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Old 10-12-2004, 05:25 PM   #6
f4phantomii
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 58504
Join Date: Mar 2004
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Ready to try OpenECU.org!!!
Vehicle:
2004 STi
Aspen White / Silver

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I have a daily commute of 18 miles, all city driving, with at least 2 miles of it in a downtown area with a stoplight every single block.

I rarely get above 50mph, and usually am doing good to hold 40mph. I cross 12 RR tracks going each way to work (that's a total of 24!) and it isn't at all unusual for me to sit for several minutes at least at one of them each and every day.

It's not unusual for me to use WOT on a sprint to 50mph at least 5 times a day, particularly if I'm first in line after the RR gates go up and I'm pissed. In traffic, in particular in the downtown area, I hold around 2500-3000RPM in a lower gear for several minutes at a time when I'm jockeying for position in traffic. All other times, I shift no later than 3000RPM, if not lower. And I typically use the A/C at least in the afternoon, if not all day.

If I'm in steady state traffic, not accelerating or decelerating or changing lanes, I typically try to hold the RPM's at 1500, but no lower or the engine bogs. I always rev-match (to the best of my ability) on downshifts unless I know I'm going to come to a complete stop.

All those factors considered, I typically see about 22-23 mpg. I have, on a couple of occasions, gotten 25 mpg, but I suspect I drove extremely conservatively those weeks.

At one point, I experimented with lowering my normal shift schedule such that I shifted as follows:

20mph > shift to 2nd
30mph > shift to 3rd
40mph > shift to 4th
50mph > shift to 5th
60mph > shift to 6th

That yielded an abyssmal 19mpg.

One of my co-workers also has an STi, and is a much more skilled driver than I. He has a much shorter commute, with mixed city/rural driving. He claims to shift no higher than 3000 RPM, yet he never averages any better than 19mpg.

I noted on Popular Mechanics recent article on the long term test of their STi (prior to it being stolen), they averaged 17mpg with a max of 21mpg. I assume they drove it like they stole it.

I think EPA estimates are 18 city and 24 hwy.

-Michael
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