A5 Jetta M5, whose top MPG dawg?

I'm looking for the top dawg with an A-5 Jetta and a manual 5 speed for Miles per Gallon.

You should have at least 600 miles on a tank of fuel, two consecutive big MPG tankfuls, to eliminate short fillups, and describe your driving speed, style, and percentage of highway cruising to city traffic MPG. Also interested in the number of cold start ups you had per tankful, tire brand you are running, and geographically where you are filling up. Some areas have hot fuel, other areas have doggy fuel for MPG's.

Post your results like this:


Driver:
Miles:
Gallons:
Model Year:
Model:
Tranny:
Fuel type:


Thanks and good luck, all of us can learn from the Masters of MPG.

Pretty much the guys in the 800 mpt club thread. They are all the postings I have seen where anyone was getting higher mpg's than normal EPA.

Audi, I don't see a lot of A5 posting in the mileage competition. So I would guess you wont get a big response here either.
Right now with 14300 miles on the odometer, past 4 tanks have been better than 52 MPG each. My life time average is over 48 MPG. I consistently make 700 plus a tank with two 800 plus tanks. But as you know I cheat because I use Biodiesel (5% +-). I Usually put .75 gallons in a fill.
Best tank was 54.863 with 818 miles.
IIRC Lightfyer was the first to post a 800 plus tank.
Most of my miles are commuting 60-70% high way. Every time I take a long trip I get crappy mileage in comparison to my week commute.

With consistent 700 mile tanks, what is your driving style:

What is hwy/cty mix
hwy speed?

I feel good about getting 550 miles out of a tank, but then I do about 40% city, and cruise the highway at 75+

Making a 1200 mile trip down to Texas this weekend... we're going to be going fast but I'll post what we get.

I saw 55 mpg on a short tank (~7 gal) not too long ago, but it was going 65 mph following (drafting) a bus.

abarns said:

I saw 55 mpg on a short tank (~7 gal) not too long ago, but it was going 65 mph following (drafting) a bus.

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I made a recent trip to PA and on one tank I tried drafting and was indicating on the MFD a MPG of 54 to 59 at 70 to 75 mph. I have used the VAG-COM to correct the MFD so it is pretty close. I did not even have to draft that close to see savings. About 5 to 6 car lengths was enough to see results. I quit because I worried about how much road dust, sand and rocks my front end was eating. But I suspect with proper drafting one could see a 900 or a 1000 mile tank. That is if you were not worried about the finish on your car.

Yea, I wasn't too close, but then again I don't think you really have to be... I'd imagine a bus will move quite a bit of air and just having the air in front of you disturbed, much less pulled along, should help. Oh yea, there was a 5-15 mph tailwind most of the way too

Driver: Fixer
Miles: 863/ 809
Gallons: 14.843 / 14.766
MPG: 58.14 / 54.78
Model Year: 2005.5 ~25,000 miles
Model: Jetta V
Tranny: 5M
Fuel type: D2
Tires: Conti 43psi (max 51psi)
Oil: Castrol 505.01

Best mileage for me is when my travels include long highway trips, steady speed 55-62 (true speed), lots of cruise control, no A/C. 700 mile tanks are very easy its just a matter of keeping my speed down. My commute to work is 72 miles roundtrip (90% highway) and I usually get great mileage >50mpg.

It is not me that is for sure, and I like my 17" 225/45 so it never will be. Someone who has a DSG with a 3.00 final drive and ERNIE type driving, somewhere rural and flat, and they could do it. My manual only shows 3.3 or so for the 5sp. I have a 3.33 and I am topped out at 53 mph at 1800 rpm. I am not sure when VW put the 3.00 final drive in with DSG as the one guy I talked to had 3.33 like me and factory 16's.

Ernie style driving is not flat and rural, it's up and down mountains in Utah, Nevada and E Sierra's CA. It's 65 indicated, 62 actual MPH. It's sitting on the max on the torque curve going up hills at around 18 to 1900 rpm on cruise control. It's all about getting rid of as much parasitic drag as possible and maximizing dynamic and kinetic energy.

I see Fixer is the only one that has an entry?

I am not sure what Ernie is doing - I do not think he tells all and I understand that. 72 I think he got this month - with a stock vw . And in the mountains you say. I am not a physicist, but I took a few phyics classes in college. What goes up must come down so if I can climb a grade of lets say 1000 ft over a mile but wind down the other side that same 1000 ft over 2 miles maybe its possible. I still believe that the best milage would come from constant flat land. Elevation plays a role with bar pressure and temperature.

I am going home to visit family in August - I happen to know a real expert on turbos & diesels. He was instrumental with GM in developement in the 1950's. I wittnessed him beating Mach 1 with a Corvair - He built the motor that won the Shell 3000 in the 60's, in a Corvair . Some of his engines held national records for decades - that's not typo - one was in a 55 NOMAD. He was a legend in that time and built the first Rail dragster and did not patent cause he did not want to spend the money, he never thought it would amount to anything I understand, he regretted for many years. He was tinkering with VW diesels in the late 70's and would drive his Rabbit to air shows all over the country. He got his start in the Air Force WWII and was a mechanic working on the turbo charged bombers. He eventyally made his money building engines that fit into the palm of your hand. From what I was told the Japanese were his biggest customers. I think they were called Ken-Dell racing engines for those remote control airplanes. He was a machinest for Parker Hannifin in Elyria, Ohio. He has many accomplishments, I think I will trust what he tells me about turbos, he's my uncle.

Most of my driving is in the city, but a week after I had the car we went from Calgary to Saskatoon and back which is a mostly flat prairie drive.

Details:
Driver: nicemustang
Miles: 824
Gallons: 14.56
MPG: 56.6
Model Year: 06
Model: Jetta Full load
Tranny: DSG
Fuel Type: In Alberta, you only have one choice, regular **** diesel.

I should note that we were driving about 55 - 70 MPH varying speed with a tail wind and hardly no traffic or much passing. But, this was the second tank with it and it had about 600 miles on it when we left.

nicemustang said:

Most of my driving is in the city, but a week after I had the car we went from Calgary to Saskatoon and back which is a mostly flat prairie drive.

Details:
Driver: nicemustang
Miles: 824
Gallons: 14.56
MPG: 56.6
Model Year: 06
Model: Jetta Full load
Tranny: DSG
Fuel Type: In Alberta, you only have one choice, regular **** diesel.

I should note that we were driving about 55 - 70 MPH varying speed with a tail wind and hardly no traffic or much passing. But, this was the second tank with it and it had about 600 miles on it when we left.

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Wow thats excellent - it gives me hope - I think thats the highest for a DSG I have seen - good luck

Audi5000TDI said:

Ernie style driving is not flat and rural, it's up and down mountains in Utah, Nevada and E Sierra's CA. It's 65 indicated, 62 actual MPH. It's sitting on the max on the torque curve going up hills at around 18 to 1900 rpm on cruise control. It's all about getting rid of as much parasitic drag as possible and maximizing dynamic and kinetic energy.

I see Fixer is the only one that has an entry?

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my best tank

Driver: DavidG
Miles:818
Gallons:14.91
Model Year:2006 ( redundant)?
Model: A5 (redundant)?
Tranny: M5
Fuel type:B5
Tires: 40 psi
Oil: Elf 506
MPG:54.86

One tank tells no story. You need to see what a rolling average is or something like that. I could get 60 MPGs if I filled at home and the filled when I got to work. But the pump error would be enormous!
You need to be *very* consistent on how you pump in order for one tank to mean any thing.

Life time
Driver: DavidG
Miles:14336
Gallons:298.758
Fuel type: B2.6
MPG: 47.99

Last 10 tanks
Driver: DavidG
Miles:7503
Gallons:146.374
Fuel type:B3.6
MPG: 51.26

BTW, the file time rolling average is 48.1, I usualy drop the very first tank( who knows).

Any one else?

Good stuff Dave G and Fixer... those are some darn good numbers for MPGs. You folks are cutting edge on those A5's.

Mustang, are those Imperial gallons or US gallons you are pumping there in Canada?

Sorry I was all set to see what we got on our last 3 tanks of fuel. However a fuel stop in Newport,RI over the weekend Hubby forgot to get a receipt and let the foam settle.

I'll try about next month.

I'm going to have to retract my sort-of entry. Had a botched fill-up at a junky station and the wife would have yelled if the needle came off of 80, or if I turend off the A/C... best guess is 40-45 MPG average.

I'm averaging 45-47mpg on pretty much every tank since new (8500mi now). A couple 42's at first and steadily climbing.

Sorry to take this slightly off topic, but I've notice that there seems to be a conflict between the break-in procedure recommended by DrivebyWire (which is probably familiar to all of you) and the kind of driving techniques that lead to the best MPG, even though the DrivebyWire break-in procedure is supposed to improve compression and hence MPG (in the long term). I drive my TDI pretty hard (upshifting at 3500 when warm), frequent applications of power on the highway, etc., and I'm getting about 42 mpg on average after about 3500 miles. I hope I'm not wasting my time!

TDI 4 RD said:

Sorry to take this slightly off topic, but I've notice that there seems to be a conflict between the break-in procedure recommended by DrivebyWire (which is probably familiar to all of you) and the kind of driving techniques that lead to the best MPG,...

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I have followed DrivBiWire's recs from day 1, and now have 26,000 miles. I do not see a conflict. For the health of your motor shift at > 3,000 RPM when warm. The trick to very high mileage, at least for me, is long trips which require few shifts, with steady highway cruising at relatively modest speeds, 55-60 MPH. Frequent shifting reduces your mileage, trying to maintain a constant speed is the key.

TDI 4 RD said:

Sorry to take this slightly off topic, but I've notice that there seems to be a conflict between the break-in procedure recommended by DrivebyWire (which is probably familiar to all of you) and the kind of driving techniques that lead to the best MPG, even though the DrivebyWire break-in procedure is supposed to improve compression and hence MPG (in the long term). I drive my TDI pretty hard (upshifting at 3500 when warm), frequent applications of power on the highway, etc., and I'm getting about 42 mpg on average after about 3500 miles. I hope I'm not wasting my time!

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There is no conflict. The break-in period is a temporary process to wear the new engine properly for long life and performance. Worrying about MPG during this period is not part of this process.

Once the engine is properly broken in, then modify your driving style to maximize MPG.

I'd think that if you are getting 42mpg during this period, you are doing rather well. It seems quite common to see the mpg numbers increase at about 10-20k (etc).

njkayaker said:

There is no conflict. The break-in period is a temporary process to wear the new engine properly for long life and performance. Worrying about MPG during this period is not part of this process.

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All true, except that Drive-by-Wire and others have suggested that the engine should be driven somewhat hard (shifting at +3000, keeping RPMS above 2000)-- not only during the initial 50K break in period, to help seat the rings and increase compression, but over the long term, so as to prevent sludge build up from the EGR. It seems like, in these cars, you have to trade off their maximum MPG capability (which comes from steady cruising at 1800-1900 rpm, in order to avoid having to do a costly clean-out later on.

TDI 4 RD said:

All true, except that Drive-by-Wire and others have suggested that the engine should be driven somewhat hard (shifting at +3000, keeping RPMS above 2000)-- not only during the initial 50K break in period, to help seat the rings and increase compression, but over the long term, so as to prevent sludge build up from the EGR. It seems like, in these cars, you have to trade off their maximum MPG capability (which comes from steady cruising at 1800-1900 rpm, in order to avoid having to do a costly clean-out later on.

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I'm still trying to process the post-break-in period "somewhat hard" driving part (suggested by DBW, etc). The focus of my comment is concerning the break-in period.

While it's clear the suggestion is to shift at 3000RPM (or whatever), you can do that fairly softly. What isn't clear is how often the car needs to be driven that way. If this needs to be done once in a while, it probably won't have a big impact on MPG numbers.

It would seem kind of pointless to buy a car to get the high MPG and have to drive it so you lose so much economy.