Fuel consumption on my Octavia VRS TDI PD 170

[dan yeates]

Hi,

I’m curious to know what you think of my MPG I’m getting from my 56 plate PD 170 Octavia VRS. I seem to get a constant 41mpg (using the iPhone app and filling it up to the top at each fill up). This has included a run to Cornwall and back (400 mile round trip) on a clear run, two trips to the M25 and back, again, clear runs with little traffic (about 200 mile round trip). Also lots of runs to work and around Dorset. My run to work and back is 6 miles each way of clear roads.

I’m expecting to get 40mpg on my local runs and runs back and forth to work, but I was expecting to get over 40mpg on motorway runs. Any thoughts? I’ve been travelling at 70mph constant speed so not travelling excessively fast. As soon as you drive any quicker (not on a public highway of course) it really starts to drink fuel and drops to mid 30’s. Is this reasonable? My dads A3 2.0 TDi Quattro (140 admittedly) averages a constant 50mpg and more if it’s mostly motorway driving.

Any comments?

Thanks,

Dan

[vectra1]

Some members here claim almost 50mpg..

Personally i have no idea how they get this.

I have driven my CR170 at 100kph for one week making sure to never do anything to burn excess diesel. I returned 43.9 which has been my average since buying the car in October. I have 7.5K. Kilometers on it now and still the same since day one.

[dan yeates]

Thanks. I know there was a thread a little while ago about the CR, I didn't know if the PD would be much different...

[Raglits]

The cold weather affects consumption too, I'm getting about 41 at the moment whereas I normally get about 44 (mines a CR)

[Wardy]

Correct on the cold weather. Colder, denser air being brought in generally means that more fuel is added. You get better performance, but economy does suffer.

Up until this cold snap I've been getting brim-to-brim tank consumption of 48mpg on my PD140. It's remapped and running 183bhp so results should be broadly comparable with the PD170 unit, albeit without the addition of a DPF. My journeys include a fair bit of urban/local journeys, fast A-road and country routes, plus motorway. So a pretty broad mix! On motorways I generally stick cruise on at 80 indicated.

Will see how this tank fares, but with all the cold starts and running while de-icing etc, I'm expecting it to be down nearer the 44mpg mark over the full tank, again on a brim-to-brim calc.

HTH,

Steve

[dan yeates]

Ok, thanks. Interesting to see what you get. I have 80 miles left on my DIS and I've managed 400 miles so far to this tank.

[TorqueDude]

I also have a funny feeling that in winter, the diesel that we fill with has a lower energy content because of the different mix to stop it waxing in low temperatures.

[Dolla]

08 PD 170 short trips/general driving about i get 40/41mpg..Motorway keeping the speed between 60/70mph 50 to 52mpg.....

[sneeks]

During the past 2 months since buying my 07 vRS PD 170 I have averaged 42mpg with a mix of town and motorway driving. Last week in the snow and driving at no more than 50mph on the motorway for 35 miles I achieved 48mpg according to the car display. 470 - 500 miles per tank of fuel seems to be the norm for me, my stepdad gets over 600 miles from a PD140 Audi A4 diesel.

Edited 22 December, 2010 by sneeks

[lee michael]

i drive approx 25 miles to work and have a mix of town, a road and motor way driving! i achieve 49 mpg with bp super diesel. i find it worth the extra money! only get 42 with tesco crap diesel!

[Wardy]

On-board calc or brim-to-brim calc?

[ozzyboy]

i have just got a 170 cr.getting around 48 at present.thats nursing it.when i picked it up the average on the computer was 50.6mpg.

after years of having golf 130/150s this is what i found.

130 bhp averaged around 50mpg

150 bhp averaged around 45mpg

finding the difference between the two of 5mpg.

i would imagine the 170/140 difference would be very similar.

the reason for this is the higher output engines have a larger turbo,larger injectors and intercooler.hence more power. but less mpg.

i have found the 170cr returns much the same as a passat 140 sport dsg.the manual passats get around the 5mpg more.

[stripey]

I have the pleasure of a long commute to work and lots of motorway drives in mine and driving like a grandad - in the slow lane at 56mph on the Satnav and have managed to return more than 60mpg in the summer - trying to maximise the mileage expenses. I saw 55mpg today on the way to pick up my new steel wheels with Dunlop winter tyres but that fell to 51mpg by the time I got home with more traffic... when I actually enjoy driving then I get much less mpg but have more fun. Tend to manage 48mpg when sticking to the speed limits.

[AndrewJB]

My Average on my PD170 Leon (With DPF Delete) is 41-43mpg on Motorway runs

I managed a 51.1mpg run once on a cruize to a mates house once on A Roads but 43 is tops i get usually

[Ibby]

I have a PD170 engine in mine and my colleague has a CR170 in his. On a 20 mile journey earlier in the year following each other i averaged 42 MPG and he averaged 55mpg! So there is a quite a difference in fuel consumption.

[dan yeates]

I have a PD170 engine in mine and my colleague has a CR170 in his. On a 20 mile journey earlier in the year following each other i averaged 42 MPG and he averaged 55mpg! So there is a quite a difference in fuel consumption.

Thanks for that. Seems mine is about right. I just wished it would hit the higher 40's or even 50mpg on motorway runs really!

[dan yeates]

My Average on my PD170 Leon (With DPF Delete) is 41-43mpg on Motorway runs

I managed a 51.1mpg run once on a cruize to a mates house once on A Roads but 43 is tops i get usually

Thanks. I've been looking at this mod (not because I have a problem with my DPF, just seems like a good mod!). On the JBS website it says to expect an MPG increase of 10-15mpg, seemed a bit optimistic to me so it's interesting to see what yours is producing. Who modified your car? What are the torque figures and do you have much problems with traction?

Edited 24 December, 2010 by dan yeates

[Redboy]

Thanks for that. Seems mine is about right. I just wished it would hit the higher 40's or even 50mpg on motorway runs really!

The posts in this topic just confirmed that I did the right thing by buying the petrol version. Under 14000 miles a year and 38-40 on motorway runs. Your figures reflect my old TDCI 140BHP Mpg. Diesels are great but you need to have them for the right reason. Don't mention residuals, nobody ever wants to pay the "what my car's worth" price even with a full dealer- stamped service book and you pay extra for the oil burners on purchase so are just getting your cash back on resale.

[AndrewJB]

Thanks. I've been looking at this mod (not because I have a problem with my DPF, just seems like a good mod!). On the JBS website it says to expect an MPG increase of 10-15mpg, seemed a bit optimistic to me so it's interesting to see what yours is producing. Who modified your car? What are the torque figures and do you have much problems with traction?

Mines a JBS one, I could get alot better MPG but i find myself to happy to use the right pedal alot , It pulled 360lb.ft on Awesome GTI's rollers the other week and yes traction is a HUGE problem even in th dry, ive fitted a solid engine mount that helps

[lee michael]

that was brim to brim calc says more on trip, as they always do!!

[blanc]

I average about 41 mpg as well. My car is not good on fuel on the motorway! When it was remapped I was averaging approx 50mpg on the same run.

I got a cool 22mpg driving in the snow recently

[Ciderspace]

I average around 41mpg but have seen 56mpg displayed after a round trip of about 40miles. It depends on so many factors though - not been able to equal or better that since.

I've even had 43+ while carrying a boot full plus 2 roof mounted bikes on a trip to Scotland.

Without the bikes or even the racks, I can get up ro 600 miles out of a tank if its all motorways.. I do drive at around 65 on the motorway though, varying speed over that when necessary.

HTH

Edited 6 January, 2011 by Ciderspace

[Wardy]

These reported figures do seem to back up my view that they pushed the PD unit a bit too far with the 170 revision and economy seems to have suffered fairly dramatically for the sake of 30bhp over the PD140. Also that the development on the CR170 unit has paid dividends with economy is compared with this and the PD170.

Mines a JBS one, I could get alot better MPG but i find myself to happy to use the right pedal alot , It pulled 360lb.ft on Awesome GTI's rollers the other week and yes traction is a HUGE problem even in th dry, ive fitted a solid engine mount that helps

Off-topic, but is that 360lb/ft on the standard turbo??

[AndrewJB]

Yes

As far as im aware Nobody has uprated a Turbo on a PD170 yet, ive had discussions with Turbo Dynamics about it and a Hybrid PD170 Turbo wont offer anything other than lovering the stress on the Turbo

Big Turbo is the only way forward

[dan yeates]

Managed 480 miles to this tank which included a drive to Cornwall and London so happy with that.