Fuel economy - or how much a tail wind helps!

[JonP01]

One of things that has amazed me the most about my Polo is the fuel economy. I did not buy the car specifically because of this and I am not the sort to drive in such a way as to favour fuel economy above anything else. But it is a good bonus. My previous car (Mazda 2) weighed as much as the Polo but gave me about 39 - 40 mpg (just over 7 litres / 100 km) in normal driving and about 45 mpg on the freeway (around 6.3 litres / 100 km).

Typically I get around 48 - 50 mpg in day to day driving with the Polo but thus far have never measured it on the freeway. Today I had a round trip to Mittagong so decided to see what I got. On the trip down I got around 54 mpg (5.4 litres / 100 km) but the trip back home was simply amazing - 74 mpg or 3.8 litres / 100 km. This is according to the trip computer, but I have verified the trip computer is very accurate and gives the same figures as when I manually make the calculation at the fuel pump.

To me that is exceptionally good for any petrol powered car heavier than 1,000 kg, especially as it isn't one of those tiny sub-800 kg miniature hatchbacks that were selling in the 80s such as the Daihatsu Charade Turbo - and getting high 40 mpg on the freeway at best.

OK, so the 74 mpg was a best case scenario for me (others can no doubt do even better) - constant cruise control - 110 kmh @ 2100 in 6th gear and no traffic that required disengagement of the control at any point except when leaving the freeway and only 1 x 76 kg person on board. Plus, looking at the Bureau of Meteorology website, there would have been a (cross) tailwind on the way home as well.

What is just as impressive to me is that in 6th gear at freeway speeds, the Polo is just as responsive (i.e in gear or up hill) as my previous Mazda 2 was in 4th gear or my Mum's Yaris in 4th gear. And in both cases, those engines are ticking over way faster than the Polo - more than double the revs for the Mazda.

I really love this car to bits - it is so quiet and comfortable and cruises on a freeway better than the 6 cylinder cars (Falcon / Commodore) I used to drive for work puposes back in the 90s and early 2000s. It really seems to defy the on-paper figures though - it isn't a powerful car at all and does not have very much torque in absolute terms either. Yet it way outperforms all the other small cars I test drove and - as I say - goes better than all the family sixes up until about a decade ago.

I suppose you could say that after only 3 months ownership I am still in the honeymoon period with this car, but the car has been so good so far that my only regret about buying it thus far is that one day it will wear out and I will have to replace it!

Incidentally, I use Caltex Vortex 98 which I buy from Caltex Narellen Rd, Mt. Annan.

[Hail22]

Another Caltex Vortex 98 user here

So far on Average I'm getting around 680kms per tank (mixed city/out of city driving). 700 has been the maximum.

So far so good/happy

[Melon Head]

BP Ultimate :-P

I'll let you know what I get with mine (when I get it)

[Bassik]

Weird... this is coming from a guy that has never filled a car up EVER! I put a maximum of $35 in my car when running on empty and I only get about 220km max. How do you get 680km??? BTW $35 will do close to 3/4 of a tank 98.

I got more in winter but now with A/C on I lose a little.

[Melon Head]

The way I do it is fill the tank to the very top, then reset your trip meter, then drive till the fuel light comes on, then fill it back up to the top and record the number of litres to fill it and the number of kms on trip meter, then manually calculate your consumption.
I don't trust the cars fuel consumption meter to do accurate measurements.

[ATYPIC]

How do you get 680km???

I've got 680kms out of my GTI when I drove to QLD on cruise control sitting on 113-115 clicks.

It's always Caltex first for me, then BP, then whatever else is on offer.

[BLN355]

I average 10.5l/100 in my GTI with an average speed of 29k/hr. If I could bring myself to not give it a squirt every drive it'd probably come down to 8l/100 but thats the best I reckon I can get. All bumper to bumper city driving.

[readerr0r]

My overall trip computer (the one with the 2) says I've done about 7.5l/100km from a mix of short trips to the shops, highway driving and some hills. Most of that is probably from peppy acceleration at the lights (not tyre screeching stuff though). I generally get around 600 a tank.

What annoys/interests me the most is that my friend has a MkV Golf GT Sport, which has the original 125kW 1.4 TSI engine, he gets 6.2 from his daily commute, even though the golf is heavier.

[amazeer]

I'm averaging 6.8 with a 6.6 personal best. I do 50/50 freeway vs city, but my "city" component is only wollongong so not that bad, and I do drive conservatively now the thrash run in period is over. What I dont understand is how I have done 4000km in only 2 months. My commute is only 250/week. Wouldnt mind ducking down the Hume to see what I could squeeze out of a tank but I'm worried the lease company will tap me on the shoulder for excess kms.

I use fuelly, saves doing any maths

[Hillbilly]

Took our Polo from Just north of Brisbane to Coffs Harbour and back.

Bit of tootling around whilst there. Aircon on all the time.

Filled up on return at same pump Got an average of 5.1 l per 100km

Was all done at highway limit and at one stage about 30 over for a short spurt.

Was quite impressed as was quite comfortable as well.

Actually like the seat backs better than my Passat they are more contoured and hug you better.