Real Passat TDI fuel mileage?

DriverFoundNC

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2004
Location
Cary, NC
TDI
2010 JSW in Salsa Red; 2005 Golf in Indigo Blue
Chatted with a fellow TDI Passat driver at a gas station off I-95 in Virginia on Tuesday. He claims 44-45 mpg below 75 mph; best I can get to show on my MFI is about 42 (40 actual) and that's below 65 mph. 75-80 mph and I drop to 37-39 mpg actual.

What do you guys show/actual ?
 

2nd_tdi_4me

Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Location
Kansas, USA
TDI
Passat GLS TDI, 2005, Stonehenge Gray/Anthracite leaterette
I've got a 2005 Passat GLS TDI w/ the 17" wheels. I drive 27 miles each way to work (25 miles highway, 2 miles "stop-n-go"). I've been averaging right around 33-34 MPG (fully-vented, manually calculated), with the computer showing 34-35.
 

houstondriver

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
Passat 05 TDI
I have the 16" wheels and can show a trip mileage on the MFI of 42 on the highway, sometimes slightly more. Often, the highway trip value is just under 40 if there is more stop and go traffic. Keep in mind that is virtually all on ramp to off ramp driving with very little before and after.

If you are talking the mileage I average per tank, that is only about 34 or 35 since I apparently have a lot of city driving. I drive at least 75% or 80% highway, and generally get around 25 mpg in city driving, so I guess its reasonable.

I calculated the actual mileage manually a couple times and it wasn't quite as optimistic, but stopped since it doesn't change the amount of fuel I use.
 

tomo366

TDI Lifer, Member #68
Joined
Jun 30, 1997
Location
Kensington, Maryland USA
TDI
2015 Jetta SEL TDI
80% of my driving is city and I average 24-27 MPG on the Highway it is a little more Mixed is 33-35 and pure Highway is around 40.
I think the guy you met is very optimistic or he has a 96-97 Passat TDI
 

abctdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
36 average combined calculated...low to mid 40s best highway at 75-80 mph on the MFI. Wind conditions can affect it though.
 

Btravelen

Veteran Member
Joined
May 27, 2004
Location
midwest USA
TDI
2005 TDI Passat Variant
Fuel mileage claims are a funny thing. Some folks feel the need to inflate them for some reason. A properly tuned engine and properly inflated tires will give you the best potential mileage. From there it's up to driving style, how loaded (weight) the vehicle is, electrical accessory and A/C usage....

Real fuel mileage is distance travelled divided by fuel required, filled to the same fuel level each time.
 

samspock

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 18, 2004
Location
Arnold, MD
TDI
Passat, 2005, Shadow Blue
Mine typically shows 40-42 on my daily 40 mile commute. I did have it jump up to and stay near 46 the day after I got the fuel pump recal done. I thought I had gotten a magic fule pump installed! It went back to normal the next day


Calculating at fill up usually shows that I am getting around 36 for the whole tank.

The only people I use the 40mpg number on are SUV drivers and other fuel wasters.
 

abctdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
80% of my driving is city and I average 24-27 MPG on the Highway it is a little more Mixed is 33-35 and pure Highway is around 40.
I think the guy you met is very optimistic or he has a 96-97 Passat TDI
Perfect candidate for a hybrid...
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
80% highway. Real world (70 mph, bad roads, some rush hour traffic) is 37 mpg summer, 35 mpg winter.

I can see 42 mpg in pure highway, 70 mph, good roads.

With wind and hills, YMMV
 

F1Rocks

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Location
Maple Grove, MN
TDI
2005 Passat Black/Anthracite
75 miles one way to work (90% highway(80MPH). Bought it on January 1. Have 11,000 miles to date.

35-36 in Winter
38-40 in Summer
Best I've seen on a tankful is 41.2 for 700 miles. Driving like a sissy though. I'll never do that again. The wind conditions definitely affect these numbers. Yesterday, going into a headwind I was at 34 when I changed direction, it immediately went to 40.

I use either Stanadyne or Primrose. Till I get the Primrose used up
 

NHTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2000
Location
Danville, NH
TDI
14 BMW 328D Xdrive
I can regularly get 42-43mpg indicated on long 400mile highway trips. Speeds 70mph and less, taking advantage of long downhill stretches.
 

jimoilrell

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2004
Location
Kingsville, MD
TDI
2004 Passat TDI Variant Reflex Silver, 2005 Passat TDI Variant United Grey
Last week I got 74 MPG and caught a 61 pound smallmouth bass on 4 pound test line.
 

Thunderstruck

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Location
Chicago
TDI
2015 GTI SE 6M
I got mine last night, and was rolling down a hill with the instantaneous read out on, and it said I was getting 196 MPG! The other half of the hill was a real buzz kill however.
 

abctdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Location
ABQ, NM, USA
TDI
2005 Passat GLS
Yeah, that instant read out is almost useless, unless you are on a perfectly flat stretch of highway...even then it samples to quickly.
 

NHTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2000
Location
Danville, NH
TDI
14 BMW 328D Xdrive
Even though the readout is "optimistic" on mpg it provides good economy driver training in either avg or instantanous
mode. More cars should be equipped with these readouts.
The driver can see a powerful launch from a stop yields say 12mpg vs a conservative start may yield a much higher number. Also cruising on the highway at a steady speed shows the effect of coasting downhill displaying +100mpg vs climbing the hill getting 34mpg. It can be an interesting tool to help alter your driving to improve your economy numbres if so desired.
 

Thunderstruck

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Location
Chicago
TDI
2015 GTI SE 6M
The only downside, at least for me since the car is new, is it may tend to emphasize driving techniques that won't lead to optimum break in. I'm going to drive it like I stole it as has been said so many times before. If mileage suffers, it suffers.
The average read out shows how mileage decreases when the car isn't moving. That should point out how much is wasted by getting stuck in rush hour to people.
 

F1Rocks

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2005
Location
Maple Grove, MN
TDI
2005 Passat Black/Anthracite
More cars should be equipped with these readouts.
Most US cars have been equipped with these for years. My first was a 90 Cadillac almost every Chrysler I had from 93-2002 was equipped with the instantaneous readout. They are about as accurate as the VW.

Funny how your perspective changes, with our minivan I thought 25 mpg instantaneous looked pretty good, now if it falls below 35 in the TDI, I'm disappointed. I had a 5.9L Grand Cherokee for a while, that was a real killjoy at 9-13 MPG. And it took premium fuel.
 

houstondriver

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Location
Houston, TX
TDI
Passat 05 TDI
Just made a new personal low in mpg on my TDI. On my five mile trip on flat city streets this morning I averaged just over 15 mpg on the trip computer.
 

hsjrev

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Location
memphis, TN
TDI
'05 Passat wagon
My '84 Chrysler Laser XE had a very accurate trip/fuel computer. Too bad almost nothing else on the car worked properly. It also had a voice alert system that would warn me of dangers like low coolant level, low oil pressure, etc. The voice sounded just like James Earl Jones/Darth Vader so it made low washer fluid or a door ajar sound like impending doom.
I like the VW system with the trip odometer displayed along with the odometer on the speedo and the temp constantly displayed on the trip/mileage computer along with whatever else you've got selected. Lots of info at once.
 

jimlockey

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Location
Mesquite, Texas
TDI
14 TDI Jetta & 09 TDI Sportwagen
05 Passat TDI sedan with auto trans & 17" wheels.
Carry 42 PSI in front tires & 41 PSI in back tires.
I have 11,500 miles. Last weekend I added up all my averages resulting in a 32.5 overall average.
Best highway miles is 38 MPG
Worst city is 27 MPG.

Last weekend we took a trip from Dallas to San Antonio and back. I held the car at 2000 RPM's or about 67 MPH. We drove a total of 70 miles while we were there. Most were expressway from 65 to 75 MPH. We got back to Dallas for a total of 546.5 total miles. I put in 14.084 Gals Our average was 36.7 MPG. The trip computer showed 41.1 MPG.

Unless you guys with the high MPG are driving a steady 45 mph I find it impossible to believe your figures.

We had a 2000 New Beetle and my average mpg was 35 mph. We are on our second diesel truck and no eye popping MPG's there either.
 

jimlockey

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Location
Mesquite, Texas
TDI
14 TDI Jetta & 09 TDI Sportwagen
I picked up the wrong figures. I tried to do it by memory and didn't recheck the math. The miles are 546.5 but the gallons should have been 14.984 for 36.47 MPG. Sorry about that. Actually my wife did the math, I should know better than relying on memory and I should always do the math before I submit the figures.

I would have welcomed a math error to get the extra MPG LOL
 

NHTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2000
Location
Danville, NH
TDI
14 BMW 328D Xdrive
RE:JimLockey
Mileage numbers can vary alot b/c of several factors.
Just because you get 37mpg doesn't make us story tellers, or driving at 45mph.
One factor is I have 26K miles, yours is around 11k, still breaking in possibly. After you do another oil change (20K) mileage may improve.
Another factor is fuel. I've noticed my car gets slightly
better mileage with B10 or B20 in tank.

Fuel additives can help- try Stanadyne.

Timing: Could TDI motors have small differences in timing?

Driving style: My highway speeds are usually a steady 70mph.Just flowing with the traffic around me.
I take advantage of long downhills by taking foot off throttle. The mileage readout shows a couple tenths gained in avg. mpg for each long downhill section.
Recently went from NH down to CT and back. The trip readout was about 435mi, 43.3mpg and fuel gauge was at 1/2 tank mark! I haven't filled up the tank yet, when I do I'll calculate the mileage.

Just noticed you have 17" wheels. That will make a difference. Your spinning a heavier rim and probably have a wider tire also. That combination will yield less mpg.
I'm running the stock 15" alum. and 195/65-15 continental mileage tire.
 

schipperke

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2004
Location
Potomac, MD
TDI
Passat, 2004, Grey
04 Passat Wagon, we average about 33. On the highway I get about 38, even though once the display showed 44 average.
The hardest part with any of this math is the accuracy of each fill up. Unless you fill up seeing the fuel in the neck without the froth, I could imagine as much as a gallon discrepancy between fills. When my wife fills the car we average about 70 less miles to the fuel warning, so even if you are very careful it could be deceiving
 

jimlockey

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 17, 2003
Location
Mesquite, Texas
TDI
14 TDI Jetta & 09 TDI Sportwagen
The Passat is not the only TDI I've owned. Had a 02 NB TDI, with auto trans and have driven two diesel trucks all over the US pulling a 5th wheel for the past ten years. My overall mileage for the NB was 35 MPG. By the way, the 17" wheels on the 05 Passat are also stock. I would rather have 17" tires with all the chug holes on US highways now.
 

NHTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2000
Location
Danville, NH
TDI
14 BMW 328D Xdrive
I realize 17"s are stock. The fact is they are heavier and the tires are wider both factors will lower mpg.

Last tank 613.7mi, 14.72gal, 41.69mpg. Car could have hit 720mi on the last tank, but decided to fill early.
Vented, filled to top of neck.
 

TDI914

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2001
Location
Southwest Virginia
TDI
03 Jetta Platinum Grey 5sp/ Monterey
I always got 850-875 on each tank of fuel in my 97 TDI Passat 5sp. The most I had seen was 918 miles on one tank of fuel, but that was too scarry!
I sold it at the 249K mile mark and got a 03 Jetta TDI 5spd. It gets even better mileage.

I will be leaving Tuesday on a 3,600 mile trip. I will be loaded for two (the wife and self). I should get better mileage on the way west, but will get worse mileage on the way back. (too many outlet malls)


I will keep good records and let you know the results.

03 Jetta TDI 5spd, Vented, Platinum Grey, Montereys
02 Montana (hers)
74 914 Porsche (sold)
 

tdisedanman

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Location
So Florida
TDI
Ex 2005 Passat, TDI and ex 2005.5 Jetta TDI
I drive about 66 miles daily combined city / hwy. My Passat has about 1400 miles on it and I seem to be averaging 30 MPG. I jst purchase new Jetta TDI as my second car and can't wait to see what it gets. I'll bet about 38 or 40 avg with the 6 speed DSG trans.
 

CarlUman

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2003
Location
SE Iowa
TDI
13 Touareg
Last week I got 74 MPG and caught a 61 pound smallmouth bass on 4 pound test line.
LOL


My best so far @ 10k miles is a little over 38mpg hand calced and vented. I think at ~60 miles an hour I could get at or a little over 40mpg. Most tanks are around 36 on my 80 mile a day round trip to work. Yes, wind direction makes a big differance (maybe as much 5 mpg... head vs rear... +- 2.5 mpg).
 
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