Not Possible???

ROB357

Active member
Joined
Mar 30, 2015
Location
Florida, USA
TDI
2012
2015 TDi Wag - manual. Has 20K miles travelled.
Country roads: 50 mpg firm
Hwy with just me and no cargo: 47mpg
Hwy with 500Lbs of added passengers and 100 Lbs of luggage: 56mpg

Now, according to the laws of physics, this is not possible with all else remaining equal. So it must be a computer altering the economic efficiency, No?
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, MA. USA
TDI
2015 GSW 6M in S trim the other oil burners: 1967 two stroke Sonett 1988 Bolens DGT1700
"......passengers..." Usually enough to change your driving habits. You are more likely to be mildly distracted by conversations so that you remain in lane more, drive slightly slower, are less concious of the destination goal and less apt to change lane, accelerate, pass and then pull back in.
Once rolling, the added weight has negligible effect on fuel use.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Why do you say not possible? EPA highway for your car is 46 MPG, I think. You're in a mild climate, probably using no or minimal A/C right now, and on county roads traveling at speeds that lend themselves to efficiency. And on the highway if you're using good driving habits and not going too fast, 56 MPG is entirely possible.

The old role of thumb for rotary pump TDIs was 60 MPG at 60 MPH, 50 at 70, 40 at 80. Probably doesn't fully apply anymore for a variety of reasons, but you're in the ballpark.
 

hybridkiller

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Location
Southeastern US
TDI
2012 Golf DSG
2015 TDi Wag - manual. Has 20K miles travelled.
Country roads: 50 mpg firm
Hwy with just me and no cargo: 47mpg
Hwy with 500Lbs of added passengers and 100 Lbs of luggage: 56mpg

Now, according to the laws of physics, this is not possible with all else remaining equal. So it must be a computer altering the economic efficiency, No?
No. Probably all else was not equal. Many people fail to consider wind speed and direction which can have a considerable impact on mpg. You may have had a headwind on the no-cargo run, a tailwind on the loaded run, or some variation of those conditions. Rain/wet road surface will also hurt mpg (more rolling resistance).
 
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Lightflyer1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
These sound like short trips and numbers from the computer. Tank averages over time calculated properly is what you need to look at, not short trips and the computer.
 

GetMore

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2003
Location
Patterson, New York
TDI
1997 Passat TDI, 2010 Jetta Sportwagen
Nah, it was the better aerodynamics from all the weight lowering the car. Maybe being a little nose up helped somehow.
I don't know, sounded like just as good a guess as any other.
 
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