Real world 3.6 MPG

Sorry if this has been covered, but I could not find any preexisting threads on this topic.

I'm looking/hoping to step into a new 2018 Legacy sometime later this year. I've driven both the '17 2.5 & 3.6, and I'm torn between better MPG or more speed. I'm still on the fence namely because I hear pro reviewers claiming low 20's for the 3.6. I drive about 15-16k per year (80% highway) with a daily highway round-trip commute of about 50-miles. My '03 Mazda-6 gets about 28-30, depending on how hard I drive push it.

In theory there's only about 5-6 miles difference on the highway between the 2 engines. So to go w/ 2.5 35-MPG only saves about $5 per week or less than $300 per year. But if the 3.6 is really more around 23-25 or lower, well then that starts to add up weekly & over years. Not to mention if fuel prices spike back up sometime in the future, but I can live w/ 3.6 in the upper 20's.

Any insight/advice would be greatly appreciated! Thx in advance.

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http://www.fuelly.com/car/subaru/legacy/2016

PS: live in a cold weather climate, with winter gas blend? deduct 2+mpg from the average of a florida driver. Drive mostly highway, your mpg's will be higher. It is impossible to compare your mpg's against random other owners because mpg's are often situational, remote starts vs non-remote starts, city vs highway, fuel blends, and accelerator input style.

Sounds like you want the 3.6, gas is cheap, buy it. In 5 years? might cost you a bit more to fill it up.

I drive 25k/year and average 26 year round That's calculated at fill ups, not the on board meter that's always 2 mpg high.

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MPG on the 2.5i vs the 3.6r have been extensively covered on the forum. Search MPG by post and it will give you multiple threads to start with.

If you keep around 70 mph you can easily get around 32mpg and 80 which around 2000 rpm you get a little over 30mpg. The H6 drinks gas in stop and go or if your left foot is like a brick. My average lifetime is 26.8 mpg. So if MPGs are a concern and you want the smoothness and quietness of the H6 just let the Vehicle reach highway speeds gently instead of stomping on the accelerator.

Laughing at oneself and with others is good for the Soul

If you keep around 70 mph you can easily get around 32mpg and 80 which around 2000 rpm you get a little over 30mpg. The H6 drinks gas in stop and go or if your left foot is like a brick. My average lifetime is 26.8 mpg. So if MPGs are a concern and you want the smoothness and quietness of the H6 just let the Vehicle reach highway speeds gently instead of stomping on the accelerator.

Thx Rowlette, that's def what I was hoping for - very livable MPG when treated gently & extra cylinders/horses when needed. Again for me 5-mpg diff only amounts to about $5 per week, not really a big deal.

If you keep around 70 mph you can easily get around 32mpg and 80 which around 2000 rpm you get a little over 30mpg. The H6 drinks gas in stop and go or if your left foot is like a brick. My average lifetime is 26.8 mpg. So if MPGs are a concern and you want the smoothness and quietness of the H6 just let the Vehicle reach highway speeds gently instead of stomping on the accelerator.

 

Laughing at oneself and with others is good for the Soul

You made me go look. Little useless meter says I'm at 27.7 average lifetime.

Well, let's start at last weekend took a scenic drive to downtown Eustis, Florida, to listen to some good old mountain music and Irish folk music. Share the Subaru Love and let two people check out my vehicle.

http://www.eustis.org/visitors/historic_downtown_eustis

It is called going down old memory lane to my core and roots. Donated to a Pet Rescue and ate at Sol de Mexico restaurant, I might add it was the best Mexican restaurant in Mid Florida, if you really want real Mexican authentic food. That was the best I have eaten since gorging out in North County Colorado which there are a bunch of small town North of Denver in the mountains and each family restaurant was better than the last. It a quiet drive about 60 miles round trip mostly hilly two lane country roads speed limits from 35 to 55, averaged a decent 27.6 mpg.

During the week did the standard fluid checks, tire checking filling the all to 36 PSI and tendered the battery. Also this last week did a touch-up detailing to the vehicle inside and out all except a paste waxing around 6 hours of work. She look great need to do my quarterly waxing soon.

Today felt like going to Lake Wales to walk around Bok Tower...

https://boktowergardens.org/tower-gardens/

Very beautiful and the tower sits on a decent hill crest overlooking the beautiful countryside. This was a flower show and I was able to share a few Subaru gadgets and advertising Subaru with my clothing.

What really amazed me was the gas mileage. This was the first decent drive using highway(I4 was smooth driving not any slow down) roadway ( US27, 9 lights including 7 camera intersections) and then small country roads with very slow speeds since they did the TSB( not sure which number) to the CVT. The transmission is smooth as silk.

I did a highway camera shot on I4 showing average on the way to Lakes Wales not a lot of traffic.

The drive back was a lot of slow downs, stop and go on I4 which in turn really brought mpgs down [emoji1][emoji847]but who can complain...

I really enjoy the 3.6R a fantastic cruiser.

Laughing at Oneself and with Others is Good for the Soul[emoji16]

Since you drive mostly highway then the big difference in mpg between the two engines will come down to your speed. If your highway speeds are 55-65mph then from my experience I can get 36mpg pretty easily and have reached 40mpg when the conditions are right on a long trip (real mpg, not on the trip computer which as others stated reads about 2mpg high). As soon as you hit 70mph+ your mpg will drop drastically in the 2.5 and I get closer to 32 mpg at 70mph and barely 30mpg at 75mph which seems pretty much the same as the 3.6 from other peoples experiences.

Basically if you plan on driving over 70mph, go for the 3.6. If you like to drive slower/your highway speeds are slower I would go 2.5.

I choose to stay around 60-65mph and pocket the $5 a week in gas savings

I drive a mix of highway and local, about 50 miles a day, and the 3.6 shows about 25.5-26 on the trip computer, but, real world, I'm probably between 22-24mpg. I have not taken a really long drive, yet, except the way back from the dealer which was about 130+ miles away, so, haven't really gotten a chance to test the true highway mileage.

Personally, the 2.5i was never a consideration for me, since I came from a 2015 2.0i impreza...and I was done with a small engine. WRX was a consideration, but, I've always liked the space inside the cabin of the latest Legacies/Outbacks, so, the edge went to the 3.6R. Never looked back, nor have I any regret. Soon enough, I'll be fossil fuel, so, I live for now!

Since you drive mostly highway then the big difference in mpg between the two engines will come down to your speed. If your highway speeds are 55-65mph then from my experience I can get 36mpg pretty easily and have reached 40mpg when the conditions are right on a long trip (real mpg, not on the trip computer which as others stated reads about 2mpg high). As soon as you hit 70mph+ your mpg will drop drastically in the 2.5 and I get closer to 32 mpg at 70mph and barely 30mpg at 75mph which seems pretty much the same as the 3.6 from other peoples experiences.

 

Basically if you plan on driving over 70mph, go for the 3.6. If you like to drive slower/your highway speeds are slower I would go 2.5.

 

I choose to stay around 60-65mph and pocket the $5 a week in gas savings

Laughing at Oneself and with Others is Good for the Soul [emoji847]

Yet one more advantage of the 3.6R

Just to let you know my trip odometer is only .4mpg off.[emoji9]

 

Laughing at Oneself and with Others is Good for the Soul [emoji847]

That's pretty awesome. While I have the older EJ series, I'm only getting around 22-23 according to Fuelly. I drive about 10 miles each way to work, about 50/50 highway (55-65 mph) and then very urban city (35 mph, lots of lights)...

Makes me feel better about getting the 3.6 next time - I will probably have the same fuel economy!

I'm averaging about 27 with 25 mile round trips to work avg. speed about 50 on back roads. Per previous threads, most say they got the 2.5 for mileage. 27 may be less then they are seeing (not sure) but it's fine by me. I'm a "grand ma" 80% of the time. I got the 3.6 for the other 20%!

And for these trips:

http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=257261&d=1509047048

Wow! Red Mountain Pass, headed north from Silverton to Ouray ... a.k.a. the Million Dollar Highway! Although I haven't driven it in many years, I recognized it immediately. After more than a decade, my wife still breaks into a sweat just thinking about it. ("You just drive, and I'll scream!")

N.B. That was a "million" early 1920s dollars.

On my way from Ohio to NC. Car is fully loaded with people and stuff. All heated seats on. Cruise is set at 77 but there were a bunch of times I went past 85.

Mpgs sucked. . 24.2 based on miles and fuel used. Was in the mountains of W. Va.

Car will be lighter on the way back. It will just be me in the car. I will try to keep it at the speed limit and see if it helps.

Ok, last leg of trip was better. It was flatter and I kept it mostly under 75mph. Dash shows 29.0mpg so it's probably closer to 27.5mpg. I will know in the morning when I go fuel up.