Ours is clocking between 7.5 to 8.0 is that too low? what factors affect mileage? how to increase it?

If the car is not more than 8-10 years old, it should give you at least 12.

Depends on the condition of the engine, driving habits of the driver and road and load conditions. In an ideal condition well tuned engine which is about up to 5-6 years old and less than 100,000 kms done, should give anything betwenn 14 to 16 kms per litre in highway run without any AC. In city condition it should give about 12 to 14 Km per litre without AC.

7.5 to 8.0 is too low l have zen it gives about 12 in city with a/c.
Factors affect mileage
Quick acceleration & heavy braking can reduce fuel economy by up to 33 percent on the highway & 5 percent around town. New EPA tests account for faster acceleration rates, but vigorous driving can still lower MPG.

Excessive idling decreases MPG. The EPA city test includes idling, but more idling will lower MPG.

Driving at higher speeds increases aerodynamic drag (wind resistance), reducing fuel economy. The new EPA tests account for aerodynamic drag up to highway speeds of 80 mph, but some drivers exceed this speed.

Cold weather & frequent short trips can reduce fuel economy, since ur engine does not operate efficiently until it is warmed up. In colder weather, it takes longer for ur engine to warm, & on short trips, ur vehicle operates a smaller percentage of time at the desired temperature. Note: Letting ur car idle to warm-up does not help ur fuel economy, it actually uses more fuel & creates more pollution.

Cargo or cargo racks on top of ur vehicle (e.g., cargo boxes, canoes, etc.) increase aerodynamic drag & lower fuel economy. MPG tests do not account for this type of cargo.

Towing a trailer or carrying excessive weight decreases fuel economy. Vehicles r assumed to carry only three hundred pounds of passengers & cargo during testing.

Running electrical accessories (e.g., air conditioner) decreases fuel economy. Operating the air conditioner on ''Max'' can reduce MPG by roughly 5-25% compared to not using it.

Driving on hilly or mountainous terrain or on unpaved roads can reduce fuel economy. The EPA test assumes vehicles operate on flat ground.

Using 4-wheel drive reduces fuel economy. Four-wheel drive vehicles r tested in 2-wheel drive. Engaging all four wheels makes the engine work harder & increases crankcase losses.

How to increase it
you can run a good set of Bosch plugs in it & a good k&n filter with mobil one synthetic oil & it will actually boost the mileage a little on it,that one should get a little better than that any way,we had an old one that had a lot of mileage on it & it got 22 miles to the gallon using the air conditioner,and it was an automatic,so yours should do a little better,check the timing on it ,thats really important on those if the timing chain gets a lot of wear on it they will go through a lot of gas,i think you,ll find that mobil one synthetic oil is actually better than royal purple when it comes to gas mileage,and the bosch plugs will burn the gas a lot better also,but this is a few things that will help it,try to watch the way u pull out in it,and dont do no jack rabbit starts & that should also help a lot,you should be able to ger at least 22 or maybe more from it