Well, the miles aren’t exactly piling up any more, and it isn’t the Maxima’s fault. I moved. I’m now driving around 1,000 miles less each month, to the tune of around 500 miles. Last month, I only filled up once. I’m driving my wife’s Mazda6 on the weekends, as it’s better suited for hauling groceries or loot from the local Home Depot. During the week, my commute is shorter by a decent margin, which does two things. One, it lowers my average MPG, and two, it lowers my time and miles spent in the car. Read on for some notes.
Stats:
Time Period: 3/16/2011 – 6/15/2011
Miles Driven: 2,805 / 17,995 (this update / total) (3,756 last update)
Average MPG: 20.9 mpg (reported by on-board computer)
Costs:
Maintenance Costs: $0
Total Cost (non-fuel): $241.69
Services Performed:
none.
Summary:
The heat is upon us, with an unseasonably warm spring, with warnings of a super-hot summer. While I’m not looking forward to the heat, the air conditioning system in the Maxima is definitely up to the task. The cooled driver’s seat is also coming in quite handy. The Maxima is losing its “newness,” the period following purchase where you notice new things, both good and bad, as well as get used to its driving style. The Maxima almost seems sedated in its driving, not being able to stretch her legs any more in my shorter commute. A lack of spring and early-summer road trips also adds to this, so hopefully we’ll be taking her out for a long drive in the near future.
Dated Notes:
- 6/1/2011 – I started noticing a noise, possibly emanating from the back seat. It comes and goes, so I’ll keep an eye on it and see if I can narrow down its location.
General Observations:
- The heat we’ve experienced in the Washington, D.C. metro area this summer has kept my MPGs quite low – I measured a full tank at 16.5 mpg – ouch!
by John Suit