# Fast trip Thousand Oaks/Fresno over the grapevine and back 34.8 mpg



## totitan (May 11, 2013)

I had to make a fast trip today from my home in Thousand Oaks to Fresno and back today which included climbing the infamous Grapevine twice. Total distance was 450 miles, total driving time was 5 1/2 hours. I filled up when I left and when I returned. I was amazed to find that my 335d got 34.8 mpg after such fast trip that included doing the Grapevine twice. This thing is by far the best road trip car that I have ever experienced.


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## jfxogara (Oct 26, 2012)

The 335d was genetically engineered for exactly the drive you just took.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

That's pretty typical mileage for that type of trip.:thumbup:

One might well question, however, the need for anyone to go to Fresno...


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

Actually we went to Selma, a suburb just south of Fresno because we got a killer deal on a truck for my daughter. Its a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab with Pro4X, Tow package, 4.0L V6, 35,000 one owner miles, and not a scratch or ding on it for $24,300. Pro4X is a great package that includes Bilstein shocks, upgraded springs, extensive skid plates, locking differential, and hill descent mode. The hard part was finding one with that and the tow package. Apparently they made very few with both. When I finally found one for a good price I jumped.


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## Flying Ace (Jan 26, 2015)

during my last trip from SF to LA, including the grapevine, I got 30 mpgs in the X5d with 4 occupants and luggage.

I was also passing less powerful cars climbing the grapevine. A big portion of the fuel savings were attributed to going down. I recall I was averaging 27 mpgs prior to the climb.

As with all cars, but especially our diesel vehicles, it's momentum that gives us great mpgs. It doesn't take much to spin that diesel engine once the car is going, and in the descending sections of the road, the engine is just sipping fuel.


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## BobBNY (Sep 2, 2011)

Another reference:
San Jose to Simi Valley and back - 535d, avg 80 mph, even up and down grapevine. 38 mpg up and ~36 mpg back with some miles much faster than 80.

Super trip for the car. Boring ride!

BB


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

BobBNY Im guessing that you were probably used the 5 on your trip. I had to use the 99 to reach my destination which meant many blasts into triple digits to get by slow moving strings of local traffic. Thats why I was amazed to get 34.8......I hammered it repeatedly from 65 to 100+ to get around the sheep. The ability to go from plodding to fast instantly is one of the best things I like about my car.


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## BobBNY (Sep 2, 2011)

Yes. The 5. Same issue with sheep on the 5. Folks will run for miles in left lane right next to another car in the right lane without consideration for people trying to pass so Like you there are bursts of acceleration to get around these guys. Love the torque and effortless acceleration.

BB


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## Frediesel (Apr 28, 2012)

San Diego to Palm Springs and back over the weekend. Very annoying when left lane gets blocked by slow-moving vehicles so I treated the slow lane as the fast lane. Passed up every single car to and fro with a smile on my face, Waze on my phone, and the occasional complaint from the wife. The D is the right tool for the job.


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

The most impressive thing to me is how effortless it is to instantly go from 50 to 120 or faster to pass long strings of vehicles.There's no excessive noise, not much downshifting, no high rpms......it's almost like the car is saying ho hum, time to go to work, no problem


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## Flying Ace (Jan 26, 2015)

Over the weekend, I just did a trip from SF to Big Sur and back, and only averaged 24.5 mpgs on the X5d

The route consisted of US-101 until Monterrey, and the truck got 26.2 when it arrived. After the drive on US-1 south and combined with the US-101 drive back home, the mpgs fell to 24.5. It was just myself and my wife.

I was a bit disappointed as I thought I could achieve well over 26 mpgs given the slower speeds, but I suppose stop and go really affects the efficiency.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

Flying Ace said:


> Over the weekend, I just did a trip from SF to Big Sur and back, and only averaged 24.5 mpgs on the X5d
> 
> The route consisted of US-101 until Monterrey, and the truck got 26.2 when it arrived. After the drive on US-1 south and combined with the US-101 drive back home, the mpgs fell to 24.5. It was just myself and my wife.
> 
> I was a bit disappointed as I thought I could achieve well over 26 mpgs given the slower speeds, but I suppose stop and go really affects the efficiency.


Not sure about the final drive ratio of the x5d, but in a 335d you don't get into 6th until at least 48 mph - mileage sucks in lower gears.


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## totitan (May 11, 2013)

Flying ace your x5 is also looking around 1200 more pounds then are 335 D's. For something that weighs so much and the traffic you encountered I think you did pretty good. I have a Nissan Titan with a 5.6 liter gas engine that weighs about the same as your x5. the best I have ever got in it is 18 and that is on flat ground with the cruise control set at Just over 70


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## Flying Ace (Jan 26, 2015)

I agree that considering the weight, 6 speed, and 20 inch runflats on the X5, 24.5 is not bad. But I was really bummed as my last highway stint from SF to LA got me 28-9 mpgs with more weight in the car. I did realize that for 2 stretches in the trip, there was extremely jammed traffic on the highway for 30 minutes and I drove a really slow mountain road with constant stop go, both which killed the mpgs.

I think had I taken my M3 on this trip, I would have squeezed out 22 mpgs, but it wouldn't have been much fun.


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## Frediesel (Apr 28, 2012)

The wife just got a 2015 Yukon XL. It has a 29 gallon tank, her dad recommended that she only fill it up half way. With cylinder deactivation, "efficient tires", and by babying it (65 mph with cruise control on) you get 16 mpg. I know it's a different animal, but this info may help 24 mpg look more appealing. It looks really funny parked next to my 335d.


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## Flying Ace (Jan 26, 2015)

Frediesel said:


> The wife just got a 2015 Yukon XL. It has a 29 gallon tank, her dad recommended that she only fill it up half way. With cylinder deactivation, "efficient tires", and by babying it (65 mph with cruise control on) you get 16 mpg. I know it's a different animal, but this info may help 24 mpg look more appealing. It looks really funny parked next to my 335d.


haha, wish you could have read my mind as I was reading your sentence...the anticipation leading up to "by babying it, you get.....", I was waiting for some shockingly high number that will be debated and refuted....:rofl:

16 mpgs is laughable in comparison to hybrid and diesel SUVs.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

Frediesel said:


> The wife just got a 2015 Yukon XL. It has a 29 gallon tank, her dad recommended that she only fill it up half way. With cylinder deactivation, "efficient tires", and by babying it (65 mph with cruise control on) you get 16 mpg. I know it's a different animal, but this info may help 24 mpg look more appealing. It looks really funny parked next to my 335d.


Is that the 6.2 or the 5.3? Either way you should be able to get better than 16 mpg. Maybe 16 MPG mixed including mostly city driving and the 6.2. Its too bad the EPA has such a stranglehold on manufacturers, with a standard 5.3 no VVT and no cylinder deactivation you can tune them to mid 20s mpg highway and 20+ mpg mixed. Thats pretty respectable for a pushrod motor lugging around almost 6000 lbs of brick shaped luggage. I bet with a good mileage tune on the new ones with VVT, deactivation, direct injection, and the 8 speed you could crank that mileage up a lot.


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## dragoncoach (Aug 4, 2007)

Frediesel said:


> The wife just got a 2015 Yukon XL. It has a 29 gallon tank, her dad recommended that she only fill it up half way. With cylinder deactivation, "efficient tires", and by babying it (65 mph with cruise control on) you get 16 mpg. I know it's a different animal, but this info may help 24 mpg look more appealing. It looks really funny parked next to my 335d.


Filling up that beast must cost a fortune on a long trip. 29 gallon tank? Big $$$$$$...but comfortable! We did a run up 1-5 and ran with a Tahoe and a Mustang. We were in our SL. Did over 100 for almost 20 minutes (late at night & not racing, just cruising). The Tahoe had to pull off for gas and that ended our convoy. Our SL actually does pretty wel on the freeway doing between 80 and 100. Around 25mpg. Had it up past 135 on a different run for just a bit. Fun, but man does stuff fly by you at that speed! Still fun. Our 335 has been up to 115 or so. Don't drive it enough! Our Jetta wagon usually gets 42mpg on our trips to San Diego but the D is much more engaging to drive. However, the trip down 5 is a real snoozer.


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## Frediesel (Apr 28, 2012)

Hoooper said:


> Is that the 6.2 or the 5.3? Either way you should be able to get better than 16 mpg. QUOTE]
> 
> It's the 5.3 and the 16 mpg figure was for combined city and highway. I'm also going off of what the dash reads not hand-calculated average. I noticed that the odo. mpg reading resets every 50 miles and I was able to get the average up to 17.9 with a lot of coasting, mostly highway. It indictaes that the best 50mi avergae was 25.2 (must have been all highway, possibly downhill) I think the 16 mpg figure is more accurate with normal driving for my wife (75% highway @ 80 mph). Would a tune to increase fuel efficiency affect towing? We have a travel trailer that weighs about 6,000 lbs wet. We use it about 2x a year.


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## Flying Ace (Jan 26, 2015)

a pic from my trip down to Big Sur. A little bit of dirt road action:


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