Hi guys,

I just wanted to post this as I've seen a fairly dramatic decrease in my fuel consumption over the last 2 months. I tend to use Total's premium brand of diesel (Excelium?), but the figures I'm sharing here were from a tank of their standard diesel.

The photo below was taken this morning, after my 12 mile commute into Manchester. I consider 70mpg to be pretty impressive. The photo was taken after I had arrived at work and had been stationery for a minute or so. Yesterday I actually recorded 72.5 mpg. Now obviously school holidays makes a big difference, but even so I was achieving +63mpg quite easily even before the school holidays.

Interestingly, on a 100 mile motorway run over the weekend at a steady 75-80 with my (slim!)wife and our 2 year old boy and some luggage on board, I averaged 49.9mpg which I find very disappointing.

The car loves to trundle around at low revs (sub 1500) and this is where I get by far the best MPG. A 6th gear would make a huge difference on the motorway.

I hope this of interest to you guys and to anybody wondering whether to go for TSI or TDI.

Oddly enough the 1.2 deisel, which is pretty much 75% of your engine is not a big fan of sub 1500rpm unless going downhill.

Putting my foot down a little or on a slight incline the mpg drasticly decreases, where changing down a gear to keep between 1500rpm and 1800rpm gives much better economy, even though the engine is spinning faster.

Out of interest, have you calculated the actual mpg over a tank fill to fill?

Because I tend to find mine a bit optimistic. It probably over reads by about 10%.

Which explains why I got over 93mph going into work the other day.

Yet our 1.2 TSI DSG Yeti is only about 1% out.

I suspect your drop in economy was due to the type of driving more than having an extra passener or two.

My car will do about 20% less mpg if I drive over 70mph, instead of at 60mph on the commute.

Hi Matty, sounds like you are doing ok. I found that if going over 70mph the consumption dropped quite a bit in the CR1.6 but keeping to 70 gave over 61mpg...but can't remember just how much exactly as that was a couple of months ago in my sisters motor. You may find that if you rev it more at higher revs over a period of time the engine will loosen more and the consumption above 75mph will improve a lot. She's still not really properly bedded in yet at 7k. If it's not used to being driven often at that speed the engine won't give it's best in either power or fuel consumption. However, it just keeps getting better and better as you will find out. Don't be disappointed at the higher speed consumption, it's all normal for the speed and load you were carrying I suspect.

Interestingly, on a 100 mile motorway run over the weekend at a steady 75-80 with my (slim!)wife and our 2 year old boy and some luggage on board, I averaged 49.9mpg which I find very disappointing.

The Fabia has the aerodynamics of a garden shed, which is why economy drops drastically at those speeds. The TSI shows a similar large drop. 60mph seems to be a great compromise speed for making progress at good economy, but no more than 70mph.

I've had the TSI up to 50mpg average at 70mph, but it loses 10mpg if I run at 80mph

The Fabia has the aerodynamics of a garden shed, which is why economy drops drastically at those speeds. The TSI shows a similar large drop. 60mph seems to be a great compromise speed for making progress at good economy, but no more than 70mph.

I've had the TSI up to 50mpg average at 70mph, but it loses 10mpg if I run at 80mph

Naughty mike, going over the speed limit :p!

And I still got overtaken by a Smart :'(

Must take some balls driving a Smart at 90mph :S

Edited 3 August, 201114 yr by Mike Wrightson

The Fabia has the aerodynamics of a garden shed

I'm not so sure about that, the Roomster has certainly, but I used to have a Mk1 Fabia and had no problem getting mid 50s out of it at Autobahn speeds (85+) and i thought the newer Fab is actually more aerodynamic...

I'm not so sure about that, the Roomster has certainly, but I used to have a Mk1 Fabia and had no problem getting mid 50s out of it at Autobahn speeds (85+) and i thought the newer Fab is actually more aerodynamic...

Garden shed, yeah! Either way...I got my mower and all my garden tools in my Fabia Mk2 estate ok. Don't know if that means anything! PM, like you I think the Mk2 has a slightly lower Drag Coefficient due to that frontal spoiler area and some other minor stuff. Read that somewhere, don't know where though.

Edited 3 August, 201114 yr by Estate Man

And I still got overtaken by a Smart

Must take some balls driving a Smart at 90mph :S

Mike...it takes guts just to be a passenger in one on the motorway. I've never felt so insecure in my life!

I'll bet! And in any other City Car...

Ive noticed that my fuel consumption drops over 70mph but on average get about 62ish mpg on a decent run at 70-75mph on motorways. On the subject of aerodynamics of sheds do the roofrails on the estate have any dentrimental effect?

And is the shed pent or apex? Tongue and Groove or Shiplap?

I'll check out the roof tomorrow threadbear, I'm giving the car shed a coat of creosote so will check then! I've not ever thought much about the roof bars but I guess they must affect it in some way. I suspect it's really only detrimental if you have the cross bars fitted with the wife strapped on...