2017 Buick Encore FWD Preferred Mileage (MPG) in cities,

[Han]

Hi Encore Owners, I recently got an encore preferred FWD 2017 with 19K miles on it, I just did a dry run of driving it in on the city roads and a bit of freeways, for a full tank of 14 gallons, I got 330 miles, which is 23.1 mpg , I know that MPG is subject to a person driving methods, but still do you guys think if taking to dealer and asking him to tune some thing, will make it give 27 mpg as shown in the manuals ?

 

[Steveyo]

,

Hi Encore Owners, I recently got an encore preferred FWD 2017 with 19K miles on it, I just did a dry run of driving it in on the city roads and a bit of freeways, for a full tank of 14 gallons, I got 330 miles, which is 23.1 mpg , I know that MPG is subject to a person driving methods, but still do you guys think if taking to dealer and asking him to tune some thing, will make it give 27 mpg as shown in the manuals ?

I am wondering what your DIC indicated your mpg to be for the last 50 miles, etc. If your bit of freeway driving was only 10% and the rest, 90%, was city driving, then depending on traffic conditions(lots of idling, hills, and so on), 23.1 might be reasonable. At 19K miles, there shouldn't be anything in need of tuning or adjustment to increase mileage, provided that there is no obvious problem with how it runs.

 

[Skylarkin']

Are your Encore's tires properly inflated? We get 32-34 mpg with ours but it's driven mostly on the interstates. Otherwise, I agree with Steveyo.

 

[Han]

@Steveyo — I saw the DIC , it shows 24.2 , but I do know that I did a full tank and i measured miles after that and now the tank is close to empty , so i did the math

 

[Han]

@Skylarkin' — i have mine in 33 to 38 range , mornings it shows 33 after i drove a bit and in afternoon it peaks to 37 or so and stays around 35 , as u can see from
My screenshot the vehicles lifetime mpg is around 26 , u are lucky to get 32-33 and i am bit worried that I didnt even get 26

 

[Steveyo]

@Han My 2019 preferred with just 2,000+ miles on it has averaged right about 30 mpg while driving about 80% hwy and 20% city. I like to keep an eye on the real-time mileage gauge where it's interesting to view the huge swings between getting 99mpg going down steep grades and getting 7 mpg at times going back up these grades, all of which indicates how much driving conditions determine mpg. So, assuming your Encore is running well, I would suggest taking into account the environment ( cold, hot, or whatnot ), and maybe when convenient, checking the mileage while driving on the freeway for 50 or more miles. If your mileage doesn't improve, then a deeper look at the problem will be in order. FWIW--I run my tires at about 37lbs when filled before being driven or warm. Good luck.

 

[VibeMike87]

A lot of your MPG depends on highway/city driving. My 2013 FWD Encore usually averages around 30 mpg with a 50/50 mixture of highway/city driving. I do know my mileage suffers in wintertime driving.

 

[Han]

wow , @VibeMike87 , I am really wondering and worried now , that why I got only 23 MPG in my last ride, do you guys use the usual 87 grade fuel or does encores give better mpg with higher grade fuels, I will get a 87 grade fuel from Shell today and make a full tank and will let you all guys know , how much it gave me the next time

 

[Skylarkin']

We run 87 octane in our Encore.
Have you tried any fuel system cleaner such as Chevron Techron or STP Fuel Treatment?

 

[Steveyo]

@Han I, too, use regular 87 octane fuel in my Encore. I would be bugged like you if I was only getting 23/24 mpg. I suggest that you take it into a dealer, state the mileage problem, and see what they say. Since it is still under warranty, any problems should be fixed for free. Their scan tool may see what's happening straightaway.

 

[Han]

We run 87 octane in our Encore.
Have you tried any fuel system cleaner such as Chevron Techron or STP Fuel Treatment?

No I havent tried any , however Can u guys please tell me what does the range show in your DIC when you do a full tank , because today I filled the tank full , 13.6 gallon and then on DIC I see the range as 336 , which is kinda disappointing because 336/14 comes up to 24 mpg , i expected it is show 378 or a 400 to begin with and then atleast underperform, what about ur cars DIC range ?

 

[Han]

@Han I, too, use regular 87 octane fuel in my Encore. I would be bugged like you if I was only getting 23/24 mpg. I suggest that you take it into a dealer, state the mileage problem, and see what they say. Since it is still under warranty, any problems should be fixed for free. Their scan tool may see what's happening straightaway.

Hi Steve , Also as urs is a pretty new model , 2019 Encore, I assume urs is a FWD model , Can u kindly let me know what is the range shown in DIC when you do a full tank , and just abt to start frm da gas station ?

 

[Steveyo]

Hi Steve , Also as urs is a pretty new model , 2019 Encore, I assume urs is a FWD model , Can u kindly let me know what is the range shown in DIC when you do a full tank , and just abt to start frm da gas station ?

Will do, next fill up. And, yes, my Encore preferred is FWD. What I can say right now is I filled up my Encore yesterday and drove roughly 110 miles, and I just checked my DIC which indicates that I have 312 miles left with a little over 3/4 of a tank left. So, assuming the 312 number, as well as the roughly 312+110=422 number, is calculated from my past average mpg, then I should get around a 420 miles range indicator at fill up. So something does seem amiss with your DIC numbers unless they are correct based upon a 24 mpg history. I believe you can reset the trip numbers,etc., in the DIC, which, if done, may give you a fresh take on your mileage.

Here's info from my owner's manual about the DIC menus:

"Also displays the approximate average liters per 100 kilometers(L/100 km) or miles per gallon (mpg). This number is based on the number of L/100 km (mpg)recorded since the last time this menu item was reset. This number reflects only the approximate average fuel economy that the vehicle has right now, and will change as driving conditions change. The average fuel economy can be reset by pressing SET/CLR while the Average Fuel Economy display is showing."

"Fuel Range: This display shows the approximate distance the vehicle can be driven without refueling. The fuel range estimate is based on an average of the vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. Fuel range cannot be reset."

 

[oregon_rider]

Driver and driving style is biggest variable in mpg.

In summertime and hot temps it has been proven that using premium fuel provides better mpg. We exclusively use either Chevron premium or Costco premium fuel. We are very happy with both mileage and performance.

If you drive aggressively in city, the engine controls may be pulling timing to avoid knock. Using premium fuel in this case would see improved mpg and performance.

Other thoughts.

Short trips will see lesser mpg.

Use full synthetic motor oil. Pennzoil platinum dexos is my choice. I buy it at walmart and change oil myself.

Change the air filter.

Run a tankful of Chevron fuel system cleaner.,..

Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner | Chevron Lubricants

To fully clean off intake valves you can do an Italian tune up - this is running it up to near red line rpm to blow off the intake valves. The Chevron intake cleaner will soften deposits on the intake valves. Running at high rpm after running half tank of injector cleaner will help blow off deposits. Do this once at half tank and again when tank approaches empty. This was suggested to me by a friend of mine who is a senior master tech with 40 years experience.

We have a front wheel drive and purchased it over an AWD for better acceleration and mpg. I think it is a second faster 0-60 and we are seeing 37-40 mpg on highway with premium fuel. That being said, I don't think 24 mpg would be out of line for all city driving with short trips. My wife likes to use the instantaneous mpg readout to help her learn to drive more efficiently. I told her just to drive it to make sure she isn't lugging it etc.

Jeff

 

[ThatsNotABuick!]

Hi Steve , Also as urs is a pretty new model , 2019 Encore, I assume urs is a FWD model , Can u kindly let me know what is the range shown in DIC when you do a full tank , and just abt to start frm da gas station ?

My wife has a 2018 Encore with the non-DI engine (no start/stop).
We have a lifetime mileage of 37.5 MPG with a about a 50/50 split of city and highway driving. This is using regular octane fuel most the time. We did use 89 octane a fuel times in summer when it was really hot. I think it can get pushed up to 40 MPG with premium and maybe a tune. I believe we have a range of 527 miles after we fill up.

 

[Han]

Driver and driving style is biggest variable in mpg.

In summertime and hot temps it has been proven that using premium fuel provides better mpg. We exclusively use either Chevron premium or Costco premium fuel. We are very happy with both mileage and performance.

If you drive aggressively in city, the engine controls may be pulling timing to avoid knock. Using premium fuel in this case would see improved mpg and performance.

Other thoughts.

Short trips will see lesser mpg.

Use full synthetic motor oil. Pennzoil platinum dexos is my choice. I buy it at walmart and change oil myself.

Change the air filter.

Run a tankful of Chevron fuel system cleaner.,..

Techron Complete Fuel System Cleaner | Chevron Lubricants

To fully clean off intake valves you can do an Italian tune up - this is running it up to near red line rpm to blow off the intake valves. The Chevron intake cleaner will soften deposits on the intake valves. Running at high rpm after running half tank of injector cleaner will help blow off deposits. Do this once at half tank and again when tank approaches empty. This was suggested to me by a friend of mine who is a senior master tech with 40 years experience.

We have a front wheel drive and purchased it over an AWD for better acceleration and mpg. I think it is a second faster 0-60 and we are seeing 37-40 mpg on highway with premium fuel. That being said, I don't think 24 mpg would be out of line for all city driving with short trips. My wife likes to use the instantaneous mpg readout to help her learn to drive more efficiently. I told her just to drive it to make sure she isn't lugging it etc.

Jeff

I will use premium 89 for my next full tank and will let you all know , how much range It showed and how much I actually got , as of now with a 87 fuel , for 14 gallons , it gave around 23.3 mpg ... with 80/20 City-Highway driving

 

[Han]

@ThatsNotABuick! —- 527 miles as range in DIC after you fill up , Come On!! Seriously? , I am happy for you and very jealous of u right now 😊 , mine is a 2017 preferred FWD make , it doesn’t have start and stop either , can u let us know ur wife’s encore trim and I assume its a FwD , but I still am surprised as I am typing this , how can any encore show 527 mile for a 14 gallon tank , 😲

 

[Han]

Will do, next fill up. And, yes, my Encore preferred is FWD. What I can say right now is I filled up my Encore yesterday and drove roughly 110 miles, and I just checked my DIC which indicates that I have 312 miles left with a little over 3/4 of a tank left. So, assuming the 312 number, as well as the roughly 312+110=422 number, is calculated from my past average mpg, then I should get around a 420 miles range indicator at fill up. So something does seem amiss with your DIC numbers unless they are correct based upon a 24 mpg history. I believe you can reset the trip numbers,etc., in the DIC, which, if done, may give you a fresh take on your mileage.

Here's info from my owner's manual about the DIC menus:

"Also displays the approximate average liters per 100 kilometers(L/100 km) or miles per gallon (mpg). This number is based on the number of L/100 km (mpg)recorded since the last time this menu item was reset. This number reflects only the approximate average fuel economy that the vehicle has right now, and will change as driving conditions change. The average fuel economy can be reset by pressing SET/CLR while the Average Fuel Economy display is showing."

"Fuel Range: This display shows the approximate distance the vehicle can be driven without refueling. The fuel range estimate is based on an average of the vehicle’s fuel economy over recent driving history and the amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank. Fuel range cannot be reset."

Oh , BTW , I called up the dealer initially looking for an appointment where they asked me what the problem exactly was , I said its about the mileage , it shows 336 as range in DIC when I fill up tank and they said , yeah , possible and I asked can anything be done now to bump it up , they told me they will check this at my 22500 mile service mark

 

[ThatsNotABuick!]

@ThatsNotABuick! —- 527 miles as range in DIC after you fill up , Come On!! Seriously? , I am happy for you and very jealous of u right now 😊 , mine is a 2017 preferred FWD make , it has start and stop , so I assume its a direct injection engine , can u let us know ur wife’s encore trim and I assume its a FwD , but I still am surprised as I am typing this , how can any encore show 527 mile for a 14 gallon tank , 😲

Actually, I looked back and it was 532 mile range. My wife's is the Preferred FWD. I have an all time best of 56.2 MPG for 25 miles.

 

[Han]

Actually, I looked back and it was 532 mile range. My wife's is the Preferred FWD. I have an all time best of 56.2 MPG for 25 miles.View attachment 14712View attachment 14713

OMG 😲 , Wow , I should probably try to emulate ur driving methods and exact fuel brands , i dont know what else to do , do you mix anything in ur fuel or can u let us know which gas station u use ( costco gas , chevron , shell ? ) , mine is way too low compared to urs 🤔🤔