How much of a difference does Eco mode make?

AmazingSieve

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Obviously gas is expensive so using eco mode makes sense, but how much of a difference does it make? I've been poking around reading about it and haven't really found any good estimations. My current understanding is that it is engine mapping and reduces throttle, is that it?

Does it make an appreciable MPG difference?
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AndyMac204

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so when we were driving across the prairies to british columbia, we kept it in eco mode and it seemed to save a teenie bit as everything was flat. however once we were in the mountains we just left it in sport mode to save on up and downshifts.
tbh i think it's all headgames. if we left it in eco, we were having to gas it more anyways so for us, we havent really noticed any crazy difference.
 

thekingprawn

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This is possibly not applicable to all vehicles, but the eco mode in my (sigh, I still have to drive it) Sentra really limits the rate of acceleration. I drive generally like an old man who isn't in a hurry to get there and left early anyway, and it still feels frustratingly sluggish. I don't think it can make a difference except with frequent starts and stops. It's not like an extra gear for over-overdrive on the highway.
 
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AmazingSieve

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so when we were driving across the prairies to british columbia, we kept it in eco mode and it seemed to save a teenie bit as everything was flat. however once we were in the mountains we just left it in sport mode to save on up and downshifts.
tbh i think it's all headgames. if we left it in eco, we were having to gas it more anyways so for us, we havent really noticed any crazy difference.
Yea it’s intersting it seems like it’s more a behavioral aid, like a reminder to not mash on the gas or brakes.
 

ScareCrow

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I switched from Normal to Eco for the last month and I'm getting about 2 miles per gallon extra.

Not much but I'll take it..... :beer:
 


tjbronco

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I run my Big Bend in Eco all the time - I average above 30mpg - mix of highway and urban city (I have about a 70 mile round trip commute). I do think the Eco mainly makes the throttle tip-off a lot less aggressive - sort of keeps you honest. Plus it seems to hold higher gears more often (lower RPM). I do turn off the Eco up hills and go to Normal mode as I feel the Eco holds the high gears too long and it doesn't feel right lugging the little 3 cylinder like that.
 

JEspey

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I get about 1.5-2 mpg better in eco mode, 70/30 hwy/city in flat Florida in my BL. Throttle response is slower so you aren’t constantly, and imperceptibly, increasing/decreasing speed to maintain your desired speed. Same principle as using cruise control where you get better mpg simply because the computer can maintain your constant speed much better than you can. Also, the transmission shift points will get you to the higher gears that have less power but the engine doesn’t have to work as hard sooner. Not sure if there are any other differences.
 

Flash

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If you switch to taller tires won't you go farther per gal ? :crackup:
In theory you should, but in actuality, you raise the vehicle up higher, so it has more wind resistance and that lowers gas mileage. You would probably break even or even lose mileage.
 


Outback Texan

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2.0L... I tried ECO mode yesterday for about 20 miles of "rolling hills" interstate at 60mph and got right at 31 MPG. ECO likely made little difference intuit scenario.
 
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baja_bob

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Tire pressure will also affect mpg, since I do a lot of highway driving I like to keep the tires aired up to 40 psi. The firmer tire rolls with less resistance, I also use ECO mode while driving on the highway.
 

baja_bob

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