What is the worst mpg car you have owned (or borrowed)

[wafter]

The "best" I can manage is my old 2.8i Capri that averaged mid-high 20s on mostly A-roads. Loved it at the time but looking back it really was a sh*theap; it's only redeeming feature being the driving position which was like being stretched out on a sofa

 

[CharlesF]

I had a MK1 Land Rover Discovery V8 once. I brought it because occasionally im a bloody idiot... MPG = Oh and any "official figures" on MPG are just damned lies.

I too had a series 1 V8 Discovery, with the added attraction of a sports exhaust. Merely a gentle touch of the throttle at the lights had the body twisting with the torque. A joy to own until I totted up how much I was spending on petrol each month.

 

[fossyant]

Probably a company Vauxhall Vectra 2.5 V6 SRI. Great sounding engine but mid 20's MPG in town. Would do OK on the motorway if you kept the speed down.

 

[screenman]

I too had a series 1 V8 Discovery, with the added attraction of a sports exhaust. Merely a gentle touch of the throttle at the lights had the body twisting with the torque. A joy to own until I totted up how much I was spending on petrol each month.

That engine kicked out massive 135bhp, 5 less than my diesel Octavia does now. Mine was about a 1975, looking at todays prices I should have kept it.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Subaru RB320. I ran it as a company car FGS!

...but I had a fuel card which, despite the tax I paid on it, meant I didn't worry overmuch. It sometimes climbed over 20 mpg...

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I had a MK1 Land Rover Discovery V8 once. I brought it because occasionally im a bloody idiot... MPG = Oh and any "official figures" on MPG are just damned lies..

I had, for a while a 90CSW-V8, which was a genuine factory vehicle, not a transplanted engine (circa 2000 - 2001)
(although at its age, it was actually badged as a Ninety, with the LWB. being One Ten)
It was the later model, with twin SU's, instead of the earlier Strombergs
I had it converted to LPG, as it was ruinous to run, & then abysmally unreliable after the LPG was added
With a twin-axle 'BWSOW' hitched up, & heading up to Castlerigg (near Keswick), & heading up via the A65, I still recall with a shiver, the average of 7MPG
a scanned picture, at that age

It superceded a Defender 110 Hard-Top (300Tdi), which was parsimonious in comparison, & was itself replaced by a Discovery 50th Anniversary (300Tdi/manual)

Unlike my Ocatvia now which consistantly gives 65++ mpg.

The sort of figures I can live with
I get upset, if it gives me an average at brimming, then doing the maths, of less than 60MPG
Although, this was my best average; M1, to East Midlands Airport (October 2014)

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

We had a Jaguar XKR for a while
Granted, on a run it could be 30MPG (see that, to Cardiff, on a steady 60-65MPH run)

Conversely; under 10MPG around town/commuting
And..... 2MPG (according to the trip computer) if you were overtaking in 'go for it' mode




Mindst you, it was a glorious engine
- if too refined/quiet
- would have been far more interesting as a manual (one company did offer a conversion, using the 6-speed Tremec, that went in the Corvettes, but it was almost £10,000 in 2004!!
- too heavy with all the luxury items

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Many years ago, when we could afford new cars
We had a few Fiats, we had;
1 x original shape Panda (new)
3 x Unos (new, last one was a 60D)
1x Punto TD (first shape, new)

As a stop-gap, between last Uno & Punto, we bought a second-hand Tempra estate (1.6 petrol)< that was almost as uneconomical as the 90-V8!!
Godawful thing

 

[Ian H]

I had an Austin A50 many years ago, which, according to Wiki, should have managed 28mpg when new. It was probably better than the VW Bay Window van conversion, or even the Type 4 fastback which preceded it. But fuel was cheap in those days. The old BMW 5 2.5 diesel Touring seldom went below 30, as I recall. My cars are more frugal and less-used nowadays.

 

[stoatsngroats]

Land Rover 101 forward control, for a short while at 12mpg.

 

[MarkF]

1998 4.0L Jeep Cherokee auto straight six. I used to love the way it rocked from side to side at the lights but it had digital mpg display below the rear view mirror and when I'd set off it'd read 10-8-5-3-2-0MPG!! I covered it with tape but eventually disconnected it to stop me from being depressed.

As an aside, I sold it about 6 years ago but now it'd be worth 10x that figure.

 

[gbb]

I used to drive 3.5 Ltr Landrovers offroad in the mid 1970s, coalfield surveying company. We rarely went 30 miles from base but almost always ended up using the best part of a tank full of petrol a day.
SIL has an Imprezza 325bhp Prodrive (off the road at the minute) , 18 mpg was fairly normal he reckoned.
I'm too tight to endure thirsty cars

 

[Donger]

This ....



Chrysler PT Cruiser Limited Edition. A Marmite car if ever there was one, but my favourite car ever. Kept it so clean and shiny you could have used any panel of it as a shaving mirror. But man it was thirsty. 2.0L engine and 3 speed auto box rarely delivered over 26 to the gallon and never over 28. Reluctantly had to get rid.

Currently getting 57mpg out of a Toyota hybrid, which puts it into perspective. But I really miss that car.

 

[Archie_tect]

Best ever recorded average mpg was 82.1mpg driving from up the M1/A1 from Sheffield to Newcastle with a strong tail wind [Seat ST 2 litre diesel].

 

[Accy cyclist]

My former father in law gave me and the former Mrs Accy his beloved Ford Granada in 1997. It was 12 years old, if that's relevant. It slurped up petrol like billyo! It was a big monstrosity that i found hard to drive (never been a big car fan) and just too expensive to drive.