In response to the ridiculous and still rising cost of diesel I set myelf a challenge today to see what I MPG I could achieve.....
Stockport to Winchester = 223 miles
Average speed = Ø51 mph
Average mpg =Ø69.4 mpg (see pic below)
This took immense patience and restraint, but I have to say is sadly rewarding 
Seat Leon Cupra TDI PD150
81k miles
04 plate
1500rpm gear changes and max rpm
55mph max
slip-streaming HGVs
no braking (at all)
no air con
69.4 MPG
[Edited on 22/11/07 by nick205]
my van has got 22mpg over the last 17k!
The not braking bit is the most important I find. It means you slow down early and don't chuck fuel away.
yeh i was happy with my improved 16mpg over my normal 14mpg in my v8.
i uni mate who did car testing around conventry Ring road told me that its better to floor it to your cruising speed as the engine is more efficient
at WOT and dont dip the clutch when coasting down a hill. he said it made a big difference.
i just floor it all the time. .........14mpg no wonder lol
Leeds to Brixton,
a steady 70ish mph
and 55 MPG
And that was just taking it steady and not particularly trying.
In an Opel Corsa Mk1 with a 2L Red Top engine, Just wish I had the 6 speed F28 Gearbox as well!
P.S who needs Diesel 
[Edited on 22/11/07 by MkIndy7]
When we were running in the wifes Rover BRM we achieved 62mpg (1.8 VVC petrol) - same sort of driving, but 3k limit, max 60mpg
The official figs for the Rover 25 diesel were over 70 mpg, 6 years ago - better than the Toyota Connedubrid. So beginning to wish I had one
ATB
Simon
I managed 22mpg in my passat 130 tdi yesterday.
Driving in central london is great!
Stu
My record driving to work and back (60 miles in total) is an indicated 72.1MPG. That was driving at around 60mph for the best part of the journey,
accelerating fairly gently and not really braking.
Oh, and that was in a Skoda Fabia vRS (130bhp diesel).
The strange thing is, that if I drive normally (70mph.. ish) and use my usual heavy right foot, I still get an indicated MPG of 65 ish...
Cheers
Andy
quote:
Originally posted by MkIndy7
In an Opel Corsa Mk1 with a 2L Red Top engine, Just wish I had the 6 speed F28 Gearbox as well!
I've been making 2000RPM changes/max revs and taking it really easy on my last tank full and managed 27.8MPG. Wish I had a diseasal now.
[Edited on 22/11/07 by andyharding]
best I got a few years ago in a v12 XJS was 19mpg, usually it was 12mpg, or worse than that 9mpg if I popped into town.
The answer is, take a jag engine out !
What can you change the 5th Gear in the F20 to, to make it better for cruising?
70 MPH is a smidge over 3K and it'd be nice to be under hence thinking a F28 box would be better (but chassis mods needed) And it'd shut the
induction/exhaust up a little by keeping it under 3k
It pulls well enough in 5th as its a lighter car than the engines intended for and can pull max rev's in 5th!
Once managed to get 30.5 MPG out of my old Rover 3500S , but that was driving as if I had an egg under the throttle pedal . Who said v8s are thirsty. Mind you "normal" driving was about 15MPG
I loved playing this game..
My best was 647miles on 1 tank of diesel (fill to fill) in my '51 plate 106 Diesel. I calculated it to be over 70mpg.
This was commuting from Woodbridge to Colchester, including hitting rush hour traffic. Driving slowly on a very busy dual carrageway is quite
scary..!
Diesel Rules!
[Edited on 22-11-07 by takumi]
quote:
Originally posted by MkIndy7
What can you change the 5th Gear in the F20 to, to make it better for cruising?
Thanks alot.. just bookmarked the link, will just have to prey it comes back online.
I might loose the reputed 140 ish top speed but it'd be worth it to quieten it down on the motorway.
In my Octavia 2.0 TDI 140 I regularly get 60 mpg if I take it steady. Funnily enough I was using the idea of as soon as I came to stop (in traffic)
I'd switch off the engine. The mpg shout up!
Trouble is when I actually measure the mpg using actual fuel it works out to usually 4mpg LESS than the shown mpg. Still at 56mpg actual I think thats
pretty good.
Getting a Leon FR 170 next week, see what that does??? Shoud be fun...
Steve
I did 95 MPG in my first smart by doing a steady 50 along the M5. It was the longest journey I ever made. That was shortly after I won the smart
club MPG marathon (cross country) at 61 MPG.
Don't go too fast and dont brake are the key factors, as well as pumping your tyres up. Don't shift up too soon or too early either, keep
your petrol engine between 2000 and 3000 RPM.
My new Civic diesel (you know, the one they market as the best diesel in the world!) usually returns about 40mpg
If I take it easy on a motorway run I can get up near 50mpg....
I guess that economy isn't one of the things that make it the best! 
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Don't go too fast and dont brake are the key factors
quote:
Originally posted by Hellfire
In my Octavia 2.0 TDI 140 I regularly get 60 mpg if I take it steady. Funnily enough I was using the idea of as soon as I came to stop (in traffic) I'd switch off the engine. The mpg shout up!
Trouble is when I actually measure the mpg using actual fuel it works out to usually 4mpg LESS than the shown mpg. Still at 56mpg actual I think thats pretty good.
Getting a Leon FR 170 next week, see what that does??? Shoud be fun...
Steve
so had to change to a Passat estate 
I did have a search on driving economically when I bought my diesel initially. Some Swedish research basically recommeneded using approx 80% of engine
power to accelerate your car to crusing speed and keep there through observation/anticipation not braking etc.
I changed my everyday driving using the above and limiting my RPM to 3000RPM and using torque not power like I would in a petrol (The audi engines
will make power up to 4200RPM). On my everyday commmute on mixed roads went from 43mpg to 47mpg and 50+ on long journeys.
I don't nanny the car along either I just carry speed thourgh the corners and brake late and harder. I didn't realise the until recently
thermostat was running the temps a little low and there was an intermittent fault on the MAF so maybe that'll improve futher.
I drive my 406 2.1TD estate like a grandad most of the time.
I donot go over 3K rpm except once a month just to check it will still do it and its surprising how well it goes above 3K
I return a steady 42 mpg measured by miles and actual fuel as i dont have a mpg computer.
I have only managed a max of 50mph on a motorway journey, my everyday drive is all B roads, so not much difference really.
After watching top gear drive the diesel audi from london to aberdeen and back on 1 tank I had a go in my 850 T5 from Birmingham to London.
Typical motorway mpg is in region of 25 but by not braking, gently acceleration and limiting top speed to about 65, I go 36 mpg!!
that is an improevmetn of almost 50% (rounded up to the nearest 50) ... but not a nice way to drive.
Ive seen 66mpg on a run to bristol at around 70 ish mph before, strangely i struggle to maintain it on way back home. Is the North higher than the
South????????????
320D tourer BMW (150BHP version)
Subaru legacy 2.5, 480 miles in 6 hrs dead on A roads + 32.7 mpg (Low 20s around town though)
In my wifes 1.5 diesel megane you can top 70mpg keeping to low revs + 60mph max
turining the air con off makes a significant difference - I'd say as much as 3mpg.
On the acceleration, I made a point of using the diesel torque to accelerate the car very gently and keeping the rpm below 1500 means that the turbo
never spools up therefore minimising fuel consumption. The turbo spolls up at around 1800rpm on my TDI.
Hills make a significant difference too. I was using gentle acceleration down hill to build extra momentum and minimise fuel use climbing back up the
other side.
[Edited on 23/11/07 by nick205]
quote:
Originally posted by takumi
I loved playing this game..
My best was 647miles on 1 tank of diesel (fill to fill) in my '51 plate 106 Diesel. I calculated it to be over 70mpg.
This was commuting from Woodbridge to Colchester, including hitting rush hour traffic. Driving slowly on a very busy dual carrageway is quite scary..!
Diesel Rules!
quote:
Originally posted by gingerprince
quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Don't go too fast and dont brake are the key factors
Sorry I crashed into that car officer, you see, I was saving fuel
The trick is to observe the road and lift off the accelerator so that you natrually slow rather than having to use the brakes, not to grit your
teeth and brake the speed you have. My passat 110 tdi used to do 60mpg without trying then i put 17's on it with the wrong tyres. It does 52 now unless on a run then steady 70
driving just off the throttle itl do 60mpg. 65 if i sit at 60mph. My old wheels (15's) i used to get it to 70 - 75 on a run. It still did 40
when my locost is on the trailer behind. Havent towed it any distance with the 17s on yet.
My fiesta zetec-s i had before it used to average about 18 which no one believed. sposed to do 30. If i really tried to get the mpg up it actaully
went down. The induction kit i had on it made it better.
[Edited on 23/11/07 by Danozeman]
My mate in NI had a saxo 1.5d. It used to average 80mpg and he used to run it on red diesel so u can imagine how much it cost him to run.. 8 quid to fill the tank i think he said.
quote:
Originally posted by Danozeman
My mate in NI had a saxo 1.5d. It used to average 80mpg
my 54 plate vectra cdti 150 over the last 14,000 miles has managed an average of 40 mpg but apparently they over read by 5 mpg so 35 mpg aint bad.
i've started saving for a 170 bhp leon fr though
bet that wont be as good lol
My 1966 mini cooper used to manage about 40mph on a long run but the way I drove it round town it got down to about 20