What would you consider realistic tank averages for each model with a 50 mile reserve (when the light - if present - comes on):
NA ?
NB 300
NC 320
ND 400 (1.5)
I’m planning a trip in fuel station sparse areas and looking to schedule fuel stops which will work for all without the drivers getting too twitchy…
I’ve always planned to fill up at 300 in my NAs (all 1.8s) although once we misjudged the number of petrol stations beyond Calais and got nearly 340 out of the tank. Each of those final 20+ miles seemed very long I can tell you!
Hi, just thinking about my NA I guess 250 would be safe and allow about 30-50 miles reserve. I’m planning a trip to do the north coast 500 so it will be interesting to see what others think.
I would say no more than 250 miles
1.6 NA has a smaller tank than 1.8, but 300-330kms is realistic.
The two 1.8 nc’s that i have had, both did about 315 miles before the light came on.
I’ve went from near Lluton to Newton Stewart (near Stranrar) to just beyond Glasgow in my NB and only filled up twice - full tank leaving Luton and topped her up at Carlise - total distance just over 450 miles on a tank and a half or there about.
320 miles when touring, no warning light though.
If price isn’t a consideration then the ND will take you further than all the others.
Gra
Hmm, consider the roads as well. Gentle touring at 50-60 will give better mpg, as will putting the lid up for 70 on a motorway. Lots of low gear hills, heavy braking, and stop start traffic might make it a lot worse. A good premium fuel should give between 5% and 10% more mpg than regular, especially on the older engines, but it might not be available in the wilds of Scotland.
My best range (2l NC) was 390 miles (43.8mpg, 40.44 litres) mostly motorway and a few miles after the yellow light appeared, my worst was 236 because of several hours trapped in heavy traffic (29.19mpg, 36.7litres) coming back from Goodwood one day.
Average is 38mpg (8.3miles per litre) so the 50 litre tank would normally stretch to more than 400 miles, but I make a note of when the yellow shows and make sure to fill up within 70 miles!
Also check the tank is really brimmed. Recently I got a silly high mpg because I was fooled into thinking I had filled it (being in a hurry), but it was actually the pump cutting off early; the next fill suggested really bad mpg, but counting both together the mpg was spot on average.
Have to smile at the idea of range anxiety in an MX5 ; having had my ND for 6 months nearly I am still enjoying the novelty of being able to drive by a country petrol station without filling up . Reason - the Sevens I had for the previous 20 years had tiny tanks, my last one taking 29 litres. Meaning 180 miles absolute maximum and driver twitchy after 120 . Always guaranteed to add an extra dimension of angst when making brisk progress on a Sunday afternoon in Wester Ross or Sutherland …
325 miles for an NA 1.8. 370 miles for an NC 1.8 (it’s a lot more efficient).
1.8 NBFL - Never had a warning light come on - a full tank gives me at least 300 miles, so I usually top the tank up at that range. Scuttlebutt in the past has always said there’s about 5-6 litres left when the empty mark is reached, though I don’t recall ever getting to that point. Close maybe, but I believe in using common sense. A full tank got me to most events in the country - and back home again. I do drive enthusiastically!
Bear in mind that if travelling abroad, shipping companies do not allow spare tanks in the boot - or the car either, so I fill up before boarding a ferry. No restrictions when driving in the UK.
Never bothered to check MPG - you either use it, or you stop enjoying the car.
If you’re in the North and West Highlands on a Sunday it can become quite important as not all locations are open, there’s more choice than there used to be and some community operated self service pumps (Applecross, Bettyhill to name a couple), still not universal though.
In my 2008 2.0L NC, I can generally do 300 miles before I even need to consider filling up again. The most I have ever pushed the tank capacity, not by design I must admit, was 330 miles, and then the red light was on for the last 20 or so - scary !