I need a bit of a mini survey.....

 

When I got my SUperb this year in Feb/March I noticed that whilst my mpg wasn't as good as my old 3 series it was still above 50mpg even with my very short run into work.

 

But I have noticed that since I changed over to my winter tyres and filled up that the fuel gauge seems to be falling fast, when I looked at the MFD this morning the average mpg was under 30mpg  

 

I have the 170bhp 2.0 TDI on a Superb Estate.

 

What would people expect in winter ??

Can't say that I notice any difference between summer and winter fuel consumption actually (170 CR TDI 4x4).

Edited 18 December, 201312 yr by Fred Bloggs

In my case (not yet Superb, but still a diesel car) in winter consumption is the same or little bit less than in summer - and it is related with slow speeds and gentle accelerations because of slippery conditions (also air conditioning is not working when cold). 

 

As far as I see - if you are driving short distances only, then cold engine will consume more fuel. Also check tire pressure - it also has significant influence to fuel consumption if they are not inflated enough.

Edited 18 December, 201312 yr by LS108

I get a reduction of 2-3 mpg. Probably due to heated seats and lights - must put an extra draw on the engine combined with generally slower traffic in winter, especially in rush hour motorway traffic. Same in my old diesel focus

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

At below 30mpg on a run even a short one there is some thing not right. Was that mpg continious or just a very small window of time when perhaps a regen might have been ocurring at that moment. Just a thought.

 

Albiet I have a 140 bhp mine is dropping as said above by just a few mpg.

2.0 TDi CR140Hp/320Nm chipped to 186Hp/405Nm

 

I spend 5 weeks travelling about 10 miles to and from work. Only managed 47 mpg.

 

Now I'm back doing my usual commute of 100 miles round trip, and I'm up to 61 mpg.

 

During the 5 weeks I found out the car doesn't like the short distances alot, it barely got warmed up. On longer runs, it does alot better.

 

This is on 205/55/R16 winter tyres. I have 4 brand new Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance's ready for springtime, in 225/45/R17. Will see if the lower rolling resistance gain is offset by the larger tire size.

Not a Superb but an Octavia TDI 140 4x4 and I see a 20% drop when temperatures drop below 10 or 11 degree's.

 

My 19 mile commute in summer see's 50mpg, in winter 40mpg, due to the fact the engine is up to temp after a couple of miles in summer, but takes most of the journey in winter.

I have observed that my Greenline doesn't respond well to fluctuations in temperature and weather. 

 

If I get a week of similar temperatures then as the week progresses the fuel economy improves perhaps by as much as 2mpg per day.  I am guessing this might be something to do with some sort of programming algorithm that enables the car to learn.      BUT, if its 14 degrees one day and then nearly freezing the next the economy falls significantly. If the temperatures then stay at about freezing for a few days then after 2-3 days driving the economy returns to its normal excellent level despite it being cold.      In particular I find that autumn is what confuses the car most, with temperatures high some days and low others it seems to confuse the car and hence deliver fewer mpg.  However, as soon as daily temperatures stabilise (high or low) for a few days then the economy slowly creeps up again by a couple of mpg per day until it is back averaging 66-68 mpg and with single journey highs up to maybe 78mpg.  I drive the same 150 mile journey every day so it is relatively consistent in that respect. 

I have the 1.9 tdi, but the MPG figures only go up quick when first started, for about the first 2 miles, then they drop back and seem to stick even on long runs, I have done Edinburgh and back at a nice steady 55 MPH and the average MPG figure on the maxi has stuck at 32 mpg

Yet I went to Newcastle this morning and it stayed above 54 mpg on and off depending on the terrain

Edited 18 December, 201312 yr by skippy41

MPG always drops during the winter mainly due to winter fuel...

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_diesel_fuel

 

1. Cold air is more dense so more fuel can be burnt, which means you get more power, when you least want it.

 

2. As the ambient temperature is much lower it takes much longer for the car to warm up, and as a result injector durations get longer (think along the lines of a manual choke on an older car).

 

3. Higher electrical loads - heater on longer, lights on a morning and evening, heated rear screen, mirrors and seats etc. meaning the alternator has to work harder creating a slightly higher load on the engine, which requires a slight increase in fueling.

Add in the fact that you probably also leave the car running for 5 minutes or so in the morning whilst you defrost the windows, and bingo, higher fuel consumption.

Edited 18 December, 201312 yr by silver1011

The above and the fact that the roads are busier, nobody is on holiday much etc...  every car I have owned has been worse in winter

as above mentioned above  by silver1011, as the downside of winter fuel is that it usually has a lower BTU (energy) value than the summer equivalent. This results in less energy being produced during the combustion process and thus your engine requires more right foot to attain the same level of accelerative or cruising effort, hence lower mpg.

Personally I think its "swings and roundabout" with fuel consumption, In the Summer you could possibly use more fuel due to having the Climate/AC on, windows open and then theres the fact that the air is a lot dryer the engine will need more fuel, In the Winter you have more electircal stuff on, Rear windows, Lights, heated seats, and Climate/AC on full to clear windows but the air is full of moisture so alot more oxygen in it to fuel the engine so it runs better and more fuel efficient! I think due to this I don't really see any difference

Since the colder weather has come I've lost 20 mpg on my 33 mile commute from work. I know I have my winters on now instead of my Greenline eco tyres but don't think that's all it can be. Now averaging low 50's instead of low 70's. Only lost approx 10 mpg on a tankful so must be making it back somewhere.!

On a previous car non skoda, i used to fit the winter lower grille cover and was suprised at improvement to fuel economy. Modern cars the rads are now that efficient that the car is pumping in more fuel, as well as the other reasons given above just to maintain engine temp in operating range. The figures for my other car  was up to a max day ambient of 11 degrees you could use winter guard. Difference was about 5mpg better with guard fitted November to March.  Similar item here for pre FL superb http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/SUPERB/Superb-II-winter-grille-cover-for-the-front-bumper-in-OEM-design