??? Mileage Only 43/mpg

[Ethan]

So, it's a new TDI. And I love it, but the mileage as been not so hot. And I have been trying to drive carefully.

City / Hwy =43.5
Hwy only =44
City only =42.5

On the highway I use cruise and keep it around 78mph

In the city I take off w/out any pedal, and shift around 2500 (mostly)

Is there something wrong with the car? Or me? Or what?

 

[car54]

looks great to me. is it an automatic or stick?

 

[michTDI]

You should shift sooner (btwn 1800-2200 rpm).

 

[fincoop]

The best mileage I've recorded so far is about 60mpg imperial which I'm thinking is around 48mpg US. Someone could check my math.
The best mileage occurs in 5th at 90kmh or 55mph. The faster you drive the worse the mileage will get from there. The engine revs higher but also produces less torque so you need more accelerator input to maintain speed. The increase is not linear.

You're not far from optimal.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

Best I've ever done is 68 mpg imperial, or 57 mpg US. That was on a drive from Sherbrooke to Albany NY. Cruise set at 65 mph precisely on the Inerstates; across Hogback Mountain thru Bennington to Troy NY, posted speed limit, usually 40-50 mph.

Worst is about 45 mpg imperial, in winter, before the car was broken in. Mileage definitely improved at 10,000 km and again quite significantly at 30,000 km. The car now has 65,000 km.

 

[mickey]

Shifting at 1800-2000 will help SLIGHTLY, but it won't be worth the extra gunk you'll build up in your intake from having the EGR valve wide open all the time.

If you're driving an automatic I'd say you're doing well. If it's a 5-speed, just wait for a few thousand miles for it to get broken in and then see what happens.

-mickey

 

[Dwonderc]

Also, what's the terrain like in Baltimore? If it's hilly, you're probably going to get slightly worse mileage than forum members who live where it's flat, like Houston, and never have to climb hills. Inertia 'n all that business.

 

[paschalini]

First tank or two we were in the low 40's. Note that we have a 5-speed. On a 2600 mile trip at X-Mas, 99% highway driving at 73-75 mph, we averaged 50.15 mpg.

Our mileage in commuting 70 miles a day, mixed city/highway, varies between 43 and 47 mpg. Just depends on how lead footed Mrs. Paschalini has been, and how many short/quick trips we've taken. TDI mileage shines on longer distances after the engine has warmed up.

 

[NBKrissie1]

I almost choked, reading your mileage!!! I'm not getting too much over 35 mpg and my car has almost 6,000. Maybe after you read that, you will feel better!

 

[swamptdi]

ethan, i had the same conerns the first few tanks of diesel i burned in my nb, and did the same thing you did: go straight to the forum. and i got some advice that showed immediate results. first, i began shifting at 2000 rpm instead of the 2500-2750 i had been shifting at. it felt a little strange at first, but i adjusted, and my mileage improved 4 mpg right away. second, your hwy mileage is about optimal for that speed. somebody had posted a chart of mileage at different speeds, from 45 mph up to 80 mph, at 5 mph increments, and it showed a pretty steady decline in mpg after 60 mph. trade-offs, y'know. third, to improve the accuracy and consistency of my mileage calculations, i started fueling up using the vent trick (do a search for that phrase), ensuring that i was always calculating based on a constant amount of fuel. anyway, within a couple tanks of fuel, i went up from approx. 38 mpg to 45 mpg. and i'm expecting better as the engine continues to break in (only at 3k miles now). also, depending on your model, your mileage won't be as great as others on the forum. i.e., my nb, with greater drag than a golf or jetta, will never post the astronomical mileage of others. more trade-offs. good luck. it's a great car.

 

[Chiefbob]

Just put in second tank fill and both the first and second provided 42mpg. I think that's great with new vehicle. That included normal and emergency driving, which is not noted for its economy.

 

[Convert]

At 2200 miles I have an avg of 47.5 mpg. This is not based on a very AR method of data collection. I just have total miles gone since a top off from the dealer and total gals of fuel bought. I have not been back to the same station for any fillups and I just fill it until it clicks off the second time.

I travel about 60 mi one way in the Wash DC Balt area. And yes it is possible that I have traveled faster then the State of Maryland would prefer. I post this just as a reference point. I do shift around 2200 rpm (whats the EGR gunk thing mickey?) and have alot of fun coasting down 3 big hills on my drive. ( I forgot how much fun a stick can be). And Oh yeah, I love this car!

 

[jrivers804]

Since my 1998 Jetta TDI passed 40k, I usually get 50.xx mpg. This is using the car primarily for my 500 mile/week comute. Now it is rare that I fill up, once a week, because it's convenient and I don't like going below a quarter tank, that I get less than 50mpg. I have had the car for over 3 years and 50k+ miles and the only thing I would rather have would be a Passat TDI, if VW would bring one over.

 

[green+blue]

Green (01 Jetta @ 6K) is getting 57 mpg avg on 95% long, single occupant, off-peak freeway commute miles. She shifts 1800-2200 and has cruise set at 62.5 (for mpgs and blue light avoidance).
Blue (99.5 Jetta @ 27K) gets 42-45 on a more variable schedule. 90% surface streets 100# in trunk, 50% with 1 pax, 10% with 2. More time spent accelerating and idling, later shifting.
Common factors are 44/40 psi stock tires. 50 Cetane from same pump (no winter fuel). Mild weather, no significant hills.