Real World MPG - 6 speed Manual

I'm between 42-43 mpg right now... Car presently has 25,000 miles on the clock... Can't wait 'til winter fuel gone... I've been averaging >44 mpg w/ normal fuel. Car drives strong as ever... Can't wait 'til I get rid of the Han-Chokes and slip on some Michelins.

Just pulled a 51 mpg tank this week ! The warm weather no doubt helped but I also was driving carefully ! Can't wait those what this car can do this spring when the winter fuel is gone !

38 this past tank, a little more stop and go traffic than usual and some really cold weather (Well, compared to what I had been driving in.

AWD9590 said:

I have a little more than 4K miles of 60% highway,30% semi-rural, and 10% city driving on my SE / MT and I am averaging 43.2, hand calculated vs. 44.1 according to the MFI. I have just elected to coast in gear when possible, as opposed to coasting in nuetral as I had been. I expect to see improved MPG from this method as explained in the next paragraph.

I have read on here on TDIClub that coasting in gear causes the engine to stop pumping fuel into the cylinders under certain conditions. I believe this to be true as my MFI displays 200 MPG when coasting in nuetral above a certain - yet to be determined, by me - speed, however I notice my MFI displays --.- when coasting in gear at speed. I assume that this is because there is no fuel being burned, thus this essential variable is missing from the equation, hence the MFI can't calculate MPG and displays --.-. I believe that this is similar to when idling, and stopped. In the second example the MFI also displays --.- because there is no speedometer input which is essential to the real time MPG calculation.

So .. I think that the accumulated time of caosting in gear, as opposed to idling in gear should add up over time, and result in noticeably improved MPG.

I will advise of my reults soon.

Sincerely,

Your resident Nempi-maniac

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Coasting in gear will use more fuel than coasting in neutral because it reduces your momentum - you should only coast in gear when you intend go decelerate.

For more info see the sticky thread by "Vekke" in the fuel economy forum. That thread also contains several videos detailing the differences between the two techniques.

Also, the MPG display maxes out at 200 MPG... Coasting in neutral at 60 MPH is way more than 200 MPG.

VeeDubTDI

Thanks for the info. I will check out the link.

VeeDubTDI said:

Coasting in gear will use more fuel than coasting in neutral because it reduces your momentum - you should only coast in gear when you intend go decelerate.

For more info see the sticky thread by "Vekke" in the fuel economy forum. That thread also contains several videos detailing the differences between the two techniques.

Also, the MPG display maxes out at 200 MPG... Coasting in neutral at 60 MPH is way more than 200 MPG.

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I live in very hilly country and coasting in gear improves my MPG's, it is also a lot easier on brakes. I have tried both. People need to experiment in their regions to determine which is best for them, one size does not fit all!

If you disregard the speed limit in your hilly area, coasting in neutral, gaining speed downhill, and letting the momentum carry you up the next hill would get you the best MPG. However, wide fluctuations in speed are not practical or safe in most driving situations.

VeeDubTDI said:

If you disregard the speed limit in your hilly area, coasting in neutral, gaining speed downhill, and letting the momentum carry you up the next hill would get you the best MPG. However, wide fluctuations in speed are not practical or safe in most driving situations.

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Not practical and safe at all, especially with the curves and high deer/elk population. The speed limit is 55 MPH so freewheeling up to 80+ is not safe. Coasting in gear, in my region (which includes 6%, 2 mile grades) improves my MPG, safety and brake life.

Your results may vary, but to say without a doubt coasting out of gear always improves MPG isn't true because it isn't always feasible. My numbers back this up.

Could shift the speed range down so instead of 55mph-80, 35-60. Slow to 35 or 40 uphill and speed back up to 55-60 down. Similar fuel savings over maintaining the same 55mph speed. Still may not be practical with traffic behind you.

APT said:

Could shift the speed range down so instead of 55mph-80, 35-60. Slow to 35 or 40 uphill and speed back up to 55-60 down. Similar fuel savings over maintaining the same 55mph speed. Still may not be practical with traffic behind you.

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I do include these techniques when feasable, generally not quite so slow, but 45 at the top of the 6%er. Part of my reluctance to out of gear coast comes from operating my T-800 KW, out of gear coasting in it will result in death and destruction.

~39MPG with ours so far (1k miles). Mostly rural driving with about 60 highway miles (~80mph).

Softrockrenegade said:

Just pulled a 51 mpg tank this week ! The warm weather no doubt helped but I also was driving carefully ! Can't wait those what this car can do this spring when the winter fuel is gone !

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same thoughts here although I'm averaging 42/43 ish so far with the cold winter here in NJ. Also, my commute to work is very hilly (bound brook to warren on local roads), so I can hit a max of 35mpg on to way to work, but easily hit 55mpg on the way back home since most of the slopes are rolled in neutral
also, have snow tires (ws70), that a mile or two right there

First fill after topping off the dealers fill resulted in 44MPG. I am very happy. This tank included freeway speed and my normal commute that has averaged 48+MPG in the jetta.

Considering this is on winter fuel, a week of 20 degree weather and a brand new engine I couldn't be more pleased! What a car!

psd1 said:

First fill after topping off the dealers fill resulted in 44MPG. I am very happy. This tank included freeway speed and my normal commute that has averaged 48+MPG in the jetta.

Considering this is on winter fuel, a week of 20 degree weather and a brand new engine I couldn't be more pleased! What a car!

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Funny ,i was thinking about same thing when i pick up my car .

LA/Orange County freeway driving in commute hours so more like city driving on the first half full dealer tank was 34 mpg, second tank was 35 mpg, and the third tank which I am almost done with has been averaging 36.4. I don't think I will hit 40+ until I go on a non commuting hour freeway trip.

Second tank 44.7 MPG.

Last tank 46.9 MPG.

3k miles on mine now. 41.2mpg (hand calculated)

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May 8, 2012 | 2012 MaroonPassat

Couple sets fuel efficiency record in Passat TDI
John and Helen Taylor love to drive, but hate to refuel. Then again, they are the world’s most fuel-efficient couple, so that should come as no surprise. When the Taylors learned that the world record for most miles covered on a single tank of diesel was 1526.6 miles—set in a Volkswagen Passat 1.6 BlueMotion diesel, by the way—they knew that they had to try to break it. On May 5, they did just that in a stock 2012 Volkswagen Passat SE TDI Clean Diesel equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.

Over the course of three days, the couple drove 1626.1 miles from Houston, Texas to Sterling, Virginia, all on a single tank of diesel fuel. According to our calculator, that’s an unbelievable 84.1 miles per gallon, breaking the old record by almost 100 miles. To try to make the drive as realistic as possible, the Taylors drove during the day and carried 120 pounds of luggage. To best enjoy the road, they never drove more than 14 hours a day and took turns behind the wheel.

World records are serious business. The Taylors should know: they’ve collected 89 fuel economy and vehicle-related records in all. To ensure that everything was official, the speedometer and odometer were calibrated by a state-certified testing station in Houston prior to the drive. Houston law enforcement officers oversaw validation of mileage, fuel fill-up, and fuel tank sealing, as well. In Virginia, a Loudoun County sheriff's deputy verified completion of the drive and mileage prior to removing the fuel tank seal.

The Taylors set their latest record in a Volkswagen Passat TDI, which gets an EPA-estimated fuel economy rating of 43 mpg on the highway. TDI Clean Diesel technology is a key component of Think Blue, the philosophy behind Volkswagen’s holistic approach to achieving sustainable mobility through fuel-efficient, high-performing vehicles and advanced technologies. What’s more, the Passat is built in our LEED Platinum facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee, another testament to the way we Think Blue.


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Old news.

What do you guys do to ensure consistency in fill ups? That stupid misfuel flap makes it impossible to visually top it off. Just got car, haven't removed the thing yet nor will I for a while so dealer doesn't give me flak. I have considered something like a small funnel.
http://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-32027-Funnel-King-Auto/dp/B007RXBSVS

It can be done it just takes some time. Fill to the brim.

623 miles, 12.8 Gallons = 48.7 MPG. 2600 miles on car.

I am a new owner of a 2013 Passat 6 speed. I already feel that 800 mile fill ups will be a norm. I am still on my first tank, so time will tell.

Since I've owned mine through a winter, I can say fuel mileage really drops in cold weather. I see close to 20% reduction between 20 deg fahrenhiet and 60 deg fahrenheit ambient. I was, in late summer and fall, averaging solid 48mpg average with city:highway mix 40:60 with over 8000mi at the time. I must admit that achieving those numbers was an exercise in judicious driving though - very little racing. I did achieve 62mpg once over a 40mi trip when I got every traffic light, it was actually amazing to me since I suspected that 60mpg was simply impossible despite what The Taylors claim.

My mileage took a jump on my last tank is it possible winter blend is gone in southern California?

dst5 said:

My mileage took a jump on my last tank is it possible winter blend is gone in southern California?

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More than likely not quite yet, but they may be cutting it less. My guess is that it is the warmer temps giving you better MPG's. What kinds of gains are you seeing?

From 42mpg to 45mpg a 7% jump

dst5 said:

From 42mpg to 45mpg a 7% jump

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We need to know what your overall average is to be able to make a better determination on what the increase means.

In the State one up from yours (Oregon), our fuel is winterized from Oct 15th to April 15th.

This is my first winter with my '12 TDI Passat. I am seeing that the fuel economy with this car is much more correlated to air temps than my '02 TDI Golf. If you look at my fuelly graphs, my MPG's very closely correlate to air temps. The dip to 44.1 mpg, which is my worse tank so far, happened when we had the temps in the single digits.