3.2 owners! mpg question...

[its_neil]

I've just recently come from an 8L S3 to an 8P 3.2 quattro DSG and finding the fuel economy to be erm, less than I expected.

My commute to work is 10 miles, 2 are town and 8 are NSL and over the last couple of tanks I've gotten 22-24mpg average. (I reset computer 2 every fill up). The same journey and driving style in my S3 I used to hover about 29-30mpg. When I drove the 60 miles back from where I bought it from my old S3 got near 38mpg and the v6 could only nudge 26.

Is this about right or is something amiss?

 

[leeroywarner]

I would say (depending on driving style) that's about right. Was 250 miles to a tank for me and more recently after Audi software update 270-300 a tank

 

[its_neil]

Wow, that's pretty awful. What is this software update and can I get it ?

 

[leeroywarner]

This is an epic thread but worth a read
http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/new-a3...needed-3-2q-dsg-hesitant-engine-~-2k-rpm.html

bit of a summary

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/new-a3...elp-software-update-equivelent-vw-6463-a.html

from a 3.2 v6 I didn't thing the mpg was that bad!

 

[paddy]

Short of a cloged air filter there isnt a lot you can do except go light on the loud pedal. Leave the DIS showing the constant mpg and learn to back off at cruising speeds and down hill. I could get constant over 30mpg with practice but average over time was about 27-28.

 

[leeroywarner]

wow 30mpg thats pretty impressive, don't think I could be that restrained
My driving is mainly b roads so i'm sure that doesn't help.

Paddy what do you get out of the s3?

 

[paddy]

I did a regular run from my home in Surrey to my home in Norfolk in the 3.2 which was 180 miles, M25-M11-A1065, mostly at night , cruise set on 85mph and i could get 32mpg on that run, no traffic to speak of though. The S3 is running in so ust going with the flow in the surrey taffic i am getting about 32mpg, i expect it will get better as it losens up, did get 34mpg yesterday over a 50 mile drive.
You will never beat the 3.2 for motorways, stunning car

I should add i had the software update and it was mapped as well to 255bhp/260lb/ft

 

[stealth64]

I've got the 2.0 tfsi and get about 33mpg driving at 75 - 80 mph on my daily commute but thats mainly motorway, I am guessing that with the 3.2 v6 it would return better mpg between 85 - 90 as the engine wont be working as hard as a 2ltr and you will be covering more miles.

I am not condoning speeding by the way, just keeping it real.

 

[audicruiser]

I've got the 2.0 tfsi and get about 33mpg driving at 75 - 80 mph on my daily commute but thats mainly motorway, I am guessing that with the 3.2 v6 it would return better mpg between 85 - 90 as the engine wont be working as hard as a 2ltr and you will be covering more miles.

I am not condoning speeding by the way, just keeping it real.

Turbo's always run more efficiently because it's only when the turbo is on boost that fuelling is matched and so mpg goes down. A 3.2 uses what it uses all the time as it's normally aspirated. With a turbo car you manipulate it to an extent.

 

[stealth64]

Turbo's always run more efficiently because it's only when the turbo is on boost that fuelling is matched and so mpg goes down. A 3.2 uses what it uses all the time as it's normally aspirated. With a turbo car you manipulate it to an extent.

Yes I agree total with what you are saying, but by finding a compromise with rpm and mph i.e: keeping the revs low or at a reasonable level while travelling at good speed then you should find your optimum mpg. The 3.2 will consistently use what it has available but will use it less at lower rpm.

by the way not owned or driven an A3 3.2 so just guessing the fiquire to be around 90 mph

 

[paddy]

I see what you are saying but wind resistance hits big time above 80mpg on the 3.2, its a lot better at 80mph than 90mph but it was as good at 70mph as it was at 40mph, a classic example of lower speed not =best efficiency. Its very easy to drive along at 50mph in a 3.2 and be averaging 25mpg and back off the peddal a bit, still maintain 50mph and get 30mpg, let it wash off speed up hills and pick up speed downhills sounds boring but you can only go as fast as the car in front on busy roads so no point in gunning it and it saves quite a bit of dosh.

 

[leeroywarner]

surely without putting it to bluntly, if you want fuel economy buy a diesel, a v6 is to be driven
not driven for maximum economy, I try to put my foot down and have some fun whenever possible.

just my opinion, no offence meant to anyone

 

[wez3570]

I'm averaging 25mpg.

34mpg on a mway run.

Doesn't bother me as my last 2 cars were about the same.

Well worth it for the ride in the 3.2

 

[paddy]

surely without putting it to bluntly, if you want fuel economy buy a diesel, a v6 is to be driven
not driven for maximum economy, I try to put my foot down and have some fun whenever possible.

just my opinion, no offence meant to anyone

Absolutely mate, that's why i said "you can only go as fast as the car in front on busy roads so no point in gunning it " but given a bit of space then go for it. Mine was remapped with a Remus exhaust and in sport mode round the lanes it used to howl like a superbike as it bounced off the red line through the gears ....but i live in Surrey and the commute is mostly heavy traffic and 40mph and its then you can save a few mpg.

 

[its_neil]

surely without putting it to bluntly, if you want fuel economy buy a diesel, a v6 is to be driven
not driven for maximum economy, I try to put my foot down and have some fun whenever possible.

just my opinion, no offence meant to anyone

Things aren't always as black and white as that really, but yeah I am aware that a V6 isn't an economical runabout and I how smooth the drive is and the noise is great fun! My 8L's figures were roughly on the money with Audi's figures but the V6 is off by about 5mpg so was just checking that it wasn't a common issue (like the thermostat on the 1.8T).

 

[Matt_S]

Well reading this has put me off getting one. My A3's due a change, as I've moved close enough to work to not drive everyday, how ever that is more money than I'd like to spend (even though I looked at s4's) just have to wait another year for the S3 to come down a bit!

 

[paddy]

Probably best matt because if you lived with a 3.2 for any length of time a S3 would seem very...well...ordinary. strange though because if you gun a S3 it will do no more than a 3.2 mpg anyway !!

 

[FranA3]

i dont understand why people moan about mpg on a v6 if your worryed about mpg get a tdi hahahaha mine does over 45mpg daily btw lol

 

[leeroywarner]

i dont understand why people moan about mpg on a v6 if your worryed about mpg get a tdi hahahaha mine does over 45mpg daily btw lol

Well said couldn't agree more,
the other thing to factor in is how cheap 3.2's are in the first place.
I picked up my 05 s-line with 50k on the clock awesome spec for pennies
at least 3k worth of fuel to catch up with a3 diesel prices

 

[paddy]

Yea but when i bought my thirsty V6 petrol was 79p ltr in 2005...we will see how you feel when it turns £2 a ltr next year

 

[leeroywarner]

Yea but when i bought my thirsty V6 petrol was 79p ltr in 2005...we will see how you feel when it turns £2 a ltr next year

Already taken into account, I looked deep into running costs before I got it. It will need to hit £3.50 before I switch from super unleaded, partly helped by the family bus being a 2.0tdi a6

 

[Stink]

Used to have a mkiv R32 and I think I used to get between 12 - 18 mpg on my trips to work, non res mitelk and tunnels were a lot of fun! Kinda glad its gone now as I dred to think how much V power is now but it is sorely missed!

 

[audicruiser]

Used to have a mkiv R32 and I think I used to get between 12 - 18 mpg on my trips to work, non res mitelk and tunnels were a lot of fun! Kinda glad its gone now as I dred to think how much V power is now but it is sorely missed!

Joe, what are you doing on this Audi site... Surely you should be in a Mk2 GTi forum somewhere lol!!!

 

[paddy]

Already taken into account, I looked deep into running costs before I got it. It will need to hit £3.50 before I switch from super unleaded, partly helped by the family bus being a 2.0tdi a6

Well i wish you luck, i worked out mine cost me nearly £28k over 4 years before petrol and road tax. £15k depreciation + £13k maintenance/service bills. Money was not an issue then or now or i wouldnt have just bought a £34k S3 but i was just trying to advice the guy how to save a few bob on day to day driving when it makes no odds if you have a micra or a Lambo when nothing goes over 30mph anyway.

 

[Sock]

Its funny reading this as I have only ever worried about fuel when I owned a diesel lol , if i got poor MPG I thought something must be wrong.

My Mondeo ST TDCI - Mapped, JP decat & exhaust and airtech intercooler used to return 59mpg at 85 MPH and on one occasion whilst driving around Norfolk I got 695 miles out of a tank!

Now I own the S3 I expect poor consumption so don't give it a second thought, plus mine seems to be getting the norm' anyway

 

[leeroywarner]

Well i wish you luck, i worked out mine cost me nearly £28k over 4 years before petrol and road tax. £15k depreciation + £13k maintenance/service bills. Money was not an issue then or now or i wouldnt have just bought a £34k S3 but i was just trying to advice the guy how to save a few bob on day to day driving when it makes no odds if you have a micra or a Lambo when nothing goes over 30mph anyway.

I completely get what your saying, and that's the point if you are worrying about how much it costs to run, then maybe sell up and get a diesel

 

[Stink]

Joe, what are you doing on this Audi site... Surely you should be in a Mk2 GTi forum somewhere lol!!!

Haha well scott I'm looking at a bit of change of scenery

 

[audicruiser]

Haha well scott I'm looking at a bit of change of scenery

Nice one mate... I will wait and see what happens!!

 

[Arnie]

previous tank: 15.8 mpg, did 209 miles on 50 liters of petrol....
last tank: 18.5 mpg, did 251 miles on 51.35 liters....

 

[S3Alex]

I had a 3.2 a few years ago and never got more than 30mpg out of it,even driven like a saint,whereas on the same run,and driven in saintly fashion,the rather heavily modified S3 will do up to 35mpg....it will of course do a lot less as well,but then the 3.2 is easily as bad when flogged.

 

[Arnie]

I thought I had a problem with the car but done recently a test on motorway. 110 miles with 75mph speed and it did 33mpg. In city my girlfriend is getting 24-25mpg, I cant see more than 18mpg myself. Must be my heavy foot

 

[marwayg]

MY TANKS
---------------

250 miles from full tank
268 from full tank ( i was looking at 310 but i had a whole day of ripping it around )

 

[marknjayne]

i get 18mpg around town and 30 on a run

 

[Daft Old Sod]

On my run to work, 85 miles on A-Road, Dual Carriage Way, & M-Way, 26/28 mpg (possibly a wee bit above the speed limit here & there mind you ). Around the lanes at home, 16/18 mpg. Worth every single penny spent on V-Power & around £3k in pocket for fuel vouchers over buying an equivalent S3.

 

[Sarah's A3]

I was like Paddy, I could get around 30mpg if I took care but I enjoyed using my heavy left foot too much so those figures were rare lol.

Luckily for me now, fuel prices arnt an issue and the heat here has helped heaps. Got 32mpg the other day on a longish run so was pretty chuffed. Although saying that the speeds are slower over here but there are plenty of times to open him up!!

Just enjoy it .... its an ace car.

 

[marwayg]

Totally agree with Sarah... 3.2 V6?!?!?! i mean thats one hell of a beast...ok, even i drive eco now and again, but the beast underneath the bonnet is there for your enjoyment!! Putting your foot down occasionaly, never fails to put a smile on my face!

By the way, does anybody know how to reset the trip computer? (people have said they do this after every fill up) - how do i do this?