2.5 TDi Quattro Sport MPG Test

[JohnboyC]

Hi Folks....I am sure you must have all of seen Jeremy Clarkson drive from London to Edinburgh and back to London in an Audi A8 (i think) 4.0 litre Diesel on one tank of fuel.....

Sooo, this week, I am currently doing a test of my own to see what my Audi A4 2.5 TDi Q Avant (34,000 miler) will do on a round trip of 50 miles a day - 25 miles motorway, rest A & B roads. Brimmed her on Sunday evening....
I am not taking her over 2000 rpm before I change gear (geeez its boring), but does do 70mph in 6th...so I still manage to be overtaking on the motorway........however unlike Clarkson I am using my heated seats, and heating....and stereo

Weirdly enough I find the driving around like this quite relaxing.....normally I am not one for hanging around.....

Will report back when I fill her up on Friday....

 

[dan_b]

Let us know how you get on!

 

[Nickynibbles]

I often drive my 3.0 Quattro Sport like this to be honest, mainly to save fuel but I also find it very relaxing to potter about. Being behind the wheel I find is a very nice place to be, as I dont use the car to commute anymore when I do get to drive her I like to savour the time at the wheel. Of course sometimes i've got to boot it to get my smiles, but pottering along just feels good!

 

[stoakseya4]

Main difference in this test is that JC's test was in one hit, i.e. a non stop run... Dont know what difference that will make o/a...?

Will be interesting to find out though...

 

[davidsmith110]

i use my a4 avant 2.5 tdi se, communting from germany to england on a regular basis on a run(motorway driving most of the way) im getting 500-550 miles to a tank of fuel at around 80-90mph most of the way. im happy with this as when i hit germany the autobahn is a big deterant to fuel saving .
when at home driving around town etc i am lucky to get 400-450 miles to a tank.
am looking forward to your results to see what your getting?
also the display in the middle of the dash saying how many miles u have left to a tank lies......... u fill up drive none stop for 4 hours etc before turning off look at the display, then turn on wow im missing 30-40miles.
but i do love the car the 2.5 tdi engine is the best engine for long journeys by far for mpg/speed/comfort etc.

 

[stoakseya4]

Guess the 3.0tdi is even better then ?

 

[arthurfuxake]

I count myself lucky if I get 370miles to a tank on my commute into manchester centre.

 

[dan_b]

I only got 260 miles out of my last tank of 99Octane, so I'm reluctantly starting to look at more frugal alternatives to my 3.0, not to mention the cost of band G car tax, and my parking permit has also now doubled in cost due to it being band G too, thanks to Richmond Council...

 

[stoakseya4]

dan b - what car do you have, a 3.0tdi or a 3.0 V6 petrol? I'm assuming you mean petrol. BTW that's only 30 miles more than my S4 !!!

 

[Galps]

It's good to see others with a range of 250 miles in their S4's. I thought my right foot must be a bit heavy !!

I default to my scooter for the station run - £12 a month for 100 ****** cold miles.

 

[dan_b]

Mine's the petrol. The MPG is basically not far off what I used to get in my '91 S2; whilst the V6 is quick, it's not rocket-ship quick so I'm not really getting that much of a good deal am I! I'm quite tempted to go out and pick up an old RS2 and just screw it! Either that or go and Hug Trees and buy a Lexus Hybrid or something!

 

[Blackadder]

I just got 650 on last fill up with 25 miles range showing on the DIS. MInd u it's a 130ps TDI 1.9 A4.

 

[Blackadder]

Revo'd to 180bhp though

 

[JohnboyC]

Evening all....

The results are :

I travelled a total of 230.6 miles
Computer said I had 330 miles left to go
Car took 26.43 litres of diesel which equals 5.82 gallons in "real money"
Which equates to 39.62 mpg

I did not take the car over 2000 rpm the entire week...so as you 2.5 TDi owners must know you don't stay long in 1st & 2nd gear (2nd gear at 2000 rpm = 20mph)

So there you have it......not bad MPG for the size of engine.....and I am quite pleased about that.....

One amusing aspect is that I was often overtaken by people in a real hurry, only for me to catch up with them 2 miles up the road at the next set of traffic lights........

 

[stoakseya4]

Blackadder - Revo takes the 130 tdi up to 170bhp and 280ft lbs. not 180bhp.

 

[istoo]

JohnBoyC... not far of my sort of driving. I generally trundle 12 miles to work at pretty much 55 mph all the way with one stop for a set of traffic lights. idle stay below 2000 rpm i have had 490miles out of a tank with 15 remaining. and then once a week i get a 60 mile drive at the same sort of speeds. Generally i drive like that 90% of the time then one time i will feel the need if condiditons. are right to have a more spirited drive and watch the economy dive.

Worst so far 390miles form a tank, average for me is around 440miles from a tank. The journey collecting the car (350mile drive home) i got 490 from that tank including some test driving on the way home generally sitting at 2200 rpm. only once seen 500 miles from a tank, so if you manage it good on you! keep it posted!!! getting 40mpg from a quattro by any standards is very good.

Want to see if you can breach the mystical 500 from the car, answering another question yes a continuous trip will make a big difference, nature of the journey too, how hilly etc. also noticed a big improvement if i run the car for 5 minutes on highland cold mornings, then drive. The DTE barely drops where as drive cold and it loses 20miles range immediately. Cold mornings being denser air should use more fuel as well, so i suspect you might get less range in the colder months. In the summer, should be worth a good few 10's miles i would say,

 

[james0808]

I travelled a total of 230.6 miles

Was this the reading on your trip,is your speedo reading accurate if it was?
Reason i ask is,if the speedo is out will the trip reading be out too???

 

[AndyMac]

Speedo is required to overread by law, the trip is very accurate unless you've messed with your wheels/tyres etc
If I sit at 80mph on the road angel, the speedo says 86-88, but if I zero the average speed on the DIS it shows 80mph as well.

 

[james0808]

Speedo is required to overread by law, the trip is very accurate unless you've messed with your wheels/tyres etc
If I sit at 80mph on the road angel, the speedo says 86-88, but if I zero the average speed on the DIS it shows 80mph as well.

Cheers Andymac,didnt know that.:icon_thumright:

 

[Macduff]

Speedo is required to overread by law, the trip is very accurate unless you've messed with your wheels/tyres etc
If I sit at 80mph on the road angel, the speedo says 86-88, but if I zero the average speed on the DIS it shows 80mph as well.

Interestingly ( to me anyway ) I filled up the car a couple of days ago and the bike today. From the same petrol station I took the same journey home and the bike reads 0.2 of a mile more so car is 5.8 miles and bike is 6.0! Tyres are correct sizes on both.

I'm not sure if there is an allowable margin of error for odometers.

 

[dan_b]

Can you tell me what tax band the 2.5TDi, and the 1.9TDi fall into? With where I live, my parking permit costs are relative to the tax band (cost gone up from £120 to £300 a year to park my Band G 3.0V6), and now with Red Ken imposing a £25/day congestion charge on Band G vehicles, I'm really starting to think with my wallet as it's starting to get offensively expensive...

 

[istoo]

in the interest of the experiment...

i am driving to York on Saturday from home (about 35miles northwest of Aberdeen). 357miles door to door, i will follow the same guidelines as outlined in the experiment, with the main difference being i will be able to run at a constant speed for a lot longer. then a few days of city driving then a journey back home again. Target DTE for arriving in york from a full tank??? willl do a report back next week.

Will not use AirCon, but will have a car loaded with family and weekend away guff. so carrying more. car just serviced, 2 month old correct sized tyres. Will be interesting!

 

[JohnboyC]

Dan_b
the 2.5TDi Q Sport falls into Car Tax Band F - something like 213grms per KM.....so its quite a "dirty" car, but still will not get stiffed by Kev Livingstones tax on anyone with a bit of money...YET !!!!......my mates 2007 2.2 litre diesel jag is something like 150 grms per KM..so is quite clean in comparison....

The 2.5TDi is quite an old engine by modern diesel standards.....I know the 3.0 TDi B7 (annoyingly for me) is in Car Tax Band E......

Regarding Red Ken by the way...he actually does not drive, but relies on taxi's to get him from A to B......he even got a cab from a Labour Party Conference in Blackpool all the way back to London...at tax payers expense.....
£25/day....thats very expensive.....so those affected will have to pay £125/week....or £500/month - WOW....that could make selling the car in London a bit difficult.....

 

[dan_b]

If you live in the Congestion Zone (which a lot of people now do because of the "Western Extension" Ken forced through last year), you can get a 90% rebate on the C-charge, except those that will have to pay the £25 a day. Can you believe that?! That will mean owning a Band G car will cost you £6500 a year in Congestion Charge. F*ck that.

I didn't realise the 2.5TDi was such a dirty old engine - I have seen a couple of 3.0TDis for sale recently but I'd just assumed it would be even more polluting than the 2.5 so haven't even looked at them. Maybe I'll check again.

 

[james0808]

Interestingly ( to me anyway ) I filled up the car a couple of days ago and the bike today. From the same petrol station I took the same journey home and the bike reads 0.2 of a mile more so car is 5.8 miles and bike is 6.0! Tyres are correct sizes on both.

I'm not sure if there is an allowable margin of error for odometers.

This is interesting,i will do some testing on my cars against the satnav on the same routes.

 

[istoo]

I can add to Jame's run, with a 03 plate 2.5 tdi 180bhp quattro sport, serviced the week prior, with factory sized tyres and in good fettle. Loaded with wife two kids and 5 days of stuff (full boot). Filled to the neck at local filly at 0600 am with regular desiel from the Esso station.

Saturday morning drove down to York from North of Aberdeen via the M and A roads. With the cruise control (it has that option). Drove to Tebay before first stop which was 2 and a bit DVD's later or 280 miles with 260 in the DTE. Then a few more miles down the road before truning off on the A67/59 to York ,slow slow orad but 50mph cruising to York means we arrive with 378miles covered and 190miles in the on board remaining. Not bad! Used park and ride for most part of holiday only covering 30 miles in and out of york/nearby.
408miles used, decided to run it till as near empty as possible, so could we make Scotland with 140miles DTE? -4°C and f**king foggy. So 50mph up the M1 to the A66 (much better road), then up the M6 to glasgow, before eventually stopping to fill at a station near Lckerbie, with 5miles left in the DTE, and i stuck to 70mph the whole way on the motorway we got 548.2miles with 5 remaining. in the tank to safely 550miles sticking to the sub 2000 rpm rule. Which i did abuse only twice, once to get out of a junction i sat at for ages, and to remove a corsa which was trying to park in my boot.

So my average?
I never clocked the receipt for refilling but its almost always just over 60litres from dry. So on that basis. i am looking at bang on 40mpg for a 70mph motorway run of steady driving. in a 180bhp 4wd car, i think thats not bad at all.

Driving at 55-60mph i reckon you could see well over 600 miles from a tank.

Looking at the mapping sites ,376miles from London to Edinburgh is as short as i could see it, but i used the air con for 25% of the journey, DVD players on, lights, radio and was driving within the turbo.

on hindsight, i think this may change the way i drive on long journeys, usually in too much of a rush, but i do like to give it some beans once in a while but watching the MPG is seriously addictive new hobby. sad perhaps but enjoying it for the mean time!