Not Happy with MPG

I remember reading the best average mph to achieve optimum mpg was 55mph




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I get best mpg at 70 on the motorway.
At one time cars used to be tuned at 55mph to satisfy US laws after the seventies oil crisis, but not sure if that holds true anymore.
 
Yesterday evening, roof up, air con on. M25 through the road works from M26 to M23. Crusie Control set at 50mph, reset journey computer, 14miles @ 51.3mpg
 
So far I have this with AC off and roof down (been too nice)

Cold urban 28 mpg
Warm urban 32 to 36 mpg
Heavy foot warm urban 26 mpg

So short urban weekend drives im averaging 32mpg

Longer drives

Cold 40-50 38 mpg
warm 40-50 42 to 53 mpg.

So cold is first 10 to 15 mins.

As soon as you pop 2K RPM mpg drops as quick as a spanish bull runner.

Minus 3 mpg from the obc to real life

So first few miles Im pulling 28mpg, then miles 3 to 6 its 35 mpg then goes up and over 50 mpg. I have not seen above 43 before so may be warm weather or engine run in above 2K miles.
 
My Zed doesn't have cruise control, but I feel on the Audi, cruise control gives slightly better mpg figures.
 
ronk said:
Stay off turbo boost and you will get decent MPG - But economy isn't why we buy them!

Totally disagree, and not all of us think this. I dumped the 30i 6 months early to jump at chance of 30% reduction if petrol costs FOR THE SAME PERFORMANCE in the 28i.

With the 30i I had little chance to make improvements in mpg lugging the lump all the time and as petrol prices going up I was thinking of moving away from the z4 for say a 118 trying to pull some of the £70 per week petrol costs back. Having such a drain when you think of the other costs like depreciation, servicing, rubber, tax just to get to work.

I do 42 miles a day one option is mainly flat following lorries at 40 to 50 so cant do a lot of performance running. Having 245 under the bonnet does allow me to have fun when I can with a slightly longer but quicker way to work. So I can save petrol for the times of spinning the wheels round country roads, which is possible if I go another way.

Anything that can reduce the cost of petrol like £20 per week soon adds up and is free. Thats over 1K a year for me which can either go to the next car pot, or I can roll the £20 notes up and set fire to them for fun.

I would like a boost gauge should be fitted in the turbo models.

ps the fun way I am down back to the 30i mpg you cant have 245 horses for free but when at speed the 28i horses go to bed and the fodder money stays in my bank
 
Point taken - You changed to improve the wallet / car performance ratio .
The main point I was trying to make was that with a turbo car they are reasonably economical when the manifold is in depression - as soon as it becomes pressured the economy falls away.

BHP comes at a cost, no matter how you produce it.

My first turbo car was way back in 1980 and it had a gauge - I agree with you they should fit them now.
 
I had a stock 197bhp Mk 5 Golf GTI prior to the 3 litre E89 and I have to say the E89 is no worse in terms of MPG. I averaged about 31.5 in the Golf and get 31-32.5 in the E89

Matt
 
Ronk lol,

agreed with the turbo, reason why my gear change is 2,3 6 so lowers the number of compression hits.
my celica was 190, 4 pot 1.8 140 but lift rpm over 8K and added 60 bhp,
my TT was 225, ( 1.8 v5 turbo)
all the old E85 zds 192 and 214
and yes all around 32 mpg.
the E29 3.0 27 to 31 at best (31 with sports button) .

So this being a 2.0 as a base its interesting to get 35+ best of them all

Nanu in my old 3.0i sport gave me the best mpg, by +3, but it was auto. I have only tried it for a few days in the 28i but its not as clear as yet. Its going up all the time possibly as its now run in.
I need to find a steady base line to conclude, but E89 3.0i auto I always ran in manual shift sports to give me best MPG and to be honest more fun. May be with the different map on sports getting up to speed in the less number of gear changes saved petrol in the end. The auto did drop into 5th at 30mph so I could not get it into 6th only at 36mph so one gear too low. using manual shift I would always be puching the highest gear as I can all the time and a lot of engine brake using the paddles.

Now back to the 28i manual I am coasting a lot, and running 6th even at 25mph and not changing down. Auto stop start whenever I can, no aircon, and blower set to manual minimum. (mornings may have heating on say 4 and at 26).
 
I have the 23i (21k miles) and I got a very consistent 33.2mpg average on my monthly 500 mile drive. I then did an oil + filter change recently and have been getting 34.4mpg fairly consistently for the same route.

That's with a fairly clear road and cruise control on at about 80mph.

Non-motorway driving is worse, but I really can't help but driving it racey all the time and getting all of the power from each of the gears. The Z4 just turns me into a bad man every time I step into it. :evil:

I'm not exactly sure where the sweet spot speed is for the 23i in terms of mpg, but I suspect I could beat 35mpg if I cruised consistently at, say, 60mph for 500 miles.

But then again, who buys a 200hp+ car for mpg! If you're looking for 40mpg+, you should've bought a 320d/520d!
 
theLOLkid said:
I have the 23i (21k miles) and I got a very consistent 33.2mpg average on my monthly 500 mile drive. I then did an oil + filter change recently and have been getting 34.4mpg fairly consistently for the same route.

I found that also... after a recent oil and filter change I started getting more miles per tank.
 
keepittrill said:
Who buys a luxury cruiser and then worries about the mileage?


Quite a few owners over here who use their cars as their daily drives - It's $9.16 a gallon. :cry:
 
I daily drive my car...and WHAT? 9.16 pounds per gallon? Sweetly mother of God. Why not just buy a fuel effiecient car if you're going to daily drive it?
 
keepittrill said:
I daily drive my car...and WHAT? 9.16 pounds per gallon? Sweetly mother of God. Why not just buy a fuel effiecient car if you're going to daily drive it?
I believe he made the conversion to dollars as about 9 dollars per imp gallon sound about right...
Also 1 imp gallon = 1.2 US gallons
 
ranski said:
I remember reading the best average mph to achieve optimum mpg was 55mph




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Certainly in my A1, it is around that.

I currently have a commute which is mainly 50mph zones. During my time commuting, I've learnt how to get the most mpg out of the car - it's not as if I have much else to do!

I get between 67 and 71 mpg in my diesel A1. Book figure is 74.3 on the combined cycle!
 
WLH said:
keepittrill said:
I daily drive my car...and WHAT? 9.16 pounds per gallon? Sweetly mother of God. Why not just buy a fuel effiecient car if you're going to daily drive it?
I believe he made the conversion to dollars as about 9 dollars per imp gallon sound about right...
Also 1 imp gallon = 1.2 US gallons

Yes I did , imperial Gallons - but in US Gallons its still about $7.60 a gallon.
 
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