TSI 1.4 Average MPG - is 31 MPG low?

[Paulo]

Hey Folks,

My average MPG is coming in at about 31 MPG. I've done over 4K miles now so the engine is well run in. My daily commute to and from work is only about 6 - 10 miles and on top of that most of my driving is in and around town and short journeys never really over 10 miles except for the odd occasion! Lastly, my driving is probably a little aggresive but nothing too drastic!!

Just wondering if anyone thinks this is a little low (31 MPG) for the 1.4 TSI engine?

Cheers all,

Paul.

[jc74]

Not quite exactly the same as you since I have a 2.0GT. However my mpg around town for a 4 mile journey is around 20mpg. If the journey around town is about 10 miles, then I can get it up to about 25mpg. Once out into suburbia I can manage up to about 40mpg when going about 60-70mph.

I used to have a BMW 118d which could do about 60mpg at 50-60mph, and yet doing my 4 mile town journey, I'd struggle to get better than about 32mpg.

So I'm guessing you're probably not doing too badly!

[Deacon]

I have the 1.4 too and do very similar sorts of journeys to work, etc and usually get around 31-33mpg so pretty similar really. I find on a motorway run at around 70 I get about 40mpg.

HTH

Deacon

[jonallen628]

My 16 mile commute to work is a mix of single and dual carriageway, i get 38 mpg + in a 2.0 and this is not driving like Miss Daisy either. Have achieved 40 mpg on a motorway journey with cruise on.

On short journeys you are going to struggle to achieve a decent MPG as the engine is not efficient when cold or warming up.

Driving the car hard during the warm up phase will produce really poor mpg figures and probably shorten the life of your engine too but there is nothing you can do about it if your commute is 4 miles.

It is fair to say whichever car you went for on that type of journey you would struggle to achieve a good mpg. Obvious thing to say but keep the revs down so you don't get into the turbo phase of the rev range.

[jc74]

...Driving the car hard during the warm up phase will produce really poor mpg figures and probably shorten the life of your engine too but there is nothing you can do about it if your commute is 4 miles.

Around here often on a 4 mile journey, the engine will have warmed up, since it's taken about 30 minutes to do it!
Got 15mpg today driving for an hour, but only travelled 8 miles...

[callum2009]

Well the trip computer on my 2.0 tsi says i have averaged 32.3 mpg over the last 1000 miles, i live rural though so do ALOT of motorway driving.

[RW1]

After reading the above I thought I'd share some information, which basically leads to a conclusion that the "MPGs" above are realistic. . Here's the heavy stuff........

Using 95RON petrol will result in about a 3% drop in mpg (as well as power!).

I've looked at the 1.4TSI (140PS, 160PS & 170PS) figures for several VW models.

For urban MPG figures, the models range between 28.5 to 32.5 mpg, with 32.5 MPG being the Scirocco 1.4TSI. There is an exception, the new 170PS Golf Mk6 returns 37.7 mpg.

For overall MPG figures, the models range from 34.8 to 41.8 MPG with 35.9 MPG for the Scirocco 1.4TSI. The Golf Mk6 wasn't exceptional – 36.7 MPG.

Other factors have to be taken into account such as driving technique, duration of each trip, traffic conditions, individual engines, fuel brand etc., but the most influential for an individual driven short trip is how far the engine has warmed up.

With modern cars with engine management ECUs do not start fuelling at optimum levels until the cat converter is at minimum working temperatures that can take quite a few minutes, about 8 minutes. Until that engine condition is reached and other factors, the ECU is fuelling on a predetermined set of values. So it tends to over fuel slightly which is why a warming engine can feel much better to drive.

Although the water temperature gauge can indicate "warmed up" inside about 4 to 5 minutes, the oil temperature for the Scirocco 1.8ltr below can take 10 minutes in summer and 15 in winter. A VR6 takes 12 minutes in summer to reach full operating temperature. It won't be much different of the Scirocco 1.4TSi.

Those with the "Highline" multifunction computer in the MY 2010 Sciroccos can see the oil temperature. My guess is that it will take 10 to 12 minutes to stabilise. Any trips within the warm up window will take the mpg down quite markedly, hence your comments above.

--------------

I took a look at one of my car records. A 1.8ltr mechanically injection K-Jetronic Scirocco Mk2 I looked at a 2 year period twice over, once when my trip to work was a daily commute of 8.5 miles each way and secondly when it changed to 3.5 miles.

8.5 mile each way, the 2 year average was 39.7 mpg, which also included some long distance trips occasionally.

When the 3.5 miles trips started with the same mix of longer trips, the MPG reduced to 35.7 mpg as a 2 year average.

In reality if my trips were only 3.5 mile each way then MPG dropped to 29.0-ish measured brim to brim tank fill ups.

Yet this Scirocco regularly achieves 45 to 50 MPG on long motorway trips at 65 to 70 mph.

I also looked at "running-in" for three cars. Driven from new in the 0 to 5,000 miles range the average MPG rose by 15% and about a further 3% by the time the mileage reached 10,000 miles. Also if the above comments on MPG are taking into account the whole mileage driven from new, then the current MPG will be better on the whole. Take a measure over the next 500 or 1,000 miles now the engine has "bedded in". I think the results should a bit better. It takes a fair time for valve seats and piston rings to bed down. I've had one engine that took 25,000 recorded miles from new. BTW all these engines are the same VW design (EA827), some carburetted, some injected.

As I started, I'd expect the short trip MPGs from your 1.4TSi as you have commented. Better than a VW Golf GT Mk5 1.4 TSI 170PS at 28.8 MPG!

Hope this helps.
Chris

[skippy]

Noticed yesterday while driving my average was about 48mpg! This was some low speed running on some very tight twist country roads. Once out on the open road and up to about 80mph it dropped to around 40mpg but never went below that!

I had to put 95RON fuel in as well (high Octane pump was out of service) but I am convinced the engine does run more smoothly and hence improved mpg on the higher RON stuff.

[ZephyR]

Thanks for all that RW1 - very interesting.
I have noticed that the average mpg on the trip memory always started worrying low but slowly crept up to around 30 mpg. But starting with something around 9 mpg from cold and still showing an average of only 18 - 20 mpg after a mile or so was concerning me.
The other long term memory shows a more respectable 32 - 33 mpg for what is mainly stop start journeys around town. Also I've only just clocked 1000 miles so its all a bit stiff still I guess.

[Peter Desmond]

Hello There! You're doing better MPG than me. I'm only getting 20.7 MPG Average according to the dashboard computer. It's a lovely machine, I consider. However I do consider myself a fool! I feel in retrospect that the dealership (Alan Day) in my case, were silver tongued! I was told by one of their people on the demo drive, prior to purchase as always, that I'd get nearer 40 MPG. I doubt I add anything to the discussion, as It appears that you, and the others responding to your query actually know about cars!

Although I'm already fond of it I feel simultaneously irked by it's petrol consumption. I've had it (the same model as yours) for several months; but have done 98% Few mile journeys in the city I live in. I just read another post, replying to your query, and he's getting the same MPG as me, doing roughly equivalent distances. I basically surfed the web on a whim, to make the MPG query. I've had it put into perspective now.Oh well!

My previous car was a 1995 Peugeot 306 XLI, I'm not sure what MPG I got out of it, but it seemed pretty good. It had one previous owner, it had done about 10,000 on the clock when I got it in 1997. I kept it until it demised in Autumn last year on the Motorway. It had around 36,000 on the clock.

This machine-somewhat different!: Was on the road from Spring last year. An employee from the dealers who was driving before me had done around 7,000 when I got it. I was merely told that it had been used as a company car by one secretary. The Appealing Sell was that it was a couple of grand cheaper than a new one straight from the Factory, & a several month wait. After purchase I find a slip of paper, in the glove compartment that revealed it was her Demo model.

After purchase curiously enough!: According to the computer She was getting around 18 MPG! Make of that what you will! I envisage the girl was working in sales, taking prospective lady buyers on trips round the block.I was taken round the block too. I'm a mug right? And I was told years ago that there's one born every minute.

Please know this is my subjectivity, and not a reflection on any of you, who bothered to read thus far.

The VW Information Service Telephone Number ends with 666.

[maisbitt]

Peter Desmond: If 98% of your journeys last only a few miles in city traffic, no wonder you only get about 20mpg - your car probably never gets to operating temperature and so will be using more fuel running a rich fuel mixture whilst the engine is cold. Not good for the car and not good for your wallet.

Think of an old petrol car with a carburetor, if you had one of those, the choke would be on permanently. Your Peugeot that gave up the ghost at just 36,000 miles over 14 years is an example that cars aren't meant to be driven like this (unless poor maintenance was a contributing factor) - I wouldn't touch a car that's done less than 5k miles a year over a few years for this very reason.

Continuing to drive like this may coke up your spark plugs and catalytic/exhaust system (as well as keeping your back box full of water) exacerbating the high consumption problem. Your mpg is no surprise for the usage your car gets. That's the price you pay for the journeys you make, doubt many other cars would fare better on these types of journeys. If the previous owner was getting similar economy, then they were probably doing similar journeys to yourself in the capacity of giving short demos or living within a few miles of the workplace.

Best car for someone doing your kind of journeys is probably a Nissan Leaf - these electric cars thrive on short city journeys, although they don't look anywhere near as good as a Roc.

I'm not trying to say what you are doing is so wrong, you drive the car as you want to, you paid for it.

If you use the car persistently for short journeys such as yours though, you will be doing the car no good in the long term, and doing such low mileages, your fuel bill will pale into insignificance next to the cost of depreciation of the car itself.

[trix]

I don't like agreeing with the man above but hes got a point regarding the lengths of your journeys massively affecting the mpg. looking at your mileage figures above from the peugeot in its lifetime with you & doing a few estimated sums I can see your mileage is very very very low, I hate to say it as you say you are very fond of the scirocco but have you considered a fully electric or hybrid car?

In terms of the mpg for the 1.4TSi see http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... verage+mpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; & http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... mpg#p71597" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; which has some more up to date mpg's from us 1.4 lot although these are definitely journeys longer than you are doing, as mentioned above the engine requires time to warm up & lubricate itself before it can begin to perform at its best.

Also do remember that the no. 2 mpg counter (no. 1 being trip counter) is the average going in 100 hour driving segments, not the life of the car.

[skyblues11]

also, how many stoppages during a typical journey? any time you stop and accerarate, you use more energy to regain the motion. I am convinced that my fuel are more efiencient during school holidays and nighttime driving.

sometimes, a longer journey is more fuel efficient and better for the pocket.

[Ryy]

My average is around 32MPG in my 2.0TSI. But since it's got warmer and I'm driving it more "happily", it's around 30MPG. Amazing car to be fair.

[ZephyR]

..... sometimes, a longer journey is more fuel efficient and better for the pocket.

Well go the long way round then and save money

[maisbitt]

Fuel economy definitely improves in warmer weather and quieter roads/less congestion - it all adds up.

Stoppages and slowing down all steal your momentum - it takes a lot more fuel to get to a certain speed than to maintain it. If you have a 10 mile commute to work that's all stops and starts, you might use less fuel taking a 12 mile journey with no stoppages.

Warmer weather means humid air in the UK - more of that supplying your car means more expansion per combustion as the moisture in the air expands greatly within the temperature differential from intake to combustion.

Although my car a a diesel, same applies to all combustion engines.

Drove 350 miles down to Southampton recently. It was a hot day (26C), and I was maintaining 75-80mph, and had the aircon on most of the way - got 59mpg. Roads were congestion free up to the last 20 miles, which then took an hour.

3 days later, on the way back and more strictly maintaining 75mph, no aircon on at all, absolutely no congestion, I only got 56mpg for the journey, but it was 17C. Big difference there is in the temperature and humidity, both days were pretty much windless.

Someone is now going to tell me it's uphill all the way to Newcastle

[RW1]

Someone is now going to tell me it's uphill all the way to Newcastle

Thought about that 2 weeks ago! But bit my bottom lip as the head / tail wind may have been a serious factor. Now if it was the railways, wouldn't it be the other way?

MFD showing 33.2 mpg today at the end of this tank full and its usually accurate against the brim to brim pump reading. All 5 - 6 miles in urban traffic at an average of 18mph over the whole tank full. Tank has lasted since 25.04.11 Don't think the DSG helps by using a lower gear so the rpm is higher than I would normally use below 35mph with a manual gearbox. Which makes you wonder why the official figures are slightly better for the DSG over the Manual Box.

C.

[lancs_lad]

To be accurate about your fuel consumption you need to keep accurate records of mileage and also fill up to the top each time you visit the garage. Just going off your fuel computer isn't really an accurate way of computing your fuel consumption and no car I have ever owned has had an accurate fuel computer.

Since taking delivery of my 1.4TSi I have covered 8,167 miles to the last fill up and put 250.85 gallons of the liquid gold into it (1140.23 litres) which works out at an average of 32.55mpg with the best being 41.79 on a motorway run and the worst being 27.49 at the end of March last year. My motoring is generally local in South Yorks with Sheffield being extremely hilly so I consider the mpg as acceptable although it comes nowhere near the advertised figures I looked at before buying.

The reason I keep the records is not just that I'm sad but because I am self employed I need to keep records of usage for the taxman. It also helps to realise you have a problem if your fuel consumption suddenly rises for no apparrent reason.

[lancs_lad]

Quick update as I've been to Norfolk this weekend (very flatland:)) Completed 370 miles at 45.75mpg full tank to full tank so quite chuffed with that as there was a fair bit of running around while we were in North Norfolk as well.