I bought my first Skoda 3 weeks ago (Octavia II 1.9 TDI). It is 12 months old with 6500 miles on the clock. I was looking forward to 50+ mpg but am disappointed to find I am currently averaging only 47! I wouldnt mind if I was being heavy with the right foot but I have been really taking it easy.

My journey to work is 15 miles on mainly open country roads (averaging 40-50 mph), and I have had a couple of 60 mile Mway journeys averaging 60-70mph, plus a small bit of town driving.

Can anyone advise? Is the engine still likely to be a bit "tight" at 6K miles? Or should I take it back to the Skoda dealer that I bought it off and ask them to look into it?

Any suggestions would be very welcome! Thanks, Jim

I bought my first Skoda 3 weeks ago (Octavia II 1.9 TDI). It is 12 months old with 6500 miles on the clock. I was looking forward to 50+ mpg but am disappointed to find I am currently averaging only 47! I wouldnt mind if I was being heavy with the right foot but I have been really taking it easy.

My journey to work is 15 miles on mainly open country roads (averaging 40-50 mph), and I have had a couple of 60 mile Mway journeys averaging 60-70mph, plus a small bit of town driving.

Can anyone advise? Is the engine still likely to be a bit "tight" at 6K miles? Or should I take it back to the Skoda dealer that I bought it off and ask them to look into it?

Any suggestions would be very welcome! Thanks, Jim

Hi there,

I too was dissapointed with the MPG albeit mine is a 4x4, I believe it will get better but after around the 10k mark. Also you get much better consumption at higher speeds mainly between 60-70mph as you take in to consideration speed/distance covered/wind resistance etc... if you have cruise control use it whenever you can, this can make a big difference too.

I am getting an average between 44 - 50mpg with the 2.0Tdi PD - when it was new it was more like 38-44

I too have been a little disappointed with the vRS fuel consumption. I've had it a little over a month now, have done over 3000 miles. It's got about 8800 on it now, so still loosening up.

On daily commute (26 miles, virtually all on motorways, about 8-10 miles in traffic at or below 30mph, the rest at motorway cruise of 70+) it's returning about 43-45, which ain't bad.

But then I did the near-200 mile run back from Cambridge to my place on Sunday night, all on the motorway (including the legendary M6 Toll) and no traffic problems, and got hom to find an average of 41mpg...

OK, maybe I was being a little lead-footed, but can anybody figure the difference?!?

Your cars are all too new.

I had a Seat Ibiza with 9000 miles on it, and the consumption was poor to begin with.

However, once I'd put a few miles on it, I was regularly getting over 51-52mpg.

(1.9 TDI 130)

My current Octavia is averaging about 48-52 depending on my drive. 2.0 TDI DSG..

I do hope it is beacause of the low mileage covered so far! I should have mentioned my last car was an 8 year old focus tdi, and I regularly got 55+ mpg from that - so I know I have a light right foot!!

at that mileage it will be still as tight as a nun's down below, so wouldn't worry.

It took 20,000 miles for the mpg to get good in out VRS but having said that there is a BIG difference to summer and winter economy with diesels.

Diesels take a while to warm up and are pretty inefficent until they do so expect an improvement when the weather warms up

Thanks to all for the replies so far.

Hopefully I am being a little unfair on my new toy! I will have to be a bit more patient. I had been toying with getting a 1.9 or a 2.0 TDI, and plumped for the former because of the better advertised fuel economy. To me it seems like I am getting 2.0 TDI economy but without the benifits of the bigger engine! Thanks Richf - that is a good point about the weather, and the car DOES take an age to warm up fully!

My MPG has altered massivley now the winter has got that bit colder.

Was getting 50+ mpg in the summer at average speeds. Same speeds now is recording around 46mpg at most - and thats with 15k miles on the clock.

You will see an improvement as the engine loosens up and the weather gets warmer

Interesting stuff - never thought about the inefficiency from cold. Thanks for the info. I too will be patient and wait to reap the benefits!

Just to add a few figures to this Bath - London - Bath last night. Set cruise at 70mph (according to satnav) - not a steady 70 all the way due to adverse conditions and traffic but trip showed 59mpg up and 58mpg back - mines a 2.0TDi with 32k on the clock

I've gone from an average 43 mpg down to 37.

I expect to get less than most as I have 225/45/17's but the big difference seems to be from fitting Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3's as well as the winter weather.

Bloody hell, 2.0TDI and you're getting 37?

My average back and forth work is 48-49 and I've got 225/45/17's as well (Pegasus wheels)

I was getting 53 on a long run. I'm off to Bolton tomorrow, will be interesting to see what I average.

I have been disappointed with the fuel consumption of this, (my second Octy with the 2.0tdi 140 engine).

The engine on my first Octy drank oil until about 12,000 miles and then used very little but it consistantly averaged 45 to 50 mpg and tank range brim to warning light was about 520 miles. My current Octy uses virtually no oil , has now done almost 9000 miles, gives no more than 460 miles brim to light and the overall average is 38mpg, I have to be going on level ground (with a tailwind) to get 40 plus mpg!!. Both cars are on 17" wheels , previous Octy was an Elegance with Pegasus alloys and sports suspension and I tended to drive it harder due to its superior handling. Current car (L&K) has standard suspension and encourages a slightly more relaxed approach (although I never drive as if I am on an economy run!!) .

Since I am so delighted with the car in general I am prepared to accept the poor economy , but if I had to do a larger mileage I would have to forsake it for something more economical.

One thing I noticed is that the mpg readout falls quite rapidly whilst the car is idling (say at traffic lights) and I do not recall my previous car doing this.

i for one asked the question about mpg when i got mine and the top speed etc, nothing like the book price. since about 10k (now on about 23k) mpg has improved and so has 0-60 and (the only other time ive tried it) top speed better than book specs (on a german autobahn), just let the engine do its stuff and when you have clocked up 10k you will see it improve. also remember its colder and takes longer to warm up at this time of year so that might affect it too.

Get some more miles on the engine and you will notice a difference.Mine is on 26K and iam averaging 50-56mpg in this weather round town.

Did my first, of many, long runs up to Nottingham from Plymouth yesterday.

Set the Cruise to 75, of course I thought it was 70 , and although had to slow at times I averaged 51 MPG both there and back? Reading through some threads expected a little more? Anyone agree this is a good average?

Car is an 06 plate Octavia Elegence 2.0 TDI 140 BHP with 47,000 on the clock.

My VRS has now done 15k miles and seems to be pretty well bedded in - oil consumption has dropped to ~zero and it sounds sweet. However, what I don't understand is the fuel economy. :confused: Several threads suggest reasons for poor economy in winter, eg poor efficiency at low engine temps, anti-waxing egents in fuel. But does that really count for a 25% decrease on a long run when the engine is warm to start with? Just driven 60odd miles from warm with the aircon on with a nominal fuel consumption of 57mpg. Same journey 4 months ago gave 42 with the aircon off! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about 57mpg, just want to know why the huge difference between a cold winter's day and a warmish spring day.

Does anyone know if there any compensation in the engine management for outside air temperature?

And just to add details in case anyone asks - same tyres (albeit a bit more worn now), same tyre pressure, even same diesel (had 20l of "winter" diesel in the garage bought in January that I thought I should use up).

I just don't get it!

I changed my 1.9 pd estate for a newer one at the beginning of March. My old Octy averaged 55mpg on the computer, which was more like 53 mpg when measured tank full to refill. The first tank full on the new car returned 48 mpg and I was driving the same with the same load. So the next time I measured the full tank to refill and it was 50mpg and the computer was 49.5mpg. After five weeks of using the car I am now up to 53 mpg. I have been told that the ECU adjusts the economy to your driving style and type of driving ie short journeys or motorway etc. I don't know if this correct, but I remember when I bought my previous Octy it took a few weeks for the mpg to run in the low to mid fifties.

I have kept a log on ours since new and over 31000 its average is 42 mpg and of that mileage 6000 was towing 1340 klg caravan. However the clock often say's 64 mpg on longer runs and a run at approx' 70 mph from Essex to Cumbernauld it done 50 mpg. Have 55 plate Elegance with dsg and i use c/c most of the time. As for bedding in i have not seen differance as it has been much the same.

1.9pd dsg hatch with c/c between 70k & 100k miles regularly did 62 on daily run Somerset to Heathrow @ indicated 70mph. 2.0pd 140 dsg estate with c/c and 8-10k miles does 48 - 52.