MPG issue

[TonyHSD]

6 minutes ago, Catlover said:

A lot of hybrid owners saying dirch ECO mode driving mode and go for Normal.  All I going to say is when if did 96mpg on a 50 mile A road journey I was in ECO mode. In f\ct the whole week of our holiday my Prius Gen 4 was in ECO mode.  Perhaps I should have use Normal, I might have got more!   ECO mode is fine if you want to do it.

Hi Joe, the difference in fuel consumption between Eco and normal is minimal if driver got use to the car but using Normal mode gives better feedback and less fatigue when driving on motorways, in Eco accelerator is hard to press, the car feels sluggish and you feel tired. I was driving in Eco for years , even once done a trip of 1700 miles in Eco, my foot wasn’t happy at all, on the way back another 1700 miles in normal mode did not have any issues with my foot, the car was more drivable and economy was the same, never look back to drive in Eco . Just a personal preference. 

[Jiff]

Hi 

I've got the 1.8 TS Excel and drive carefully but not excessively so. The Handbook says normal mode provide an optimal balance of fuel economy, quietness ... so that's what I do. I can moderate my acceleration on my own, but like to know that, if I've made a mistake, I can floor the throttle and get out of a situation.

 I've had the car just over a year though have done very little mileage (3375) in that time but have achieved 59.2 MPG as a years average which I think is good. 

It does vary from winter to summer so now is not a good time to check. 

I've got a spreadsheet (image attached) for all the fuel etc, which shows the difference between the seasons. The dip down for this winter hasn't started yet as I haven't filled up since October 🙃

Jeff

[Chriss27]

I’ve stayed in eco mode in my 1.8 since got car in March and averaged around 65 mpg until around November when it started to fall to around 60. That’s using the in car display measurement which I guess is not entirely accurate. 

[AKLZ]

I’m still at 48.0mpg after 1 month, 2 tanks of petrol and ~800 miles of ownership.

Since getting this car, I would say I have driven 98% ‘sensibly’ and pretty much always drive smoothly, including acceleration, cruising and deceleration using the hybrid technique. I stick to 60mph on the motorway; occasionally 65mph.

90% of my mileage is motorway.

Just found data from a 2500 mile drive I did to Europe last summer (hottest week of the decade; dash display frequently showed the temp to be 40 degrees Celsius!) in a small 2 door 1.6 petrol car, and giving absolutely no mind to economy; accelerating as I wanted and overtaking etc, and I got 45.5mpg; that was all motorway and never less than 70mph; much much faster in Germany where I think I did 80-85mph for hour after hour. A/C was on full blast ice cold the entire way, and due the heat continually overpowering it, I had to have the window party open; so all really bad for economy. 

I can only explain the relatively poor economy of my 2.0L Corolla TS  by the fact that it’s winter and every drive I do now, I have the heater on (and often A/C as the car keeps steaming up). 
 

I didn’t choose the Corolla TS Hybrid for economy, but now I have it, I have become quite fixated on it! 
 

I hope to do the same European road trip hopefully this year Summer or next year, and will be very interested to see what mpg I get.

[john p williams]

11 minutes ago, AKLZ said:

I’m still at 48.0mpg after 1 month, 2 tanks of petrol and ~800 miles of ownership.

Since getting this car, I would say I have driven 98% ‘sensibly’ and pretty much always drive smoothly, including acceleration, cruising and deceleration using the hybrid technique. I stick to 60mph on the motorway; occasionally 65mph.

90% of my mileage is motorway.

Just found data from a 2500 mile drive I did to Europe last summer (hottest week of the decade; dash display frequently showed the temp to be 40 degrees Celsius!) in a small 2 door 1.6 petrol car, and giving absolutely no mind to economy; accelerating as I wanted and overtaking etc, and I got 45.5mpg; that was all motorway and never less than 70mph; much much faster in Germany where I think I did 80-85mph for hour after hour. A/C was on full blast ice cold the entire way, and due the heat continually overpowering it, I had to have the window party open; so all really bad for economy. 

I can only explain the relatively poor economy of my 2.0L Corolla TS  by the fact that it’s winter and every drive I do now, I have the heater on (and often A/C as the car keeps steaming up). 
 

I didn’t choose the Corolla TS Hybrid for economy, but now I have it, I have become quite fixated on it! 
 

I hope to do the same European road trip hopefully this year Summer or next year, and will be very interested to see what mpg I get.

I think your fuel consumption figures are fine given, the current climatic conditions, your driving characteristics and the new vehicle.

 They are 8mpg better than my wife`s 2.0 Mazda 3 Auto which has 7500 on the clock.

Do not worry too much and just enjoy what is a very fine vehicle.

[TonyHSD]

All ICE cars like long motorway runs, longer the trip better the efficiency becomes. I had done a Euro trip with Auris hybrid gen 1 in heatwave 37-39C°, fully loaded car with passengers and luggage, speeds let say 70mph average as some road works but there were some fast drives too over 80mph, ac ON all the time obviously and efficiently was brilliant around 60mpg and more. Hybrid cars usually are very good for town and country lanes driving at quiet times where you can accelerate smoothly and let the car float in ev for long distances, I was doing that many years ago in London as ph driver and I was always getting same or more than the official figures even in negative temperatures., I only wished the car has a bigger Battery and can keep floating for longer, perhaps the plug in Prius would have been a real deal for me at that time. 

[AndrueC]

I looked into upgrading to a PHEV last year but the boot space on the Prius was just wholly inadequate. I hope manufacturers can work out how to overcome that problem because I can't get my golf gear in a PHEV Prius unless I stuff it into the rear of the car which I object to (to say nothing of the mess it would make of the rear seats).

[TonyHSD]

12 hours ago, AndrueC said:

I looked into upgrading to a PHEV last year but the boot space on the Prius was just wholly inadequate. I hope manufacturers can work out how to overcome that problem because I can't get my golf gear in a PHEV Prius unless I stuff it into the rear of the car which I object to (to say nothing of the mess it would make of the rear seats).

It seems like manufacturers may stop or reduce production of plug in hybrids as these are getting negative publicity recently, journalists complained been heavyweight cars and owners never charge them at home and use as standard hybrids which makes them inefficient and polluting more than any other cars with ICE. They might be right at some point as most of these phev are huge SUV’s that weight a lot even without Battery and transmission. The only Prius phev might be a good choice at least to me especially for that reason. Pretty much same for the electric cars, there are many choices in super small and super big cars but not in a middle for now. Imagine your Corolla was full ev with 250miles real world range?! 👍🚗

[AndrueC]

The concept of PHEV is a good one. The problem is the tax breaks and who took advantage of them. It was large corporate fleets who then gave them to salespeople and managers almost none of whom pay attention to humdrum matters like driving. To them it was just a car with a small fuel tank and they drove it (badly) the way they drive any other car.

I find it very annoying that when an article comes out it criticises the technology. There was nothing wrong with the technology - it's the drivers. Those drivers who understand the concept and work with it should be getting very good mpg numbers. PHEV is pretty much the best of both worlds - EV for low speed travel and petrol for long distance.

 

[Gray86]

2 hours ago, AndrueC said:

The concept of PHEV is a good one. The problem is the tax breaks and who took advantage of them. It was large corporate fleets who then gave them to salespeople and managers almost none of whom pay attention to humdrum matters like driving. To them it was just a car with a small fuel tank and they drove it (badly) the way they drive any other car.

I find it very annoying that when an article comes out it criticises the technology. There was nothing wrong with the technology - it's the drivers. Those drivers who understand the concept and work with it should be getting very good mpg numbers. PHEV is pretty much the best of both worlds - EV for low speed travel and petrol for long distance.

 

I’m not convinced by PHEVs, with the exception of them being great for company car users to avoid paying loads of tax. 
 

Here me out. . . 
For the concept to work, you need an electric motor with enough power to move the vehicle & accelerate adequately, you need a Battery that can do a decent range - basically an EV. On top of all that you need a petrol engine and a gearbox, and a reasonable petrol tank. All of that adds both cost and weight. You have two FULL power trains that can be used throughout the speed range. 

The net result - its heavy, and doesn’t handle as well as a conventional petrol or diesel, its expensive (two full power trains!) the petrol engine (when the Battery is empty) is generally poor on fuel due to the weight of the car it has to lug around. . . Worst of both worlds I think. 
 

if you only do 25-30miles commute, then get an EV. . . 
 

this is where I think toyotas HSD is PERFECT - the two power trains work in synergy, the electric motor & Battery operate where it’s efficient for them to, and the ICE - likewise. No gearbox (the motors form the transaxle), no big heavy battery - you only need the electric motor to be used for short stints so small battery is fine. Theoretically your electric motor does 40-50% of the journey anyway. 

[TonyHSD]

31 minutes ago, Gray86 said:

I’m not convinced by PHEVs, with the exception of them being great for company car users to avoid paying loads of tax. 
 

Here me out. . . 
For the concept to work, you need an electric motor with enough power to move the vehicle & accelerate adequately, you need a battery that can do a decent range - basically an EV. On top of all that you need a petrol engine and a gearbox, and a reasonable petrol tank. All of that adds both cost and weight. You have two FULL power trains that can be used throughout the speed range. 

The net result - its heavy, and doesn’t handle as well as a conventional petrol or diesel, its expensive (two full power trains!) the petrol engine (when the battery is empty) is generally poor on fuel due to the weight of the car it has to lug around. . . Worst of both worlds I think. 
 

if you only do 25-30miles commute, then get an EV. . . 
 

this is where I think toyotas HSD is PERFECT - the two power trains work in synergy, the electric motor & battery operate where it’s efficient for them to, and the ICE - likewise. No gearbox (the motors form the transaxle), no big heavy battery - you only need the electric motor to be used for short stints so small battery is fine. Theoretically your electric motor does 40-50% of the journey anyway. 

I agreed with both of you and here is what I think about it and why IMO only Prius phev is the viable plug in hybrid. It’s basically the same Prius as the standard one , same motors, same drive train with very minor differences, and the only major difference is the extra Battery and 200kg . 1317kg vs 1520kg. The great concept - best of both worlds it’s not completely broken here because of that reason plus the fact that this car never gets out of juice like other heavy phev without Toyota hybrid drivetrain and keep running on petrol power alone as they do have two power trains indeed where Prius in both variants has only one drive train, the famous HSD. The Battery reserve makes the Prius phev behave as regular Prius where no more Battery power is available to work as full ev. US YouTubers has shown that Prius phev 2020 it’s more power efficient than Tesla model 3. Prius prime phev can be a suitable option for many people that has short commute and like to travel long distances occasionally, plus facilities to charge at home. 👍

Prime owners welcome to get involvement in our conversation. 🚙😊

[AndrueC]

1 hour ago, TonyHSD said:

I agreed with both of you and here is what I think about it and why IMO only Prius phev is the viable plug in hybrid. It’s basically the same Prius as the standard one , same motors, same drive train with very minor differences, and the only major difference is the extra battery and 200kg . 1317kg vs 1520kg. The great concept - best of both worlds it’s not completely broken here because of that reason plus the fact that this car never gets out of juice like other heavy phev without Toyota hybrid drivetrain and keep running on petrol power alone as they do have two power trains indeed where Prius in both variants has only one drive train, the famous HSD. The battery reserve makes the Prius phev behave as regular Prius where no more battery power is available to work as full ev. US YouTubers has shown that Prius phev 2020 it’s more power efficient than Tesla model 3. Prius prime phev can be a suitable option for many people that has short commute and like to travel long distances occasionally, plus facilities to charge at home. 👍

Prime owners welcome to get involvement in our conversation. 🚙😊

That's my thought on it as well. It's just a Toyota hybrid with a bigger Battery and the option to charge via a power outlet. So whereas my Corolla can only go EV in slow traffic and only for a mile or two the PHEV can presumably drive all over town without ever needing to start the ICE (other than for cabin heat). In fact Toyota claim over 15 miles range which in theory would allow me to commute on EV as long as I could plug it in at the office.

For longer trips I can rely on the ICE and not worry about trying to find a charging point.

It's just a shame about the reduced boot storage. Although to be fair since I no longer have to commute and probably never will ever again it probably does little for me anyway. Mind you I'm doing so few miles these days that I suspect it will be many years before I replace my car.

[IrnBro]

On 1/8/2021 at 4:09 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

There was no suggestion that is the case. To think that the official fuel consumption figures do represent what owners will achieve is just naive. 

What was stated is a fact - some owners will get near the official figures and some won't.

As Tony said previously judging fuel consumption on short journeys of 2.5-3 miles won't provide a reliable indication of fuel consumption. For example our i20 provides 38-42mpg around town ((Birmingham) and up to 56mpg on a longer run (for example Broadford , Skye to Stirling last October).

The best way of measuring consumption is calculating on a brim to brim basis rather than relying on a car's system, and this applies to any manufacturer and any model.

You said you got the car a couple of months ago, so the car will still be 'tight' and won't provide the best consumption as yet. 

I interpreted "Some people may get near to the test figures and some won't" as having the qualifier of 'all other things being equal', something akin to the silicon lottery in processors where there is a natural variation between product to product. If your sentence referred to different driving styles then I misunderstood it.

 

Thanks to everyone for replying, I have read through the thread and I appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments.

 

I did embark on a longer drive a day or two after this and your predictions bore true - mpg ended up being in the 50s.

 

Unfortunately the car was primarily bought for short trips to the supermarkets and the like and perhaps my own research was insufficient to let me know that this was a very un-ideal scenario for a hybrid vehicle. I am contemplating selling it (as we bought for a significant discount then I feel confident in getting most if not all the money back, possibly even turning a profit) and re-assessing which vehicle would fulfil those needs.

 

Regarding the discussion between hybrid and PHEVs, I am not as experienced as some of you seem to be with respect to them, however I have had the thought that the terminology can be a bit misleading. Whilst a hybrid car does have electric and natural fuel capabilities, ultimately all that energy only ever comes from natural fuel, so whilst it has hybrid power output, it only has singular power input. This seems to put a certain ceiling on how efficient it can be in absolute terms.

 

Something that can be plugged in opens itself up to an entirely new source of energy which (according to my limited understanding, just how limited exemplified by my poor knowledge of my own vehicle's characteristics prior to purchase) is inherently more efficient, thus raising that ceiling. I do not know if this efficiency is offset by the increased weight of batteries/drivetrains but I do think there is more to the discussion than just the increased weight.

[FROSTYBALLS]

No internal combustion engined vehicle will do especially well as regards fuel consumption if short runs are by far the dominant type of journey - whether that is petrol, diesel or hybrid. On runs of 2.5-3 miles, especially in colder weather, the car may not be at optimal temperature by the time the destination is reached, and this will adversely affect economy.

Short journeys don't suit diesels as problems will probably occur with the emissions control systems (diesel particulate filter, etc). Petrols and hybrids are more suited to short journeys

If you sell the car, and buy a replacement, you will probably have the same type of issue with relatively poor consumption. 

You could consider electric, but would need to consider the pros and cons associated with these.

[AndrueC]

Yeah short journeys aren't good with any kind of ICE. However stop/start or multiple short journeys throughout the day are the optimum for a hybrid. Some of the best mpg figures on this forum have come from taxi drivers ferrying people around towns. Once the ICE is warmed up the EV part really helps.

I had my own proof of this over a year ago. I was close to the end of a 190 mile journey and got caught in a hellacious traffic jam on a dual carriageway (the A55 at Abergele). It took over forty minutes to drive the two or three miles to be clear of it. When I arrived at the jam the dashboard was showing high 60s mpg. Throughout the 40 minutes of stop/start/crawl the Battery did most of the work with the ICE coming on at random intervals to recharge the Battery (running at about 1,200 rpm). By the end of the jam the dashboard was showing a slight improvement in mpg. I bet the ICE vehicles around me weren't 😉

Mind you I wasn't feeling improved. The only thing to recommend about Abergele is the dual carriageway that bypasses it 😈

[TonyHSD]

Best car for short town trips has always been a full electric vehicle., or any car with smaller engine. 👍

[john p williams]

I`ve just read this entire thread again. Why anyone would buy a 2.0 litre Corolla for short shopping trips and the like is beyond me.

He is beyond redemption. I will not contribute further to this thread.

[IrnBro]

5 minutes ago, john p williams said:

I`ve just read this entire thread again. Why anyone would buy a 2.0 litre Corolla for short shopping trips and the like is beyond me.

He is beyond redemption. I will not contribute further to this thread.

Well, primarily for short shopping trips, but I like having versatility in a vehicle.

Good thing I require neither your contribution nor your absolution 

 

14 minutes ago, TonyHSD said:

Best car for short town trips has always been a full electric vehicle., or any car with smaller engine. 👍

Yes I am contemplating an electric vehicle although will need to consider the infrastructure requirements

[Catlover]

Sam, some people say pure EV vehicles are not as efficient or eco friendly as some people believe. The manufacture of the very large Battery is taking resources from the ground which cannot be replaced and is an expensive process and some workers in that side of the industry are exploited whils their bosses reap the financial rewards.               
Then of course, EV vehicles need charging on a regular basis, regularity depending on journey length made and the capability of the battery/car to cover distance. The greater distance a EV car can make indicates the Battery will be larger, which in turn adds a lot to initial cost of the vehicle.         
Then of course, with an EV vehicle the time will come when you want to do more then run to the local shops, you want to holiday. Travelling from Manchester to Cornwall or the top of Scotland could well exceed the distance the car will travel before it needs a refill from a charging station. Thus you need to know where these are, whether it charges via the type of connection your car has (though in time a standard will be adopted), and how long will that charge take, and is a charge point available ie is it being used, out of action etc.          
So going electric is not as simple a choice as one may think.          
To me, going hybrid at the moment is a wise move. Yes on short journeys you likely to be on petrol a lot, but if you need to travel a long distance you could easily travel 500-700  lies without stopping to refill the main source of energy (petrol) and it is available in abundance.           
In you particular case, I presume you bought a Corolla for a reason, that’s your choice, maybe size, of distributor backup, etc but personally, knowing I was going to use it for primarily short journeys with flexibility for longer journeys, I would have chosen the 1.8 hybrid. Better economy whilst still retaining flexibility. 

[Gray86]

My sister (a bit of an eco warrior!) bought a Nissan Leaf (EV) about 12 months ago, it’s a 2013 model, 24kwh which has lost 1 bar of Battery capacity (not bad for nearly 90k miles).
 

The range is only around 60miles, but for short trips it works well. It can be fast charged in 30mins, however for motorway journeys it requires a 30min charge for every hour of driving - not ideal. With the cost of motorway charging, it’s the equivalent of driving a car that does 50mpg. She did a 200 mile journey to visit us last year which was 2.5hrs longer than it would in a conventional petrol car. 
 

A newer EV with a decent range would have probably meant just a single charge (aligned to a comfort break). 
 

The Leaf is great for short trips, and if you plug it in after every journey you can be in & out all day without worry. Cheap & hassle free motoring. 

[TonyHSD]

I could not agree more with the last two posts which are perfect example where the Prius phev( prime )would have been the optimal choice. You have 20 miles commute or short town trips in full ev , charging at home even with a 3 pin plug, then you have a Toyota hybrid to drive anywhere around the country and abroad without worrying about charging again even until you have reached your destination. , just refill with petrol and 50+mpg guaranteed no matter how you drive.👍 

[IrnBro]

7 hours ago, Catlover said:

Sam, some people say pure EV vehicles are not as efficient or eco friendly as some people believe. The manufacture of the very large battery is taking resources from the ground which cannot be replaced and is an expensive process and some workers in that side of the industry are exploited whils their bosses reap the financial rewards.               
Then of course, EV vehicles need charging on a regular basis, regularity depending on journey length made and the capability of the battery/car to cover distance. The greater distance a EV car can make indicates the battery will be larger, which in turn adds a lot to initial cost of the vehicle.         
Then of course, with an EV vehicle the time will come when you want to do more then run to the local shops, you want to holiday. Travelling from Manchester to Cornwall or the top of Scotland could well exceed the distance the car will travel before it needs a refill from a charging station. Thus you need to know where these are, whether it charges via the type of connection your car has (though in time a standard will be adopted), and how long will that charge take, and is a charge point available ie is it being used, out of action etc.          
So going electric is not as simple a choice as one may think.          
To me, going hybrid at the moment is a wise move. Yes on short journeys you likely to be on petrol a lot, but if you need to travel a long distance you could easily travel 500-700  lies without stopping to refill the main source of energy (petrol) and it is available in abundance.           
In you particular case, I presume you bought a Corolla for a reason, that’s your choice, maybe size, of distributor backup, etc but personally, knowing I was going to use it for primarily short journeys with flexibility for longer journeys, I would have chosen the 1.8 hybrid. Better economy whilst still retaining flexibility. 

Hi Joe

Thanks for your reply

My own reasoning was that the Corolla would primarily be used for shorter trips which make up the vast majority of use and longer "road trips" be done in the slightly more comfortable Audi (which also has the advantage of better snow performance.) I'm quite attached to the Audi tbf. Although I am intrigued to see how the Corolla performs on a longer trip.

I am aware of the controversies regarding EV vehicles re: Battery and exploitation, but most of the world runs on similar chemicals with similar issues. The device you are using to send this message no doubt has a plethora of rare-earth metals obtained through ethically questionable mining. Point being not to excuse it but to single out EVs in that respect would not be consistent. It's nigh-on impossible to navigate modern life without becoming entangled in some kind of ethical issue, from the food we eat to the technology we use to the energy we generate. And I say modern life but I think it's been that way for a long time. The town I live in was once the cotton capital of the world, bringing tremendous wealth here - cotton picked through the American slave trade.

Excuse the tangent, and thank you for the message regardless.

I did not anticipate such a big difference between the 1.8 and the 2.0. I was initially planning on the 1.8 after test driving both but for some reason opted for the 2.0.

2 hours ago, Gray86 said:

My sister (a bit of an eco warrior!) bought a Nissan Leaf (EV) about 12 months ago, it’s a 2013 model, 24kwh which has lost 1 bar of battery capacity (not bad for nearly 90k miles).
 

The range is only around 60miles, but for short trips it works well. It can be fast charged in 30mins, however for motorway journeys it requires a 30min charge for every hour of driving - not ideal. With the cost of motorway charging, it’s the equivalent of driving a car that does 50mpg. She did a 200 mile journey to visit us last year which was 2.5hrs longer than it would in a conventional petrol car. 
 

A newer EV with a decent range would have probably meant just a single charge (aligned to a comfort break). 
 

The Leaf is great for short trips, and if you plug it in after every journey you can be in & out all day without worry. Cheap & hassle free motoring. 

Hi Graeme

Thanks for the message, that is very informative. I would have thought an EV would get higher than 50mpg though.

I found the old Leaf to not be an aesthetic car, and I must confess aesthetics are part of why I chose a Corolla. However the new Leafs do have a styling that appeals to me.

 

2 hours ago, TonyHSD said:

I could not agree more with the last two posts which are perfect example where the Prius phev( prime )would have been the optimal choice. You have 20 miles commute or short town trips in full ev , charging at home even with a 3 pin plug, then you have a Toyota hybrid to drive anywhere around the country and abroad without worrying about charging again even until you have reached your destination. , just refill with petrol and 50+mpg guaranteed no matter how you drive.👍 

Hi Tony

Thanks for your reply

I am also strongly considering a PHEV too. Whilst it's expensive, I have been looking at reviews for the Rav4 Prime in America and it seems a bit of a beast whilst retaining the versatility I desire.

[Gray86]

I agree, the first-gen Leaf isn’t a looker. . 
 

The 50mpg equivalent is due to the high cost of motorway charging, based on a pence / mile comparison. If you had a bigger Battery, charge at home on a cheap electricity rate, it’s much cheaper. 

[Hugo Nebula]

On 1/9/2021 at 12:53 PM, Jiff said:

Hi 

I've got the 1.8 TS Excel and drive carefully but not excessively so. The Handbook says normal mode provide an optimal balance of fuel economy, quietness ... so that's what I do. I can moderate my acceleration on my own, but like to know that, if I've made a mistake, I can floor the throttle and get out of a situation.

 I've had the car just over a year though have done very little mileage (3375) in that time but have achieved 59.2 MPG as a years average which I think is good. 

It does vary from winter to summer so now is not a good time to check. 

I've got a spreadsheet (image attached) for all the fuel etc, which shows the difference between the seasons. The dip down for this winter hasn't started yet as I haven't filled up since October 🙃

Jeff

I have spreadsheet envy!

[Hugo Nebula]

I haven't had mine long enough to get a good picture of its MPG, but the first month was in the 50s. The last fill was down to 44.5. This was from across lockdown #2 and #3 (+tier 3 & 4 in between), so not a representative sample of 'normal' usage. I'm happy with this considering I've got a lead foot and I used to get 40 MPG out of my old diesel Golf.

On the My Toyota app, one journey can be in the 20s and the next in the 60s, along similar roads. Using heated seats & air con at the start can drain the Battery causing the engine to kick in sooner.

Keep a log of fills and mileages. If it doesn't improve in a few months, take it back to the dealer. If they can't (or don't want to) find anything, maybe get a loan car with the same size engine for a day or two to see if that is the same. If it is, then it's your style.