Jetta ALH 01M Real world MPG

[millere5815]

I've been searching the forums now for an hour or two, and can't seem to find any current threads on this.

I'm wondering what everyone is getting with their cars that have the ALH and an automatic transmission, probably the 01M.

I have owned my car since June 2014. On the third tank I had, I put larger nozzles in the car. Ever since then, I had a fuel leak from the IP. Even with the leak, I was getting anywhere from 46.5 to 44.5 in the sumer, and 45-42 in the winter. Is this normal, or am I just really lucky?

 

[CALL911]

Well, if you've researched you know that a ton of the economy will depend on different criteria such as location with altitude, temperature, driving habits ect.

I am somewhat near you in Indiana, and I have the ALH engine in my 01 Golf TDI. Mine is a manual, but I average 46.5 MPG in the winter, and about 52 MPG in the summer. The best I have ever seen is 58 MPG, and the worst I have seen (in the winter while towing) is 32 MPG.

Most of my driving is to and from work, which is an hour and a half one way with a constant speed of 55 mph, and 60 mph without more than a few stop lights and signs, so I have pretty good conditions for fuel economy. The more stops you have to do, or uphill roads the worse it will be. Also, these cars do best when they are fully warmed up so if you drive them for short distances of 15 minutes a piece, you'll never see peak economy. Mine seems to get the very best MPG when the temp outside is about 50 degrees.

Hopefully this helps what you were looking for.

 

[millere5815]

Thanks CALL. The 50 degree temp thing is good to know. I also have pretty good conditions for getting high MPG. 50 mile round strip every day. Only about 3 of that is in town, while the rest is either on 55mph state road, or country road with only 4 stop signs.

What was surprising about my MPG in my auto is that my local guru was saying that he usually averages about 46 in the summer with his 03 Jetta TDI 5speed. I didn't think my auto could beat his well maintained 5 speed.

 

[CALL911]

Thanks CALL. The 50 degree temp thing is good to know. I also have pretty good conditions for getting high MPG. 50 mile round strip every day. Only about 3 of that is in town, while the rest is either on 55mph state road, or country road with only 4 stop signs.

What was surprising about my MPG in my auto is that my local guru was saying that he usually averages about 46 in the summer with his 03 Jetta TDI 5speed. I didn't think my auto could beat his well maintained 5 speed.

Again, with the economy varying so much (take my 32-58 MPG difference for example), it depends so much on so many things. My exact car on the exact drive with me driving vs my wife I have seen 5 MPG difference between just our two driving habits (I am very observant of slow acceleration, letting my foot off the gas for de-acelleration which the car will use zero fuel until lower than 1200 RPM) and I coast to stops, where my wife accelerates harder, uses the brakes more and doesn't know what coasting is). It's no wonder the vast spread of economy even between the same ALH vehicles.

 

[millere5815]

Again, with the economy varying so much (take my 32-58 MPG difference for example), it depends so much on so many things. My exact car on the exact drive with me driving vs my wife I have seen 5 MPG difference between just our two driving habits (I am very observant of slow acceleration, letting my foot off the gas for de-acelleration which the car will use zero fuel until lower than 1200 RPM) and I coast to stops, where my wife accelerates harder, uses the brakes more and doesn't know what coasting is). It's no wonder the vast spread of economy even between the same ALH vehicles.

I know the feeling. I have been hypermiling for a few years now. I do everything that you mentioned. The rest of my family, and my girlfriend, do not. That's a big reason i'm the only one who drives my car