Today July 16. 2007 I completed the last leg of a 2300+ mile road trip. I did a loop from coastal Northern Calif across northern Nevada, down thru central and eastern Utah, into southwestern Colorado and the "4 corners area", then back thru southern Utah and across southern and central Nevada north again to Calif. I drove on inter-states 80, 70 and 15 as well as numerous side roads like US 6 and Utah 56 and Nevada 319. I drove at speeds of 65 to 100+, but usually about 70/75, however across the next to last leg thru Nevada mostly about 80/88 mph. I spent time in Elko NV, Price Ut, Moab Ut., and Mesa Verde Colorado., as well as Rachel NV. (just for "Area 51" souvenirs). I averaged about 6/7 hours a day driving except for a three day stop-over at Mesa Verde where I drove around probably a hundred miles of park roads at 15/25 mph. So here is the part everyone likes to argue about.... I got an honest average 29 miles per US gal. and saw as high as 33 mpg. on a few parts, 24 mpg. for a low mileage over the Calif. Sierras, 28 to 30 mpg was common. This RX-8 puppy growled. I took a qt of oil and topped off after a couple of long 400+mile days at 98 to 105 degrees temp., but I brought about half of the oil back home because I didn't use it. At about 100 mph, the RX-8 front end felt a bit floaty and the steering light but I don't usually drive that fast so I'm not used to the feel. The automatic RX8 212 Hp is fine but it could use more torque definitely, especially on mountain roads (or certain high speed passing maneuvers with that guy in the maroon Vette). At 7200 ft altitude on long 8 and 10 mile hill climbs the transmission kept seeking back and forth between 4th, 5th and 6th gears losing or gaining speed or trying to maintain what was set for cruise control. Cruise control in some mountainous situations doesn't always seem practical. When I used the manumatic shift and held it in 4th gear the RX-8 was better able to hold it's speed. Everyone can say what they like... but to repeat, this puppy growled...properly and well. Tomorrow I take it to the car wash and remove some butterfly bits, bird feathers, assorted speckles and other green stuff.

 

i find it very hard to beleive that u got 30mpg plus unless u had ur foot off the throttle

 

Son... it doesn't matter to me what you believe, I wouldn't have posted it if it weren't accurate, I've got the receipts and calculations to prove it. Lot's of arguments go on as to the RX-8's mpg, and when I started out on this road trip I was concerned about the RX-8's reputed poor gas milage, (the sticker on mine calls for 18-25 mpg) however these were my real life experiences between and including july 8 and july 16th this year. I do think that I was helped by a steady foot, cruise control, and light traffic for a lot of the trip. On a 3 hr. stretch of hwy. 375 in Nv. I think I saw maybe 5 other vehicles, but US 80 from Vallejo to Truckee was very crowded and nearly came to complete stops coming and going. Traffic was slow and stop and go through Sacramento. US 80 over the Sierras is like driving on cobblestone so I slowed to low 60's there in deference to my kidneys, I wonder if it has ever been resurfaced. Morning traffic thru Reno is always very busy, and traffic around Salt Lake City on 215 bypass and US 15 south past Provo was also heavy as it usually is. Speeds through Price Ut. and other small towns very are slow and Utah's finest will follow you through town at a posted 25 mph (i'd encourage npoll212 to not take my word for it, go ahead and do 40 in their 25 zones) . Stopping for road repairs gave me periods of 0 mpg between Moab, Montecello and Cortez and put me 2 1/2 hours behind my schedule. Anyone with enough time, opportunity, and open highways can probably do what I've posted. Instead of questioning what I've done, you are always free to out do it, so I encourage you to put down your auto magazine stats and go make some of your own stats., it might be more fun than questioning the honesty of others. Your turn!

 

I too live in N. Cal and agree with your assessments of the traffic and cobblestone roads etc.. Regardless if the gas mileage claims I would like to make the same trip you just completed. There is nothing like the Western U.S. landscape to better enjoy a vehicle like the RX-8.

 

I believe xxxmaxximusxxx gas milage. And thanks for posting. I drove a 89 mustang from C.A. to Florda and back. with no heater. I wore a sub zero mummy sleeping bag wile driveing.(best 300$ i ever spent} Blew a tireand ruend a rim 17x8 are hard to finde in Arkansas. But i have no regrets about that trip. Salt Lake City was the preetyest place and Tallahassee FL had the nicest people. But stay away from Arkansas.
Aney way is it hard to sleep in a RX-8 ? {its time to get a new car}

 

I believe xxxmaxximusxxx gas milage. And thanks for posting. I drove a 89 mustang from C.A. to Florda and back. with no heater. I wore a sub zero mummy sleeping bag wile driveing.(best 300$ i ever spent} Blew a tireand ruend a rim 17x8 are hard to finde in Arkansas. But i have no regrets about that trip. Salt Lake City was the preetyest place and Tallahassee FL had the nicest people. But stay away from Arkansas.
Aney way is it hard to sleep in a RX-8 ? {its time to get a new car}

 

I have no reason to doubt the guy, but I drove 1700 miles two weeks ago to Baltimore and back, cruise control on 75. 21-22 mpg the whole way.

Gas is also formulated differently in different states. There tends to be a pretty significant difference in mileage when I cross from Kentucky to Tennessee.

I can say that my car probably needs a tune-up, but between gas differences, weather conditions, engine differences, driving style differences, I don't think it's that weird to see a 30% fluctuation. Odd, yeah, but not necessarily out of the ballpark.

 

I doubt a car will do better than what it's supposed to in miles per gallon in most cases is less or exact.

 

i get 12-15mpg in town i drive 5 minutes to work and back m-f and on saturdays i go cruising...if you say get 30mpg o.k...but as far as i've heard no one in an rx8 that i have seen even comes CLOSE to that..but i could be wrong..and you can't compare a mustang to an rx8..fyi

 

Thread revival much?

And let's not start on the Mustang/RX8 debate.