Nissan Versa

[Dala212]

I am new at this so I am trying to get the best gas mileage I can. I go 30 mpg on my first check. Oh btw I have a 07 Nissan Versa

[BailOut]

Welcome to CleanMPG! Be sure to read up on anything and everything you like here, and keep working at it. You'll be beating 40 MPG tanks before you know it.

[pumaman]

Welcome. The Versa is a nice fuel efficient car. You'll have a little easier time stretching your FE if you have a manual tranny, but either way you should do well if you follow the suggestions that apply.

[psyshack]

30 mpg in a Versa? The very worse Ive got in my Civic is 29 mpg. And that was with all the windows down, sun roof open and A/C on with the tach hanging for hours at near or at redline.

If I remember right Versa has a 1.8l engine in it. its a box. Heck its a modern LeCar. Thats what it reminded me of. A Sentra R it isn't.

I think Versa would be a 35 mpg car in mixed driving with A/C on. In anybodys hands.

Get the tire psi up. Get it broken in. Read about some of our tactics and im sure 40 mpg will be at hand.

psy

[gandalf]

I drive a Tiida (Versa hatch) with the HR15DE engine and CVT transmission in Singapore and average about 43mpg. About 65/35% HWY/City and with A/C on more than 60% of the time (the climate in Singapore is warm and humid). Tyres at 250kPa up front and 230kPa rear to keep the family comfortable.

This is with the basic "driving without brakes" and sticking to the speed limits or less. I don't think the CVT will like FAS'ing. It's a pity we do not have a manual variant available locally. Will increasing tyre pressure to maximum sidewall make a significant difference? There have been some articles in other forums that suggest a point of diminishing returns. I suppose some experiments are needed to establish the trend for my particular vehicle and tyre combination.

[BailOut]

Welcome, gandalf. I believe you are our first member from Singapore.

Increasing tire pressure to the max sidewall rating should be your starting point. Many of us run even higher than that. Some vehicles do indeed display diminishing returns with higher pressures, but those are still gains.

[gandalf]

Hi Brian, thanks for the welcome! I've been visiting CleanMPG for some time now and find it to be a good source of information and inspiration for improving fuel economy. I guess I might try increasing tyre pressure incrementally until someone in the family finds the ride too bumpy.

It looks like P&G with FAS works wonders but I am concerned that the CVT might not like it. I have some questions. The CVT transmission has an oil pump that is driven by the input shaft, which suggests that turning off the engine would stop the fuel pump and might cause bad things to happen when the car is coasting? I'm not absolutely sure about this oil pump arrangement, but that's as much as I can guess looking at the diagram in the Versa maintenance manual (I'm guessing from published gear ratios that the Versa with the MR18DE has the same CVT unit as the Tiida with the HR15DE even though the HR15DE only makes 109hp).

Also, will shifting from N to D and back again cause accelerated wear and tear on the CVT forward clutch? Or is this something that is already accounted for as ordinary wear-and-tear in the gearbox design? I like shifting to N at stops since this generally results in a much smoother, vibration free idle when the car is stationary. I have tried shifting to N and back again while coasting but don't do it often unless I am coasting to a red light. It appears that shifting from N back to D while the car is moving results the torque converter unlocking as the clutch re-engages. With CVT, it's hard to know what RPMs I should do to "rev match".

[southerncannuck]

I have a Honda Fit. Like you I was disappointed by my first few tanks. They were both at 34 MPG. I have gotten it up to an average of 39 MPG. I have even gotten as high as 44 MPG (very rainy week, driving very slow). I followed a lot of tips found on this board. The biggest one was probably slowing down. I found another way to go to work where the sppeds were lower. I usually cruise at 62-63 MPH. I work in Miami, and much slower would invite anti social behavior such as getting shot. I also raised the tire pressure from 32 PSI to 38 PSI. I don't want to go further for ride quality reasons.

Anyway good luck with the Versa.

Louis

[PaleMelanesian]

If your best was in the rain, there's more to be had. Rain will eat up extra fuel from the wheels churning water on the road. You can have even better than that!

[benffv]

hydroplane and your wheels float above the ground , the best mpg yet lol. ride the ridges and slow driving help. but would the water cool the tire so their is less friction vs a hot day? granted dragging anything through water will slow you down.