Real World MPG

[CornishMike]

All the car makers publish MPG figures, which few of us can ever achieve, as nobody can drive at a constant 56mph in today's congested and speed restricted roads. It's funny how attitudes change, when I was a kid the speed of a car and it's 0-60 time were all important, now it's the mpg the driver can get.

So, to help all newbies let's declare (honestly!) what we actually get in solo and towing modes. I know that this will vary a bit with driving styles etc, but it is still a useful guide.

I'll kick off with mine:-

'06 BMW 525d Touring Auto - solo, on board computer over 59K miles tells me that I get 31mpg. It will do up to 37mpg on a motorway run, cruising at 70 ish. Guide book says extra urban should be 44mpg - I wish! I've never been able to achieve that!

A colleague has a '57 520d Touring Auto which achieves an amazing 48mpg solo cruising on a motorway. Not bad for an 1800kg large estate - I know this because I've seen his trip computer make the calculation.

Towing a 1300kg van, I get 22-24mpg, all figures are obtained when adhering to all speed limits. Long ascents will, of course, knock this figure down, but never under 20mpg.

What do you get, and with what?

Mike

 

[RogerP]

Discovery 3 2.7 V6 Diesel Auto.

For every day useage (i.e going to work and weekend pottering about) 19.6mpg - this is in heavey stop start traffic

Motorway journeys goes up to about 26mpg.

Just done my first journey towing a 1500kg van , car loaded up with 2 large dogs and 2 adult mountain bikes and I got 19.6mpg.

In 26 years of motoring I've never achieved anything close to the so called manufacturers figures so I never bother now.

 

[otherclive]

That knocks my choice of BMW 525D auto tourer on the head. Might as well keep the 04 Sorento XS auto at 30-32mpg overall and 22-24mpg pulling 1400kg.

Other Clive

 

[mcghee]

my MB ml270 gets about 28-30mpg day to day, which isn't far from mercedes handbook claim of 29.6

towing the hobby its about 16-17mpg

 

[David.R]

Honda CR-V 2.2 tdi (new shape) based on the computer solo 41mpg

towing 24mpg. Based on filling the tank full and calculating the MPG solo 39 towing 21mpg. I have only ever had one car, a VW golf estate 1.9tdi 130bhp, which had an accurate on board computer recording 54mpg! I never trust on board computers!

 

[Lutz]

I'm rather surprised at some people's preoccupation with MPG, especially if they have a relatively new car. Assuming one does around 10000 miles a year and the car does around 30 mpg, the total annual cost of fuel will be around

 

[RogerP]

Too true Lutz.

If I was at all worried about my MPG I'd be down the local Smart dealer and ordering a Smart Diesel at a combined (claimed) 84mpg and saving a huge wad of wonga!

incidently having seen the latest Smart adverts the wife is badgering me to swap her Focus. I cant argue they look too fragile now when a wrecking ball seemingly crunches into the front end with minimal damage!!

 

[ed1]

hello discovery 3 2.7td manual one year old, round town 29.2, motorway 28.0, towing a 1200kg van, with 2 old english sheepdogs, 2 adults, 26.0...... mpg doesnt interest me too much, but i do get annoyed if i go under 29mpg. ED

 

[mcghee]

yes gentlemen, you're right. the only reason i know my mpg is because i worked it out for the benefit of a friend who thought his ml270 was a bit greedy. turns out his is exactly the same as mine.

fuel economy doesn't really concern me, as i always say, if you have to worry about fuel economy you cant afford the car.

its nice to know the rough economy for the benefit of others who might wish to own such a car.

 

[CornishMike]

Lutz, I posted this topic, as I thought it might prove interesting, and, until recently I was doing about 40,000 miles pa, which was very painful when diesel was

 

[Guest]

I have a Volvo S80 2.4 petrol towing 1300 kg. Solo the average is 27-28 mpg and towing I get 18-19 mpg.

The figures being quoted above are interesting because in many cases the 'economics' of using diesel are not as great as sometimes one would believe. In addition, as unleaded is cheaper and the intial costs for the vehicle are usually less, the reason for buying diesel over petrol should be considered in a larger picture than just fuel.

However, I fully accept the better torque of the diesel has advantages when towing, but I doubt that one gets to the destination that much faster. I also find the petrol engine is far smoother, certainly for my Volvo and basically often a more relaxing drive.

 

[otherclive]

Also with modern diesels fitted with DPFs costs of arond

 

[mcghee]

you're right scotchlad, at least i believe you're right for the case of a car, albeit a large on like your volvo.

in the case of a large 4x4 like mine im not so sure.

as you will know i used to tow with a 4ltr grand cherokee, which gave similar performance to my ml270, but towing the same the 'van on the same route returned only 7mpg. diesel would need to get radically more expensive before that would be an attractive option.

there was an article in the news a few weeks back though, where they did the maths for a bmw 320 petrol and 320 diesel, and buying brand new you'd apparently need to do 286000 miles to break even with the diesel.

 

[Guest]

Many moons ago I towed with a 3 litre Granada auto. Would pull anythin anywhere, but could never pass a fuel station. I managed only 12 mpg on one windy day.

I agree things are a bit of a compromise nowadays, but I do like the Volvo. It is just so relaxing to drive. The wife likes it as well, she hits 'D' and goes for it, van and all.

 

[Robert_374373903]

SKODA ELEGANCE 2.0 dsg box 140 bhp .30700 miles average 42 mpg, which includes 6000 approx' miles towing Coachman 1350 klg.Computor readings solo on motorway up to 60 mpg around town 40 odd. I would never quote from computor readings although many people do, mine come from every litre and miles done.Caravan when i did look one time it read 28/32mpg.

 

[MowCopKen]

My 03 BMW 320d Touring which I've had from new is excellent and has now retired from towing (as we now have a Wyoming - too heavy).

Best was Northampton to Edinburgh and return with cruise control set to 75 and aircon off, I got 62.2 mpg over the whole journey - in top (6th gear) only 2k revs. this was from my on board computer which I reset as I set off.

I usually leave the aircon on all the time and on trips, regularly get over 56 mpg.

Now has 97k on the clock and still feels like new - amazing car!

 

[mcghee]

quite believe it ken. a friend of mine recently bought a 56 plate 320d in newcastle, and on the drive back to fife he averaged 58mpg.

 

[xtrailman]

The 2004 134bhp xtrail, did around 30mpg towing 1330kg.

solo best recorded was 42.2 mpg.

usually got high 30's solo.

New xtrail 171bhp has a average mpg computer.

First 150 mile all motorway, not exceeding 2500rpm, reading

showed 44.3 mpg.

Following 500 mile it has shown 41.2 mpg.

I haven't bothered to check brim to brim, the last car i had with a trip computer was accurate to 1 mpg.

Still running it in, so driving steady.

 

[Iain]

We have been running a 57 plate Skoda Octavia vRS 170 TDi Estate with the older PD engine for 30000 miles (5000 towing). Average solo was 42-44mpg (peak at 57 mpg driving very very carefully and not sustainable for long!), towing 28-30 mpg. Was happy with this for a powerful car that was fun to drive and great to tow with.

However ... we collected an 09 plate Octavia vRS 170 hatch with the new common rail engine on 1st March. The dealer said the mpg would be much better despite the published figures being the same ... took this with a pinch of salt! But in the first 900 miles the computer is showing 50 mpg very regularly (peak so far at 68, again not sustainable, but more easily attained than the 57 on the old one). Hoping the mpg will settle in the low 50's when it has a few more miles on it. Will be towing with it for the first time this weekend.

Regarding modern DPF's ... we had no issues with it during the 30000 miles on the old car despite doing a lot of short journeys and motorways being non-existant where we are.

 

[Bryan_374360331]

171bhp X-Trail - typically 43mpg tank-to-tank. Short winter trips make it worse, long trips improve it. Last summer it did the round trip from Abergavenny to Telford at 54mpg but it was a quiet Sunday.

The mpg computer seems to be about 1-2 mpg optimistic.

Towing 1400 kg van - 24-25 mpg.

Just don't mention depreciation...

 

[Etch]

Hi all we have a BMW X3 2.0td sport, around town 31 mpg, Motorway solo 45mpg, towing Bailey Virginia 1500kg, I reguarly get 31mpg on a good which isn't bad i think for the size and weight of the outfit.

 

[Max_5063914]

Mike, I have a '55 plate Sorrento CRDI XS Auto (31K). I usually get +/- 28mpg solo running around rural Sussex with the occassional longer journey thrown in. When towing our Abbey Vogue GTS 415 (1450 KG's)we get around the 22 mpg mark towing at 60-65 on the motorways of France (van kept in the Loire).

Regards,

Max.

 

[DavidW1]

I aggree with Lutz wholeheartedly on this topic - I also think people who anguish over MPG figures "should get out more" especially with their van!

I glanced at my Shoguns handbook just now and it gives an average figure of 21.7 mpg - havn't zeroed the fuel computer for ages now but guess what, well actually it's reading 21.6.

I can live with that as it does mostly towing and trundling around.

Yawn!

 

[xtrailman]

Frankly i find people like you and Lutz, to be boring. If you have no interest in real world MPG.

WHY NOT JUST IGNORE THE POST?

You hijackers are constantly diverting threads, that i and my self find of interest.

 

[xtrailman]

Frankly i find people like you and Lutz, to be boring. If you have no interest in real world MPG.

WHY NOT JUST IGNORE THE POST?

You hijackers are constantly diverting threads, that i and my self find of interest.

That others and myself find interesting.