Why does my 2012 Sentra get so little MPG?

The advertised fuel economy Assumes the BEST conditions and the slowest driving.

To get the advertised gas mileage, you need to be the only one in the car. No passengers. You lose 3mpg for each passenger and you lose 1mpg for every 30-40 lbs of junk in your trunk.

Also, the weather should be cold out. Hot weather makes the engine run hotter and use more gas. 2mpg difference.

Tire pressure needs to be correct. It makes a 1-2mpg difference.

Changing air filter won't do anything unless the old filter is VERY dirty. Makes a 0.5 mpg difference.

Acceleration should be very slow to the point that people behind will beep their horns. Makes a 2 to 15mpg difference. The largest factor in getting the best gas mileage.

The 55mph speed limit on most highways was regulated during the 1970's oil crisis to save on fuel since it was found to be the most fuel efficient speed. Driving at 65mph uses 15% more fuel than 55mph.

Driving in higher elevations also uses more gas since the air is thin and the engine can't breathe efficiently.

2012 Nissan Sentra Mpg

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RE:

Why does my 2012 Sentra get so little MPG?

I understand that a 2007 sentra should be getting about 24 MPG in the city (from fueleconomy.org)

HOWEVER, much to my sadness it appears that my car is only getting a measly 15-17 MPG.

This is sort of upsetting to me because I bought this car only a few months ago expecting to save $$ on gas.

I...

That's easy. The problem is not the car. Since 95% of good fuel economy is between your years and in your right foot the problem is you.

My Sentra SE-R Spec V used to return (6 month average) 25.5 mpg which is slightly better than the EPA's 24 mpg mixed driving rating. Then I changed my driving style to be more efficient and my average for the next six months was 30.3 mpg. No changes to the car, exact same daily commute (which is all my car is used for thus making mpg tracking easy) - the only thing I changed was the squishy organic thing behind the wheel.

The key is the brakes. Brakes convert money (kinetic energy purchased in the form of gasoline) into heat. So if you want better fuel economy don't use the brakes. The things you have to do to avoid using your brakes - looking much farther ahead, getting off the throttle earlier, timing stoplights, etc, etc, etc,... will save you fuel.

I don't know what part of the country you live in, but there are many things that can affect your MPG. 27 is just an estimate of the MPG you should be getting. If you live in a hilly area, that can affect it. Only use your cruise control on flat roads because using it on hills will make you get worse MPG. Also, city driving where you are doing A LOT of starting and stopping will bring your MPG down. But, if these things don't pertain to you, make an appointment at the Nissan dealer to get it checked out. At only 12,000 you're under warranty, so if there is a problem, it is best to get it taken care of sooner than later.

Your car should be getting better mileage, basically the number you cited. This page shows what other real owners are getting:

http://www.truedelta.com/Nissan-Sentra/mpg-229/201...

If the car is almost new, the air filter should not need changing, unless you look at it and it seems very dirty.

The stuff they sell at Autozone is a scam - if that kind of stuff really worked it would be added to gas before you even pump it into your car. Anyway, it's intended for older cars that might have dirty engines, which should not be the case for you.

Your tires do need to be kept inflated to their recommended pressures, which will be in the owner's manual. You can't tell by looking whether a tire is really under or overinflated; buy a pressure gauge at autozone (only a few bucks) and check yourself.

For most people, the biggest effect on fuel economy is what kind of conditions they drive in (highway vs. city) and what kind of driver they are (people who accelerate quickly and brake quickly and who drive fast will get worse mileage than people who drive gently and don't speed).

If your tires are OK pressure and you aren't driving like a maniac, I think you should bring your car to the dealer to get serviced and tell them what's going on.

2012 Sentra

Get yourself a good tire gauge. Your driver's door has a sticker that will tell you how much air should be in your tires (also in the owner's manual). I can guarantee you that underinflated tires will drastically cut your gas mileage. And yes, of course you need a clean air filter. Maybe you should take your car to a private garage (recommended to you by someone you trust) for a checkup.

You will also decrease your mpg if you drive in heavy stop-and-go traffic, idle your motor for a long time, drive much over 55-60 miles per hour and drive in an aggressive manner, making lots of lane changes and passing other cars, etc.

I consider fuel additives to be a waste of money. Good car maintenance and intelligent driving habits make the biggest difference.

Additional Details:

Here is Consumer Reports' advice on boosting gas mileage:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/tires-auto...

In the above article, they say, "The Camry experienced a 1.3 mpg loss in highway fuel economy when the tires were underinflated by 10 psi."

I strongly advise you to do as I suggest and have the car checked over by a knowledgeable mechanic. You could have a problem that is simple to fix.

To drive economically you have to adopt smooth driving habits and try to drive where you can get up to speed and go for long periods of time in higher gears at speed. Take all unecessary weight out of the car inflate all your tires to around 33 to 36 psi Sticker on the drivers door opening. And when possable start the car up and drive don't allow the engine just to sit and warm up. Change oil to energy conserving motor oil and change oil every 3,750 miles replace your air filter when dirty about Once a year. Use that cruse control. No rapid accelerations and I bet you will do even better than the EPA. Good Luck