Beetle TDI Real World MPG

RedBug

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2013
Location
New Hampshire USA
TDI
2014 Beetle Convertible - sold back
In My Miata I get 34 on the highway with the top up, 29 with the top down. Drag makes a huge bit of difference in a convertible. A freinds Mustang convertible also sees a similar sizeable drop.
My Miata used to get 32 but dropped to 30. I noticed a 2mpg drop when ethanol started being added to the fuel. (Almost always drive it with the top down...)
With the bug, the MX-5 is now a true garage queen....
 

yogibearal

Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Location
Seattle
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI Coupe DSG Nav/Sound
2014 Beetle TDI Coupe DSG Nav/Sound. first tank 39.8, currently on Second tank just over 40+. Should get better but currently breaking it in so varying speed etc... to get everything seated.

 

themtwolf

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2014
Location
Virginia
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI
Still on first tank, so far the average is over 42 but I still have to wait till I do a fillup to calculate for sure. I traded a 09 TDI SW DSG for a new Beetle TDI DSG and noticed the RPM's are running lower in 6th than before at the same speeds. I am hoping to get better fuel economy than the SW. I had a lot of fun in the SW and generally drove it easy but was not impressed with the fuel economy. It just never broke 42 consistently and since the timing belt was done it dropped to 37-38 which I did not understand at all. The SW needed quite a few things in the near future - normal stuff - struts, brakes, ball joints and the panoramic roof made so much noise I was tempted to smash it out for an insurance claim. I cannot complain too much 107K no brakes ever done, no battery, only oil changes, trans service and fuel.
I started looking at the Beetle and fell in love with it. I had the wagon because I used to use it to transport stuff but I don't do that anymore and wanted a smaller car.
I am so happy I got the Beetle. It is the first brand new car I have bought in 20 years. As for the manual v. DSG, I agree manual can get better fuel economy but conservative operation of a DSG can do well too. I do think the manuals are geared better for fuel economy though. I am really interested to see how good the fuel economy will get. I also do not have the commute I had but travel every day on the highway 25 miles each way to work.
 

autdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Location
Alabama
TDI
2000 NB, 2003 NB, 2006 Touareg, 2015 Jetta, 2013 Beetle, 2013 Touareg
First tank, 591 miles, 500 highway 55-65-70 PA turnpike and OH turnpike construction fun, 91 city, 90% with A/C on.
Manual hardtop
12.935 gal fill up, 45.69MPG
Took delivery at 18 miles and reading full, trip odo of 591 from a 0 at delivery.
Pulling into the driveway at home after the 525 mile pickup drive, computer was saying 50.4MPG, but don't know how full "full" was at the dealer. The few in town times I've driven it (wife's car), it was showing 43-44. With a known fill now, I'll have a more reliable second set of numbers.
 
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grawk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Oak Ridge, TN
TDI
'14 JSW TDI (used)
I have averaged right at 35mpg for the first couple thousand miles. I drive it like I stole it most of the time.
 

bugsterbrew

New member
Joined
Aug 13, 2014
Location
Solomons, MD
TDI
2014 Beetle Convertible
Av. Consumption 2 vs. Actual MPG

I own a 2014 Beetle TDI Convertible. Went for the TDI back in March because I've planned on a high mileage situation, and just passed 12,500 miles today. I wanted to offer my thoughts on the mileage after four and a half months of ownership.

I reset the mpg tracker on the instrument cluster after each fill up and back it up with tracking the mileage myself.

I have averaged 37.5 mpg actual over the 12,000 miles with ranges from 35.1 to 41.0. My "city" driving is only about 20% of my mileage with a 20 mile round-trip stop and go traffic on my daily commute. The rest of my mileage is long stretches of country road (where I'm +10 on the speed limit) with occasional stoplights and highway. I don't really gun it off the line unless I'm on a highway onramp. With the weather as nice as it's been in the DC area for most of the summer, I've had the top down for probably 40% of the total miles.

**I wanted to note that over the "actual" 37.5 mpg average, the vehicle computer has displayed an average of 39.7 mpg (Av. consumption 2), with variations of 0.6 mpg to 3.1 mpg per tank over the actual gas mileage. While I continue to pay attention to it to assist in my driving habits, it's definitely not accurate.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the car, and glad to be averaging over the EPA estimate of 37mpg highway.
 
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maybe368

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2014
Location
Phoenix
TDI
Happily none
2014 Beetle TDI real world CR fuel mileage

I went on a 14 day, 2400 mile road trip through Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and California. I was on mostly secondary roads, with a few freeways in short stretches and the speed limits varied from a high of 80 MPH in Utah and Idaho to 65 MPH in Oregon. I mostly went 2 or 3 miles an hour over the limit and got as good as 48.9 MPG. The car keeps a running, overall average MPG and it was 34.1 in the first 1600 miles, all city. It is now 43.3, so she is beating the EPA estimates. I did not have any problems and it did not use 1 drop of oil, overall very excellent performance...Mark
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
About 17k on the clock and my wife is driving back up from SoFlo. She putzed around town where our house is and got about 57mpg (on the MFI). Mind you it is mostly long stretches of 40 mph with little to slow you down. The drive down from Nashville area was 49mpg avg I think. And so far the trip back is around 52mpg avg.

I'll do the pen and paper to verify when she gets back, but it looks like we are beating EPA by large margin.

Jason
 

Arturo

Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2014
Location
Redding CA
TDI
2014 Beetle Convertible TDI
2014 Beetle Convertible Auromatic

Picked her up at the dealer yesterday when she had 40 mi on the Odo plus 160 miles home on the Freeway varying the speed between 55-75 the some breaking-in joy riding today through the hills and over the dales average speed 53 mph total miles now 396 mpg readout says 39.7.
 

grawk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 12, 2012
Location
Oak Ridge, TN
TDI
'14 JSW TDI (used)
I commute 120 miles a day round trip on back roads. I have a heavy right foot, and average 33-35mpg (calculated, not reported) per tank.
 

autdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2004
Location
Alabama
TDI
2000 NB, 2003 NB, 2006 Touareg, 2015 Jetta, 2013 Beetle, 2013 Touareg
Last tank was 100% local stop and go driving, a/c on hardtop manual. 468 miles, 12.1gal 38.6MPG. It's lower than the 00 and 03, but gets the wife out of the 06, which averages out at 22-23MPG, so still a win.
 

79_Limited

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
2003 Jetta
2013 DSG Coupe. 19,000 miles.

36 mpg in mixed driving. 32 city/41 best highway. I also tow the occasional motorcycle trailer and I get 36 mpg on the highway.
 

Big Poppa Pump

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
Location
Brunswick, MD
TDI
2013 Beetle TDI
2013 DSG Coupe. 16,500 miles. 36.8 mpg in mixed driving. 42 was the best highway. I do cringe when my wife fires it up to take the 4 block drive to the gym though. Especially when its 18 degrees out. I try and get her to take the Passat 1.8T when I can for such a short trip. I also use Opti-lube XPD additive.
 

06bluebeetletdi

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Location
Middlesex, NC
TDI
'14 Passat TDI SEL and '13 Beetle TDI
'13 TDI coupe with DSG, bought 10/4/14 @9688, now has 15,830... Averages 39.1 mpg, best 40.6 worst 37.1. I live 1.5 miles & 1 stop sign from the highway, then 30 miles @ 70, work 1.5 miles from highway with 2 red lights.
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
Wife just got back from an adventure to Florida and she kept txt me her avg MPG 51, 53.5… she actually complained about only getting just over 700 miles out of a tank.

BTW don't forget your keys if you have a push button start car. I had to make a 6 hour round trip to take my wife her keys because neither of us were thinking first thing in the morning.

Jason


Sent from my iPhone
 

jerryn63

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Location
Swansea, MA
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI
I'll post images from my dashboard soon. If I run Premium Diesel (cetane rating of 47 or better) I get 53 - 56mpg. My best mpg so far is 56mpg. That's country winding roads @50mph.

My commute to work with premium diesel which is part 195/95 and back roads I get 47mpg.
If I'm in a bind and stuck filling with Mobil Diesel (cetane of @43) I get 42mpg.

This is spring/summer fuel.
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
I've been able to coax 53-58mpg out of what ever is available (usually Murphy's). It definitely has gotten better the last few thousand miles.

Jason
 

Bulldogger

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Location
NY
TDI
2012 Golf killed by the dealer. 2014 Beetle given as replacement
On our trip down to Florida, we averaged 46.9 miles to the gallon. There were bursts of speeds over 75 and some stop and go traffic due to construction. Not to mention the one hour it took us to go 4 miles on the Cross Bronx to get to the George Washington Bridge. On the way home, we stopped in Virginia and filled up with B15. We maintained speeds of between 60 and 65 due to construction. We then ran 325.2 miles and took 5.9 gallons at the last stop in New Jersey. The average for that tank of fuel is 55 mpg. I have a 2014 Beetle, 6 speed manual with a Malone Stage 2 Tune.
 

jerryn63

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Location
Swansea, MA
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI
can you send me info for the Malone tune ?

Can you send me info for the Malone ?


I am really liking the TDI right now.
Road trips happen a lot more often.
 

Bulldogger

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2011
Location
NY
TDI
2012 Golf killed by the dealer. 2014 Beetle given as replacement
Can you send me info for the Malone ?


I am really liking the TDI right now.
Road trips happen a lot more often.
That's exactly why we got the diesel, parents are in their 80's so we commute back and forth a lot. At the current price of diesel it was $54.00 in fuel one way the and that was starting the trip with 3/4's of a tank.

http://malonetuning.com/

You can also contact Les at GDM
http://www.germandieselmotorwerks.com/

Several other vendors use Malone tuning so you can contact someone close to you or go to Malone directly.
 

jerryn63

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 17, 2012
Location
Swansea, MA
TDI
2014 Beetle TDI
real world mpg 2014 beetle tdi premium edition

it all depends on road conditions, fuel. mileage of road trip, tire inflation ,etc.

My commute to work 18 miles each way.. 40% moderate traffic, 20% heavy traffic, 40% light traffic - 43mpg

My commute from work to home 18 miles each way 30% moderate traffic, 40% heavy traffic, 30% light traffic - 41mpg

Road Trip - 4th of July week.. with the mrs. 560 miles - Cape Cod, 4 days driving around.. etc. 56mpg

Road Trip Columbus Day weekend. 237 miles Bartlet NH 62mpg
driving around White Mountains 300 miles up and down mountains 54mpg
Ride back home by Lake Winnapasake (eat supper there) 61mpg


MPG/Performance is great.. hopefully VW doesen't screw it up. :cool:
 

hip001

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Location
Gainesville, Georgia
TDI
2015 Golf Sportwagen TDI SEL dsg
Sounds like the 6speed manual hard top is the way to go for mpg. but finding one is the hard part seems like :confused:
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
So a little update on MPG as my commute has changed DRASTICALLY. Used to be 1:20 drive with most being interstate. Now is 20 minutes all in town on main roads. Used to be able to hit 54-58 mpg regularly. In the last 5 months of the new commute I've hit 50mpg maybe twice, but more often hit 38-41 mpg.

23O6 update was done a while before my commute changed. I have noticed more frequent regens, and car is jerky when its doing a regen.

Last weekend I hit 50.8 mpg going to work on Saturday when there was almost no traffic. The drive home was about 36 mpg with all the shoppers out clogging the roads. I've also noticed a much larger drop in MPG with cold temperatures (below 45F) than before.

And an update for 2016 - SE is DSG standard, optional manual, SEL is manual standard, optional DSG.

Jason
 

GTOguy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Location
Oklahoma
TDI
'13 Beetle TDI 6spd, Rawtek/Malone 2.0 Eco
The 2306 update noticeably hurt my wife's in town fuel mileage. I wish I had refused the update but I guess it doesn't matter anymore.
 

SilverGhost

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Back in So Flo - St Lucie
TDI
'05 Golf - totaled :(, wife's '13 Beetle - buy back, TDIless
The 2306 update noticeably hurt my wife's in town fuel mileage. I wish I had refused the update but I guess it doesn't matter anymore.
I think this is the big one. I didn't have any change in mileage when driving 60 some miles down the interstate every day. But change that to 10 miles of city traffic and the drop is drastic.

Jason
 

GIDDY_UP_GO

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Location
Indiana
TDI
10 Jetta 13 Beetle Convertible 15 GSW
2013 TDI Beetle Convertible with DSG tranny. Usually get 36-38mpg on average and that is going by the miles driven divided by gallons at the pump. I never trust the dash.

Doesn't matter to me though, I am very happy to own a TDI convertible! I had always dreamed about converting my own about 15 years ago before the became a thing. I was going to take an ALH TDI engine and swap in into a convertible Beetle back in the day, but alas, VW finally came to their senses and did it for me!
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
Wow

Not much action on this forum.
Do you people still have these cars?
 

Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
I still do but not much traffic here. Seems the Beetle tdi's are near dead. I like mine but it doesn't get the greatest fuel economy. About 35 mpg according to my fuelly page.

http://www.fuelly.com/dashboard/

Probably wouldn't even be up that far if it wasn't for a few highway trips from Austin to
Wichita for funerals. 32 or 33 before those. Best has been 41, but most of that was at 80 mph or so.
 
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