My LA-to-Portland-LA road trip in our long-term 2009 Suzuk SX4 hatchback spanned 2,125 miles. I put in 84.891 gallons of 87 octane fuel.
My best tank was 26.9 mpg over 249.9 miles; my worst tank came during the Mt Shasta climb -- 20.4 mpg over 171.7 miles.
My average mpg over the whole trip was 25.0 mpg. That's obviously not very good if you consider the SX4 a rival to the Honda Fit, but for a modestly-powered, all-wheel-drive car driven on a route with plenty of elevation changes, it's not bad. That said, I would have done just as well with the mpg in a roomier, better-performing Subaru Impreza, which also isn't that much more expensive.
Our SX4's lifetime average is now 23.2 mpg. More numbers and opinionated comments after the jump. Bonus point for anyone who knows the location of the Stardust Motel.
The most fuel I put into the SX4 in a single fueling was 10.497 gallons -- not good enough to break our 10.636-gallon record (this SX4 has a 11.9-gallon tank, according to Suzuki's own specs). I did, however, drive 272.0 miles before this particular fillup, and that's the most range we've ever gotten out of this car. Our previous "best" was 256.8.
Evidently, I could have driven even a bit farther before refueling, but at the time, I was really starting to get concerned about whether I'd make it to the next gas station. The built-in Garmin Nuvi kept me going here: Although most functionality is disabled when the car is in motion, it does at least allow full POI searches and destination selection (Nissan/Infiniti factory nav systems, for example, only allow a limited POI search). So I identified a 76 station in McKinleyville, CA and kept my sights on that.
Other thoughts from the trip:
-->Brake pedal feel is very good in this car.
-->Wind noise is on the high side due to the huge glass area.
-->The driving position is quite comfortable and natural-feeling in spite of the tall, captain's-style chairs and lack of steering-wheel telescope adjustment.
-->Our 2009 SX4's sunvisors lack extenders, thus leaving you exposed to the afternoon sun when driving north on Interstate 5; however, 2010 Suzuki SX4s get sunvisor extenders -- nice.
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 16,558 miles
rick8365 says:
01:01 PM, 10/12/09
Stardust Motel - Redding, CA
How do I redeem my "point".....and what can I use it for?
bradyholt says:
01:53 PM, 10/12/09
I just spent a week driving around a 2010 Subaru Forester that averaged more than 27 miles per gallon over 500 miles -- not all highway either. It would have done worse in the mountains, certainly, but there are few conditions in which a subcompact car could justify a 20-mpg tank.
bodyblue says:
03:40 PM, 10/12/09
The more I read about this car the more I like it. I would not get the AWD so the fuel mileage would be better and I am sure I drive with a lighter foot than the IL crew. Around town it seems really a good choice....not the choice for long trips probably, but it sounds like it was comfortable. It also seems more reliable than the Mazdas or Nissans in the IL fleet.
altimadude00 says:
04:22 PM, 10/12/09
"It also seems more reliable than the Mazdas or Nissans in the IL fleet."
Nissan's with clutches anyway. And the Mazda's problem lay in its entertainment system, not basic operations, which I would fault the Nissans worse. All the automatics and CVTs seem to be doing well...save for the Silverado's grenaded tranny. I think this SX4 is giving a good showing at how far Suzuki has come in the days since the Samuri.
mercedesfan says:
09:10 PM, 10/12/09
The SX4 continues to really impress me. If all I wanted was basic transportation, but I also valued the sure-footedness of AWD, it would be at the top of my list. I'm really happy to see Suzuki improve, in the long run it's better for everyone.
As an aside, however, that is pretty terrible gas mileage. I made the San Jose-Portland-San Jose trip just a couple weeks ago with my wife and daughter (and assorted baby luggage) and averaged 24.6mpg with a 382-hp V8 hauling around over 2 tons of car.
bodyblue says:
07:31 AM, 10/13/09
I count trips to the dealer as reliablity also. One trip with a bad tranny is just as bad as 4 trips for little things. Did you count the GT-R as a auto or man tranny? Anyway I hope the Suzuki stay out of the shop.
eriches says:
04:08 PM, 10/13/09
@ rick8365: Hmm. Let's see. If you pay a visit to our office in Santa Monica anytime (well, anytime the Suzuki and I are around) between now and 12/31/2009, I'll take you for a spin around the block in our famous SX4. -- E. Riches
rick8365 says:
07:01 AM, 10/14/09
Erin,
Wow!! I am thrilled with my prize!! I am definitely thinking of arranging for a weekend away or some vacation time plus the NJ ---> CA ---> NJ airfare necessary to cash in! Do you think if I put forth this effort that I might be able to switch seats with you for half of the lap around the block? Thanks!!
I was actually in the Santa Monica area not too long ago and thought about looking up the Edmund's office with the idea of stopping by to see where all this good stuff comes from, but it didn't fit in. Maybe I will the next time - perhaps I can have a rain check 'til then for my prize?
Thanks for all the pics and posts from your trip - looks like you had a good one.
-Rick