Petrol Consumption

MarkDavis · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:39

Yeah but he's probably driving like a granny on straight roads, with no traffic, no jams, no joining or leaving the motorway, sub 70mph and more likely an average of about 63mph. Unless you get your car trailered onto the motorway at one end and trailered off the motorway at the other, you'll never going to average 39.7mpg in a 530i. I've done a similar run from Bristol/Devon through Birmingham to North Yorks and unless I drive like a 90 year old man deliberately trying to eke out economy never exceeding 70mph even on a clear road, 39.7mpg or remotely close isn't ever going to happen. Why on earth would you want to stretch a 3.5 hour journey into one closer to 4.5/5 hours?

What on earth is the point of owning a BMW 3 litre straight six if you can't slice through and past traffic? It's a completely pointless ownership proposition if you're not prepared to flex your right foot.

Tom|Nbk · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:40

I find it hard to keep at 70 constant with a 6cyl under the bonnet

ZuG · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:41

UltimateBadger said:
I
The OP's fuel economy seems low - is the car in good health?

I think so, I've been told it is probably the feul and air filter. So I'm getting it serviced next week. Although quite a lot of my driving is around the city, I should be getting more shouldn't I?

[TW]Fox · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:41

MarkDavis said:
Yeah but he's probably driving like a granny on straight roads, with no traffic, no jams, no joining or leaving the motorway, and sub 70mph with an average of less than 65mph. Unless get your trailered onto the motorway at one and trailered off the motorway at the other, you'll never going to average 39.7mpg in a 530i

What did you get out of the 530i you owned?

Oh.

I'm not entirely sure what else I can say, I'm not particularly concerned whether you agree or not - the fact is that over a long Motorway trip with the cruise set to 70, it'll do between 37 and 40mpg depending on traffic levels. It's really that simple.

When you've got all day to cover 300 miles whats the point in doing 95 and risking getting pulled anyway. I just stick to the speed limit during daylight motorway trips and a happy side effect is the pretty decent fuel economy you get as a result.

FWIW the return journey of my last trip was undertaken between 11pm and 2am and the car returned 32mpg instead of 39mpg. So, I do like to make use of the cars considerable abilities but only when it suits me.

Sugar Free · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:42

VW GOLF TDI

Was 55 MPG when I was doing journeys of a reasonable size 600-700 miles a tank.

Average has plummeted to around 40 with all the city centre only driving of late...

Conscript · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:43

MarkDavis said:
What on earth is the point of owning a BMW 3 litre straight six if you can't slice through and past traffic.

So you can cruise in ultimate comfort while returning 39.7MPG perhaps?

Duke · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:44

MarkDavis said:
What on earth is the point of owning a BMW 3 litre straight six if you can't slice through and past traffic.

On a motorway?

Tom|Nbk · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:47

Conscript said:
So you can cruise in ultimate comfort while returning 39.7MPG perhaps?

Fuel economy shouldn't be the biggest concern when owning one of those cars.

MarkDavis · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:48

[TW]Fox;13018763 said:
FWIW the return journey of my last trip was undertaken between 11pm and 2am and the car returned 32mpg instead of 39mpg.

Now that's more like it. Anyone can hit high mpgs by driving unrealistically. Most people are talking normal, real world driving though when they refer to MPG, not some 'eco' challenge.

mr tommo · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:49

MarkDavis said:
Yeah but he's probably driving like a granny on straight roads, with no traffic, no jams, no joining or leaving the motorway, sub 70mph and more likely an average of about 63mph. Unless you get your car trailered onto the motorway at one end and trailered off the motorway at the other, you'll never going to average 39.7mpg in a 530i. I've done a similar run from Bristol/Devon through Birmingham to North Yorks and unless I drive like a 90 year old man deliberately trying to eke out economy never exceeding 70mph even on a clear road, 39.7mpg or remotely close isn't ever going to happen. Why on earth would you want to stretch a 3.5 hour journey into one closer to 4.5/5 hours?

What on earth is the point of owning a BMW 3 litre straight six if you can't slice through and past traffic. It's a completely pointless ownership proposition if you're not prepared to flex you're right right.

Ive got the same engine as fox in my Z4. Stoke-on-Trent City Centre > Trafford centre (via A road) > Manchester City centre (drove round trying to find a parking space for a few mins) > Stoke (via A34-Single lane) and my car averaged 39.2 mpg. Until I got to manchester I was averaging 42ish. :eek:

I was untterly amazed too! EDIT - It was extremely foggy on Sunday when I drove there so I was going as quick as the conditions would allow.

Around town its about 22-26 mpg.

I don't get this whole, why have a 3.0 Straight six if your driving around at 65-70 mph looking for max mpg argument either. The main thing I have notcied coming from a low powered Renault Megane is that you don't need to thrash this car around to get it to move. And if Im not in a rush then I just enjoy the ride

Jez · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:50

Tom|Nbk said:
Fuel economy shouldn't be the biggest concern when owning one of those cars.

If fuel economy is not a concern then why would you stick with a 6-pot?

oweneades · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:51

Currently getting (on my last half tank) 28mpg in my 3.2 V6 A3 (DSG).

Have had as high as 31mpg on the same type of journeys although this was very light on the throttle and in warmer weather (whether that makes any difference).

Motorway type driving (Exeter to Yeovil via M5/A303) saw me 35mpg driving at between 65 an 70mph (I don't have cruise).

Its amazing (well to me

) how many mpg you can get out of a relatively large engine. This annoys my dad as he can't work out why his 2.0TFSI A3 is only doing ~25mpg (forgetting he has lead feet).

Tom|Nbk · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:52

Jez said:
If fuel economy is not a concern then why would you stick with a 6-pot?

Good point.

MarkDavis · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:53

Jez said:
If fuel economy is not a concern then why would you stick with a 6-pot?

...because getting a V8 would be getting into the realms of absurd in terms of original purchase cost and ongoing running costs. Running a 6 pot is still in the realms of reasonableness for most people even if the mpg is worse than say a 1.0 Micra.

Jez · 3 Dec 2008 at 20:56

MarkDavis said:
...because getting a V8 would be getting into the realms of absurd in terms of original purchase cost and ongoing running costs. Running a 6 pot is still in the realms of reasonableness for most people even if the mpg is worse than say a 1.0 Micra.

Not really, the only extra it would cost is the fuel really. On one hand you say that its silly to worry, yet on the other you say that increased consumption would be ridiculous.

Surely the beauty of the 3.0 6 is that you CAN get 40mpg when you are not in the mood, yet can still have a bit of fun when you are? With this in mind i dont see why you would say driving along a 300 mile boring motorway slower in order to save the fuel is a "completely pointless proposition".

Princey · 3 Dec 2008 at 21:03

Around 25mpg in town and 35mpg on the motorway at 80mph. Combined at the moment is 28.8mpg.

[TW]Fox · 3 Dec 2008 at 21:04

MarkDavis said:
Now that's more like it. Anyone can hit high mpgs by driving unrealistically. Most people are talking normal, real world driving though when they refer to MPG, not some 'eco' challenge.

It wasn't an 'eco challenge', its what I get every time I do a long Motorway trip in daylight hours. I personally cannot be bothered with 80-90mph during the day, its speed up, somebody pulls out, on the brakes, they move, accelerate again, whoops here is somebody else, slow down, speed up again, is that a cop car on the bridge? Slow down again, speed up, damn a Prius pulled out, slow down again, speed up...

... no wonder you get 33mpg on the Motorway.

I can't be bothered with that, so I pull onto the Motorway, accelerate to the legal speed limit, set the cruise control, and relax. It's not an eco challenge, it's not some sort of special thing, its just how I drive during the day when I've got a long journey to make.

And I arrive utterly unfussed, unstressed and comfortable.

Long Motorway trips are boring. They might as well be boring at 70 instead of boring at 90.

At the dead of night, its a different story entirely - you can set the cruise to higher speeds without seeing many other cars, no problem.

The Edge · 3 Dec 2008 at 21:05

I seem to get 25 to 28mpg round town according to the computer depending on lights and traffic flow.

On the motorway at 70 the instant readout hovers at high 30's to low 40's, best i've acheived on average was 36mpg.

I'm happy with 26 to 28 as a combined avaerage if i've used the car to get to work every day.

2 litre 20v Volvo 850 estate.

frosty03 · 3 Dec 2008 at 21:05

My jazz does did 60mpg on a 300 mile round trip last week, speedo at 70, 1 passenger.
Usually urban driving it drops to around the 50mpg mark.

I can push it close to 70mpg if i drive at 60, and go behind (3-4 car lengths) a lorry, but i only do that if i'm particularly bored...

If you think about it, if I drive at 80mph, my mpg will drop to high 40s, low 50s. Compared to the 60 i get at 70mph, that is 20% saving, on a long trip it can amount to a lot. I agree that your may argue your time is worth more than the amount saved, which is true, so i suppose it is a judgment call at the end.

IAmATeaf · 3 Dec 2008 at 21:10

ZuG said:
How economical is your car?
I have a Honda Accord 1.8 and when I measured the consumption last week, I only managed to get 250miles out of a 50 litre tank. That's not good is it?

That's bloody terrible, is the car an auto?

Used to have a previous shape Accord 2.0 ES SSS Auto and I used to get around 260 from the tank but that is hooning it around. With my current car which is the current shape Accord 2.4 Type-s manual I get around 280, again with a heavy right foot