Road trip planning: MPG

[rjacobs]

Getting ready to head out on a road trip to my parents in St. Louis, ~700 miles to their house.

Trying to do some fuel planning as 93 is hard to get once I leave Texas(im on ZFG 93 tune and dont REALLY want to flash back to stock LOL). There MAY be one station in Mcalester, OK that has 93(according to find93.com). There is FOR SURE a station in Joplin that has it, ive gotten it there before. And its easy to find once I am in St. Louis.

I have not had the ST out on a straight full tank to empty tank highway run so unsure what MPG's I will get running 70-75mph.

Only data I have is on combined fuel economy and im at 19.9 lifetime average on 15 fills...and I dont drive gently.

Im GUESSING I should be able to pull at least 22 or 23mpg and figuring 16 gallons between stops would give me 350 miles conservative between fuel ups... If I could push that out another 50 miles I could get from my house in Dallas all the way to Joplin(382 miles). Otherwise I will top off in Denison, TX and then make the run to Joplin which is only like 275 miles at that point, then Joplin to my parents house is another 275 miles.

Am I on track?


OR should I say screw it, reflash my factory tune that will run on 87 octane just fine and not worry about fuel planning then reflash once I get up to St. Louis to the ZFG 93 tune?

 

[twin001]

Just run 91 and go easy-ish. Another option is 91 with about a gallon of e85. I wouldn’t stress too much about this.

I want to say the Shell stations in Tulsa have 93, same with the Shell stations along I44 between Tulsa and STL. Same with the Kum and Go spots.

 

[rjacobs]

Just run 91 and go easy-ish. Another option is 91 with about a gallon of e85. I wouldn’t stress too much about this.

I want to say the Shell stations in Tulsa have 93, same with the Shell stations along I44 between Tulsa and STL. Same with the Kum and Go spots.

I will likely just flash my stock 87 tune back on and go and then when I get up there flash back. I think on the whole trip its only about a $50 cost difference between 87 and 93 so not real crazy on cost.

I dont go through Tulsa... way out of the way. I run up 69 from Denison to Big Cabin then hit 44. I've never seen a station along 69 in any of the towns that had 93, but find93 says there is one in McAlister...but I dont want to count on that.

 

[twin001]

I hear ya. If you do find some 93 along I44 let me know! I'm from Tulsa and we visit family there a few times a year. Never had to "search" for 93 along the way until now.

 

[rjacobs]

I'm only on 44 in Oklahoma from big cabin to Missouri about 40 miles. The Indian nation turn pike. I won't be looking for 93 along there because every exit is a toll.

Just use the website find93.com

 

[Garda934]

My road trip Minnesota to Florida and back (3400 miles) I averaged 21.5 mpg and I wasn't exactly doing the speed limit, on the trip I used sport mode about 20% and even split between normal and eco .In Eco mode the range would show 426 miles in normal it would show 360 miles. You should do fine and running a partial tank of 93 mixed with 91 won't do any harm.

 

[bluesnake01]

I did about 330 miles on a full tank with 4 passengers + luggage, 50/50 city and highway. Mixture of Sport and Eco. I'd say you'll be fine, worst come to worst, just fill 1/4 of 91 and re-fill it with 93 when you get to the proper gas station.

As long as you dont go WOT, you'll be fine.

 

[Toyman]

Just finished a 1500 mile trip to Tennessee and averaged 24.9 on 87 octane. Ran in normal mode at about 71 MPH. In Florida where the roads are mostly flat, i averaged 26.1 on 87 octane.

Car is new and had 547 miles on it before the trip.

Mods coming.

 

[66gt350ps]

Nothing wrong with 91, only top level octane available here and ST runs fine.

 

[rjacobs]

Nothing wrong with 91, only top level octane available here and ST runs fine.

im on a tune specific to 93 though...

 

[rjacobs]

Just finished a 1500 mile trip to Tennessee and averaged 24.9 on 87 octane. Ran in normal mode at about 71 MPH. In Florida where the roads are mostly flat, i averaged 26.1 on 87 octane.

Car is new and had 547 miles on it before the trip.

Mods coming.

Good numbers. Thanks. That makes me more confident I can probably pull more than 22. If I can pull 24mpg * 17 gallons I can go 408 miles with 1 gallon to spare. The MAX I would need to run is 385 miles.

 

[Dale5403]

Good numbers. Thanks. That makes me more confident I can probably pull more than 22. If I can pull 24mpg * 17 gallons I can go 408 miles with 1 gallon to spare. The MAX I would need to run is 385 miles.

Owners manual for my 2020 states 20.2 gallon tank. That might help you also.

 

[rjacobs]

Owners manual for my 2020 states 20.2 gallon tank. That might help you also.

I coulda sworn I read 17.9... Shit I didnt read thats on the 4cyl models. ST and Platinum do indeed have 20.2.

BUT to be fair I usually fuel when the low fuel light comes on(50 miles to empty) and generally get somewhere in the 17-18 range in the tank. Which I guess makes sense if I am averaging 20 that there would be 2-3 gallons left if I fuel at 50 miles to empty.

 

[nzaf985]

I’m on a road trip right now and having no problem finding 93. But I’m noticing that all 93 is not equal, I’m getting idle hesitation with the AC running while in gear.

This does not happen in park. I’m going to ask ZFG to review the idle log and adjust.

 

[TwolIter]

22 St 401A street packaged bone stock... Just took a trip to PA & back about 250 miles round trip, @ 70-75 MPH in eco mode I averaged 23.4 mpg on 93 & about 4 hrs of drive time.