managed to conduct a good test against each engine mode in same road conditions and can report the following:

mpg is a 7 mile from cold mixture of 30% urban, 70% extra urban. On one piece of road there is a roundabout exiting onto a hill which is a dual carriageway, there is a bridge part way up the hill and a national speed limit sign at the top of the hill. Maybe 150-200m from roundabout. Due to traffic priority always have to stop at roundabout so acceleration afterwards is always from standstill.

Car is Octavia 2.0 TDI 150 Elegance DSG

Eco: 44.1 MPG

Throttle response exactly the same as in normal mode, for most of journey felt exactly the same as normal. Loved the twin clutches kicking in when coasting which happened several times during journey. Still had power to overtake when required. Didn't feel like full engine power, seat of the pants dyno said maybe 125HP.

Speed at bridge 50mph, NSL sign 60mph.

Normal: 43.8 MPG

Felt exactly the same as Eco but without the coasting effect, slightly dull throttle response and butt dyno said same figure.

Speed at bridge 50mph, NSL sign 60mph.

Sport: 41.9 MPG

Throttle response very good, felt like the full 150 ponies although I didn't like hitting almost 5000rpm in 1st gear before it would change up which happened a couple of times. Would not stay in gear below 1800rpm, i.e flick the paddle to change up as road was level and wanted to cruise gently (easily handle 4th gear as previous runs down same road at same speed Eco & Normal would be in 5th) it would change up a gear but after a few seconds it would automatically change back down so revs were high and at most responsive.

Engine seemed physically noisier at same revolutions and same speed as other 2 modes.

Part of me thinks the increased throttle response is due to 0-100% throttle signal being returned over 1/2 pedal travel instead of 0-100% over full pedal travel but really not sure.

Speed at bridge 60mph, NSL sign 70mph.

Conclusion:

Long journeys - put it in Eco and enjoy the coasting which should prove even more beneficial on longer journeys

Everyday - Leave it in normal.

Once a month, in the mood, need to clear the DPF - Put it in sport and go enjoy using the extra responsiveness.

I wish the Individual setting allowed Sport response, eco coasting and was better when using the flappy paddles so that it actually did what you wanted. And no it wasn't the auto kick down changing gear for me it was the stupid ecu overriding the drivers manual selection.

Nice review!

I've ordered a 1.8TSI, manual, with the "driving mode selection" option.

Still many weeks (mid July) before I get the car, but very curious how it will behave.

I'm happy to report back unless someone has done it before, but then you'll get numbers in SI-units...

I'm happy to report back unless someone has done it before, but then you'll get numbers in SI-units...

I hope you don't mean l/100km - that's totally incomprehensible

I hope you don't mean l/100km - that's totally incomprehensible

It's easy to convert, just search google for "5.0 l/100km to miles per imperial gallon".

An interesting test, Sheldon.Cooper! However, rather worryingly short of the 62.8 mpg combined claim for this car. I'm thinking of switching from my 1.6 TDI, to the 2.0 manual as I didn't think it would be much more thirsty. I'm already dissatisfied with the 48mpg average I get from the 1.6 - and I'm a very leisurely driver.

First drive from the garage home mine is indicating 52 mpg. car is in Normal mode.

Edited 7 June, 201313 yr by Timoctav

I've been driving in ECO mode for the last few weeks as I can't see the downside compared to normal mode

An interesting test, Sheldon.Cooper! However, rather worryingly short of the 62.8 mpg combined claim for this car. I'm thinking of switching from my 1.6 TDI, to the 2.0 manual as I didn't think it would be much more thirsty. I'm already dissatisfied with the 48mpg average I get from the 1.6 - and I'm a very leisurely driver.

I've tested the 2.0 engine in the new golf, leon and octavia. Manual and dsg versions. Best of all of them was the golf manual which managed 45.1 mpg, none of them managed anywhere near the official combined figure.

Hmmm I had the Golf VII 2.0CR DSG for about two and a half weeks, and averaged 55MPG over 1700 miles. Mostly motorways, but at least three hours spent crawling on the M25 and a fair bit of pootling around town. , and a 50 mile 'blast' in sport around local A and B roads (about 44MPG for that trip) Not the claimed 62, but not horrifically bad for a brand new car.

 

I now have the 1.6CR Octy III DSG. Picked it up today, 900 motorway miles scheduled before the end of the week. I'll let you know how it does.

nice work bro but is there any changes in steering response in different modes???

I thought sheldon cooper would have done a much more detailed review..... there was no theoretical physics involved at all!! are you pulling our leg? :sun:  anyway "I don't drive..." famous quote

nice work bro but is there any changes in steering response in different modes???

Yes, Normal, and Sport which makes it heavier.  Not sure if that is what you mean by "responsive".  I am using "Individual" mode at the moment, set to Steering = Sport, Engine = Normal, Aircon = Eco.  I have only had the car a few days, so these may change.

I can see that "eco" mode would benefit fuel consumption in the DSG cars but I would have thought it would make hardly any difference in the manual.

I can see that "eco" mode would benefit fuel consumption in the DSG cars but I would have thought it would make hardly any difference in the manual.

Many models are different on ECU programming alone. The difference between some Skoda outputting engines, i.e. 140 & 170 bhp are exactly this, therefore adjusting the timeing / fuelling to extract more mpg should be simple and is fairly well documented.

Many Briskodians & the vendors of maps swear blind they get better mpg after mapping their cars.

I can see that "eco" mode would benefit fuel consumption in the DSG cars but I would have thought it would make hardly any difference in the manual.

I haven't put my car in Eco mode, but from memories of the demo car, it just seemed to make you press the accelerator a lot further to go faster!  Drive by wire at its best...

Many models are different on ECU programming alone. The difference between some Skoda outputting engines, i.e. 140 & 170 bhp are exactly this, therefore adjusting the timeing / fuelling to extract more mpg should be simple and is fairly well documented.

Many Briskodians & the vendors of maps swear blind they get better mpg after mapping their cars.

I don't think it is that sophisticated to alter engine timing or raise / lower power. As I understand it it alters steering weight and throttle response only and in DCT cars the transmission change points, kickdown etc. It also changes the air con compressor cut in / out as an economy measure.

What does the "Speed at bridge 50mph, NSL sign 60mph." mean ?

 

Unless you actually drive on a bridge and have a "no stop light" sign, it ofcourse makes sense... or  

 

I am guessing NSL = National Speed Limit

I am guessing NSL = National Speed Limit

Yup...

 

On one piece of road there is a roundabout exiting onto a hill which is a dual carriageway, there is a bridge part way up the hill and a national speed limit sign at the top of the hill.

 

The quoted speeds show the difference in acceleration from a standing start and over the same distance to the bridge and the NSl sign.

 

Deffinately accelerates harder in sport mode - but pick up off the line in all modes is perfectly acceptable (Mondeo was restricted in 1st & 2nd so was very sluggish from a standing start).

 

Got my reg no.......  Octy gets delivered Tuesday morning

So glad this link was forwarded to me, as have ordered a vRS Tdi which I hadn't drive, I went to test drive the new golf GTD yesterday and felt extremeley slow in comparison to my mk2 vRS Tdi.

I hope it was in eco mode as felt 130-140bhp and nowhere near like 180bhp.

So glad this link was forwarded to me, as have ordered a vRS Tdi which I hadn't drive, I went to test drive the new golf GTD yesterday and felt extremeley slow in comparison to my mk2 vRS Tdi.

I hope it was in eco mode as felt 130-140bhp and nowhere near like 180bhp.

Almost certainly agree that the car was set on Eco mode as a 7.5 sec car should not feel slow like that.

That said there could be something wrong with it, I road tested a load of cars one afternoon a few years back and had a similar thing with a 1 series BM. Took out a 118d and it was horrible, really sluggish and didnt in any way shape or form feel like a 143hp car, BM diesels are usually great but this one wasnt. Then immediately afterwards took out a 116d and it was worlds better.....I decided the 118 must have been fooked as it made no sense.

Does anyone know if this driving mode is available in 1.2 Tsi SE?

Does anyone know if this driving mode is available in 1.2 Tsi SE?

 

Nope it's not available...

Since the car had the software update for the steering, I can really say the biggest difference I can see/feel is the steering; sport feels so more tighter with more feedback than normal mode.

 

3000miles is Sport mode and averaging 57.4mpg

Since the car had the software update for the steering, I can really say the biggest difference I can see/feel is the steering; sport feels so more tighter with more feedback than normal mode.

 

There is no feedback in any mode. It is incredibly neutral, you cannot tell what's happening with the front end.  If it wasn't for the fact that the steering wheel must be mechanically connected to the front wheels I would swear that it was drive by wire.  But the car isn't about razor sharp steering, it's a comfortable cruiser.

 

The torsion beam rear doesn't help at all.  A Golf GT or Leon FR handle well and communicate much better through the steering wheel.