# 2010 Versa hatchback poor gas mileage



## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

Does anyone else have poor gas mileage from their 2010 Versa? I just got the car back in April and although I really like the way the car drives, I'm not getting near the gas mileage that I should. I was told that after a few tanks of gas it should get better, but it hasn't. It's estimated 24 city/32 highway but I figure I'm getting about 22 mpg. I've taken several trips to the shore and I estimate I got about 25 mpg from those trips. On those trips I drove with the windows up and didn't use AC. I asked Nissan about it several times and never got a reply from them.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

What are your driving habits? What speeds are you driving? Highway or city? 

this all makes a big difference.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

Well I dont drive in the city. I live kind of in the woods hardly any traffic at all. The speed limits where I drive are between 45 and 65. On my trips to the shore it's mostly highway all the way there, about 160 miles. I use cruise control probably 95% of the time that I drive. I don't speed I drive the speed limits.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

acceleration? Do you accelerate briskly? What's your tire pressure set at?
What fuel octane are you using? How recently has your oil been changed?


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

I accelerate normally, in fact I use the cruise control button to accelerate most of the time. I don't know what my tire pressure is they checked that when I got my first oil change. My next oil change is coming up in about 500 miles. I use 87 octane fuel like the manual reads.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

check your tire pressure. if it's less than 35psi, bring it back to 35psi. Using cruise control to accelerate? that's probably not going to help your economy either. accelerate gingerly.

start with a full tank and measure the miles after that full tank on your next refill.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

Actually using cruise control to accelerate does do it "gingerly" as you say. It accelerates slowly using it that way. And I keep track of the miles for every tank of gas that I've put in the car since I bought it. My tire pressure is at 34 psi, they told me at Nissan it shouldn't be higher than that.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

Also I forgot to mention this, and I haven't been able to find any other information online. My gas tank capacity is 13.2 gallons, but if my tank is on empty, I can only get 10.75 gallons in before it stops. I don't know if that's normal or not.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

yeah that's normal. That's your typical reserve amount. So you're getting like 220-230 miles per tank? 

34psi is fine. I like 35, but 1 psi difference isn't gonna affect your mileage.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

So I'm guessing I could get another 30-50 miles before filling up. I would like to do an experiment to see how many miles I can get after the gas light comes on. I'll just keep a 2 gallan gas can in the back in case I run out.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

sometimes you want to be careful on that. Some companies build in an additional reserve to keep the fuel pump cool, as the in-tank pumps are liquid cooled via the fuel.


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## crmitche (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm having a similar issue. Tires at 35 PSI. Oil changes every 4K. We drive drive "spirited" in town but cruise on the highway. We're averaging 24-25 MPG. However, when we turn off the traction control we're getting more like 27-28. I understand the drive load balancing will decrease mileage somewhat. But a 11% reduction is fairly significant. Any ideas?

Craig


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

I'm assuming by traction control you mean the VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system? I guess I can give that a try and see what happens. When I bought the car, the salesperson just told me to not even touch that button, just to leave it on all the time. He never really explained it's purpose.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

Just curious crmitche do you know how many miles you get out of a tank of gas?


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

Traction control/VDC isn't an "always on" piece of equipment. Rather, it responds to adverse traction or vehicle position issues, such as wheelspin. So, if you're getting your mpg readings from the electronic gauge, don't count on that, they're wrong. Always figure your mpg by distance.


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## shilbert (Sep 16, 2010)

I'm not sure what you mean by electronic gauge. I don't have any gauge that tells me the MPG. When I fill up my tank I set my odometer to zero. When the light comes on and I need to refill I check the odometer and it's usually between 260 and 275 miles. I should be getting a lot more miles per tank than that. I was told by the dealer that I should be getting 350 to 400 miles per tank. Also I have a 13.2 gallon tank but even when the needle is on E, I can only get 10.5 to 11 gallons in the tank.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

you'll never be able to fill the entire tank unless you run out of gas. That extra fuel is the reserve amount.

second, the dealer is daydreaming and lying to you if they said you should get 350-400 miles per tank. That's 35-40 mpg. You won't get that in a Versa, no way, no how. I get 40mpg in my diesel jetta, but that's because it has 100 hp and is a diesel. 

you're getting 26-27.5mpg which isn't bad, depending on the driving you're doing. If it's city driving or a decent bit of stop and go, that's not bad. if that's straight highway driving, again, check your oil, check your tire pressure, otherwise, 26-27.5mpg isn't terrible but you should see at best 32-33mpg highway.


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## scottmorehead (May 11, 2011)

I thought I would get better millege too. I can not remember what the window sticker said on my 2010 but i am getting about 28 around town and just did a trip from VA to FLA and got 30 mpg on each tank and i checked every one. I just said to my wife that i was going to go to the dealership and have it looked at but if that is normal i guess that will save me a trip?


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## madhatter256 (Feb 2, 2010)

I've been looking at Versas and they get worse mileage compared to the newer sentras even though they have the same engine and weigh slightly less.

Highway MPG on the dealerships say 32mpg on the 1.8L, with the CVT tranny.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

the CVT trans is a power-hungry pig, that's why. Note that Nissan is the only major car company really using them in any mass form. 

I was unimpressed wtih the mpg in our honda fit, too, for what it was. 108hp 1.5L 4banger and only 35mpg highway............not like hondas of yore.


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## destakob (Oct 22, 2011)

I know this is a old post but, I am getting great mileage on my 2010 Versa. I live in the woods also and I get around 35-40 MPG average. I do fuel up at Shell with regular 87 grade. I rarely use my Cruise control, and i NEVER use it to accelerate. That will burn up gas fast.


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