C7 General Discussion General C7 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Real mileage

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:38 PM
  #1  
safedriver's Avatar
safedriver
Thread Starter
7th Gear
 
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Default Real mileage

I am a new member. I joined because my neighbor just bought a new corvette and claims he gets 40 mpg on the freeway. I don't believe him as my compact car only get 35 and it is a 4 cylinder. He said to go to the corvette forum to verify this.
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:44 PM
  #2  
RussM05's Avatar
RussM05
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,226
Likes: 1,029
From: Thomas Texas
Default

Down hill maybe.
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:46 PM
  #3  
hisvett's Avatar
hisvett
Melting Slicks
20 Year Member
Veteran: Army
All Eyes On Me
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,299
Likes: 387
From: Fort Worth TX
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Default

Originally Posted by RussM05
Down hill maybe.
and a heavy tail wind......
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:48 PM
  #4  
owc6's Avatar
owc6
Team Owner
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 26,228
Likes: 4,356
From: Chirper Island
Default

Originally Posted by hisvett
and a heavy tail wind......
With the top partially raised to act as a sail.
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:54 PM
  #5  
Blue Demon's Avatar
Blue Demon
Le Mans Master
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 5,353
Likes: 100
From: And then it was said... "let there be blue Corvettes and yellow Camaros" Ft Worth Texas
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Default

I have a 2015 Z51 7M Coupe and have used the V4 Eco mode on only one 100 mile freeway trip. I think the best I was getting at 70/75 mph was in the 34 mpg range.

Most of my driving is on Texas back roads and would be considered "spirited."

Here is a picture of my current On Star mileage history page. It is enough to make me pleased.

Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:55 PM
  #6  
tunaman's Avatar
tunaman
Drifting
Supporting Lifetime Gold
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 116
From: No Longer in CA! NV
Default

You guys haven't driven one on a long road trip...

Here is a shot coming through Montana sitting on cruise control at 80:





This was at the end of our trip, in Eco mode with cruise set at 70 (backed it down to 65 at this point due to entering city limits):




It actually hit 49.7, but the photo was blurry.

Eco mode, cruise control and flat ground works wonders for C7 mileage.

Last edited by tunaman; Aug 8, 2015 at 07:58 PM.
Old Aug 8, 2015 | 07:57 PM
  #7  
Zymurgy's Avatar
Zymurgy
Moderator
Supporting Lifetime Gold
Veteran: Air Force
Shutterbug
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 39,081
Likes: 17,937
From: DFW Area TX
Default

<p>Well, consider that with Active Fuel Management (ACM), the Corvette can also be a 4 cylinder. In addition, I'd suspect it is a lot more aerodynamic that your compact car is. A quick search of the C7 General section yields these threads:</p><p>40.9 mpg!</p><p>39.2 MPG (And Other Road Trip Comments)</p><p>My Stingray posted a new best &quot;Last 25 Miles&quot; average fuel economy number</p><p>Broke 36MPG in Eco mode</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 12:18 AM
  #8  
ratman6161's Avatar
ratman6161
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
Veteran: Air Force
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 753
Likes: 166
From: Buffalo Minnesota
Default

It may have gotten 40 MPG very briefly and in a very specific set of circumstances but that isn't the norm. On a recent trip we drove from Minnesota to Bowling Green, then to Memphis, then St. Joseph MO, Omaha NE and finally back to Minnesota. My car is an Z51 with M7 (slightly different gear ratios than the non-z51). We drove a total of just over 2,400 miles and were mostly in eco mode and in cruise control. At the end of the trip we had averaged 28.9 MPG. Of course that included some city and in traffic driving...but mostly cruising down the highway.

I think that's pretty representative of what one can expect on a long trip and is actually a bit poorer MPG (but only by about .5 MPG) than I got on a similar trip in my old 2001 C5 back in 2012. But personally I think 28.9 average on a 2400 mile trip is pretty good bragging rights for a car with 460 HP!
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-1

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-3

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-4

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

 Brett Foote
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 12:34 AM
  #9  
astonius's Avatar
astonius
Advanced
 
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 74
Likes: 2
From: Bentonville AR
Default

I had a 2010 C6 automatic that would regularly get 31-33 mpg on the highway without even trying. That was with the old, crummy 6-speed gearbox, no direct injection, and no AFM. I'd say 40 isn't impossible, but it all depends on how you drive.
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 12:53 AM
  #10  
///ADMAN's Avatar
///ADMAN
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,006
Likes: 477
From: Las Vegas Nevada
Default

What ECO mode
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 01:05 AM
  #11  
ratman6161's Avatar
ratman6161
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
Veteran: Air Force
Liked
Loved
 
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 753
Likes: 166
From: Buffalo Minnesota
Default

Originally Posted by ///ADMAN
What ECO mode
You know the little dial just behind the shift lever right? You can choose the modes Weather, ECO, Touring, Sport, or track. With an M7 (manual transmission) when you put the car in ECO Mode (DIC will be showing "E") then, among other things, the car can use cylinder deactivation (i.e. V4 mode) saving fuel. With an automatic it works differently and you don't have to be in ECO mode to get cylinder deactivation.

In my 2014 owners manual:

Active Fuel Management (engine
cylinder shuts off)
4-Cylinder Mode

.
Normal with automatic
transmission: The engine uses
8-cylinder mode when
accelerating, but changes to
4-cylinder mode when coasting.
.
With manual transmission:
Active Fuel Management only
active in Eco Mode.
.
Off in Manual mode with
automatic transmission unless in
Eco mode.
.
Eco keeps the engine in
4-cylinder mode unless heavy
acceleration is needed.
Exhaust (variable mode exhaust
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 01:37 AM
  #12  
NASTYC7's Avatar
NASTYC7
Drifting
 
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,319
Likes: 436
Default

Originally Posted by ratman6161
You know the little dial just behind the shift lever right? You can choose the modes Weather, ECO, Touring, Sport, or track. With an M7 (manual transmission) when you put the car in ECO Mode (DIC will be showing "E") then, among other things, the car can use cylinder deactivation (i.e. V4 mode) saving fuel. With an automatic it works differently and you don't have to be in ECO mode to get cylinder deactivation.

In my 2014 owners manual:

Active Fuel Management (engine
cylinder shuts off)
4-Cylinder Mode
.
Normal with automatic
transmission: The engine uses
8-cylinder mode when
accelerating, but changes to
4-cylinder mode when coasting.
.
With manual transmission:
Active Fuel Management only
active in Eco Mode.
.
Off in Manual mode with
automatic transmission unless in
Eco mode.
.
Eco keeps the engine in
4-cylinder mode unless heavy
acceleration is needed.
Exhaust (variable mode exhaust
Thinking that was a joke... Corvettes shouldn't have ECO mode...
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 02:15 AM
  #13  
tunaman's Avatar
tunaman
Drifting
Supporting Lifetime Gold
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,443
Likes: 116
From: No Longer in CA! NV
Default

Sure they should, if they can also do this:


Old Aug 9, 2015 | 02:37 AM
  #14  
kevincol's Avatar
kevincol
Drifting
Supporting Lifetime Gold
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 119
From: Bellevue WA
Default

In the first 3.2K miles of the car I've been 90% highway running in ECO mode. The majority of the time I have the DIC view below. I have never seen higher than 35MPG and that was when I was in a construction zone and was going "slow". My average for the last two weeks (all the miles since I did R8C) is also below. I wish I was getting that MPG. Note that the gas I have been using outside of MSP has been 91 and maybe I would get higher with 92 or 93 octane.





Old Aug 9, 2015 | 04:48 AM
  #15  
open_air's Avatar
open_air
Heel & Toe
 
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 20
Likes: 2
From: Winona MN
St. Jude Donor '15
Default

Did this from Omaha back to MN, I was happy.
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 06:54 AM
  #16  
motomanvette's Avatar
motomanvette
Melting Slicks
 
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 2,611
Likes: 89
Default

I'm proud to say that I only average about 21mpg!
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 07:05 AM
  #17  
JoesC5's Avatar
JoesC5
Team Owner
 
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 41,732
Likes: 1,718
From: Springfield MO
Default

Originally Posted by Zymurgy
<p>Well, consider that with Active Fuel Management (ACM), the Corvette can also be a 4 cylinder. In addition, I'd suspect it is a lot more aerodynamic that your compact car is. A quick search of the C7 General section yields these threads:</p><p>40.9 mpg!</p><p>39.2 MPG (And Other Road Trip Comments)</p><p>My Stingray posted a new best &quot;Last 25 Miles&quot; average fuel economy number</p><p>Broke 36MPG in Eco mode</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>
GM said the C5 coupe had a .29 Cd, the C6 coupe had a .287 Cd and the C7 coupe has a .29 CD.

Most newer cars, including compacts have Cd's of around .25-26. Much more aerodynamic than a C7.

Ford Fusion, Lexus LS600h & ES350, Mercedes S400 hybrid, and the Toyota Camry Hybrid all have a .27 Cd.


Prius, Mazda3, Mercedes B-Class is .26 Cd, Peugeot 508 and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is .25 Cd, and the Mercedes S-Class and the Tesla model S is .24 Cd. The Mercedes CLA is .22 Cd. Even the Nissan GT-R sports car has a .26 Cd.

Last edited by JoesC5; Aug 9, 2015 at 07:20 AM.

Get notified of new replies

To Real mileage

Old Aug 9, 2015 | 07:35 AM
  #18  
Tom/99's Avatar
Tom/99
Team Owner
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 41,792
Likes: 153
From: Houston,Texas USA
Default

My two week trip to Florida:

Old Aug 9, 2015 | 07:36 AM
  #19  
Patman's Avatar
Patman
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 15,323
Likes: 2,077
From: Guelph, Ontario
Default

When driven gently, the Corvette can most definitely get better gas mileage than a lot of 4 and 6 cylinder cars. The main reason is cruising rpm. At highway speeds, the Corvette's engine is in the 1100-1300 rpm range, while a good number of 4 and 6 cylinder cars have cruising rpms on the highway that are closer to 2500 to 3000. My 10 year old C6 Corvette has achieved as high as 37.1 MPG on a perfectly flat highway cruise at 60mph (with non ethanol fuel) and I have no doubt that when I get a C7 and drive that same flat highway stretch that I'll be able to get over 40.
Old Aug 9, 2015 | 07:44 AM
  #20  
not08crmanymore's Avatar
not08crmanymore
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 57,408
Likes: 164
From: queensbury ny
Default

well,I picked my 7 speed 2014 up Tuesday in Maryland.I didn't know how to put it in 4 cylinder mode..I thought it just did it automatically.I got a best of 32.2 mpg's on the way back to NY and that was sitting in rush hour/construction/accident traffic in Delaware/Philly/New Jersey...I missed all of my alternate route exits because I was playing with the car...lol.



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:00 PM.

story-0
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-1
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-2
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-5
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)

Slideshow: Ranking the top 10 Corvette engines by torque output.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 11:58:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!

Slideshow: A Corvette pace car nearly matching IndyCar speeds sounds exaggerated, until you look at the numbers.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-04 20:03:36


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!

Among a rather large group of them.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-04 13:56:44


VIEW MORE