US vs Canadian Milage
 

I have noticed an interesting statistic. I keep very close tabs on the mileage we get from our Mustang. I have a sheet which converts all data to MPG based on the English, or Canadian gallon (I am still using gallons vs ltrs. per 100Klm.). I have not figurred it out yet but even on strictly highway trips I get better mileage on US gas than in Canada? I get 25.6 MPG in Canada and 29.0 in US (based on 2010 data, 2009 very similar)? I though it might be because our US trips involve a lot of Highway driving but even on highway trips in Canada it is only marginally higher (27.5 highest on highway), just an observation?
Has anyone else ever noticed anything peculiar with their mileage? :banghead:

I drive so little I never keep track

Does your car tell you how many km youll get on a tank after you fill it? Mine and lots of the newer cars do, it tells me how many klicks I should get on each tank. On our last trip to the states I filled up with the highest octane gas I could get where ever we were and Sometimes the "91" at one place would give me 600km/ tank (according to the cars computer), other times the "91" would give me 515km/tank. It probably has more to do with the gas you got than anything else.

I think the reason that number keeps changing in your car is it remembers how you've been driving the car. In my Lincoln truck I notice this that when my wife if driving the car steady, the computer reads one version of mileage, and when I'm out there beating on it for a couple days, it says another. It has a memory of how the car is driven, so I think the OP is right when he says that his U.S. driving tends to be very long trip related giving the impression he has better mileage, but if he were in city traffic down there for a week or so, I'm not sure it would say the same thing? Just my thoughts.

I've noticed that many times with different cars. With my 2006 V6 in Canada I have trouble getting 500 kms to a tank, in the USA I have no trouble getting 600-630 kms to a tank. Besides getting hosed on the cost of gas I think our gas is . JMHO:banghead:

I think the quality of gas has to do with it. I get gas at Esso or Shell usually with my F150 and the Shell gas usually gets me a few more km's to the tank. With the Stang it doesn't seem to matter it gets about 25mpg US on the highway with any brand of gas and any octane rating. It'll top out at about 30mpg US if you really baby it.

Never bought a Mustang for the mileage, but interesting discussion. You'd almost have to do like a Mythbusters comparison and run the same track, same driver, same speed, same conditions to get an honest side by side look - too much open to chance otherwise. I laughed at Darkhorses comment on how the mileage differs between his wifes driving and him beating on it...ha ha ha ha That's got nothing to do with US or Canadian gas man,it's those lead weights in your right shoe!

That was my initial thought too. It was a pleasant surprise when I found out it was possible to get near 30mpg out of a 300hp V8 engine.

Yes, I realize that, but what I was trying to say was driving in the US could have a different "lead weight" in the persons shoe giving the false perception that the gas down there is better or more efficient.

I agree it's hard to know for sure unless you did a proper test.

If you mean from a Johhny Law point of view, I'd agree with you there. I'm rarely over the limit when I drive in the US, maybe 5 mph, but never more than 10 mph. If you think the cops here are bad, those State Troopers and local Sherriffs are insane, at least from all i've seen - can you blame them? Nothing personal, but best not to deal with them if at all possible, so I can see that effecting your mileage in the States. Good point.

Mine does well on the highway, city driving I'll only get a bit over 300 km to a tank, however, I only let my tank get to 1/4 before filling it.. It works the pump too hard. Since my blower install, it has only gone down a bit, providing I'm not on the boost.

I haven't noticed much difference in the CA/US gas.

I feel the number 1 thing is how you drive and AC
My last trip to the States was through KY/OH/MI where the speed limits are either 65 or 70 MPH.

I go 120 KPH in 70 MPH zones
and 110-115 KPH in 65 zones

With the computer here's what I got;
120/AC on -> 9.1 L/100 kms
115/AC on -> 8.8 L/100 kms
120/AC off -> 8.6 L/100 kms
115/AC off -> 8.0 L/100 kms

I had the AC on, on the way down and it off on the way back so the distance was decent enough to get a fairly accurate estimate.

The distance left is totally dependent on the milage and calculates it on the fly. I fill up at the border after driving on the highway the whole trip. When full it reads about 580-590 kms till empty since it's initially based on my highway milage. But after a bit of city driving that number drops in a hurry since my city milage is anywhere from 13-14.5 L/100 kms.

In Canada on the 4 lane highways I drive a shade under 120, in the US I drive about 8-9 MPH over the posted speed limit, in a group even higher sometimes.

All my mileage calculations are done on a sheet which coverts it all to imperial Gallons and miles, no formula errors either, it just seems weird?

AC is not a factor but top down does make a slight difference.

Can. = 25-(27.5 very best)
US = 29

this is slightly off topic but fuel in bc,chevron to be specific.they have 92 octane with no ethanol and i got 28 ,pg in the mountains....once i hit the bald prairie and i converted to shell v poweri got just over 22.I wasnt hindered by the wind factor in sask either ....maybe a mild breeze but not a 6 mpg breeze

Contrary to what tree huggers would like you to believe Ethanol has less energy than gasoline and reduces your mileage.. :banghead:

Yup...they don't advertise that stat or it takes 6 times the amount of energy to get one gallon of ethanol vs one gallon of gas .... When I get up beside a hybrid I rev ER to 6 grand and dump it....

All my Ponies except the latest one have all gotten over 30mpg in Canada or the USA=nice

Just got thinking, the possible solution is that there is less ethanol concentration in the US gasoline than in Canada? Although, there is a gasoline depot where I live and half the tankers picking up gas are US bound to sell Canadian gas at US stations cheaper than it sells for in Canada?:?