What mpg are you getting?

[Bellers]

I have just returned from skiing in Alpe d'Huez a 1400 round trip in the cali, I thought the mpg would be 40mpg plus but actually we only averaged 34mpg, thats with awning and bike rack removed. It was at a constant 75-80mph on the toll roads though so that probably didn't help. In the summer we managed 32mpg with kayaks, bikes and evrything else so expected more on the straight forward motorway journey to the Alps. Our Cali is a 180 DSG, have to say though it made the journey a much more pleasant one for 2 adults and 2 kids with overnight stop over in aires there and back.

 

[BMVS-Camper-Hire]

I've owned plenty of 2.5s and 2.0s and the newer ones are certainly more economical around town, and in fairness in all conditions At 70mph in a140 van I will see 40mpg, which is roughly around 700 miles a tank. it's obviously all down to how it's driven

 

[Andy]

Just returned form 11 days trip to north west Portugal, then south coast & back through Spain & France 3500 odd miles averaged 34.9 doing brim to brim calculations. This varied from 31.3 to 37.1 depending on terrain & speed. I did see 38 on dash one day. As others have said 60 - 65 with cruise control seems to be more economical than going faster. This is in my 180 DSG with 8500 miles on the clock now.

Having said that I average 23 around Milton Keynes, stop start roundabout dual carriageways.

 

[brother10]

Hi,
Can`t tell you what my present mileage is but under 1,000. Just returned from 5 days away and built up my overall average from 37.1 to 38 .8 with mixed motoring cross country and motorways. Like others, I have been using cruise whenever it was possible and sticking to speed limits. It is my ambition to achieve 40 mpg overall and try and keep it there but it is sometimes difficult to hold the beast back when she wants to gallop. Loved my 2.5 130 but the 2.0 140 seems so effortless - really love this one. VW have definitely done a cracking job with this refined lady. Enjoy....................

Bob

 

[KernowLad]

Finally cracked 30mpg on a 65 mile trip back from South Devon (26 on the way there!) by being very careful and not exceeding 70. Still largely rural, hilly stuff but with a fair stretch of dual carriageway.

 

[california180]

:barmy YAY......finally just averaged 40.01 :barmy

 

[IanE]

Cali180 - what's your secret? Like Kernowlad, I too am feeling quite pleased that our trip computer is showing 30.1 mpg!

 

[stephen]

I too cannot really understand why people are getting low 30sor even low 20seven if you lived in a mountainous region there's always the downhills?
The only time I have seen 32 on the clock, after a completed journey, is when we picked up our Cali from the dealers and got home which is 19 miles away,
 I've been averaging 37 mpg, not really any long runs beyond 60 miles though.
Achieved 42 mpg at one stage to I hit traffic, which then brought it down to 39.7 mpg!
there's no secret as far as I'm concerned, just go; SLOWER 50-65 Mph!!!!

I don't necessarily think 'cruise control' is particularly that good either, unless one has a rather heavy right foot! and cannot discipline themselves to keep to the speed limit, 
Because cruise control will relentlessly keep the set speed up, even up hills, where it would be prudent to reduce the speed somewhat, in order to conserve fuel, and then coast down the other side.

 Where 'cruise control' would restrict the speed by using engine braking at the detriment to fuel economy, not saving at all, it all depends if you can be bothered.
 If 20 mpg is of no concern, which no doubt these vehicles could easily achieve if one was 'care free'? or is that 'careless'? :roll:

 

[KernowLad]

Stephen - I think you may be slightly unfairly "blaming" us for our poor mpg figures.

I've been an IAM member for 13 years, am Police trained, have (informally) taught people how to drive off road, am a lifelong car bore. I KNOW how to drive economically and did so on our recent 65 mile trip home from South Devon but it was still mostly hilly rural driving, then some urban stuff and then a hilly A road with some dual carriageway. Our Calis are heavy - very heavy. So hilly terrain really does affect them hugely.

Now look at the "good MPG" drivers locations - Suffolk and Lancs. Both lacking in many hills. Now look at mine and Ians - Cornwall and Cumbria. Both pretty hilly, both mostly rural.

I think that has a big influencing factor. My best mpg average was when I picked it up from Preston and drove 350 miles home. Almost all motorways and dual carriageways. Got mid 30s. 4Motion also knocks a little bit off the mpg.

 

[jerrythegerman]

Hills are the killer, definately.

If I drive at 60-65 in my 2.5 I can gradually see it creap up to a almost unbelieveable 38.1 mpg (pretty good for the big engine). Same bit of road (A55 to Chester then A483 to Wrexham). Its flat or possibly down hill mostly (it feels!!). I can look at the actual reading at that time and its often seeing over 44 at a steady speed.

On the same road, the surface changes to grippy stuff (rough, you know the type) and you can see the milage drop.

The return trip (not with anything additional onboard) see's the mpg drop as again (it feels) up hill. Only a gentle one. 35-36 at the same speed/driving style.

Mine done 51 k now and I am often told about diesel engines taking some time to free up (some once to told me the LR Storm and TDV6 engines take almost 80k miles!!) so there is hope for you all yet.

I still only get about 28-30 around and about, and the same if I take it up to 70-75.

Oh, and I do that trip earlish on a weekend day. Not much on the road.

 

[IanE]

Yep, it's the hills - oh and yes, we do as confessed above, tend to do 80 on the motorway! .... maybe 30mpg is pretty good really. I'll get mi coat.

 

[jerrythegerman]

One more tip...

Change your music. I get loads more to the gallon when I chilling out and about to jack Johnson than bombing around to Green day!!

Try it, trust me it works.

And as for Radio 1 ....don't go there!!

 

[stephen]

Jerry 
I am a 'classic FM' man myself, it works wonders (chilling out) ha ha.. Also 'Damh the bard' on occasion...

I reckon it could be the hills.
It will be interesting what our Scottish cousins say about their Calis, in the land of the pics, and also their reputation for their fugal   nature. :grin:

 

[KernowLad]

Doesn't get much more chilled than Urban Myth Club, Bonobo and Kruder and Dorfmeister. Lovely, calming dub music.

 

[jerrythegerman]

Maybe we've answered the fuel crisis.

Loud speaker Donavon Frankenreiter about the place or any you have suggested.

Even make it mandatory rush hour tunes on the radio, less hassle, less road rage, less fuel used, everybody gets to work quicker. It's all good.

Even if we are going off the subject a little!!

Now, let me get a play list together for this weekends adventure....

 

[Ewan]

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Tra ... nt-driving

I did a short Eco driving 'course' through work - £15 I think, discounted. Having practiced the top tips I reckon I now save about 3 mpg. So for me I typically get about 35 - 38 mpg - a significant annual saving.

Much is common sense Slowing down Driving as smoothly as you possibly can. Keeping revs as low as possible Changing up as soon as poss. Anticipating junctions and - if poss - not stopping at all. Coasting
down hills. And interestingly, reversing into parking spaces since reversing out of them when the engine is cold uses more fuel.

Even if you don't want to go out with an EST instructor, reading - and then practicing - Eco driving is a complete no-brainier in my book.

 

[MKRW]

Fully loaded Cali, cornish roads today dropped to 22 mpg, weight makes a huge difference.

Driving down last night mostly averaged 33-34mpg.....

 

[Martin]

Just spent the last five days house hunting in Devon, most of which was on the country lanes and big hills ! average was around 23mpg, also spent over £170 in fuel in that time. It is going to take me a long time time to build my average back up to mid thirties mpg again.

 

[calikev]

Got a 140 manual. Travelled 500 miles this week averaged 31 mpg this does not include
The diesel used for the heater all week.bloody freezing at night.

 

[stephen]

http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Transport/Consumer/Fuel-efficient-driving

I did a short Eco driving 'course' through work - £15 I think, discounted. Having practiced the top tips I reckon I now save about 3 mpg. So for me I typically get about 35 - 38 mpg - a significant annual saving.

Much is common sense Slowing down Driving as smoothly as you possibly can. Keeping revs as low as possible Changing up as soon as poss. Anticipating junctions and - if poss - not stopping at all. Coasting
down hills. And interestingly, reversing into parking spaces since reversing out of them when the engine is cold uses more fuel.

Even if you don't want to go out with an EST instructor, reading - and then practicing - Eco driving is a complete no-brainier in my book.

I like the bit about; 'No-brainier' all of us needs to be doing this, Irrespective whether we need to or not (environmentally speaking) in my opinion. :grin:

 

[KernowLad]

Or we could just move to Lincolnshire.

 

[stephen]

I feel the techniques The Scotsman Ewan suggests, will work wherever one wishes to live.

It just means some of us will be saving more than others in their respective regions.

Anyway these vehicles are about travelling to the four corners, not necessarily cooped up in the immediate vicinity,Unless of course it's your only means of personal travel.

All I can say, if all I were getting was 20 mpg? I would definitely invest in a more economical means of transport for general use, you would get paid back in no time at all, considering the price of the fuel at the moment, and the situation is most certainly not going to get any better.

In my opinion it's all about' horses for courses'.

If I personally could get a 'camper van' with the same qualities as the Cali somewhere else, that was more economical, I would do,
Take a look at this little number as a candidate. :lol:
ha ha:

 

[KernowLad]

So despite all the recent threads saying owners get much worse mpg in hilly areas like Cornwall, a few obvious techniques can still defy physics, and you are a super economy driver yet got the least economical model California? I'm beginning to smell a troll..1

 

[KernowLad]

DId some experimenting today to see what really kills mpg in a Cali - a bit of extra speed or hills.

I held it at various speeds on cruise control on a long stretch of dual carriageway - much of it very hilly.

70 up and incline gets about the same as 75. It dips a bit at 80 and then drops a fair bit more above that. But what DOES do it is those hills - on the flat at 70 or 75 it's high 30s or even 40mpg. Up a long hill - this drops to well under 20. Up one hill I got 14mpg - at 70mph.

Stop starting it also a killer - pulling gently onto a roundabout saw the mpg dip below 10. On one I had to pull away quickly to make a safe move and got 4.3mpg!!

The point is that it's a heavy vehicle - I'm still not 100% sure on the weight as it seems to vary but anything between 2.6 and 3 tonnes is a lot of mass. Add hills to this weight and that is a serious fuel sapper. Ask my mate that lives and works in Alpe d"Huez. His 102PS Transporter gets comedy mpg on his trips to Grenoble and back when he ascends the famous 21 hairpins.

Not exactly startling conclusions but basically if you want to see VWs figures, stick to Lincolnshire, Holland and other flatlands!

 

[Cody]

Paid thick end of 50k for a Cali, am I really worried about a couple of mpg? I kick back, enjoy the adventure and every time I pass an Eldis this or a Swift that, I know I'm still beating their mpg and I can use my wheels every day to the supermarket or Forestry Commission car park and beat the height limit or get through any narrow mountain road in the Lakes without causing traffic jam or simply getting jammed. It's heavy, sure it'll use more fuel than the wife's Micra but hey live it once and leaving nothing for the kids!

Big up the Cali massive!