Real World MPG - 6 speed Manual

Lincoln

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2014
Location
Seattle, WA
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6 Speed MT
Suggestion for one of the moderators: Add some sort of poll/average at the top of this thread and also the DSG version, asking everyone to report lifetime mileage. It won't be exactly scientific since we self-select, but might give an idea of what to expect for those looking into either a DSG or MT. I'm not sure how these work, but if calculating an average from reported mileage isn't possible, we could have a histogram (e.g. bins of 30-35, 35-40, 40-45, 45-50, 50-55, 55-60) with radio buttons for each selection.
 

passatv6af

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Location
chicago
TDI
B7 6MT
Is it possible to get LESS mpg just by physically getting a tune even if you're driving normally (I have stage 1.5 6MT)?

Just came back from Texas and around 75-80mph on cruise I was getting just over 800 miles. I could of sworn it used to get way more when I didn't have the tune.
 

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
Is it possible to get LESS mpg just by physically getting a tune even if you're driving normally (I have stage 1.5 6MT)?

Just came back from Texas and around 75-80mph on cruise I was getting just over 800 miles. I could of sworn it used to get way more when I didn't have the tune.
Of course, especially if it's a performance tune. Did you track your mileage prior to the tune?
 

14tdipassat

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2014
Location
SE La
TDI
'14 Passat SE 6M
Second fill-up 38.6 mpg... super-pleased given that it was over 50% city; I'm making sure to "get in the boost" plenty during the break-in; it's not broken in yet!
 

pparks1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Location
Westland, Michigan
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
That is really not very bad! If you had a dsg in those conditions, your mix of driving and weather conditions you likely would be seeing ~5-7 mpg less.......
VeeDubTDI beat me to the punch, but my car IS a DSG. And I'm not saying those numbers ARE bad, but I was just commenting on the post that said that 795 miles is a piece of cake on these cars, even in winter.


MT cars are consistently seeing 15-40 % better mpgs over the best & worst seen in DSG cars...
15-40%. No way. That much difference is related to the type of driving done, not the transmission in the car. I have a DSG and my last 4 tanks have been about 42mpg. According to the highway/city breakdown on fuelly, I'm about 70% city driving usually averaging 28mph. It's a lot of stop and go. I used to commute nearly 40 miles on the highway to work. If I still made that drive daily, my average would be closer to 48 for that tank of fuel. My parents live about 55 miles away. When I drive to their house, if I fill up, drive 110 miles on the highway at 65-70mph with the air on with 2 adults and 2 children, I will get about 49-51 by calculating miles driven/gallons consumed.

I think you will find that a lot of TDI drivers with MT are far more likely to be highway commuters and people with DSG's are more stop and go where shifting is more of a pain and thus our desire to be in the DSG cars.

I'd say that under the same weather conditions and commutes, the MT gets way closer to 5% better MPG's than 40%.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Yeah, I would say that the same person going between a manual and a DSG would see a 5% difference in fuel economy... maybe up to 10%, but I think that's high.
 

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
I had a 220 mile round trip planned and didn't want to push it so I short filled. 757 miles/ 14.4 Gals=52.5 MPG.
 

D-Cell_Mekanick

Veteran Member
Joined
May 23, 2009
Location
Sandwich, IL
TDI
2015 Honda Civic SE
I had a 220 mile round trip planned and didn't want to push it so I short filled. 757 miles/ 14.4 Gals=52.5 MPG.
Thats nearly identical to my last tank. I filled early for the same reason too. :) not too bad considering mine is a DSG.

769 miles on 14.69 gallons of fuel= 52.35MPG @$ 3.799 a gallon
 
Last edited:

rotarykid

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Piedmont of N.C. & the plains of Colorado
TDI
1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
By the way I have clocked just under 57 mpgUS( pen & paper ) in a 2012 6 spd manual trans Golf TDI-CR over a denver metro only tank! Can you come up with a 2012 Golf DGS that can do that. 52-54 mpgUS are the normal tank numbers in the car over similar miles with no extra effort....

I know of plenty of examples of similar cars, similar year with DSG over similar miles clocked same times of day where low 40s with a lot of effort are all they clock!
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
There is really nothing to argue about here. The difference between transmissions is in the neighborhood of 5-10% in normal driving. Talking about idiots who can't drive is not a fair thing to bring into a fuel economy discussion. If you're a bad driver, then it doesn't matter what trans you have, you're probably going to get bad fuel economy. ;)
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
That's the fault of the driver - not the transmission. That's all I'm saying. :)
 

pparks1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Location
Westland, Michigan
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
When most of us here know that it's not the car's to blame for poor mpgs but their poor driving skills!! ..... More than I can remember......
Exactly, it's them, not the car or the trans.

Until that changes I think it is very relevant that some piss poor drivers, the average driving skill automatic only american will see a 40 % penalty.
Sure, if they don't know how to drive the car. If they keep the emergency brake on too while they drive around, that number could go into the 60-70% range.

I've driven a manual for years. I've been driving my DSG for about a year. My commute is almost all city/urban, stop and go. Rarely do I get more than 30mph average. I'm solidly getting 42MPG per my entire tank. I guess I mist know how to drive my DSG, because I don't think you will find a MT driver than can get (42 x 1.4) 58.8MPG driving in my conditions.
 

passatv6af

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Location
chicago
TDI
B7 6MT
Little update on my mpg with the Stage 1.5...

I cannot go past 49mpg at 70mph cruise to save my life. I know it used to get over 50 mpg easily at that speed. I'd say I've lost 2-4mpg at most.

Was It Worth it? I'd have to say, yes. We already get great mpg as it is. A few less won't hurt.

Will I see another 1059mile tank again at 60 mph like last year? Maybe but I don't wanna do another 25 hour trip at 60 mph lol.
 
Last edited:

psd1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2011
Location
OR
TDI
2006 Jetta 2013 Passat SE 6Man
Thats nearly identical to my last tank. I filled early for the same reason too. :) not too bad considering mine is a DSG.

769 miles on 14.69 gallons of fuel= 52.35MPG @$ 3.799 a gallon
Same price I paid for fuel too! Great numbers! :D
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Ok I think we've derailed this conversation far enough with the manual vs. automatic debate. The purpose of this thread is to discuss 6-speed MPG results in the 2012+ Passat, not talk about how badly people drive or why people choose a particular type of transmission when buying a car.
 

Cathy

Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Location
Coquitlam
TDI
2014 Passat Highline sport package 6M TDI, 2005 Jetta TDI High line wagon 5M
2014 Passat TDI - 6 speed manual - fuel slosh and clutch issues at 400km

Hi all,

Looking to the collective for information and like issues. My lovely new car will have her third clutch at 5000km. There is a sound of something warbling and vibration in the clutch pedal when depressed. There is now a significant clunk when shifting. Initially the dealer thought release bearing. That wasn't it, they needed a new clutch kit. They installed that and on the test drive broke that and the fly wheel. 6 weeks later new clutch kit and fly wheel. " It isn't right, but it is safe" was the dealers comment upon return of the car to me.

On another note, I notice a fair amount of fuel movement noise. Particularly on inclines. I live on the side of a hill so hear and feel fuel moving regularly. Anyone else noticed this? I have asked a number of Passat owners, but no one else has heard or felt fuel move.

Thank you for your time,

cathy
 

rotarykid

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Location
Piedmont of N.C. & the plains of Colorado
TDI
1997 Passat TDI White,99.5 Blue Jetta TDI
^ I guess a lot would depend upon your definition of winter and what your commute looks like

Here in Michigan, it was extremely cold. We set a record for the most snow recorded in history in the Metro detroit area. I was certainly not able to hit 800 mile tanks with my frigid city driving.

2/8/14----559.0 miles-- 17.10 gallons-- 32.7 mpg
1/25/14----632.0 miles-- 17.28 gallons-- 36.6 mpg
1/16/14----582.0 miles-- 17.80 gallons-- 32.7 mpg

My last 4 tanks are much better

5/25/14-- 682.0 miles--16.42g--41.5 mpg
5/10/14-- 727.0 miles--17.36g--41.9 mpg
4/25/14-- 702.0 miles--17.00g--41.3 mpg
4/8/14--626.0 miles--15.00g-- 41.7 mpg

I estimate i'm 80% City and 20% highway.
rotarykid said:
That is really not very bad! If you had a dsg in those conditions, your mix of driving and weather conditions you likely would be seeing ~5-7 mpg less.......


He does have a DSG.
He posted this in a manual trans thread, I quoted the post from the manual trans thread, it says no where he has a DSG...........can you see how I thought he is in a manual trans thread so he is talking about a manual trans car????

This really explains all of his hostility to my quoting of the dsg to manual penalty from the data others have collected and posted... I am glad he has been able to achieve mpgs at the upper end of what is possible with his dsg car. But He seems to have come onto this thread just to pick this fight.....

Here is the post by psd1 that I based all of my responses on...

psd1 said:
Not so easy... "There are 460 2013 Volkswagen Passats (Diesel L4 Sedan) with reported gas mileage parked at Fuelly."


I started and here is what I came up with, I didnt have time to do ten vehicles so the top 5 DSG and manual cars are listed below.

TOP 5 DSG Passats.
1. Passat TDI SE = 48.4 MPG
2. Bar of soap = 47.9 MPG
3. First TDI = 46.9 MPG
4. The Beast = 46.8 MPG
5. lulu = 46.6 MPG
_________________________________
Average = 47.32


Top 5 6 Manual cars.
1. Silver Passat = 59.2 MPG
2. All Black = 57.5 MPG
3. Our 2013 M6 Passat = 50.7 MPG
4. No Name = 50.4 MPG
5. My Passat TDI = 49.0 MPG
___________________________________
Average = 53.36 MPG

If you throw out the top performer in each section the numbers are a lot closer. 47.05 MPG for the DSG and 51.9 MPG for the 6 Man.
That shows at least a 10 % difference, penalty with these cars in the best of drivers hands! Dig into the fuelly data a little further and you can easily find cars that vary up to that 40 % mark.....
 

pparks1

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Location
Westland, Michigan
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
He posted this in a manual trans thread, I quoted the post from the manual trans thread, it says no where he has a DSG...........can you see how I thought he is in a manual trans thread so he is talking about a manual trans car????
Yes, I did post in a manual transmission thread. Not because I have a manual, but i wanted to be a part of the discussion. VeeDubTDI knows i have a DSG because he has met me, and from my sig block where I indicate I have an SE with Sun/Nav < a combo not available with a manual


This really explains all of his hostility to my quoting of the dsg to manual penalty from the data others have collected and posted... I am glad he has been able to achieve mpgs at the upper end of what is possible with his dsg car. But He seems to have come onto this thread just to pick this fight.....
I sincerely apologize if you thought that I was being hostile. I'm as cool as a cucumber and not worked up in the least. I'm not fighting, or insulting anybody or being aggressive at all. I simply don't feel that a manual transmission car returns a 15%-40% increase in mileage except in absurd circumstances. For example, a commuter in Chicago driving a DSG in traffic jams, versus a MT driver going 52mph for 40 miles without stopping 1 single time. If driven approx the same, in the same conditions, I think mileage differences will be in the 5% range..perhaps 10% at the most.

I drove a manual transmission car for the past 12 years before this DSG. I wanted to drive it because I found it more fun and enjoyable. These days, I have kids and need my hands free in the car so I went with a DSG. An approx 5% mileage loss for me was a complete non-issue. Overall, since my wife now drives me car without hesitation, this more than makes up for the ~5% drop I took, with the gains that she gets.

As far as those numbers in the above chart....my take is that the MT drivers most likely have longer commutes, highway speeds and have done everything they can to eek out the most of their cars. Those with the DSG's, are more likely city/urban/metro drivers who do a lot of stop and go and thus didn't desire to have a manual transmission for this purpose. Also, I'd bet dollars to donuts that those driving the MT cars, are more likely to hypermile than those with the DSG as I often find MT drivers to feel more "sophisticated", and a bit "nerdier". I think I'm a good example of this mentality, I do nothing extra to get the mileage that I get. I do 70mph on the freeway, I drive mostly stop and go, I've stuck with my 18" wheels, I don't super inflate my tires. I use whatever diesel fuel is around and is the cheapest. My results are just my normal average driving. Same style that I used with my 2002 VW Passat 5 speed and same that I use when I drive my wife's 2012 Durango. I didn't have to change my driving style at all to fit my TDI, the car fit the driving style I've had for the past 20 years.

I'm going to respect VeeDubTDI's request that I not keep dragging this out. But I'm not here to pick any fights or ruffle any feathers. If you think I'm worked up, rest assured I'm not personally bothered, offended, upset, etc.
 
Last edited:

MikeS_18

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Location
Bow, NH
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, '13 Passat SE, '64 Ford Econoline
The primary driver on our '13 Passat is getting 46.x over the car's initial 29,000 miles.

She really doesn't pay attention to getting good MPGs but also doesn't beat on it so I view her results as not the best case, and not the worst case.

Maybe I'll call it "the indifferent case."
 

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.
I've commented before on this subject. Generally under normal (for me) driving conditions I expect a bit over 40 mpg in winter and in the high 40's in summer.

But yesterday was exceptional! A 120 mile trip west on Rt 417 from Elmira, NY to Salamanca... 51.7 mpg! Return average on Interstate 86 was even better with a stretch of about 20 miles on the present detour giving me an indicated 62 mpg.

I find it amazing to view the MFD and see the estimated remaining range reading about 650 miles with 240 miles already on the clock. This while being very aware that there's a certain reserve remaining on top of the indicated miles.
 

DieselEngineer

New member
Joined
May 11, 2014
Location
Louisiana
TDI
2014 Passat Value Edition 6mt
I've been averaging mid to high 40's in my 2014. Best tank so far was 51 mpg with only 2k miles on it. It spends about 60% of its life at 80mph on the interstate with the rest being light traffic city driving.

Love the car so far.
 

Paulie

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
TDI
2014 Passat SE TDI 6 speed
Date 6/22/14

Driver: Paulie
Miles: 733
Gallons: 17.349
Model Year: 2014
Model: Passat
Tranny: 6M
Fuel Type: ULSD

MPG: 42.3
Odometer: 8809

Cost: $3.97 per gallon BP




 

Robert M

Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Location
Brookings SD
TDI
2013 Passat SE
Drove from Denver to Sioux Falls recently, 700 miles with average speed around 70. It was dead still, no wind whatsoever which is very unusual for this part of the country. Got 56.7 mpg on the MFD. From previous experience this is around 53 or 54 mpg.
 

09jettaloyale

Active member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Location
Near Springfield MA
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SEL, 2013 Passat SE DSG, 2001 F-250 PSD
I recently had a short trip with great fuel economy. It was about a 26 mile trip and I was following a friend towing a trailer. Average speed was about 35 mph. But MFD showed over 69 mpg.



 

Paulie

Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
TDI
2014 Passat SE TDI 6 speed
Date 7/8/14

Driver: Paulie
Miles: 831
Gallons: 16.816
Model Year: 2014
Model: Passat
Tranny: 6M
Fuel Type: ULSD

MPG: 49.4
Odometer: 10027
Cost: $3.99 per gallon



 

torqueit

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 4, 2010
Location
Rochester, MI
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE
Date 7/20/2014

Miles 684
Gallons 15.564
Model Year 2013
Model Passat
Tranny: 6M
Fuel Type: ULSD w/Optilube

MPG: 44 (MFD read about 45.5)

This was a mix of surburban and some highway miles. Fantastic given the amount of off-highway use. Huge improvement from winter numbers that never reached 40 on similar tanks.
 

USCGTO

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 8, 2014
Location
Texas
TDI
Passat TDi 6M
I recently got my first real world MPG data

Miles 354 ( I was bored to death and wanted to see how it was doing)
Diesel bought - 7.1 gallons

MPG 49.85

I am logging stuff on fuelly so...
 
Top