I'm hoping that I can exceed 50 mpg in the warm temps on the highway and then for the overall combined average I'm hoping to exceed 45. I still plan on running it hard here and there to keep the engine clean etc. Don't get me wrong though I'm pleased with what I've seen so far. My commute can be about the same mixture as yours (85% highway).
Real World MPG - 6 speed Manual
- Thread starter gergg
- Start date
I'm hoping that I can exceed 50 mpg in the warm temps on the highway and then for the overall combined average I'm hoping to exceed 45. I still plan on running it hard here and there to keep the engine clean etc. Don't get me wrong though I'm pleased with what I've seen so far. My commute can be about the same mixture as yours (85% highway).
Lincoln
Veteran Member
One thing that impresses me about the car, and which came as a surprise, is that even my urban driving gets good mileage so long as the trip is long enough. A short hop to the grocery store in cold weather is awful. But as a counter example, I got ~48mpg (using MFI) this past Friday by driving from South of Seattle to North Seattle during rush hour, then back again still during rush hour. Total drive time was about 1hr 40min, with a good 20 minutes of stop-and-go on the interstate, plus plenty of red lights, etc., on the side streets. Ambient temps in the low 40s F.
I'm finding the same thing already too. We've had cold weather since I bought the car. Short trips are lousy. I did have a couple good MFI averages that were near 50mpg when the temp was in the 40s. My 1992 Benz Diesel gets 33 around town and on the highway in almost all temps. Chalk it up to the lack of sensors and sophisticated computer controls. But, I'll take the TDI mpg every day regardless.
Paulie
Member
This is my first TDI and Its been a real cold winter. MPG's are averaging 37, should I be concerned? I use cruise control all the time, during the first 2800 miles.
I certainly wouldnt be concerned...yet, what are your average temperatures? Next time you get a chance check your avg speed in the MFI. I have been averaging 38-41 MPH, with the higher speed directly correlating to lower MPG's.This is my first TDI and Its been a real cold winter. MPG's are averaging 37, should I be concerned? I use cruise control all the time, during the first 2800 miles.
I assume that your MPH will be higher, temps colder and more snow creating more rolling resistence, henceforth your MPG's will be lower.
Lincoln
Veteran Member
I don't think so. From what I've been reading on this site, driving style matters more than just about anything else for mileage, followed by temp, then fuel quality. You can't control the temperature (not diverging to discuss plug-in engine heaters, etc.). But read some of those other sticky's and see if there's anything you're doing "wrong." That seems far more likely than that you have an actual mechanical issue, based on reading hundreds of posting rather than based on personal knowledge/experience. There's actually an entire sticky devoted to MPG on the TDI 101 forum, that covers all of this and more.This is my first TDI and Its been a real cold winter. MPG's are averaging 37, should I be concerned? I use cruise control all the time, during the first 2800 miles.
Driving style is a part of it, but if he is dealing with extremely cold weather (unlike what you guys see in Seattle which is fairly moderate) which he probably is, the cold temps KILL MPG in these cars.
PassatSE4me
Veteran Member
Yes they do.
Paulie, you have nothing to worry about at this point. Get back to us in July.
Paulie
Member
I am averaging only 38 MPG, with 70% Hwy/ 30% City driving. The weather is bitter cold this winter and I replaced the hankooks with Michelin Primacy, but I haven't been able to break 40 MPGs yet.
APT
Veteran Member
I have two friends with whom I work that bought 2014 Passat TDI SE 6Ms late last year. They are getting about 36mpg and 38mpg and try to compare my Fulley 38mpg average. Well, I'm only getting 33mpg in these temps. I'll be back to 40mpg and they will be closer 45-50mpg come April just like Paulie.
mobhitmn
Veteran Member
2013 - roughly 7000 miles on the odometer. Weekend trip from Allentown to Pittsburgh. 562 highway miles, average speed of 70 per the MFI, trip average 48.7 mpg. Temps were in the high 40s to low 50s. Used cruise control on the PA turnpike, stock Hankook tires, etc. Nothing special. These cars can certainly post great numbers if the conditions are right.
rotarykid
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- TDI
- 1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
What gear did you spend the most time in, 3rd,4th, 5th or 6th? What was the trip normal speed??
What were the weather conditions, heat or cold?? AC use, how much???
And @ what speed range, a lot of stop and go or long runs on the highway????
On the highway what did the instant mpgs say while pulling the trailer??
What was the terrain, were you constantly going up and down hills or mountains???
Just saying I got 20 mpg over 2,500 miles really doesn't explain why you saw that low.
Pulling this in anything with a lot of accelerations will kill mpgs. Were almost all of the miles accelerating to slam on brakes.?.?.?.?.?..
PassatSE4me
Veteran Member
About time we got some warm weather! My commute trip average was 48 mpg last night, up from the mid 30's.
You aren't kidding, Im about 325 miles into this tank and the MFI is showing 55 MPG.
ABS
Veteran Member
Amen! I filled up last night and for the first time since October broke 700 miles on a tank. As a matter of fact I was only 18 miles away from logging 800miles, but was getting well into the "I really need to fuel up" zone... Weather folks are saying we may hit 50 in my neck of the woods today! A welcome sign since it's been a long, frigid winter up here!
IXLR8
Veteran Member
I can't wait until temps get back to the 60+ range. I have a 200 mile trip I take twice a week. I do it early in the morning so there is no traffic to influence the trip. Same tank of fuel last week and this week, same weather conditions except temps. Last week it was 1dF and I averaged 43.3mpg for the trip, according to the MFI. This week it was 36dF and I averaged 50.2mpg for the same trip. I use the cruise control for 80% of the trip so that minimizes variations.
rotarykid
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- TDI
- 1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
Something that many have not realized is that the cold hits gasoline powered vehicles even harder than it does us in our diesels. I just clocked the lowest mpg tank since I got my 4 cyl Honda Accord, ~23 mpgs where 29-31 are the norm for me when it's not so cold...............That is a 30-40 % drop below normal penalty for cold weather....
APT
Veteran Member
I only see about 10% penalty in my two gas powered vehicles with winter compared to 20% for my TDI. Bring on the warmer temps please!
drshaws
Veteran Member
Yesterday I pulled 39.9 on the highway, and thought I was fairly lucky given snow tires AND temps in the teens and single digtits.
Can't wait for warmer temps!
Can't wait for warmer temps!
I havent found this personally.
On an MPG note, last tank was 870 miles and she took 16 gallons even. Low Fuel light clicked on at 857 miles. 54.4 MPG,
almost an all time high. I am very hopeful that I will beat my all time best of 54.8 MPG this year. I think my car is breaking in a bit! Oh, and my lifetime average is back over 50 MPG!nord
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
- Location
- Southern Tier NY
- TDI
- All turned back to VW. Now a 2017 Hundai Tuscon. Not a single squalk in 10k miles.
Brand new with 600 miles and I'm seeing mid 40's average. My 2013 was the same. This with snow tires, cold weather, and winter fuel.
As others have noted the ambient air temperature will be a huge factor. The moment we see temps rise above the 40's we'll see a noticeable increase in economy.
Having recently had the opportunity to pilot both a 2.5 Beetle and a 2.5 Wolfsburg Passat I can vouch for the fact that Passat is a more "slippery" vehicle as far as air resistance. Head to head the Passat will return better economy compared to the Beetle under similar conditions. As to actual economy the best I could do on a good day was to approach 30 mpg. In adverse conditions the 2.5 Passat would drop to the low 20's.
Passat TDI in my experience will always be at least 10 mpg better than its gasoline counterpart. Winter has never dropped me below the high 30 mpg range and usually not below 42 mpg. The fact is that 10 mpg is conservative as the difference us usually double that figure and a bit more.
Summer fuel on a nice day and out on the open road should push your economy easily past the 50 mpg mark without any particular effort on your part.
As others have noted the ambient air temperature will be a huge factor. The moment we see temps rise above the 40's we'll see a noticeable increase in economy.
Having recently had the opportunity to pilot both a 2.5 Beetle and a 2.5 Wolfsburg Passat I can vouch for the fact that Passat is a more "slippery" vehicle as far as air resistance. Head to head the Passat will return better economy compared to the Beetle under similar conditions. As to actual economy the best I could do on a good day was to approach 30 mpg. In adverse conditions the 2.5 Passat would drop to the low 20's.
Passat TDI in my experience will always be at least 10 mpg better than its gasoline counterpart. Winter has never dropped me below the high 30 mpg range and usually not below 42 mpg. The fact is that 10 mpg is conservative as the difference us usually double that figure and a bit more.
Summer fuel on a nice day and out on the open road should push your economy easily past the 50 mpg mark without any particular effort on your part.
DieselRacer
banned
I had no idea the cold affected mpg that much in real world driving you never hear about it in the mpg ratings... I live in AZ never cold here ever...
MikeS_18
Top Post Dawg
these guys MPG's go down in the winter too. But I think there are other reasons for that. HOLY LARGE PICTURE BATMAN!
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb4na0g8Y21rrcqu4o1_1280.jpg
http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb4na0g8Y21rrcqu4o1_1280.jpg
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cevans
TDIClub Enthusiast, TDI Parts Ninja Vendor , w/Bus
Winter MPGs went back up to near summer MPGs once I added a front grill cover, either in the form of tube insulation or a winter front.
Lincoln
Veteran Member
Switched jobs last week. Commute went from ~30 minutes @35mph to ~50 minutes at 60mph. Mileage went from ~40mpg (36-46, depending on lights, temperature, etc.) to ~51mpg. The car and the amazing mileage almost make me happy for the longer commute.
averaged 54mpg driving to work over 65 miles one way. Had it on cruise control at 68mph.
Coming back home, same distance, stop and go traffic, computer showed 41.7mpg ... not bad considering its a DSG tranny with 17k miles on it.
Coming back home, same distance, stop and go traffic, computer showed 41.7mpg ... not bad considering its a DSG tranny with 17k miles on it.