how to drive VRS for greatest economy

[wilsy7]

hey all,

as above, lately theres been a few threads regarding miles per tank and mpg figures with a wide range of results for what should be a fairly rounded figure. i personally have experienced much reduced figures to what i should be geting and got me wondering that possibly my driving style for economy could be all wrong. i try to prevent the engine from labouring by keeping rpm above 1500rpm and changing gears at 2000. to me this seemed good as it worked wel on my previous car, which was a petrol and are completely different to drive so was wondering how to drive the vrs to get the best economy. ive heard of not letting the revs drop below 2000 as this is the best area to be in because of the torque therefore yielding the best figures? also not using 6th until at least 60mph has been passed altho i dont see the issure with selecting 6th at say 50mph on a flat road whenever the engine is not being loaded, lower rpms equals less fuel used surely? altho someone may correct me on this.

theres lots of confusion in this area so would just like to gather everyones thoughts and opinions and try to combine them all to achieve a definitive answer

jordan

[Ad Lav]

I'm always going for 6th if at 50mph on a flat road, just don't accelerate hard to go any faster as the clutch won't like it.

If you sit at 65 ish on dual carriageways and motorway you can get high 60's mpg.

Guess most of it is not using the turbo too hard as this burns fuel quicker?

[FabiaJames]

@wilsy7 - I drive the same as you do, not below 1500rpm and not above 2000rpm. I too am interested to know whether there is a better driving style so I will be watching this thread

[Brian69]

Provided I'm on a flat road (so as not to labour the engine) I drive at 30mph in 4th, 40mph in 5th and 50+mph in 6th. If I want to accelerate I drop a gear and let the revs hit 2000 before giving it any beans. This is probably how not to drive a vRS .

[ollymonkeynuts]

Move to a house on a big hill...you'll save 50% fuel by free-wheeling down it

[countryboy]

Most of what everybody is saying is correct, don't labour the engine and accelerate gently up and around the torque peak. What I can add is that one of the best tools for driving for best economy is anticipation. look far enough ahead so you only use the brakes the minimal amount of time. Braking equals converting all that energy from the fuel you have just burned into waste heat so don't do it unless you have to.

Ian

[TeebsVRS]

Apart from the usual eco driving tips, I would agree that keeping around the 2000rpm mark, shifting up mid-high 2k rpm is fine. Also fine I think is shifting up if on an easy flat or downhill stretch, then shifting back down the moment the engine needs to take up some load. Forcing the car around at low revs is a no-no even if the car feels like it has the grunt - the turbo needs some use to keep healthy and using some revs in the power band will keep the engine happy and so mpg happy. On the other end booting it and redlining it will also be an unhappy engine. Unless remapped the power is all within around 1000rpm on the VRS, hence the 6 gear close ratio box. Use it!

[Bikerz]

The best advice is -

Consider the throttle as the fuel, the futher u push it the more fuel you use (look at mpg as you do it) so always try and use as least amounht of throttle as possible.

[*tim*]

I pretty much get 47mpg all year round. TBH I don't feel I drive partially economically, nor on roads that makes the best out of the engine. Generally I drive at 10x the speed of the gear number, i.e 1st = 10mph; 2nd = 20mph; . . . ; 6th = 60mph+

[wilsy7]

I'm always going for 6th if at 50mph on a flat road, just don't accelerate hard to go any faster as the clutch won't like it.

If you sit at 65 ish on dual carriageways and motorway you can get high 60's mpg.

Guess most of it is not using the turbo too hard as this burns fuel quicker?

yeh your right about the turbo thing

[wilsy7]

@wilsy7 - I drive the same as you do, not below 1500rpm and not above 2000rpm. I too am interested to know whether there is a better driving style so I will be watching this thread

Provided I'm on a flat road (so as not to labour the engine) I drive at 30mph in 4th, 40mph in 5th and 50+mph in 6th. If I want to accelerate I drop a gear and let the revs hit 2000 before giving it any beans. This is probably how not to drive a vRS .

no this is what is recommended by many, altho hold off the throttle to 2500rpm to protect clutch and flywheel

Move to a house on a big hill...you'll save 50% fuel by free-wheeling down it

what about going home up the hill??

Most of what everybody is saying is correct, don't labour the engine and accelerate gently up and around the torque peak. What I can add is that one of the best tools for driving for best economy is anticipation. look far enough ahead so you only use the brakes the minimal amount of time. Braking equals converting all that energy from the fuel you have just burned into waste heat so don't do it unless you have to.

Ian

good point :yes:

Apart from the usual eco driving tips, I would agree that keeping around the 2000rpm mark, shifting up mid-high 2k rpm is fine. Also fine I think is shifting up if on an easy flat or downhill stretch, then shifting back down the moment the engine needs to take up some load. Forcing the car around at low revs is a no-no even if the car feels like it has the grunt - the turbo needs some use to keep healthy and using some revs in the power band will keep the engine happy and so mpg happy. On the other end booting it and redlining it will also be an unhappy engine. Unless remapped the power is all within around 1000rpm on the VRS, hence the 6 gear close ratio box. Use it!

yeh this is what i do when going up a slight incline and then the roads flattens out or goes down the hill. altho the question is, is all this gear changing effecting economy as im aware the figure is achieved when cruising, ie not changing gear. for example i decided to drive to work one day by just using forth and timing the roundabouts and achieved 54mpg. but when downchanging to 3rd and going through the gears to fifth i can only get 45mpg, so maybe the gear changing is affecting it, altho sometimes unavoidable.

i personally change early then accelerate very slightly to gain speed then change again. would it be better to give the car a quick blast to speed, upchange and then cruise? as when reading about how remaps improve economy they state that the extra power and torque means that less time is needed to reach target speed, less accelerating means less fuel used which makes sense, altho would go against the concept of accelerating gently.

[MoggyTech]

Buy a pair of driving shoes that let you feel the throttle pedal. Never use 6th gear below 60 MPH unless cruising on flat road or slight downhill. Anticipate road ahead and avoid heavy braking.

[Schern]

I find 5th is actually better than 6th for economy if below 60mph.

[Nightshade]

Buy a pair of driving shoes that let you feel the throttle pedal. Never use 6th gear below 60 MPH unless cruising on flat road or slight downhill. Anticipate road ahead and avoid heavy braking.

Can you explain why I shouldnt be using the 6th Gear unless travelling 60 or above?, I have only had mine for two weeks but find that it happily sits at 30/35 mph in 6th Gear, if it is fundamentally wrong then I would like to know in order to change my driving style. TIA

[Tom1964bus]

6th below 60 is a big no no for MPG the engine is labouring at that speed, unless im on the motorway/dual carridgeway ie above 60 i never use 6th and my dash says 55-57 everyday! bare in mind im a driving instructor! also i do the same journey to birmingham up and down the m42/m6 to my girlfriends most weeks at least once, when i first got the car i tried 6th, 2000rpm which is like 65ish, got barely above what i do around town, so next time i set the cruise at 70 in 6th and can get high 60s easy

[TomStarkey]

I feel I should point out that there are two gear ratio's depending on your car so certain details may change between cars. (changed in 05?)

[wja96]

I feel I should point out that there are two gear ratio's depending on your car so certain details may change between cars. (changed in 05?)

Only the first few hundred cars (pretty much all the 03 and 53 reg ones) had the long gearbox and it's generally accepted that the top gear on that gearbox is only good for max-speed runs in Germany, in the UK it efectively makes the car a 5-speed.

Ben Wardle at Shark tried to explain to me one day why it was often better to rev the car - it's something to do with the ECU over-fuelling to generate torque to drag the car along at low revs, but the bottom line is that low revs are generally not a good idea.

Try driving the car on cruise control at a steady 60mph for roughly a mile. Watch the instantaneous fuel economy. Then go back and do it again in 5th. Fifth is substantially more economical at 60mph. Only at about 75mph (genuine) is 6th gear more economical than 5th on my experience.

Don't forget these cars are geared for 130mph so why do you expect to be able to use all 6 all the time? You can't.

And the new CR motors are even worse. Power maximum is at 4250rpm!

And the most important thing for excellent economy is keeping your foot off the throttle pedal. If you are not pressing the throttle and the car is slowing down on the gearbox you will see --- in the instantaneous display. When you see that the engine is being turned over by the gearbox, driven by the roadwheels and uses no fuel at all. None. Don't put your foot on the clutch or knock it out of gear and coast as you actually use more diesel to idle the engine. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.

Try;

1st for moving off

2nd for 10-30mph

3rd for 30-45mph

4th for 40-55mph

5th for 50-75mph

6th for 75mph+

All speeds are genuine, not speedo indicated which is usually quite a bit lower.

[flipster]

Whilst I agree with most that has been said previously there is one I have to disagree with and that is comments about 6th gear. Suggestions such as not to use it below 60mph etc are IMO daft, use if when it's appropriate and you'll see better economy.

I can happily cruise along at 50-60mph in 6th (I have the older gearbox with longer legs on it) doing 1200-1500 revs and see 70+ mpg. If you want to add speed or go up an incline then you need to change but in the right situation it's always going to give better mpg.

+1 Anticipation.

+1 Braking wastes fuel.

+1 Don't coast, keep it in gear when slowing down.

[micklecats]

Whilst I agree with most that has been said previously there is one I have to disagree with and that is comments about 6th gear. Suggestions such as not to use it below 60mph etc are IMO daft, use if when it's appropriate and you'll see better economy.

I can happily cruise along at 50-60mph in 6th (I have the older gearbox with longer legs on it) doing 1200-1500 revs and see 70+ mpg. If you want to add speed or go up an incline then you need to change but in the right situation it's always going to give better mpg.

+1 Anticipation.

+1 Braking wastes fuel.

+1 Don't coast, keep it in gear when slowing down.

+1 on all points

[*tim*]

To those saying they get xx mpg shown on the dash. The onboard trip computer is wildly inaccurate, anything around 20% inaccuracy is pretty much normal...

[yegnold]

Tim, you can use the onscreen "instantaneous mpg" readout as a rough indication as to how lead-footed you are being, even if the figures are inaccurate

Biggest saving economy wise, instead of braking for corners, just let go of the throttle 3 or 4 seconds before and let engine braking slow you down, during this period you will be burning no fuel whatsoever. And indeed, don't labour the engine! 6th at 50mph, unless on a flat or slight decline, is too high a gear and will be costing you more than if you are in 5th!

Was on average getting 55 or 56mpg with a fairly standard but smooth driving style last summer.. Never been able to touch that since mind, getting closer to 48 or 49 thesedays. Think cold weather isn't helping.

Edited 26 January, 2011 by yegnold

[Big Mikey]

Can you explain why I shouldnt be using the 6th Gear unless travelling 60 or above?, I have only had mine for two weeks but find that it happily sits at 30/35 mph in 6th Gear, if it is fundamentally wrong then I would like to know in order to change my driving style. TIA

Mate I'd definitely stop driving at 30/35 in 6th! You should be in no higher than 4th really. At those kind of speeds in 6th all you're doing is labouring the engine and it's probably not it any good.

[wilsy7]

Can you explain why I shouldnt be using the 6th Gear unless travelling 60 or above?, I have only had mine for two weeks but find that it happily sits at 30/35 mph in 6th Gear, if it is fundamentally wrong then I would like to know in order to change my driving style. TIA

surely the car wont be any more than 1000revs at that speed and gearing? might seem ok when no load is put on the engine but as soon as you have to accelerate even slightly! you will hear the engine load up extremely which will cost you loads, imagine slowiing way way down on a pedal bike in you highest gear then trying to pedal up to speed again, think of the effort you are having to put in! in comparison to being in a lower gear, ie 3rd.

Only the first few hundred cars (pretty much all the 03 and 53 reg ones) had the long gearbox and it's generally accepted that the top gear on that gearbox is only good for max-speed runs in Germany, in the UK it efectively makes the car a 5-speed.

Ben Wardle at Shark tried to explain to me one day why it was often better to rev the car - it's something to do with the ECU over-fuelling to generate torque to drag the car along at low revs, but the bottom line is that low revs are generally not a good idea.

Try driving the car on cruise control at a steady 60mph for roughly a mile. Watch the instantaneous fuel economy. Then go back and do it again in 5th. Fifth is substantially more economical at 60mph. Only at about 75mph (genuine) is 6th gear more economical than 5th on my experience.

Don't forget these cars are geared for 130mph so why do you expect to be able to use all 6 all the time? You can't.

And the new CR motors are even worse. Power maximum is at 4250rpm!

And the most important thing for excellent economy is keeping your foot off the throttle pedal. If you are not pressing the throttle and the car is slowing down on the gearbox you will see --- in the instantaneous display. When you see that the engine is being turned over by the gearbox, driven by the roadwheels and uses no fuel at all. None. Don't put your foot on the clutch or knock it out of gear and coast as you actually use more diesel to idle the engine. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it's true.

Try;

1st for moving off

2nd for 10-30mph

3rd for 30-45mph

4th for 40-55mph

5th for 50-75mph

6th for 75mph+

All speeds are genuine, not speedo indicated which is usually quite a bit lower.

must try not using sixth until later

Whilst I agree with most that has been said previously there is one I have to disagree with and that is comments about 6th gear. Suggestions such as not to use it below 60mph etc are IMO daft, use if when it's appropriate and you'll see better economy.

I can happily cruise along at 50-60mph in 6th (I have the older gearbox with longer legs on it) doing 1200-1500 revs and see 70+ mpg. If you want to add speed or go up an incline then you need to change but in the right situation it's always going to give better mpg.

+1 Anticipation.

+1 Braking wastes fuel.

+1 Don't coast, keep it in gear when slowing down.

good points

Mate I'd definitely stop driving at 30/35 in 6th! You should be in no higher than 4th really. At those kind of speeds in 6th all you're doing is labouring the engine and it's probably not it any good.

agreed, not to mention the clutch and flywheel damage that is being induced.

[Stunts]

I'm doing all the sensible stuff above but still only seeing a maximum of 44mpg on my commute to work. I shall see for sure tonight on my way home if I can keep it above 1500rpm but below 2500rpm.......

[GrahamVRS]

I've recently come from a thirsty V5, which has it's benefits as I have developed an ability to be very light with my right foot. In the VRS I've been getting indicated 63-65mpg on a 45 mile motorway commute. I've found being careful with gear selection the greatest beneficiary to economy and 6th gear only necessary for 60mph+ whilst cruising.

Booting it for overtaking only hits the mpg if you rev too freely, make use of the gearbox, let the torque pull you and you can still have some fun without seeing a massive drop in mpg.

Also if you run your tyres on 60PSI this will help - joking aside, basics such as correct tyre pressure go a long way.