If the car is set up right you can see good FE at reasonable speeds. Last Summer I put up 3. 49+ MPG tanks in my Wagon driving to Wisconsin and back, A/C on the entire time, mostly with the cruise set at 78 MPH. I see 47-49 in regular driving, which often includes driving at 80+ on the highway. I have a .700 5th in the car, but it can't make that big a difference.
When my son moved to Wisconsin I drove his Golf out there. He was driving his old truck and had to go 68 MPH to keep it happy. I got 53 MPG on the first tank on that trip. A/C on then, too. Car is bone stock.
I don't know how much of a difference it makes, but bone stock, I got 45mpg on one tank and 47mpg on another, driving this car home from CA (flew out one way to buy it). I also didn't have AC, because the compressor $hit the bed (literally, when we pulled refrigerant and refilled at a friend's shop; it had over 16oz of PAG in it).
Lucky you on the .700 5th. I would've considered that if it were an option to purchase.
I have a sticky in the Fuel Economy section.
I forgot there was/is a FE section. Something else to check out later.
I have two 5sp ALHs in my rotation now. Neither is 100% stock, but neither is what I would call heavily modded either. And they both can vary some depending on ambient temps and how I am driving them. One seems less affected by high speeds, despite the other having a taller ratio transmission in it from a BEW car. But both can tag a 50+ MPG tank fairly easily. I just don't want to drive THAT slow THAT much.
How slow is slow? And MO is still mostly flat where you are, right? I was thinking about it yesterday - the best comparison to Texas Hill County might be the Appalachians in Pennsylvania, but with 55-75mph speed limits, instead of the ridiculously slow CA speed limits they have there (and absurd window tint restrictions).
PK - Auto or manual ? When I had my 5 speed conversion done, I saw an IMMEDIATE increase in FE from 38 to mid 40's - no other changes. Even now, mostly driving in KC , I run about 40-42 with full blown AC, and when I go on a highway run, (speed limits 55-75), I see about the same, maybe a little better. The slower you go, the better the MPG. Usual rule in an ALH is speed+MPG = 120 or so. And my Beetle is certainly modded - RC stage 2 and larger fuel injection nozzles is just the start.
My 2015 Golf (DSG) also performs about the same n the FE dept, although its mods are limited to the Dieselgate updates.
I took mom's 2015 Golf, also a DSG, to get a new DPF (under the CPO warranty), so we gotta reflash her tune on. She said it's so boring to drive now!
If you saw my signature, you'd see I only own manuals. The only automatic I have is sitting on a pallet, listed on ebay for cheap.
#1 determinant is your speeds. People posting 49mpg drive S.L.0.0.0.0.W. Super slow. I don't drive an ALH anymore, but my best tank every was 747 miles on a vented tank (2002 Jetta sedan). For that tank, I drove SLOOOOOOOOW. It was hard. Never could get anywhere close to that again because I just don't have that kind of patience in life.
Heck, even commuting by motorcycle, I would be getting 55 mpg if I just drove at the speed limits. But I can't crack 43 mpg.
Haha LOL! I joke on the facebook groups for people living in our rural town about changing the speed limit on the highway from 65 to 45, for all the California transplants coming here (who do drive that slow), and it gets people riled up!
But on a serious note - when I got 47mpg in the car, I was probably doing about 70 on I-10. Maybe a little slower? My speedometer was substantially off. It's now calibrated where what it reads might be +1mph, which is fine. I actually picked up 46mpg yesterday on a 30 mile run, but mostly downhill, and I don't think that counts much. Had to honk at someone who was inappropriately using the passing lane AND towing, doing 50 in a 70. Lo and behold, California license plates (they seem to all have this fixation with doing 55 or under while towing, even in other states). It did help the FE numbers when it was a single lane road, though.
