Its all about the MPG

[JohnLF]

...well it is for me anyway.  I commute 140 miles a day, mostly motorway.  I've had the Octavia for about a month now and have got the economy driving style down well.  Yes, I know it's boring but I have to save money where I can so needs must.

 

So, mostly inside lane trying not to annoy the lorries.  My trip computer says I am getting between 74 and 84mpg (I know this over-estimates) depending on how bad the jams are and if I am late for work any morning...

 

This is from my last refuel.  811 miles from a full tank - the "remaining" miles has just switched to zero as I pulled into the fuel station.  Nice to see the estimate for the tank was 915 miles (pity it never works out that way lol).  I work this out as 67mpg which I am quite pleased with.  My previous two tanks got around 740miles  so this was quite an improvement.

 

 

Any other tips for eeking out the economy further still?  I already have the tyres pumped up.

[stever750]

Buy a bicycle?

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[RichardatWakefield]

Hi John, you're doing very well already, am I guessing you coast on decent downhill stretches? Handbrake fully freeing off, so no bind? Replace paper air filter with a freer-flowing, cleanable eg. Green Cotton? Really good quality engine and gearbox oils (eg. Millers of Brighouse, I also use their diesel additive (Eco Power Plus I think its called)).

 

I personally keep tyres at correct pressure for the load (as per filler flap), would have thought over-inflation would give harder ride, reduce the contact patch so more skittish, excessive wear at centre of tread?.....I have replaced two noisy rears with Goodyear Efficient Grip, quieter and slightly lower rolling resistance, will be glad to get a pair on the front when the <<<<<pattern wear out!

 

I usually reckon to be able to achieve 20% better than the Govt Combined mpg, which for this (stock) 1.9PD Roomster is 53.3mpg, am currently averaging 57ish, with a worst tankfull of 51.5 and best a whisker under 60, these since September, a mix of short journeys, longer runs, varying terrain. Am guessing Octavia is similar weight but obviously a slipperier shape.

 

This engine is Variable Nozzle Turbo; previous 3-cyl 1.4PD Mk 1 Fabia hatch was waste-gated plain turbo, de-catted and remapped from stock 75 to almost 100bhp, with torque up to 170ftlbs, (almost as much as old "L" series 2-L Rover 25 diesel), the Fabia would do up to 850miles before warning light and bleeper, averaged 70--76.5mpg. Never ran it on to empty....

[Phil-E]

I think you've extracted pretty much all you can from it!

 

The only other thing I can think of is one of these:

 

http://www.superskoda.com/Skoda/OCTAVIA-II/Skoda-Octavia-II-front-grille-winter-cover

 

And I thought I was doing well (mine is a DSG though):

 

 

Tyres just pumped up to right pressures but I did slip it into neutral the big hills on the M62.

 

Phil

Edited 17 February, 2014 by Phil-E

[Bcc212]

Wish I could get that.

VRS is making 53mpg at 70ish.

[moanthebairns]

i punched the air when i got 40 mpg at the weekend, yes literally punched the air. it was all motorways and i was pleased as punch....feel a bit **** now that its the most frugal car ive ever owned, on motorways....

[Aspman]

Reverse to work for negative mpg

 

Best I've ever seen was 43mpg.

Edited 18 February, 2014 by Aspman

[Gazman]

Just saw this post and it reminded me that i need to get a winter 'Grill cover' Cheers Phil ! now ordered..

[Norco]

39mpg was a wow moment for me.   :think:

[Guest]

44mpg in my cr vrs 38 mile commute with A roads and a few duals and a fair bit of traffic. In happy with that.

Recent trip to Walsall and back which was 210niles I managed 48mpg with a little spirited driving.

[Ultrasonic]

I work this out as 67mpg which I am quite pleased with.

 

By that do you mean this is what you calculate yourself from brim-to-brim data? (I'd ignore the trip computer completely.) 67 mpg sounds pretty good. The best I've managed from my 2005 1.9 TDi is 70.7 mpg, and I got about 69 mpg yesterday for a 125 mile trip mostly on motorways at an indicated 60 mph, but both of these may have benefited from a tail-wind. You're doing the biggest thing of driving slower!

 

What fuel has your car been run on over its life? If you haven't already done so I'd recommend running a few tanks of BP Ultimate Diesel, it certainly helped my car's mpg (I'd not managed above 65 mpg before using this, and that was in very good summer weather.)

[littleade]

You could get someone with vcds to increase tbe over read... Target is 100mpg!

[flat-eric]

I'm getting 51 - 53mpg from my pd vrs.

 

best i've seen is 695 miles from a tank and that was down to 0 on the miles to run lol.

 

I've found that after doing the fuel filter it made a big difference.

[Guest]

Keeping the exterior of your car clean for maximum aerodynamic slipperiness helps too.

[MereKat]

I've just driven feom Norwich to Colchester and back. 60miles there of spirited back road driving and 70/75 on dual carriageways, retun trip at 60 max and main roads. Managed to get the computer to show 54mpg over 120odd miles...

2006 PD105 Elegance Estate.

[MereKat]

I've just driven feom Norwich to Colchester and back. 60miles there of spirited back road driving and 70/75 on dual carriageways, retun trip at 60 max and main roads. Managed to get the computer to show 54mpg over 120odd miles...

2006 PD105 Elegance Estate.

[Ultrasonic]

Unfortunately the accuracy of what the trip computer shows can vary wildly, so without checking this it doesn't really tell anyone much. The trip computer in my car is spectacularly optimistic. I've had indicated trip mpgs in the high 80's!

[Phil-E]

I've just started tracking my real world MPG with the view to adjust the acuracy of the trip computer.

 

Phil

[Guest]

This Morning efforts from me, Topped out at 70.9 before settling after some slight traffic. 

 

[Ultrasonic]

I've just started tracking my real world MPG with the view to adjust the acuracy of the trip computer.

 

I planned to do the same but have never got round to trying to adjust it. This is how my MFD does, which you might just about be interested in:

 

 

What I actually rely on now is a Scangauge II, which I've calibrated to give fairly accurate results:

 

 

(The dotted line above is where the points would fall if the SGII was perfectly accurate rather than a best fit line.)

[stever750]

To put into perspective I managed 34.9 today mostly M4 and M25 over 425 or so miles at when I could, driving as fast as I could get away with. I've discovered the clutch no longer slips in 6th at wot. The rest of the time dawdling in the inevitable hold ups. And that's a sharked petrol vrs.

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Edited 19 February, 2014 by stever750

[Ultrasonic]

To put into perspective I managed 34.9 today mostly M4 and M25 over 425 or so miles at when I could, driving as fast as I could get away with. I've discovered the clutch no longer slips in 6th at wot. The rest of the time dawdling in the inevitable hold ups. And that's a sharked petrol vrs.

 

If we take the 67 mpg and 34.9 mpg as accurate and representative, the perspective is that you use about 92% more fuel than the OP, so not a small difference. Although obviously you will get where you're going quicker, and I'm sure have more fun doing so .

[Wardy-]

My 09' TSi VRS gives me pretty awesome MPG, for the performance it gives.

 

My normal commute of ~25mi gets me about 35-36mpg, which includes about 20mins of very slow traffic! (none of this is motorway either, just a & b road). This week it's been averaging around 37-38mpg and on a random motorway trip, I actually got it to 40mpg. Very pleasing considering it's a 2ltr turbo!

 

Compared to my old 06 TFSI vRS, that would only get me about an average of 31mpg

Edited 20 February, 2014 by Wardy-

[stever750]

If we take the 67 mpg and 34.9 mpg as accurate and representative, the perspective is that you use about 92% more fuel than the OP, so not a small difference. Although obviously you will get where you're going quicker, and I'm sure have more fun doing so .

Ah, but I suspect the 67mpg was achieved by trying to drive economically. If I do that I get 42-43 mpg so the gap us not so great.

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[Ultrasonic]

Ah, but I suspect the 67mpg was achieved by trying to drive economically. If I do that I get 42-43 mpg so the gap us not so great.

 

 

Oh yes, absolutely, driving at about 60 mph I suspect, hence my you'll get there faster comment!

 

(You earlier post read a little as if you were saying you drive a fast car, quickly and still get good mpg. I was just making the point there is a big gulf in what can be achieved between this and someone with an economical diesel trying to drive efficiently.)