Hey all, I am looking for some real world MPG specifically from those with manual transmissions V8 and V6.

My wife fell in love with the 5th gen convertible and was looking at the V6 for her commute to San Diego 3 times a week. Currently she drives her Beetle Turbo and gets about 24 MPG. I know the 2012 is getting a revamp so our plans are to buy a 2012 in 2013-2014 after the buzz and typical large loss in value.

I personally am trying to get her to buy a ZL-1 and keep her beetle so we can finally have a car we both like, but alas the CTS-V gets 18 MPG and I'm guessing the ZL-1 will as well.

For my next car I'll either buy a ZL-1, CTS-V, C6Z, C6ZR-1, or a C7. If I go C6Z or C7 it will probably be my daily driver, any of the others will be another weekend toy and the C5 vert will remain on DD duty.

I'm really trying to look at keeping the car long term, as I never seem to part with any of my cars and don't really see a point in the V6 since it won't hold its value nearly as well as the V8. If the mileage is close enough I might be able to talk her into the V8. Maybe a 2011 Pace Car convertible, or if they make them a 45th ann. convertible.

Any numbers you can provide with typical types of driving and speeds driven would be very helpful. Thanks. I know the posted differences highway are 25/V8 and 29/V6 but I'd like some real world data as my C5 Vert reliably gives me 27+ on my weekly commute and is rated 28 HWY. My old V6 firebird was rated higher but actually gave me closer to 25 MPG.

 

my m6 SS gets about 24mpg highway and about 15 city.....this is with 460 rwhp though. still very impressive numbers with awesome performance.

 

Hmmm interesting, I would have thought the mileage would go up with mods. My Z06 actually gets better mileage than my vert even though its gearing is less efficient for MPG.

Is that per the DIC?

 

the vette gets great MPG. my dads 05 6.0 gets almost 30 mpg on the highway. the vette is just a very slippery car. not alot of drag. the camaro on the other hand is more....sticky, than slippery.

if i were you, i would wait for the c7. or wait and see what gm does about a Z28.

 

The camaro is for the wife...she hates Corvettes. I certainly won't be trading in my DD vert for a V6 camaro. Any way you cut it she is getting a Camaro. I am just trying to find out if I will be able to make a logical arguement so she will want the V8 since as a "girl" she doesn't care about the engine. I want to be able to have fun with it too if I am driving it and even 330 hp out of a heavy V6 doesn't sound all that exciting but she is focused on the small fuel savings from the 6.

 

I can attest to the mileage. My car has 8800 kilometers (5500 miles) on it. Driving from my hometown yesterday, generally travelling at 110km/h (66mph), I was averaging 9.3L/100km (25.4mpg). 2SS manual 6 speed with an MPD1 spoiler and 91 octane fuel.

 

Thanks for the reply...so she pretty much drives 85ish. What kind of mileage do you see around that speed?

 

im gonna be heading up toward cleveland today with the car. ill reset my MPG and see what i get...as long as i can keep my foot out of the pedal.

 

Oh feel free to go into the pedal...this is the same woman that comes home with her old I6 Rainier and tells me she thinks she broke the car.

I ask why she thinks that.

She said the engine felt like it turned off.

I said oh really how fast were you going.

She says I'm not sure.

After some further probing she had hit the speed limiter at 109 MPH.

So a worst case scenario mileage wouldn't be all that bad for her

 

So far based on the numbers it is looking like the V6 is going to save us $728 a year in fuel which over the 5 years she will likely drive it is going to be $3500, coupled with the lower up front cost of the V6 and this battle isn't looking too promising. Especially considering she will argue we could always sell the V6 after its useful life and buy a collectible V8 with lower mileage to keep if we wanted to do that.

Maybe I can throw some of those fuel mileage increasing magnets on the SS

 

you are worried about 60 bucks a month in fuel? and are considering 30K to 80K cars?
in the used market there will be tonnes of V6s and less V8s...your resale "percentage " will be a bit higher when you resell the V8.
Sorry to offend anyone but the V8 is the only one I would consider....To me its a summer car...7 months per year and the difference in fuel compared to the feel of the V8 is small potatoes when you look at it over a year even at these stupid gas prices....maintenance may be a bit more....tires, etc....insurance may be as well. They are different cars...
I am not sure your wifey will enjoy the V8 as a daily driver....may find it too muscled up....just my thoughts....

 

As the (apparently) token "girl" in this thread, I never even considered the V6 and there is no such think and "too muscled" when it comes to cars.

Depending on how aggressive I am being on take-offs in city I get anywhere from 16 - 18 mpg. My definition of aggressive is shifting gears in city is between 3 - 4K rpm. The most fuel efficient shifting is right around 2K. Straight freeway is 22-23 mpg, generally running about 75 in 6th, I don't use cruise control much but haven't noticed much difference when I do.

My car is at about 6K on the odo.

However, if the concern is truly mpg, why not look at an auto?

 

Lol I am not worried about MPG of $60 a month. She is. I would commute in a Corvette before a Camaro as I do now as they are both faster and more efficient. She hasn't test driven the V8 but again this car is for her and she can get what she wants which right now is pointing to fuel economy. If the car was for me it would be a ZL-1 and I wouldn't be here talking about MPG ;-).

The one thing I won't allow is an automatic as I am allergic to them ;-)

 

As far as muscle cars go I am too - oddly enough the manual stopped the majority of people who wanted to drive my car from being able to, of course they were living in a fantasy world if they thought I was handing over my key to them.

The 'verts are beautiful and I'm sure she will enjoy the drive, I love it.

 

Yeah I am just happy she finally has a car to be excited about. We could get her a new one now but we are sensible and understand that almost 40% of depreciation occurs in the first two years. At least she understands she would be mad about the depreciation and it is for that reason she didn't buy it on the spot.

This is progress towards becoming a "car girl" and since I have a new Corvette Performance Parts business that will expand to camaros and muscle cars later she can begin the modding bug cheaper than retail...lol baby steps though.