Hello all, I currently have a 2014 1.6 diesel golf, 104bph. Looking to switch to something newer and different with more space.  I do a big chunk of motorway miles, around 450 a week so MPG is a big thing for me. The Superb and the larger tank also are attractive!

 

What sort of MPG are people getting at the moment? In the Golf i'm getting mid 50's but wanting to go better than that!

 

Thanks in advance

 

Welcome.

If you drive the bigger heavier Superb the same way, speed, trips as you do your Golf do you really expect it to use less fuel? 

 

The larger tank would just mean when full when brimmed that was a bit more weight carried than the smaller tank brimmed. 

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/real-mpg/

 

 

 

Interesting.

2013-2015 are Euro 5 emissions and had Defeat Devices / Cheating of emissions, and ones that got the Fix, got new engine management & an airflow device fitted.

 

late 2015/ early 2016 on are Euro 6 emissions, and from 2018 will be covered by having the WLTP figures.  

 

Real world is real world though, in somebodies world.  Just a driver, or some load or full revenue weight usage. 

 

Honest John now owned by Heycar owned by VW / Daimler. 

My 1.6tdi DSG Estate averages 61mpg through the year,  in wintertime less ( 59mpg ) in summertime more ( 63mpg ). I've never got close to 77.8mpg as stated above and I drive very sedately with 90% of my journeys sitting in 7th in lane 1 of the motorway doing 60 - 70mph.

@Gammyleg  Is that actually getting 590 miles, or 610 miles from 10 gallons, or 630 miles for 10 gallons? 

 

Winter Diesel time now and if not actually colder than a couple of weeks ago the efficiency might be better not worse.

eg, not taking longer to heat up, no extra heating / lighting needed.  

If just a bit colder then denser air and less grip / traction on roads so not really winter weather.

8 minutes ago, Gammyleg said:

My 1.6tdi DSG Estate averages 61mpg through the year,  in wintertime less ( 59mpg ) in summertime more ( 63mpg ). I've never got close to 77.8mpg as stated above and I drive very sedately with 90% of my journeys sitting in 7th in lane 1 of the motorway doing 60 - 70mph.

 

MPG and Cost Calculator and Tracker - Spritmonitor.de

2 hours ago, Rooted said:

@Gammyleg  Is that actually getting 590 miles, or 610 miles from 10 gallons, or 630 miles for 10 gallons? 

 

Winter Diesel time now and if not actually colder than a couple of weeks ago the efficiency might be better not worse.

eg, not taking longer to heat up, no extra heating / lighting needed.  

If just a bit colder then denser air and less grip / traction on roads so not really winter weather.

 

This is what I've tracked over the years I've had the car. Not sure of the whys or wherefores, but the trend is summer good, winter not so, however long term getting better!

 

Edited 25 October, 20232 yr by Gammyleg
Added final however

that's not surprising the engine is colder and needs to be brought to working temperature, more heat losses during that initial phase

8 hours ago, Nathancommutes said:

Hello all, I currently have a 2014 1.6 diesel golf, 104bph. Looking to switch to something newer and different with more space.  I do a big chunk of motorway miles, around 450 a week so MPG is a big thing for me. The Superb and the larger tank also are attractive!

 

What sort of MPG are people getting at the moment? In the Golf i'm getting mid 50's but wanting to go better than that!

 

Thanks in advance

 

I live in Ireland and drive pretty carefully with a lot of anticipation. I can get it close to ~5.0-~5.1lt / 100 km on average. I live in a suburban area so not that much proper city driving (you'll hit +6l/100km there). I have pretty narrow tyres  (215mm) but then a wife and three kids. If you do motorway at around 110km/h you'll also get close to 5l/100km, if you go 120km/h you'll you'll be closer to 5.5l/100km.

Winter deterioration in fuel economy has certainly kicked in. Consumption up by 15% since end of August. Currently sitting at around 55mpg.

That is too much for a diesel engine, they only enrich the mixture for a matter of seconds compared to a petrol engine that has to do so until the cylinder block reaches operating temperature and the thermostat opens, the economy gain of a diesel engine is massively magnified in winter cold start short journey conditions, once the diesel cycle is self sustaining without the glowplugs no enrichment is needed, perhaps a tiny amount for emissions or to preheat a catastrophic convertor/DPF.

 

55mpg is still respectable but of it doesnt rise in the spring then you can be sure its another problem.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

55mpg is still respectable but of it doesnt rise in the spring then you can be sure its another problem.

 

If you look at my chart earlier in this thread, it seems to be an annual event. The mpg recorded is the rolling average of 4 fill ups rather than individual tankfuls. I can only guess that its a combination of temperature, humidity, lights on, & change to winter fuel.

I fill up at the same petrol station, usually the same pump even and have done for the last 3 years, every Friday morning.

As you say 55mpg is pretty good.

Edited 10 November, 20232 yr by Gammyleg
rolling

So as per the OP's original question

On 25/10/2023 at 10:50, Nathancommutes said:

Hello all, I currently have a 2014 1.6 diesel golf, 104bph. Looking to switch to something newer and different with more space.  I do a big chunk of motorway miles, around 450 a week so MPG is a big thing for me. The Superb and the larger tank also are attractive!

 

What sort of MPG are people getting at the moment? In the Golf i'm getting mid 50's but wanting to go better than that!

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

From Gammyleg's extensive data, it looks like the Superb 3 will at least equal the Golf 3's economy: Very credible performance for such an enormous car!

 

This might seem like a silly question OP, but have you also considered an Octavia 3 1.6/Greenline? it's in-keeping yet bigger than the equivalent Golf and should be great on Fuel too..

FWIW I used to see 630+ miles easily from my old 2013 Octavia 3 1.6 Non-Greenline, and that car was fitted with the not so nice 5 speed manual gearbox.

I think the 110bhp 1.6Tdi might be slightly more economical than the older 105bhp Tdi, which is what mine was...

 

On 25/10/2023 at 13:08, Gammyleg said:

My 1.6tdi DSG Estate averages 61mpg through the year,  in wintertime less ( 59mpg ) in summertime more ( 63mpg ). I've never got close to 77.8mpg as stated above and I drive very sedately with 90% of my journeys sitting in 7th in lane 1 of the motorway doing 60 - 70mph.

That sounds good. 
My car is the Mk 4 Superb Estate 2L tdi 4x4 dsg

 

I had read the mpg data before buying but knew that I’d get more out of it through fuel stretching driving.

 

I was right, on start stop journeys it’s always mid 50’s

 

On uninterrupted drives it’s always nudging 60 mpg.

 

On a recent drive from Minehead to Reading, which involves a tortuous 20 miles of Minehead to Bridgwater road, I got dead on 70 mpg average.

If I was lead footed then I’d wipe all that away and probably only get half that mpg.

 

This car is a 4x4 so it puts to bed the notion that 4x4 cars sap mpg.

 

My previous Mk 3 was fwd and achieved about the same mpg.

I arrived back from the Lake District yesterday towing my Eriba Triton 430 caravan.

 

Admittedly, although not minute, it’s a compact but fully specced caravan, and aero, compared to the average white boxes we see around but the 40.6 mpg was brilliant in my opinion, and again, included those undulating windy roads on the last 20 miles home, before which it was nudging 42 mpg average.

 

So, like you probably, I believe it’s how we drive, not what we drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 10/11/2023 at 17:06, J.R. said:

 once the diesel cycle is self sustaining without the glowplugs no enrichment is needed,

Just because no enrichment is needed for it to stay running, surely doesn't necessarily mean that for a  given fuel input the power output is the same on a cold engine vs. hot

 

Every diesel i've owned has deffinetly been less responsive to get down the round in the first 5 minutes in freezing temperatures rather than in summer so it makes sense (to me at least) that to drive it the same you are giving it more throttle and fuel. I mean you can physically hear the difference of a TDI in the cold before she's warmed up. I assume most of the difference is the winter fuel though, on a 38 mile commute i'm down 5-10 mpg.

 

As for mpg comparisons, you might as well pluck figures from the air as everybody drives differently. Even my very consistent commute can give 65mpg one day and 50 the next just because the wind has changed or its raining. 

On 25/10/2023 at 13:08, Gammyleg said:

My 1.6tdi DSG Estate averages 61mpg through the year,  in wintertime less ( 59mpg ) in summertime more ( 63mpg ). I've never got close to 77.8mpg as stated above and I drive very sedately with 90% of my journeys sitting in 7th in lane 1 of the motorway doing 60 - 70mph.

They really are economical cars. I’ve done over 80 mpg in my 2 litre Dsg 4x4 estate, and easily manage 70 mpg on most trips. More mpg can’t help but mean less co2 so realistically my car is a very minimal polluter. I’m like you, I drive conservatively and get a lot of fun from it (and money!)

Yes, 80 mpg, admittedly on motorway but including 20% of tedious switchback 30 mph speed limit ridden minor roads. You should just be able to make out the figures 🤞

Edited 31 May, 20251 yr by davembk
Omission

I've been averaging 60 mpg in my 2016 Greenline Estate since I bought it earlier this year.

On motorways with the cruise control set at 73 MPH (actual 69 MPH) it will nudge up to 65 mpg.

For shorter journeys in the hilly part of England I live in it will drop towards 50 mpg.

For 80 mpg, maybe I could get that on a flat motorway at 60 mph with a tail wind? It might have to be a gale force tail wind...

On 12/06/2025 at 12:48, Lindsayt said:

For 80 mpg, maybe I could get that on a flat motorway at 60 mph with a tail wind? It might have to be a gale force tail wind...

I have managed 78mpg in my Superb Estate 200 4x4 on one occasion (and early 70s a few times).

Mostly motorway cruising at a bit over 60mph.

Not common though, and not really possible in winter either.

The winter fuel mix always seems to be the main driver, I've seen it across all the diesel cars I've owned with various manufacturers. As has been said I typically see 3-5mpg less in the winter with no change in driving.