. It hasn't yet come back up into the 40s.


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## TheCruzen (Dec 17, 2017)

I wish my first cruze had been a diesel 6mt, my lhu 6mt swapped cruze only gets about 24 mpg in the winter, but about 30 in the summer. I say this because having an eco 6mt is what prompted me to put together an LHU (2.0L turbo) cruze. And I just like diesels!


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## //oilburner (Mar 9, 2019)

That's darn good MPG. do you idle/warm up and if so for how long in the Winter months? Garage or driveway kept?


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

//oilburner said:


> That's darn good MPG. do you idle/warm up and if so for how long in the Winter months? Garage or driveway kept?


Zero idling and it has never been kept in a garage.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

34.7 mpg for the last tank of fuel that had a good amount of highway driving in the mix. That's the worst I've seen the car do since new. I suspect it's a tank of fuel that was cut with a lot of #1 diesel for the Polar Vortex.


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## Carminooch (Mar 23, 2018)

//oilburner said:


> That's darn good MPG. do you idle/warm up and if so for how long in the Winter months? Garage or driveway kept?


I generally idle on cold mornings for two to five minutes and my commute is almost all on the highway. Kept in the driveway. I’ve never had any hiccups or slow starting all winter in N.J. this year or last year. I have a 96 tdi passat, a 2006 sprinter diesel, and a wrangler I jammed an ‘85 Mercedes 300D Diesel into. I can’t believe how refined and smooth the engine is. I mean you can’t even compare it to what else I own, it’s light years ahead in technology. It’s such a great engine, not a single complaint. It’s been real interesting to own


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

And the prior tank of fuel is now back up to 44.4 mpg. Looks like summer blend diesel has arrived.

Those prior 5 tanks in the 30s must have been a terrible, low-cetane blend of winter diesel fuel.


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## TheFyreman (Mar 11, 2019)

firehawk - terrain makes a BIG difference. My commute is generally flat (especially more so toward home, as opposed to near work), and I average high 50's on my commute. I grew up in the mountains, and when I drive up there to visit family, I'm lucky to get in the low 40's.


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## ganthc (May 25, 2018)

I got around 35-37 mpg in mixed driving during the winter months in my Chevy Cruze Diesel HB 9A. I have only one winter to go by, so I don't know if that is higher or lower than normal. I still consider that really good. During the summer, I get 39-40 mpg in mixed driving here in the DC area.


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## llbanks522 (Nov 23, 2017)

22.5 MPG. Actual MPG not from the DIC. 80%+ City / Stop and go - short trips.


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