I'm not claiming the CR vRS is a performance car, I've always seen it as a reasonably quick family car... what I'm saying is I can get performance(maybe not as much as the 1.8 or 2.0 petrols) and economy at the same time

I don't have to drive economically and using the reasonable performance of my vehicle I still average around 40mpg (and I have the old school 6 speed DSG). When taking it easy this figure gets significantly higher, and I'm sure that if I had the skill/patience to really go for economy then I could get figures that were higher still..

Don't get me wrong, I think the current 1.8TSi is a cracking engine and I seriously considered getting an Elegance with that engine and the sports suspension which would probably be quicker than my devils fuel burning car, but with the mileage I do, I prefer the diesel for it's ease in getting economy rather than having to try to get that economy

Fair comments. Hope the 1.8 TSI DSG L&K is not too sponge after getting use to the Petrol VRS. I never hold on to these cars too long as I do 50K a year between the two or 3 cars.

Playing devils advocate, not all situations require braking, sometimes you have to accelerate to get out of a situation and if the car is in neutral, then you can't accelerate immediately...

Also, diesels don't have spark plugs

Yes I do realise Compression Ignition (Wiesel) engines do not have spark plugs (though they do have glow plugs sometimes) but having higher compression ratios, typically around 20:1 compared to 10:1 for petrol and much heavier pistons etc so require more energy to turn over hence wasted friction and intertia loss.

It only takes a fraction of a second to whack the Prindle stick from Neutral to Sports and one should be able to foresee potential problems ie junctions etc which I would tend to drop out of freewheeling to Drive to Sports mode.

Edited 21 November, 201015 yr by lol

I also prefer the VRS interior/seats etc. to the other models. So an Elegance with sports suspension just would not cut it with me.

I find the VRS a bit basic and it was more economical to go for the L&K spec rather than add to the VRS spec ie to get the steering wheel controls, paddle shifts, adaptive Xenon lighting, heated seats etc, cannot wait to pass the TSI VRS back to SWMBO and get in to the sophisicated L&K and I have flawless gear changes, I do seem to mess up the gear changes sometimes in the VRS. Did so well for the first 50 yard against a BMW Alpina only to have a not too slick first to second change and lose the car's length lead I had.

Edited 21 November, 201015 yr by lol

Corrida Red - finding the new car on the car park amidst all the anonymous whites, greys, tinted greys and blacks is a doddle!

I've always had 'fire engines' previously but not as a 3 box saloon, so I was expecting it to look a bit OTT in comparison to a Golf/Focus shape. I'm used to it now though and like you say easy to spot in car park *and* easier for other drivers to see compared to the road surface hues currently in vogue.

I'm not claiming the CR vRS is a performance car, I've always seen it as a reasonably quick family car... what I'm saying is I can get performance(maybe not as much as the 1.8 or 2.0 petrols) and economy at the same time

I don't have to drive economically and using the reasonable performance of my vehicle I still average around 40mpg (and I have the old school 6 speed DSG). When taking it easy this figure gets significantly higher, and I'm sure that if I had the skill/patience to really go for economy then I could get figures that were higher still..

Don't get me wrong, I think the current 1.8TSi is a cracking engine and I seriously considered getting an Elegance with that engine and the sports suspension which would probably be quicker than my devils fuel burning car, but with the mileage I do, I prefer the diesel for it's ease in getting economy rather than having to try to get that economy

I think your spot on with this, I used to have a 150BHP Signum oil burner which was quick, but even when driving it like an arse returned 45-48mpg.

Andy

I think your spot on with this, I used to have a 150BHP Signum oil burner which was quick, but even when driving it like an arse returned 45-48mpg.

Andy

I had a 150 hp diesel Insignia whilst the Octy diesel was being repaired. The Insignia must be different to the Signum in some way as the Insignia was fairly slow and was bad on fuel ie 40-42 mpg too. Glad to get the 1.9D back with its much better acceleration and fuel economy. Insignia did have a big fuel tank ie 70 litres which was good as the 55 litre on the Octys is a bit small I think. Insignia just too heavy ie over 1600 kgs which killed its economy and performance.

I didn't think there was ever a 150HP Insignia diesel...

Also, the Insignia is a heavy car, considerably heavier than the Vectra (and presumably the Signum) than it replaced

yep different engine all together, the Insignia has a 2.0 and the Vec/Signums were 1.9

Where and how are you driving?

I will eat my 1.8 TSI manual if I cannot average 45 mpg. I have seen 570 miles range on the TSI VRS so expect to see well over 600 miles appear on the 1.8 TSi DSG!

Best figure was obtained North Leeds to Lincoln and back - A1 busy going but coming back 80mph on cruise all the way back. - NB car was 3 days and 160 miles old when I set out so this trip doubled the mileage

Rest is mostly commute with occasional 30 odd miles on A roads.

Can I recomend that you serve your manaul lightly grilled with a fried egg on top - that is how I will be cooking mine if you do it :p

Mine struggles to get 400 miles out of a tank - without running it down to fumes. On the current tank of Shell I have done 360 miles, the low fuel light is on with 50 miles range left, maxidot mpg says 35.5mpg. That is around 30% commute and 70% A roads but with some icy mornings with engine running while I cleared the windows. I rarely see the maxidot journey mpg go over 40mpg

But when you are freewheeling and the engine is ticking over it will be using fuel to maintain tickover, whereas leaving in gear and using engine braking while your foot is completely off the gas will result in the ECU cutting off the fuel supply altogether hence no fuel used and the possibility of better fuel economy.

Leaving the should you shouldn't you debate aside...

On a downgrade where the hill is steep enough to maintain your speed even with full engine braking then you will use less fuel in gear than coasting in neutral.

BUT

On a gentle downgrade where full engine braking is too much then a small amount of fuel is required to maintain speed. In these situations coasting in neutral will use less fuel.

I would say I am in complete control when free wheeling, you could even argue that you can stop quicker from freewheeling than in gear because you are not braking the engine as well as the car, hmmmm.

Sorry about answering these old posts - been away a couple of days.

Just a couple of queries as I have never tried it! With my DSG, to move from N to D I have to apply the footbrake. Is that still the case if you are coasting at, say 50mph, and need to re-engage D? And if that is the case will you not lose momentum while braking that you will need to regain when drive is re-engaged?

Indeed, will the DSG allow you to select neutral at 50mph? As I say - I have never tried it!

Sorry about answering these old posts - been away a couple of days.

Just a couple of queries as I have never tried it! With my DSG, to move from N to D I have to apply the footbrake. Is that still the case if you are coasting at, say 50mph, and need to re-engage D? And if that is the case will you not lose momentum while braking that you will need to regain when drive is re-engaged?

Indeed, will the DSG allow you to select neutral at 50mph? As I say - I have never tried it!

Yes you can move from N to D or S or D or S to N at any speed more than walking pace without the brake pedal depressed even a bit ie not at all. If VAG let you do it then must be OK yes?

Edited 23 November, 201015 yr by lol

Best figure was obtained North Leeds to Lincoln and back - A1 busy going but coming back 80mph on cruise all the way back. - NB car was 3 days and 160 miles old when I set out so this trip doubled the mileage

Rest is mostly commute with occasional 30 odd miles on A roads.

Can I recomend that you serve your manaul lightly grilled with a fried egg on top - that is how I will be cooking mine if you do it :p

Mine struggles to get 400 miles out of a tank - without running it down to fumes. On the current tank of Shell I have done 360 miles, the low fuel light is on with 50 miles range left, maxidot mpg says 35.5mpg. That is around 30% commute and 70% A roads but with some icy mornings with engine running while I cleared the windows. I rarely see the maxidot journey mpg go over 40mpg

Weird. Topped up with fuel in London in TSI VRS and it showed 500 mile range, came back to Worc, not hanging about ie lots of barely legal, and averaged 40 mpg. As I said 43 mpg not unusual on the TSI VRS where A road concerned, 45 mpg will be a walk in the park on the 1.8 TSI DSG. Maybe you will get much better with a few more miles on the clock say 5 or 10K where the carbon biuld up gas flows the engine for you.

Edited 23 November, 201015 yr by lol