Are my fuel economy numbers accurate?

[indigti3]

Fellow Dubsters,

My car gives me a combined 20mpg on a careful run to and from work which is 6 miles in all.  That includes some stopping and starting.  I this what I should be expecting?

Also noticed a whining noise coming from the engine today too, like a whistle, I reckon power is a touch down too.

Any Idea's?   indi.

[VR6-Joe]

Christ! I get more than that in the VR

Sounds like you have an air leak or something, like a vacuum hose is split?

[indigti3]

I will check it out tomorrow, how do i tell, will it be obvious if i run the engine with the hood up?

[VR6-Joe]

I could with my old car, just popped the bonnet and could hear a hissing noise almost straight away

[Dec]

Might be because its such a short journey. My mpg calculator used to take a little while to get a good figure

[Baskey]

i get 35 plus easy

[indigti3]

apart from the split hoses, what else could it be, btw when I checked the fuel guage, since i filled it to the brim, I have done exactly 31 miles and the needle is at 1 / 8th already!

[Wayne]

My 8v was 22 to 33mpg

[Mikester]

As dec said its because of the distance of the journey, with starts and stops, it wont get a higher reading until you have driven further to average it out.

Plus the engine wont even be warm after 6minutes!

[Len]

He drives it 6 miles! 
It will certainly be warm by then with stops and starts!

Over short distances I have seen mine as low as 15mpg. But this evens out on a run.
Overall, (6 years) mine is on 32 mpg.