First proper test of economy mode

[Doctor_Strange]

I typically zoom around in normal mode with occasional usage of sport mode but never really used economy mode properly until this evening. 

 

Car details: 1.4 TSI DSG estate SEL

 

So, I drove back from Buxton to Alfreton this evening which is a distance of 30 miles and is a mixture of twisty and hilly country roads and town driving. I drove very steady given the sleet and standing water and there were very few cars on the road. 

 

My average by the time I reached home was exactly 59mpg and at one point had reached 62mpg. Very pleased with that for a reasonably swift petrol engine and the fact it wasn't a long motorway cruise. 

 

No match for a diesel but one of the pay off's is that the engine and gearbox combination is pure silk and very quiet unless pushed hard. 

 

An excellent first month of ownership indeed. 

[Lingnoi]

IMHO the 1.4TSi is a peach of an engine.

[Doctor_Strange]

1 hour ago, Lingnoi said:

IMHO the 1.4TSi is a peach of an engine.

 Absolutely. Plenty fast enough, plenty economical enough and as smooth as silk. 

[ajw1100]

Quite agree, the 1.4TSI is a excellent engine Excepting the Turbo Actuator Rod (Am now on my 3rd in 5 years and 2 of those in the last 18months) coupled to the DSG with ACC make driving a real pleasure, the one item that makes it even better is plugging in a 'Pedal Box' to help remove some/most of the initial hesitation pulling away, there are plenty of threads on here so search for Pedal Box tag. Mine is a 140 and with good MPG, drive modes, and £35 year tax very hard to beat, for me anyway!

Edited 4 February, 2020 by ajw1100

[Gerrycan]

Given there was sleet, so presumably pretty cold, and some standing water increasing the rolling resistance I think that was a pretty fair effort.

Most of the more notable one-off journey returns come from drivers of manual transmissions so good to see one from a dsg.

[Superhero572]

I had MY14 Octavia 1,4 TSI DSG. My best fuel consumption was like 5 l/100km then i changed to my current Octavia MY15 1,6 TDI 4x4 manual which best is 4,9L/100km. Consumptions are not alot, but still more than ”advertised”... well AC, mirror/seat heating etc uses some fuel.

 

Best summer consumption is like 5,5L/100km.. It’s slippery to drive with all season tires during winter, so maybe that’s reason (and lower speed limits)  

[Bugginbob]

I tried my VRS 245 dsg  in eco mode last week on a trip to Cornwall. 40 miles cruising at 70ish on the m5/a30 then 35 miles cross country at 40-60mph. It averaged 32.3mpg. I shan’t bother again as that’s basically what it does in every other mode 😂.

 

done the same trip many times in my wife’s Leon 1.4tsi (manual) fully loaded with three kids, wife and the dog. It always manages 45mpg on that trip in sport mode with me making as much progress as possible! It is a great engine, a real balance of performance and economy.

 

 

[shyVRS245]

2 minutes ago, Bugginbob said:

I tried my VRS 245 dsg  in eco mode last week on a trip to Cornwall. 40 miles cruising at 70ish on the m5/a30 then 35 miles cross country at 40-60mph. It averaged 32.3mpg. I shan’t bother again as that’s basically what it does in every other mode 😂.

 

done the same trip many times in my wife’s Leon 1.4tsi (manual) fully loaded with three kids, wife and the dog. It always manages 45mpg on that trip in sport mode with me making as much progress as possible! It is a great engine, a real balance of performance and economy.

 

 

To see any benefit from Eco mode you need to lift the throttle whenever you can which means looking a long way ahead of you and avoid braking otherwise you might as well stick it in Sport.  Averaged 45.9mpg in my 283bhp Superb yesterday making full use of the Eco coasting function.

[theandywaite]

On 04/02/2020 at 00:05, Doctor_Strange said:

I drove back from Buxton to Alfreton this evening

 

 Hello local person!

 

We're just up the road in South Normanton. We do that run a fair bit as my wife's dad lives in Buxton.

 

Which way do you go? Matlock + A6? Cromford + Via Gelia?

[Bugginbob]

18 minutes ago, shyVRS245 said:

To see any benefit from Eco mode you need to lift the throttle whenever you can which means looking a long way ahead of you and avoid braking otherwise you might as well stick it in Sport.  Averaged 45.9mpg in my 283bhp Superb yesterday making full use of the Eco coasting function.

My VRS doesn’t do that Mpg in neutral going downhill 😂. Still waiting for it to improve as it gets looser, only 3k on it so far.

[shyVRS245]

29 minutes ago, Bugginbob said:

My VRS doesn’t do that Mpg in neutral going downhill 😂. Still waiting for it to improve as it gets looser, only 3k on it so far.

My Superb had done 6,400 miles when I arrived in Essex (134 miles).Total range was then showing 698 miles (66 litre tank).

[Gabbo]

On 04/02/2020 at 01:05, Doctor_Strange said:

My average by the time I reached home was exactly 59mpg and at one point had reached 62mpg. Very pleased with that for a reasonably swift petrol engine and the fact it wasn't a long motorway cruise. 

No match for a diesel but one of the pay off's is that the engine and gearbox combination is pure silk and very quiet unless pushed hard. 

 

There are many diesel owners who will never see that kind of economy even when they try…!

ECO mode will only aid you to improve fuel economy even in a DSG (coasting instead of staying in gear will only give marginal benefits).

The only real difference comes from how you use your feet…. Light on the acceleration, steady to cruise, anticipant the trafic so reduce the need to brake, etc

[theandywaite]

2 hours ago, shyVRS245 said:

To see any benefit from Eco mode you need to lift the throttle whenever you can which means looking a long way ahead of you and avoid braking otherwise you might as well stick it in Sport.  Averaged 45.9mpg in my 283bhp Superb yesterday making full use of the Eco coasting function.

 

Is it supposed to make a difference?

 

In my (admittedly not very scientific) experiments the MPG doesn't alter at all between modes. My MY2016 230 will do just over 40mpg on an eco run to work regardless of what mode it's in. That's doing lorry speeds on the dual carriageway and coasting at every opportunity, no severe acceleration.

 

Now I just tend to leave mine in sport mode all the time so when the mood does take me it "just goes" and the diff kicks in when I want it to. I would change it if I thought it helped the economy.

Edited 5 February, 2020 by theandywaite

[vRSWitter]

3 hours ago, Gabbo said:

 

There are many diesel owners who will never see that kind of economy even when they try…!

ECO mode will only aid you to improve fuel economy even in a DSG (coasting instead of staying in gear will only give marginal benefits).

The only real difference comes from how you use your feet…. Light on the acceleration, steady to cruise, anticipant the trafic so reduce the need to brake, etc

 

Not so ... 75 mpg for me on an "Eco" run

[Doctor_Strange]

6 hours ago, theandywaite said:

 

 Hello local person!

 

We're just up the road in South Normanton. We do that run a fair bit as my wife's dad lives in Buxton.

 

Which way do you go? Matlock + A6? Cromford + Via Gelia?

 

Greetings. I came back via Bakewell and Matlock. My other half lives up there. 

[Gerrycan]

As mentioned by others the 'secret' to good consumption is to avoid unnecessary braking.

My experiments have yielded little consumption difference from either slow or brisk acceleration to speed, I usually drop into 2nd as soon as possible and take it up to the urban limit (briskly, not stupidly) and short shift to 4th or 5th asap when at the front row at lights. The car in front usually dictates acceleration rates though.

It should be noted that slow acceleration away from lights through the gears does have an incalculable capacity to pi## off other drivers 😒

 

The thing I've noticed, and remarked on many times before, with our manual 1.4tsi is the remarkably low amount of engine braking provided compared to all multi-point injected (or carburettor) engines I have driven.

When we first got the car I reckon it took me about a month to come to terms with the low engine braking and the need to stretch the distance for anticipation of traffic movements to reduce brake use.

My wife drives the car most of the time these days and she usually get around 6L/100 consumption for her inner urban 13km commute. When I need the car and I drop her off to work I usually get about 5L/100 for the same journey there and usually better that on the return journey with average speeds of around 30 kph. Excessive temperatures of 38+ deg and a lot of A/C will worsen those figures by about 0.5L to 1.0L/100

 

Over the years of monitoring Briskoda members 'best' returns I reckon that the 1.4tsi is about 15% more efficient than a 2.0tsi at any given speed up to the legal limits and the 2.0tdi can be 20% and the best of the 1.6tdi up to 30%. Most good returns are achieved in open road conditions with reported average speeds in the 35 to 50 mph zone.

Most results are governed by environment and driver experience to get the best from their car. Unfortunately there are some owners with cars out there that just do not perform to specification even from new ( I have had two) and I wish there was official recognition of this issue and a system in place to prove and force the manufacturers to rectify the problem. For me it would be a simple as putting a car on a rolling road with a specified resistance and the expectation of consumption being within certain parameters. That should have been part of WLTP requirements and would give consumers some recourse to fix a problem dismissed by the dealers and manufacturers.

Edited 6 February, 2020 by Gerrycan

[Alex-W]

I've not got any tangible difference from any of the different modes.

 

However, I drive a manual, so all it does it alter the throttle response curve.  And if you're aiming for high economy then you're on the lightest possible amount of throttle anyway, so I don't think it'll do a thing, you'll be at the amount of throttle you need to maintain speed.

Wind, speed of travel and amount of braking are going to be what change it.  Plus how long it takes to warm up.   Mine is noticeably better if it's warm to start with.

 

On a DSG I think it makes more difference as it'll alter the gear selection, although I expect it'll be in 7th at cruise in all modes.

 

Really the modes are there as a personal restraint for your day to day driving.  You can do it yourself with control though.  I like to think of them as like a gastric band for your driving, stepping in when your self control lets you down.

[shyVRS245]

33 minutes ago, Alex-W said:

I've not got any tangible difference from any of the different modes.

 

However, I drive a manual, so all it does it alter the throttle response curve.  And if you're aiming for high economy then you're on the lightest possible amount of throttle anyway, so I don't think it'll do a thing, you'll be at the amount of throttle you need to maintain speed.

Wind, speed of travel and amount of braking are going to be what change it.  Plus how long it takes to warm up.   Mine is noticeably better if it's warm to start with.

 

On a DSG I think it makes more difference as it'll alter the gear selection, although I expect it'll be in 7th at cruise in all modes.

 

Really the modes are there as a personal restraint for your day to day driving.  You can do it yourself with control though.  I like to think of them as like a gastric band for your driving, stepping in when your self control lets you down.

The DSG in my 7 speed Superb is reluctant to change upto 7th when in Sport but will go into 7th in Eco as low as 41mph greatly aiding economy.

[Alex-W]

Exactly... although I assume at motorway speeds it's in 7th in whatever mode?

 

I've found mid 40s to 50mph best for economy, I can get high 40s, maybe even 50mpg at a constant 50mph.  Drops down to about 42mpg with the cruise control on at 70.

[shyVRS245]

10 minutes ago, Alex-W said:

Exactly... although I assume at motorway speeds it's in 7th in whatever mode?

 

I've found mid 40s to 50mph best for economy, I can get high 40s, maybe even 50mpg at a constant 50mph.  Drops down to about 42mpg with the cruise control on at 70.

My last Octavia Vrs245 was also a manual and Skoda claimed it could do 51mpg on the motorway but best I managed on a long run was 48mpg (526 miles on one tank- 50 litre tank), however a DSG 7 speed Vrs245 I tried managed 50mpg just on my commute so about 2mpg better due to the extra gear and lower cruising revs. My Superb Skoda claim can do 47mpg on the motorway and managed a 45.9mpg recently (in Winter) so hopefully I can get nearer to 47 mpg in the summer.

Edited 6 February, 2020 by shyVRS245
spelling mistake

[prt137]

On 05/02/2020 at 15:59, shyVRS245 said:

To see any benefit from Eco mode you need to lift the throttle whenever you can which means looking a long way ahead of you and avoid braking otherwise you might as well stick it in Sport.  Averaged 45.9mpg in my 283bhp Superb yesterday making full use of the Eco coasting function.

I have a 2019 Octavia 1.5ACT TSi DSG and I use eco mode to reduce mpg by coasting all the time, especially on the hills in North Wales. Unfortunately, it does not work with cruise control, so at the top of a long hill, I touch the break to disable CC, which starts coasting. On some hills, I blip the throttle to get it out of gear, though on a steep downward gradient DSG insists on engine braking. 

[prt137]

I have a software issue though. I cannot get personalisation to save eco mode, so I have to select it every time I turn on the ignition.

[Gerrycan]

1 hour ago, prt137 said:

I have a 2019 Octavia 1.5ACT TSi DSG and I use eco mode to reduce mpg by coasting all the time, especially on the hills in North Wales. Unfortunately, it does not work with cruise control, so at the top of a long hill, I touch the break to disable CC, which starts coasting. On some hills, I blip the throttle to get it out of gear, though on a steep downward gradient DSG insists on engine braking. 

I have got a manual and no experience with dsg in a hilly environment but it seems logical that the dsg will use the gears to maintain the set cruise speed downhill (even in eco) so you do not get a speeding ticket. I'd assume if you had ACC it would even use the brakes

 

My 1.4tsi in my car offers the lowest engine braking of any vehicle I have owned, generally that is really good for economy but on the rare occasion I encounter long and relatively steep gradients (1 in 12 or ~8%) I find even 2nd gear and the engine revving its nuts off does not provide sufficient engine braking without constant use of brakes to stay under the speed limit. Every other vehicle I have driven whether manual or auto, diesel or petrol would happily limit speed in 3rd on the same hill.

My memory of North Wales was of fairly steep slopes so it seems you are saying that your 1.5tsi with dsg offers a lot more engine braking than mine?

 

Edited 2 March, 2020 by Gerrycan

[prt137]

The hills vary greatly - the A487 down through Coed y Brenin towards Dolgellau is straight at about 1:10, so the only problem is having to occasionally brake at 60+ to observe the speed limit. The westbound A55 at Rhuallt (now with average speed cameras) is another long cruise. The DSG must be sensing the downhill acceleration when it either ceases cruising or refuses to cruise, even when the throttle is blipped. 

 

I have a software issue though. I cannot get personalisation to save eco mode, so I have to select it every time I turn on the ignition.

[PetrolDave]

20 minutes ago, prt137 said:

I have a software issue though. I cannot get personalisation to save eco mode, so I have to select it every time I turn on the ignition.

That's a "feature" of the newer BCM software in later 2019 models which cannot be changed by coding or adaptation.