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Old 02-22-2012, 08:06 PM   #1
exk20z3kid
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Default 2012 WRX: driving techniques for fuel economy?

Anyone have some advice? I know these cars are a blast to drive when you open them up, but eh if you all have been to the pump lately you'd know that as fun as it is it also puts a massive dent in your wallet.

I started learning stick on a 6-speed so adjusting to a 5-speed is kind of weird. Before I would use the 6th gear for highway coasting, but not really on city streets. But with this car I am catching myself coasting at 40mph in 5th gear. Do you think this is too high of a gear for that speed? I know the manual suggests shifting to 5th at 45 but I am just so used to getting in fifth on city roads.

Do you all have any other tips that would be specific to a Subaru turbocharged engine?
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:15 PM   #2
SubyLarry
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That is not a problem at all. I shift between 2 - 2.5 RPM. I make sure my vacuum does not hit boost at all; that's it. Good luck with saving gas.

All highway = 25 mpg
Combined = 23 mpg

Freaken sucks, but I have fun doing it.
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:50 PM   #3
wrxdrvr
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As long as you keep the RPMs above 1,700 when you coast in gear you are using zero gas for that distance...
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Old 02-22-2012, 08:53 PM   #4
424wrx
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shift at about 3k in each gear. you wont be in boost much at all. dont lug around a turbo engine. it isnt good at all. 45 in 5th gear is a little too low.
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Old 02-23-2012, 02:59 AM   #5
furiouswrx
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ignore people trying to race you and stick to the speed limits...
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Old 02-23-2012, 10:11 AM   #6
brew02wrx
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drive like a grandma and ignore the a-holes tailing you


simply put, if you bought this car for fun, forget about gas mileage
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Old 02-23-2012, 10:50 AM   #7
lickitysplitwrx
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I shift around 2.5-3k. I usually average 25 MPG (90% highway). But I don't care about mileage, if you are that concerned you bought the wrong car.
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Old 08-28-2012, 04:42 PM   #8
OCMDWRX
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I shift around 2.5k to 3k and get around 24 to 25 mpg on average I am aslo stage 2
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Old 08-28-2012, 05:59 PM   #9
ksrumbel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SubyLarry
That is not a problem at all. I shift between 2 - 2.5 RPM. I make sure my vacuum does not hit boost at all; that's it. Good luck with saving gas.

All highway = 25 mpg
Combined = 23 mpg

Freaken sucks, but I have fun doing it.
I do this and I'm currently at 28.8 mpg on this tank of gas (200 miles on the tank) in my 2011 WRX. Accelerate smoothly and drive the speed limit.
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Old 08-28-2012, 07:05 PM   #10
PleiadesSTi
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My 09 wrx shifts best around 3k rpm range. Gotta pay to play.
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Old 08-28-2012, 07:17 PM   #11
hudsonvalleybugeye
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Buy yourself a boost gauge and stay off the brakes. Not like gas to the floor all the time, but the brake pedal will effect your gas mileage more than your gas pedal. Good luck. And concentrate!
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Old 08-28-2012, 07:34 PM   #12
WRXLTD
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrxdrvr View Post

As long as you keep the RPMs above 1,700 when you coast in gear you are using zero gas for that distance...
How can that be? One would think if the engine is running (even idling), you are using some gas.
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Old 08-28-2012, 07:41 PM   #13
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I'm fully stock and I get combined of about 23.3 mpg. I do about 80% highway at around 70 mph. I don't usually shift into 5th until about 50 mph.

Like a bunch of people here said...if you bought the car for fuel economy, you bought the wrong car. :P
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Old 08-28-2012, 08:03 PM   #14
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I have a 12' WRX with a stage 1 map from Torqued performance. But even before that I had a combined average of 24 including a few miles of 75+ on the freeway and a few quick starts from stoplights. On longer road trips i can manage 27 without trying. I usually shift between 2-3k and accelerate smoothly. I also keep my tires at max air pressure and cruise at 35-40 in 5th as long as it doesnt chug. Oh and i coast in neutral when coming to a stop like down an off ramp and down hills.
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Old 08-28-2012, 09:00 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRXLTD

How can that be? One would think if the engine is running (even idling), you are using some gas.
The motor is spinning itself, essentially. It kicks in when you're about to stall though so that you can put the clutch in come to a stop.
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Old 08-28-2012, 09:27 PM   #16
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I'm under the impression that neutral uses more fuel than coasting in gear. Should be able to see using an AccessPort watching the injector duty cycle.
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Old 08-29-2012, 12:18 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by coldmm803 View Post
I'm under the impression that neutral uses more fuel than coasting in gear. Should be able to see using an AccessPort watching the injector duty cycle.
Correct, if you're trying to conserve fuel coming down a ramp or a big hill, leave it in gear. The injectors are not firing under engine braking. The sound you're hearing from the motor and muffler is merely air being pumped in and out. Not until around 1,200rpms will the ECU start firing the injectors again to keep the motor from stalling.
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Old 08-29-2012, 12:34 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MaddMax

Correct, if you're trying to conserve fuel coming down a ramp or a big hill, leave it in gear. The injectors are not firing under engine braking. The sound you're hearing from the motor and muffler is merely air being pumped in and out. Not until around 1,200rpms will the ECU start firing the injectors again to keep the motor from stalling.
That might sound good in theory and would mean that if you downshifted as much as possible to utilize engine braking you would get even better mileage but Im pretty sure it doesnt work that well. I tried doing that for a few tanks of fuels and if i remember right i lost an mpg or two.
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Old 08-29-2012, 11:35 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DontCare View Post
That might sound good in theory and would mean that if you downshifted as much as possible to utilize engine braking you would get even better mileage but Im pretty sure it doesnt work that well. I tried doing that for a few tanks of fuels and if i remember right i lost an mpg or two.
it works....its simply how the engine works. while coasting in gear there is no fuel consumption plain and simple. This can only lead to gas savings.
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Old 08-29-2012, 11:45 AM   #20
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Sure, but that also means you're braking, not coasting. I don't know the answer but coasting in neutral with the engine idling (using very little gas), may be better than using no gas but slowing down quicker due to engine braking, and thus having to accelerate sooner afterwards.

Maybe someone has done the math.
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Old 08-29-2012, 11:54 AM   #21
Drcujo
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For fuel economy, you should try to avoid being aggressive in the throttle and using the higher rpms. Engine braking is less waste then using the actual brakes.
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Old 08-29-2012, 11:57 AM   #22
briguy84
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my theory is to coast in gear if possible but if i'm going down a steep hill and there is a long flat part i can't make it through the flat while coasting in gear because of the engine braking which means i have to put my car in neutral and coast my way down to reach the end of the flat part of the road.
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Old 08-29-2012, 12:04 PM   #23
lastsnare
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Drive at the speed limit (not over)

Accelerate slowly and in the lowest gears that you can (without engine vibration/lugging)

Always coast as far as you possibly can in gear (in 5th whenever possible)

Don't use the brakes unless you have to (this is just wasting gas that you already burned and turning your kinetic energy into heat)

I got just over 400 miles on a tank a few times on my '04 using these techniques, it can work. It will vary a bit probably due to some differences in tunes over the years, but this should get you the best possible gas mileage.

Coasting in gear seems to consistently show zero injector activity unless you are going slow enough such that your RPM's would fall below your idle RPM level (and stall the engine).

I usually pop it out of gear for a stop sign or stop light at around 500-700 RPM so I don't stall.

It's not a very exciting way to drive (but a good lesson in seeing how far you can coast and not wasting momentum). It can work though.
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Old 08-29-2012, 01:12 PM   #24
WRXJunky
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If you bought this car for gas mileage that was the wrong reason to buy it; trade it in for a base impreza.
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Old 08-29-2012, 05:42 PM   #25
ksrumbel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRXJunky
If you bought this car for gas mileage that was the wrong reason to buy it; trade it in for a base impreza.
Please show me where someone said they bought their WRX for fuel economy. People are just sharing how well the car can do.
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