4x4 Fuel consumption figures?

[kalniel]

I'm looking at Octavia estates, and see that there's a huge penalty in *official* fuel consumption for the 4x4 version. For example:

 

2.0 TDI CR 150PS - 55.4/76.5/67.3 mpg (urban/extra urban/combined)

2.0 TDI CR 150PS 4x4 - 47.9/65.7/57.6 mpg

 

So for the combined that's nearly 10mpg difference, or nearly a 15% reduction by going for the 4x4.

 

This seems very large to me, for a system that is meant to be light-weight and operating in 2WD mode most of the time. I get that 100kg is not nothing, and there is still some axle and clutch rotation to present extra friction to the drivetrain. Also that the multi-link suspension might add a futher bit to the weight.

 

Are there any other reasons for the drop in official figures?

 

Ultimately, I'm only concerned with real use figures of course, but if I can figure out the reasons for the drop in the official tests I might be better able to judge what the real-world impact for me would be.

 

Thanks in advance,

Edited 8 May, 2014 by kalniel

[Shermo]

For real world figures you can look here:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/skoda/octavia/2014/diesel%20l4

 

4x4 near the top averaging 49.7MPG and the best FWD is only 55.6MPG.

 

I've ordered a 4x4, I'm sure it will be less MPG than FWD, but I don't think the hit will be as bad as the figures make out (hopefully)

[kalniel]

For real world figures you can look here:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/skoda/octavia/2014/diesel%20l4

 

4x4 near the top averaging 49.7MPG and the best FWD is only 55.6MPG.

 

I've ordered a 4x4, I'm sure it will be less MPG than FWD, but I don't think the hit will be as bad as the figures make out (hopefully)

Thanks for the link, it was confusing me for a while until I realised they were using US gallons for the main page!

 

That's relatively promising then. I think I can take a mild hit to my current 55 avg. MPG (2.0tdi A3 sportback) for a lot more car.

[Shermo]

I think the engines are supposed to improve over time, so I guess it depends how many miles a lot of these cars have done. Also it depends how they drive, where they drive etc...

[kalniel]

I think the engines are supposed to improve over time, so I guess it depends how many miles a lot of these cars have done. Also it depends how they drive, where they drive etc...

Well the official test addresses all of those by using a standardised (if unrealistic) proceedure on a new car. I was just wondering if there was something in the way the test was done that highlighted a difference between 2WD and 4x4 models that was peculiar to the test.

[Shermo]

Well for a start they are done on a rolling road in a lab, so I would guess this may make the haldex kick in and put more power to the rear when in real world it wouldn't?

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/fcb/the-fuel-consumption-testing-scheme.asp

 

I guess the only way to know for certain real world conditions will be when enough people have tracked their consumption on fuelly, honest john or similar sites and aggregated it all.

[philhoward]

Well for a start they are done on a rolling road in a lab, so I would guess this may make the haldex kick in and put more power to the rear when in real world it wouldn't?

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/fcb/the-fuel-consumption-testing-scheme.asp

 

I guess the only way to know for certain real world conditions will be when enough people have tracked their consumption on fuelly, honest john or similar sites and aggregated it all.

If the rolling road is any good, then it would be virtually perfect speed matching for front and rear axles - not enough for any coupling to detect I'd have thought.

[The Plumber]

Getiing an average of 50mpg with nearly 4k on the clock out of our 150 4x4.

 

Think the 4x4 also has lower ratio gearing but I've not seen this officially written down.

 

 

 

TP

[yorkshirepud]

my 2.0 diesel is 2 months old with just over 2,000 miles and is averaging between 49 and 52 mpg on shell v power nitro.

[parsey83]

Drive the 150 4 by 4 in work, mostly urban driving with odd stretch of motorway, avg 39 mpg

[yorkshirepud]

The 2.0 diesel 4x4 Gearing gives approx 34 miles per hour for 1,000 rpm is this the same as then non 4x4

[nickcoll]

I have tracked all fuel fill-ups since new 5,500 miles ago on my 150PS 4x4 (using the excellent AccuFuel app on my iPhone) and the car has achieved an overall average of 42mpg, with a high of 48mpg on a 560 mile round trip to the Lake District and a low of 38mpg when it was quite new and I was towing a trailer. Most of my driving is country lanes with continually varying speeds. I know that if I was doing more motorway or dual carriageway driving the economy would improve, and I have noticed a general downward trend in fuel consumption as the miles have mounted.

 

I have to say that the overriding reason why the fuel consumption is not much better is that the car is just so much fun to drive, with amazing roadholding and that lovely torquey and responsive engine, that using the performance is hard to resist sometimes. I am absolutely sure that I could easily get 48mpg plus if I drove just a bit more gently. The last fill-up revealed 45mpg which is an indication of that, as I was driving more gently than before.

 

The other factor that does make a big difference and has affected my overall figure is that having a roof-rack on or towing a trailer does knock the consumption quite noticeably, and I have been doing both of those things quite a bit.

 

I feel sure that an overall figure of 45-50mpg is easily achievable for most people with the 4x4 with only a modicum of restraint once the engine is fully bedded in after about 4-5,000 miles.

 

Regarding the gearing I think the gearing in top is about the same but I have seen it said that the gearing in the lower gears is lower on the 4x4.

[yorkshirepud]

I have been trying Eco mode against Normal mode and this seems to do what its supposed do by giving an extra approx 2 miles to the gallon this though, is at the expense of a duller throttle feeling, but you do get used to it.Yet to try Sports mode.

[clhar]

I have a 2014 mk3 2.0d estate 4x4. I travel from WGC Herts to Cromer Norfolk 240 miles round trip mix of motorway and fairly fast A roads every other weekend, also frequent 22 mile round trip up the A1. I am getting consistent 46 - 47 mpg on computer for both trip (averaged), since last fill (actual) and total MPG (actual) for 2k miles the car has done.

That is with lane 3 cruising not slowing anyone else down and keeping fairly close to 60mph on A roads. I will let you know how mileage improves once the engine has loosened up.

The MK3 Octavia has the Haldex 5 4x4 system which is much lighter than Mk2 Haldex 4 and H5 only drives front wheels until just as you need 4x4. It is the additional weight which has the biggest impact on consumption.

[kalniel]

The MK3 Octavia has the Haldex 5 4x4 system which is much lighter than Mk2 Haldex 4 and H5 only drives front wheels until just as you need 4x4. It is the additional weight which has the biggest impact on consumption.

 

It's claimed to be only 100kg extra though isn't it? I quite often add 100kg extra load to my current car (one passenger+luggage for a trip away is about 100kg) and it doesn't make anything like 15% difference in fuel consumption, more like 1-2%.

[ssfan]

Have a look at an earlier thread on the same subject:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/304626-octavia-4x4-mpg-help/

[kalniel]

Have a look at an earlier thread on the same subject:

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/304626-octavia-4x4-mpg-help/

 

Thanks, but actually that's a different subject

[pipsyp]

My 4000 mile 2.0 TDi 150 manual estate is averaging about 48/49 long term at the moment with mixed driving; regularly see low to mid 50's on a good run but nothing like the claimed 67mpg. That said it is improving little by little with the miles.

The 4x4 I can see being a little worse due to additional driveline losses and weight but probably not by a great deal. The 4x4 is considerably more pricey than the 2wd version and will cost more to tax too but does come with the multilink rear end and ESC sport.