I've just done a trip yesterday (just 30 miles cross country) where I got an indicated 73.5mpg! I wasn't driving particularly slowly (40-60) but is it likely to be anywhere near accurate or is the fuel computer hopelessly optimistic?

Not sure what you are driving, if it's a petrol version it would be a miracle....but a 1.9 diesel could get close if driven very carefully

If it was a one-way trip that started with the engine warm and went down-hill most of the way it is possible, but unlikely if it was an out and back trip (returning to the same spot where you started).

VAG trip computers are notoriously optimistic (mine can be up to 25% out for a tankfull). I guess it makes everyone feel good to see such low fuel consumption on the trip computer, and as long as you don't check your actual usage you won't ever know what it really was.

The only accurate way to calculate fuel usage is to fill to the brim each time and record the distance covered for that tankfull. Even then it is hard to fill the tank to exactly the same level each time, so an average over 3 or 4 fills is a more reliable indication.

I don't recall from the manual but is the recommended fillup to fill to the first auto cutoff? Is that considered "brim" or does everyone generally put in some extra? Just wondered...

I don't recall from the manual but is the recommended fillup to fill to the first auto cutoff? Is that considered "brim" or does everyone generally put in some extra? Just wondered...

It all depends.....If it is "frothy" diesel then you can almost always put more in if you are prepared to wait for the froth (bubbles) to subside. With my transporter TDI I find it easiest to slow down the fill when I think I'm getting near full, that way I can fit more in without having to wait.

The other factor is how sensitive the auto cutoff is on the particular pump you are using. Some are more sensitive than others and will leave you a bit short of a full fill.

Getting a true "to the brim" fill is a bit tricky, as if you try too hard you can end up dribbling some of that precious liquid gold down the side of your car (and you have to pay for it too !) :(

I try for a reasonably consistent fill, but not right to the top od the filler pipe. On the TDI I usually get about 4-5 more little bits in after the initial auto cutoff, while in my petrol it is more like 2-3 (this is in Australia, mind, I have no experience with UK pumps).

I advise averaging over at least 3 fills to get a more accurate idea of your actual fuel consumption figure. That way a bit under or over on one fill is compensated at the next fill.

My car reads avg 20-25 KL/pl (all metric here in Ireland )

I have a 1.6 MPi automatic or as my brother calls it MP red I

I found that if I put standard unleaded in say from tesco's I don't get as much out of it. So now I only put Shell Premium Unleaded in and the tank seems to empty a little slower. On the up side you get a great kick out of it when you put your foot down.

We got something like an indicated 77mpg on our Scout in January coming down through the French Alps. Initial descent time about 30 minutes and we were amazed at each point the computer mpg climbed

downhill in the right gear with not much acceleration seems to give 'good returns'. Then I hammered it back across France and ended up with 38.something overall.

Regards

Mark

On my 2.0 TDI 140 BHP I get readings of 55mpg on the average computer readout and 50mpg over three or 4 fill up so a 10% error in the computer. My driving is mostly motorway in the UK

On my 2.0 TDI 140 BHP I get readings of 55mpg on the average computer readout and 50mpg over three or 4 fill up so a 10% error in the computer. My driving is mostly motorway in the UK

IIRC you can adjust the fuel consumption readout on your MFD by up to +/- 15% (using VAGCOM or the dealer equivalent), so if the inaccuracy annoys you it can be corrected. Same deal for the notoriously optimistic VAG speedo (they all seem to read about 10% fast on std tyres/wheels)

got this the other week when i was driving downhill between forestry tracks! It went up to 83 at one point after this but soon dropped back to the 50's when on the proper road.