I wonder why they bothered with anything other than 1st and 6th then :wonder: Could have saved themselves a fortune !!

Yes, Having the side of your car caved in because you couldnt react in time to get out of the way of a driver that fell asleep at the wheel and veered into you.

[/Devils advocate]

The same reason I stay in a gear that at least has some acceleration if needed

@30 - 3rd or 4th

@40 - 4th

@50 - 4th or 5th

@55+ - 6th

Ditto. If the engine is warm it'll trickle along quite happily in 6th at 30mph.

TFSI isn't trying to put massive torque through at such low revs like the Tdi is.

Edited 20 January, 201016 yr by tom1362

When the engine is cold, I change gears between 1500 and 2000 revs. when the engine is hot, I don't change gear untill the revs are above 2000. I notice that if I use high gear at low speed, I can save a lot of fuel but bad for the engine. If I keep the habbit of changing gears as mentioned above, the fuel consumption is higher but good for the engine. You can never have both.

Tried this in the works mondy today. It wasnt happy, and I wont be doing it ever again!

I try not to go past 2k rpm when cold, I certainly do not use full throttle/boost then.

Short of holding up traffic and/or pulling away in 2nd and shifting straight into 3rd, I don't see how you could stick to this! IMHO, it's far worse labouring a cold engine in this manner than it is having the turbo spinning gently at part-load while the engine warms up.

I don't take it above about 3k until the engine's warm if I can help it, however...

I wonder why they bothered with anything other than 1st and 6th then :wonder: Could have saved themselves a fortune !!

Probably VAG going for max mpg across the performance range of the cars, funnily enough in the CR 170 first gear is something that is a hindrance rather than a help I find, I am trying to get out of it double quick time to 2nd, 6th only viable at 50+ so motorways in effect. I recall my 1.8T VRS had a fair range in 1st gear, this led me to stalling a few times till I go used to the Diesel.

Excellent replies chaps that has taught me something on the gear ratios - hence asking here.

Short of holding up traffic and/or pulling away in 2nd and shifting straight into 3rd, I don't see how you could stick to this! IMHO, it's far worse labouring a cold engine in this manner than it is having the turbo spinning gently at part-load while the engine warms up.

I don't take it above about 3k until the engine's warm if I can help it, however...

As earlier, I ca surf along at 1500 to 2000 all day, so on-boost, but hardly spinning the engine fast (well, until the road speed goes over 60mph [where legal]). At these revs I'm still held up by "fuel savers" and pensionermobiles far more often than I'm in anyone else's way.

Edited 21 January, 201016 yr by KenONeill

Since we don't have the functionality on this new site, Ken:

On a relatively flat road, I find 4th fine at 30mph , 5th at 40mph , and 6th at 50+

When the engine is cold, I change gears between 1500 and 2000 revs. when the engine is hot, I don't change gear untill the revs are above 2000. I notice that if I use high gear at low speed, I can save a lot of fuel but bad for the engine. If I keep the habbit of changing gears as mentioned above, the fuel consumption is higher but good for the engine. You can never have both.

Spot-on mate, I came to this realisation when I had my Golf TDI. I would nurse it about all over the place trying to get 50mpg only for the turbo vanes to start sticking. Luckily that problem can be sorted by giving it a darned good thrashing, what, but as others have stated in this thread there is no point saving a few quid in fuel when you're causing long-term engine damage that will cost you several times the amount you've saved.

I recall my 1.8T VRS had a fair range in 1st gear, this led me to stalling a few times till I go used to the Diesel.

You're not wrong...in my 1.8T I often only need 2nd gear if I'm trundling through the village behind someone doing 25mph. In fact the in-gear range has been a pleasant surprise since moving back from a dweesel. I love the way that 3rd can take you all the way from 20mph right up to 100!

There are people who get a good wage at VW-Audi to test engines to destruction so the people that pay good hard earned money for their cars do not have to do it for them. If you have no mechanical sympathy for your engine and manual gearbox then you should buy an automatic!!

Rant over,, my apologies for being direct but modern engines thrive on revs, have lightened cranks and flywheels to run smoother. Even John Deere engines need revved higher these days to produce power!!

30mph in 6th will use more fuel than 30mph in 5th so I don't really see the point.

Probably shot upto 35mph as 6th gear and idle speed of around 800 - 900 rpm = 35mph.

I tried putting my CR 170 Diesel in 6th last night at 30, was curious as I don't normally think about what gear I am in at what speed, quickly came to the conclussion that 30 in 6th = not a good idea.!!

Agreed, think I was curious about mpg you get if you did it but "Having the side of your car caved in (BigW)" is a good enough reason not to do it again!