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My commute to work is around 70% B-Roads and 30% rush hour town traffic.
Around 35 miles per day.

I normally get between 20-21MPG but on a day I am really pushing the car (ie. if I'm following my mates VR6 to a show etc) then I've got as low as 19MPG over a full tank of Ultimate.

Last week I booked the Friday and Monday off work, filled up the tank and set off to listen to an audio book I'd downloaded.
I decided to see how many miles I could get, if I didn't drive the car hard.

Air con was switched off, I drove around the same roads I take on my commute, and around the B-Roads I drive for fun.
I tried not to accelerate hard, changed gear at 2krpm and did not exceed 60MPH.

It took until Wednesday before the light came on, and 30 miles later I filled up with fuel.

I had done 285 miles, and it took 40 litres to fill up the car.
26.9MPG

Now VW claimed over 30MPG is possible, I've seen a couple of independent reviews which claimed the same.
I could not drive any more economical.

Tyre pressures are spot on, the sub, box and amp weighs a much as an average passenger.

Does it sound like there is something wrong, or is this really all this engine has to give?

Sounds about right to me Tigz, the most I have ever got was all from Motorway driving and was 320 miles.

The least is probably somewhere around 270

You will hardly *ever* reach the manufacture claimed MPG.

Don't forget they test in a controlled lab where they can set the conditions.

I drove the car quite hard and I always got around 34-37 mpg out of it and on a long run I hit 43mpg which was over 400miles before the light came on. Most of the time I got 290-310 before the light popped on.

I would check that your rear brakes aren't sticking, they are well know for this and seized up with cr*p 3 times in the 4 years I owned the car.

Your calculations are also slightly out 40L of petrol is 8.79 gallons (4.55L in a gallon) so if you got 285miles thats 32.4mpg.

When I rag the hell out of it I still don't get below 30. It's quoted as 39 combined but I get 33 average. 41 is my record

Dave thanks for the tip.
I'll check the brakes this week.

The converter on my phone tells me 40L is 10.56 gallon US.
Is a US gallon less than a UK gallon then?

1 liquid U.S. gallon = 0.833 Imperial gallon

1 Imperial gallon = 1.201 liquid U.S. gallons

Do I feel sheepish!

Ah it's not easy with the messed up system of weights and measures we have in this country!

I tend to use this: http://www.robinwhite.fsnet.co.uk/conv/mpg.htm to save myself the bother of the maths.

Tigz wrote:Dave thanks for the tip.
I'll check the brakes this week.

The first times mine went I noticed my mpg dropping and once jacked up it was like the handbrake was on as I could only just turn the back wheels by hand !

There is 3.78 litres in a US gallon.

http://www.torquecars.co.uk/Tuning/uk-m ... ulator.php

I use that site