How important is fuel economy to you?

holdmybeer · Nov 8, 2023

DaveB said:
It is unusual for Chinese to travel for holidays at the best of times.
They get Chinese new year off but typically that is spent with family

Yes and no. European-length vacations from work seems unknown in China. But China has two "golden weeks". Chinese New Year and also Mid-Autumn Festival. Even during the Covid times, 600 or 700 million Chinese pack their bags and enjoy extended travel for a week. (It's a huge country so it's a rare chance for distant family visits or just uninterrupted domestic tourism.) Flights and hotels and any reservations are a shitshow. By comparison, about 100 million Americans travel during the Christmas holidays.

More roadtripping going on in China than ever. Growing middle class, ability and appetite for travel, etc. Maybe overlanding, not sure. I saw a couple of relatively new line of RVs imported to Canada recently with Chinese manufacturing connections. Probably Black Series, and another one. I bet you see some of this in Australia. ?

Lord Ripon USA · Nov 8, 2023

YellowLab said:
Do I wish the MPG was better? Sure when gas is $6.49 a gallon in CA. Did I expect better - I thought about 20MPG so at 15 it does suck. But, this has the aerodynamic profile of a brick and is very heavy - so choice is to buy it or walk and I'm going to buy and enjoy it.

What actually happens, is that when a person starts to feel the pinch, the car just sits in the driveway.
There’s a direct relationship in the data between miles driven and fuel cost/mile.

LC0013 · Nov 8, 2023

YellowLab said:
Do I wish the MPG was better? Sure when gas is $6.49 a gallon in CA. Did I expect better - I thought about 20MPG so at 15 it does suck. But, this has the aerodynamic profile of a brick and is very heavy - so choice is to buy it or walk and I'm going to buy and enjoy it.

Gas is $2.94 here in NW Arkansas. Gas mileage never bothered me much as, for my work career, the office was never too far away. 15 minutes max for my last 5 years and that was the most time ever. However, my guess is that my travel distance was much less than average and I suppose that is why Lord Ripon says that there is a correlation between gas cost and idle use time. I would just adjust my discretionary spending rather than give up driving though.

curb-optional · Nov 9, 2023

YellowLab said:
Do I wish the MPG was better? Sure when gas is $6.49 a gallon in CA. Did I expect better - I thought about 20MPG so at 15 it does suck. But, this has the aerodynamic profile of a brick and is very heavy - so choice is to buy it or walk and I'm going to buy and enjoy it.

Interesting to note on a fuel mpg discussion: I'm driving a 4 door Wrangler Sahara (on loan for a few weeks) and it's averaging about 22 mpg while in 2H for pavement driving. I guessing the Wrangler is showing good MPG numbers in part (and I'm guessing here) because of it's default to a front wheel drive system. The Wrangler has the start/stop engine feature, which can save additional fuel (and I know the Grenadier has as well - so equal on that). But comparing the two MPG stats is - of course - unfair, because Grenadier drives in permanent 4x4. Overall, personally, if I do end up with a Grenadier, it will not be a deal breaker from the MPG perspective. A full time 4x4 drive has higher fuel consumption and that has to be evaluated by the buyer ahead of time. I do agree with your suspicions that poor mpg likely harmed Toyota with Sequoia and Ford with their Expedition models; but those are people movers - road busses. The market for Grenadier is different; it's never going to become a "soccer parent" SUV.

holdmybeer · Nov 9, 2023

curb-optional said:
But comparing the two MPG stats is - of course - unfair, because Grenadier drives in permanent 4x4.

Yup. And also consider approx 4,300 lbs versus approx 6,000 lbs.

Getting that extra 1,700 lbs (!) back up to speed after every stop doesn't come for free!

YellowLab · Nov 9, 2023

Have we heard yet when the actual EPA MPG numbers are release - its still shown as city/highway the same which is always different

255/85 · Nov 10, 2023

Burki said:
With the caravan the Grenny (Diesel) sucks 15l/100km, which is not bad...
View attachment 7832169

Love the accents. Reminds me of one of my faves.

Hijack over.

Do the 2 seat utility models get noticeably better mileage?

DenisM · Nov 10, 2023

holdmybeer said:
Yes and no. European-length vacations from work seems unknown in China. But China has two "golden weeks". Chinese New Year and also Mid-Autumn Festival. Even during the Covid times, 600 or 700 million Chinese pack their bags and enjoy extended travel for a week. (It's a huge country so it's a rare chance for distant family visits or just uninterrupted domestic tourism.) Flights and hotels and any reservations are a shitshow. By comparison, about 100 million Americans travel during the Christmas holidays.

More roadtripping going on in China than ever. Growing middle class, ability and appetite for travel, etc. Maybe overlanding, not sure. I saw a couple of relatively new line of RVs imported to Canada recently with Chinese manufacturing connections. Probably Black Series, and another one. I bet you see some of this in Australia. ?

Absolutely!! Chinese stuff everywhere... many so-called Aus. "manufacturing" companies actually get their products made in a specialist factory with their own logo attached. camper trailers, roof top tents immediately come to mind...

Cheshire cat · Dec 31, 2023

Since my software upgrade, I don't seem able to achieve as good a consumption as previous. 25 - 28 UK MPG on my diesel prior to the upgrade, now looking at 23 - 24 mpg. Far too early to blame the software upgrade especially as there were no engine mod's on the upgrade.
My first top up following the upgrade was standard grade diesel. I have just topped up with premium grade. Watch this space.
One possibility. My 'average consumption' reading may now be less or more accurate than pre software update.

Cheshire cat · Dec 31, 2023

This would be my ideal.

Eric · Dec 31, 2023

Cheshire cat said:
Since my software upgrade, I don't seem able to achieve as good a consumption as previous. 25 - 28 UK MPG on my diesel prior to the upgrade, now looking at 23 - 24 mpg. Far too early to blame the software upgrade especially as there were no engine mod's on the upgrade.
My first top up following the upgrade was standard grade diesel. I have just topped up with premium grade. Watch this space.
One possibility. My 'average consumption' reading may now be less or more accurate than pre software update.

More likely the time of the year, the ambient air is cooler, you are using your a/c more to demist, lights more, and wipers more along with colder starts. I always got better fuel consumption in my Discovery in summer than winter. The solution is don't monitor fuel consumption till summer. Ignorance is bliss

Mountain4x4 · Dec 31, 2023

If you are buying a rig like this? The answer is no. If you are buying a vehicle like this you are buying it for capability , not to save money getting to work. And, I am sure many will have a more fuel efficient option for getting to work. We plan to buy a more affordable mid sized pick up for work as well. What is cool however, is what a rig like this WOULD have gotten in the past! In the 1970s-1980s I bet 6-8MPG! To be able to drive a large, boxy, military style, bomb proof rig with winch, rack, rock sliders and so on and get up to 15MPG through the use of a modern engine is not terrible. Would I be happier with 20MPG? Well of course. If MPG is your priority, then you will have to give up both capability and utility, thats all.

zvakanaka · Dec 31, 2023

Tom D said:
There’s a lot of criticism on Pistonheads re the Grenadier fuel economy, i suspect this will pop up in many of the upcoming reviews too. So how important is it?
For me it doesn’t make that much difference, not because I am filthy rich or own a refinery, but because for what I am going to do with the grenadier it won’t make much difference To the amount of fuel I’ll use.
Yes we’d all like a vehicle that can tow 3.5 ton at motorway speeds and get 50MPG but it doesn’t exist. What I have found is that once you load a vehicle up, especially with a trailer, physics takes over. There’s a certain amount of energy required to move a certain weight over a certain distance. So while the 2.2 TD I defender I had last was possibly better on fuel than my first 2.8 defender on a school run once you put a trailer behind it there was little difference. In fact the extra torque of a larger engine means you can run a higher gear.. I’ll bet if you towed 3.5 ton with a modern hybrid city car you’d find it did less than 15MPG.
Towing a 2.5 ton digger around will level up the fuel economy on most cars, there’ll be little difference between a 2.0l and a 3.0l its just physics. It will just be a nicer experience in the 3.0l.

Not an issue for me in fact I only have 500 odd miles on my new Fieldmaster and averaging 18.4 MPG not bad, comdo city and highway

klarie · Dec 31, 2023

I use the Ole currently mostly from and to hunting area, - about avg 23km / 14.5 miles per direction. - current consumption is 11.1 l Diesel / 100km - 21.2 US Mpg what is well okay. The consumption sank quite a lot during my recent journey through Saxony and 900 miles in 5 days. Yesterday I experienced on the way to hunting area short message pre glow in action frequently from start to end of journey on way back all disappeared. I assume it has to do with exhaust cleaning.

DaBull · Dec 31, 2023

Krabby said:
Fuel economy never factored into my decision to pursue the Grenadier - it hasn’t in any of “my” vehicles . Now, my wife’s car on the other hand, it mattered.

edit - full disclosure, my daily commute is 4 miles each way, my wife’s is 40.

Hi Krabby, Yes fuel economy not an issue for me either. Commute to work 1/8 mile or .20km. The fact my wife still drives her 40 year old 1984 BMW 318i also allows me the the luxury of purchasing a New Grenadier.

DaBull

Cheshire cat · Feb 15, 2024

Following my software update I noticed my MPG (average) was showing to be much worth than prior to software update.
The fact that regardless of driving conditions and style, the mpg changed by only a tiny amount. Last night I did a reset on the centre display and my mpg is now closer to that expected.

zvakanaka · Feb 17, 2024

I'm averaging 18 MPG (sorry ROW not sure conversion liters/100klm) mostly city some highway and am pleasantly surprised, who knew? But then like many, mileage did not factor into my decision.

Cheshire cat · Feb 17, 2024

zvakanaka said:
I'm averaging 18 MPG (sorry ROW not sure conversion liters/100klm) mostly city some highway and am pleasantly surprised, who knew? But then like many, mileage did not factor into my decision.

That sounds pretty good for hauling nearly three tonnes of vehicle, using a petrol engine and the figure quoted being a US Gallon.

nuclearbeef · Feb 17, 2024

zvakanaka said:
I'm averaging 18 MPG (sorry ROW not sure conversion liters/100klm) mostly city some highway and am pleasantly surprised, who knew? But then like many, mileage did not factor into my decision.

If that is what the onboard computer is reporting, it is likely quite optimistic.
Real mpg is lower than the computer shows.

Cheshire cat · Feb 17, 2024

nuclearbeef said:
If that is what the onboard computer is reporting, it is likely quite optimistic.
Real mpg is lower than the computer shows.

My diesel seems pretty accurate, having measured on a fill to fill basis and comparing to what the display tells me. I agree however that to be sure, you need to do a fill to fill test.

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How important is fuel economy to you?

holdmybeer

Lord Ripon USA

LC0013

curb-optional

holdmybeer

YellowLab

255/85

DenisM

Cheshire cat

Cheshire cat

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Eric

Mountain4x4

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