800 miles on one tank?

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Manual. Now with a .700 5th, which drops revs by about 200 RPM at highway speeds. Regarding a tank at 60 MPH, I haven't ever had the patience to try. On the tank shown above I drove about 1/3 at 55-60 MPH, rest at 75-80, and got just under 53 MPG. On a recent trip to Wisconsin I did keep it at an indicated 72 for a large amount of one tank and got 52.

 

[2002_auto_tdi]

That's the difference between autos and manuals. I have to drive 85-90 MPH on the highway to get my FE to drop to 47 MPG.

Lol, I hope my experience matches yours with my 5 speed wagon. Something tells me that it won't (not saying you are lying I am just saying that I am not as lucky)....but I sure as heck hope that it does!

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

FE seems to vary some car-to-car. My '99.5 Golf, which is lighter and less modified, should get better FE than my Wagon, but it doesn't. So some of it is the luck of the draw.

 

[MukGyver]

Without extra torque from a tune I wonder if I could even benefit from a .700 5th gear with the down/ up hills I drive. I think if I had more gearing I might not make it up some of the grades in 5th any more. As they say if it ain't broke don't fix it. I am getting 46-49.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I've had a .681, a .717, and now a .700 in my Wagon. And the stock ALH (and BEW) 5th. I really, really liked the .717. The .700 is nice now that everyone drives so fast, 2600 RPM is about 83 MPH indicated. But it is a bit tall sometimes on smaller state highways when running at 50-60 MPH. That's probably where a 6-speed would be better. But I've never wanted one. I like the way the 02J shifts better than the 6-speeds I've driven.

 

[MukGyver]

I've heard others say similar about the 02J vs 6 speed. I also like the way my euh 5-speed shifts and feels for my normal driving. At 71 mph indicated mine is 2400. I think it has the .744. The engine doesn't feel like it's working. I think I had it up to 90 mph once and it felt pretty good. I can't remember the exact rpm but I think is was around 3000. not sure how much faster I would want to take a TDI anyway.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

In the past when I took IBW to the track I would regularly get it to 110-115 on straights...in 4th. I had a 6000 RPM tune in the car at that time and IIRC 110 in 4th was around 5000-5200. I've had it up to 125 (on a private road of course) and it's remarkably stable. And last weekend I was driving home from my son's and the middle lane on the Mass Pike was running at 90- 95. I was in the Golf (same .700 5th) and it was perfectly happy, running at just under 3000 RPM. I find it a little funny that people obsess over cars that make 500+ HP, and my 22 year old diesel will run with the fastest traffic with no problem while only making about 120 HP.

 

[MukGyver]

That's so cool. gotta love that there's such a wide range of power uses for diesels all while saving gas. And the tdi's always show that. I would love to throw about $3-5k into this tdi and have some fun with it, but I have to refrain starting another ride "project" which my wife has warned me about. I keep reminding myself I bought this car strictly as a commuter car. NOT that anything I would do to it would diminish that in any real way or anything. So for now I live my tdi performance life by reading your guy's stories.

The next straight private road I find IT'S ON I'm gonna push a little.

 

[johnsTDI]

thats one ugly looking insight with mini skirts covering the rear wheells

 

[MukGyver]

yep, not sure the skirts made it to the style editors desk

 

[turbodieseldyke]

I once saw a CRX with homemade cardboard skirts on his rear wheels, plus interior sideview mirrors. I wanted to laugh, but instead my eyes got a bit misty when I realized how much he loved The Earth, that he made his car look ridiculous with those mpg "saving" devices.

 

[MukGyver]

Stage 4 Russian body upgrade

 

[johnsTDI]

if one wants to save fuel by a moped dont be the embaracing laughing stock of the neighbourhood with the goofy looking car.

 

[DonL]

If I hold my speed down to 60 I easily get over 50 mpg with my 5 speed manual. At 55 I get even better. Either one can be dangerous on a freeway.

 

[jettawreck]

800-850 mile tanks are common for my stock (other than some old Sprint nozzles) 2003. I'm so glad I don't have any freeway or interstate driving near by.

 

[MukGyver]

800-850 mile tanks are common for my stock (other than some old Sprint nozzles) 2003. I'm so glad I don't have any freeway or interstate driving near by.

that kind of makes up for your suburban! I'm getting 45 to 49 commuting on hills and grades. not bad. 45 if I drive it like I don't care, and 49 if I drive it like ma Belle. I make sure I drive it like Vini the Italian tune up guy on occasion too.

 

[Tom in PT]

Just got 55.8 mpg on back roads, 50-60 mph, in my stock 2013 Passat DSG. Averaging about 45-47 tank to tank with 70 percent highway, 30 percent city and some dirt roads in the mountains. I refill before I hit 700 miles but 800 miles on a tank is theoretically possible with summer fuel and my driving style on a long road trip in my car.

Had a good laugh at the car in post #42 Russia Body Upgrade. There was a guy on Ford forum that experimented with aerodynamics on a pre-1996 Ford F-150 with an inline 6, not that ridiculous IIRC, and with his mods he was getting upper 20s. He put in a super tall rear axle and lugged the engine as much as possible.

 

[Sting]

I have an 03 ALH wagon. My best friend gave it to me last year. I travel to work daily, about 100 km one way. If I keep speed under 110 km/h, I'm routinely getting around 4.8-5.0 L/100 km. I fully vent the tank when I fill it. I can get it to 1200 km easy and still have fuel in the tank.

Unless I'm in a rush, I'm set the cruise to just over 100 km on the dial, 2200 RPM.

The car is currently around 585K km, stock except for the EGR mod in Vag-com. LOVE IT!

 

[millere5815]

Best single tank I ever got with my 02 Jetta was 908 miles at 58mpg (highest ever mpg was 59.34). Lifetime average 49.4
Best single tank I ever got in my 02 insight was 789 mile at 70mpg after i finally fixed my faulty o2. then I sold it before running another tank, but that was on the way to break 800 miles easy. Lifetime average 61.7

The insight was made to do one thing really well, get good fuel economy, and it did that. Everything else sucked. My modded Jetta was way more fun to drive daily.

 

[Guttboy]

If wife drives.....well past 50 mpg.

If I drive.....high 40s.

When I first got this car, I was concerned in the early days that 36 mpg was horrid.....after 200k miles it is way better fuel economy wise and still is an awesome vehicle.

 

[UhOh]

Have now logged fuel mileage for just over 101k miles on my car ("Tanko") and I'm thinking that with a total of 220k miles on it now that it's finally breaking in! Over that ENTIRE (101lk mile) stretch I'm averaging 51.5mpg. Last 5 out of 6 fill-ups have gotten me 800+ miles each, and averaging about 55.5 mpg: I think that I'd only gotten 3 such tanks in the previous 96k miles. Managed to hit 820 miles in one tank. I have stretches of 70 mph (very few stops, though I've been hitting traffic due to some road construction). I figure that I could get a 900 mile tank out of this car if I just pointed it straight down I-5 and didn't stop until I hit that magic number. I've got DLC520s and a Malone Stage 2 tune: done around 140k miles if I recall corrrectly; perfect combination for performance and FE.

My wife's car is averaging a lowly 48mpg. She's not capable of managing FE like I am. And she doesn't hammer on her car, but I DO (which is why she's only getting 48mpg! Malone Stage 3 and DLC1019s ). I will try to get my hands on it so I can register an 800 mile tank in it: have to think of a way to get her to drive "the dog car" (my car) long enough to do that.