Hi Ericbecky:

___Although a bit of a stretch, they do have $5,000 rebates but the resale is probably bunk …

___We just got back from Phoenix, AZ. 2 days ago and while we where there, we rented a Buick Le Sabre Custom w/ the 205 HP 3.8 L V6 and received what I would call decent mileage from this large of a beast. It had a rudimentary game gauge which helped me get a feel for her in its first few miles but we didn’t have a tire pressure gauge nor could I find a local gas station with a fill station. The oil level was 50% above the full mark so this thing was not setup for high fuel economy in the least. A/C was on MAX all day/night everyday/night with highway speeds of 55 - 70 miles per hour on the freeways between Phoenix, Las Vegas, Fresno, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and back to Phoenix as well as quite a bit of driving around town between Glendale and Sun City proper. I used both driving w/ load as well as some drafting as the 18-wheelers in California truly did follow the limits within 5 miles per hour or so. This fact was actually amazing to me as well!

___Here are some fuel economy stats I received in this the car with at least 2 to 3 gallons burned off (60 - 90 miles worth) on its first tank as the fuel gauge was only at the Full mark instead of beyond by another 1/8 of an inch as seen when I filled her the 3X’s afterwards. On this shorted first tank, I reset the FCD after 141 miles of pure city with a 26.9 mpg showing. We then drove 388.6 miles on the highway to our first fuel stop in Vegas. This first tank will be skewed because of the Avis fillup and city/hwy mixed but since the FCD was just a bit optimistic on the last 3 full tanks, you can see what this monster was truly worth without even being setup properly.

Tank #1 on 07/25/2004:

Tank Average: 529.6 miles/17.9 gallons = 29.58 mpg
FCD: 141 miles 100% City: 26.9 mpg ** 388.6 miles 100% Highway: 36.9 mpg

Tank #2 on 07/27/2004:

Tank Average: 584.4 miles/17.933 gallons = 32.588 mpg
FCD: 35.7

Tank #3 on 07/30/2004:

Tank Average: 615.9 miles/17.775 gallons = 34.65 mpg
FCD: 36.9

Tank #4 on 07/31/2004:

Tank Average: 539.3 miles/14.630 gallons = 36.86 mpg
FCD: 39.0

___Overall, the car had great size as my 12 year old son was sprawled out across the back seat in sleep mode for much of the itinerary. It had a very Camry like ride and road feel but larger size. Given its looks, it fit in quite nicely with the Sun City folks if you know what I mean

___Just another choice given the initial costs w/ rebates applied as of late. I was truly surprised by its fuel economy given its weight and large ICE. GM’s ancient 6’s are remarkable if not downright amazing given the A/C use and fuel economy received.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net