True, it was a bloody hot day, and I did have the air-con going (as always). Tyres had 40psi in them, and I just had a wheel alignment too.

Even in winter, the best I've recorded on a Brisbane->Gladstone trip was 9.3l/100km. That was with the factory 17s and on a very, very quiet day.

In fact, 9.3l/100km is the best fuel consumption I've seen since I bought the car.

I guess the most annoying part is that my parent's VE SS gets similar - if not better - fuel consumption on the highway. Yes, the revs sit pretty low with the 6 speed auto, but it's a pre-AFM V8 (so no cylinder shutdown) with an extra 500kg of weight (heavier car + more passengers).