1991 1.6 Vitara JX fuel economy

[NeilP]

I did a google advance search and found very few topics on this on here.

It has about 89,000 miles on it
Standard tyres
Carb is a single point injection type...all standard.
Had new air filter

A full tank..7.7 gallons does at most 180 miles per tank..so about 23 mpg


From other threads I see here, figures of about 30-38 mpg gallon quoted, but not necessarily for this exact model of vehicle.

So, what is a good figure for it?
I have been driving it really gently, slow acceleration, up in to 5th as often as possible, shutting git down in traffic, coasting down hills etc and still only 23mpg.....Shit my 4 litre diesel 1982 LWB land cruiser does 22 on a bad day and that is hauling around a ton of more of car.

I went to a mates garage the other day and plugged it in to his analyser...all data showing good..nothing out of the ordinary.

[RickUK]

In theory you would expect a 1.6 Vitara to be more economic than a bigger 4x4 but that is not always the case,the reason is they are still heavy and you would use more revs to achieve the same speed but in doing so you use more fuel.

My 2.0ltr V6 LWB does more to the gallon than yours,mine averages about 30-32 the reason being it has the torque,if i am doing say 40 mpg my revs are way lower than your 1.6 at the same speed if that makes sense.

Of course if i turn the wick up abit like gunning it off the traffic lights in a grand Prix type start you can see my fuel gauge move,but as your Land Cruiser confirms it may be alot heavier but you dont need half the revs to get the old bus moving.

[Anton]

My SJ does 25ish. Never really done the maths properly, it's just a toy.

But it's lighter than your Vitara. I was reading an old thread on dufflock last night, and one guy said he was getting 18mpg from his 1.3, which jumped to 25 with a 1.6 upgrade. The torque levels probably just suited his gearing etc much better.

I'd think that if you shoved a J20a from a Grand Vitara, there's a chance the same thing would happen to you - but this 30-38mpg thing sounds like a pipe dream to me. I've never heard of a Zuk doing that - maybe a standard Jimny could, but I can't see any other Zuk 4x4 getting close to that.

I think that the diesel Vitaras and GV's probably could, actually. But I can't see any other petrol Zuk managing that feat.

[ScottieJ]

I'm hoping for good economy in the Lwb sj, it's now getting my j20a so if that can see 30mpg in a heavy grand vitara it should be pretty good in an SJ (even with the poor aerodynamics and 33" tyres)

I think I used to see between 25-28mpg in my old vitara but im never shy with the throttle.

How exactly are you working out your economy? Without running the tank dry you won't be using its full capacity.

Most Suzuki gauges hit empty with plenty of fuel left in the tank, My Sj drops off the bottom of the gauge and halfway through the E before it runs out

[Anton]

My gauges are mental. It either wants me to believe that the tank is exactly half full, or empty. It really doesn't have anything else to say to me...

[ScottieJ]

Mines pretty good, reads full when it's full. It's just that it drops way below the bottom of the gauge before it runs out, I'm a pretty good judge of how far below the gauge it will go before it runs dry now though you've gotta test these things a few times

[1995 Zuk]

when I got my 1.6 GV at first it managed 27 mpg, after servicing regularly it now achieves 35 mpg in the summer and at least 30 in the winter. I have achieved up to 38 but that is very gentle driving.
The hotter the weather (as hot as it gets in the UK) the better the MPG is.
Summer 400 miles a tank and winter 340 miles.

[Anton]

How does your GV compare to your Vit?

[1995 Zuk]

not had vit long and only done about 200 miles in it. fuel gauge is all over the place. when it's back from being welded I will work it out properly but at the moment it seems worse.
I know it needs a bloody good service, air filter is dirty, no idea when plugs or oil were changed last.
I have fixed the leaking rocket gasket tho.

[donkeychomp]

Bigger tyres help...my massive LJ does over 30mpg, my Vit does 28 and my old SJ on 31" tyres did 26.