A6 avant 3.0 tdi mpg...'relatively' poor?
A6 avant 3.0 tdi mpg...'relatively' poor?
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tomw2000

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

226 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
All, back in October I took delivery of a shiny, brand new, A6 Avant 3l tdi, quatro, s-line, le mans thingy. Which I'm generally very impressed with.

I mentioned in a response in a previous thread that I was surprised how 'poor' the mpg was. Previously I'd had an 03 plate bmw 530d touring and however I drove that, it seemed to return 32-33 mpg (36-38 on v long runs).

In the audi (almost 4k miles done) I get 30mpg.
Someone else mentioned that this might improve post-10-15k miles on the clock.

I see adverts for other audis (e.g new A8 in Times this sunday) and mpg is quoted @ 42mpg.

I'm surprised given it's a much newer/up-to-date car with modern technology than my old BMW, that the MPG isn't markedly better.

The cost of the fuel doesn't worry me. As I say, I'm just surprised and had assumed it would be better.

Any comments on this or similar experiences?

Barkychoc

7,848 posts

235 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
I think your old car would have been euro III emissions standard, things have moved on to stricter emissions standards which uses more fuel, its to save the planet apparently irked

tomw2000

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

226 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
Barkychoc said:
I think your old car would have been euro III emissions standard, things have moved on to stricter emissions standards which uses more fuel, its to save the planet apparently irked
Interesting, I didn't know about that.

Thing that really got me thinking was the review (versus some Merc lump) in the Sunday Times yesterday, which was of a 3.0tdi A8 saloon and stated 42mpg. And I (probably wrongly) assumed this would be at least a very similar (if not the same) engine as the one in my car.

Hmmmm.

beano500

20,854 posts

306 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
tomw2000 said:
Any comments ...?
Well you've cheered me up; my old 2.4 SE petrol manages 27-33. I needn't have worried if a diseasel would have been a better choice!

Dilligaf10

2,431 posts

241 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
Still seems very low on the mpg side. My 2006 A8L is averaging 38.9 over the last 20k and regularly gets 44mpg on a run.

tomw2000

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

226 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
I think I might pop it into the dealers at some point.

There's no other symptoms/problems at all. Just what I see as surprisingly 'low' mpg.

Might be a good excuse for a re-map? smile

Mind you on Parkers it says the average MPG is only around 34mpg. So I'm not _that_ far off that.

/*shrug*/

blueg33

46,882 posts

255 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
I have a 3.0tdi Le Mans Saloon 2007 MY. Trip computer currently showing an average of 35mpg. On motorway journeys I get up to 44mpg. My driving is mixed about 60% long distance mway and A road, 20% rural lanes and B roads and 20% towns.

Shortest run is 12 miles (lanes and B road, round trip to school bus stop), average for that journey in the morning when the car is cold is 27mpg.

Yours sounds a little low. Have you checked tyre pressures? possible brake binding?

It may just be driving style, I do tend to lift off early when approaching roundabouts and junctions etc and according to the dealers my brakes last longer than average.

My mway cruise is 76 mph.

Hope this helps


edited to add....yours is an avant? You haven't left roof bars on have you?



Edited by blueg33 on Monday 8th February 13:02

Dr G

15,998 posts

273 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
3.0 A6s tend to come in showing mid 30s as an average and will usually peak at 40 on a smooth cruise.

tomw2000

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

226 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
I have a 3.0tdi Le Mans Saloon 2007 MY. Trip computer currently showing an average of 35mpg. On motorway journeys I get up to 44mpg. My driving is mixed about 60% long distance mway and A road, 20% rural lanes and B roads and 20% towns.

Shortest run is 12 miles (lanes and B road, round trip to school bus stop), average for that journey in the morning when the car is cold is 27mpg.

Yours sounds a little low. Have you checked tyre pressures? possible brake binding?

It may just be driving style, I do tend to lift off early when approaching roundabouts and junctions etc and according to the dealers my brakes last longer than average.

My mway cruise is 76 mph.

Hope this helps


edited to add....yours is an avant? You haven't left roof bars on have you?



Edited by blueg33 on Monday 8th February 13:02
Tyre pressures checked and are fine.

Roof bars are on (but I do understand what you're getting at).

it could be down to the fact that currently much of my journeys are quite short.

Thanks for all the feedback thus far.

UVB

557 posts

224 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
I used to get 31.3 showing most of the time but lately it has dropped down to 30 or even slightly less (Avant Le Mans). It's in for service in a couple of weeks so I'm hoping that might improve things a little - I've tried driving it as gently as possible and haven't managed to get any better than 33.

mr brightside

1,797 posts

253 months

Monday 8th February 2010
quotequote all
beano500 said:
tomw2000 said:
Any comments ...?
Well you've cheered me up; my old 2.4 SE petrol manages 27-33. I needn't have worried if a diseasel would have been a better choice!
same here my 2.4 v6 avant gets no better than 35 mpg on a decent run.

cammy33

251 posts

206 months

Friday 12th February 2010
quotequote all
I have a 2006 A6 3.0Tdi which is only used bout once a week as I have a company van. It does mainly short kick about runs and it is only showing 25mpg, but on a decent run with the cruise set around 80mph it will do 42ish MPG, its the short runs that kill it!

Tame Technician

2,467 posts

235 months

Friday 12th February 2010
quotequote all
I've seen two today, sp check there averages on the dash. Both A6's both 3.0tdi tip tronics.

Customer A's said 42mpg. He does 40,000 miles a year, so I presume lots of long runs.

Customer B's said 28mpg, he does less than 5000 miles a year, so i presume lots of short runs.

Both showed much the same on the instant on road test.

james S

1,620 posts

276 months

Friday 12th February 2010
quotequote all
My A8 with the same engine give a long term average of 35 on the computer - 40 on a run and high 20s in town.

However it also always says the range is about 700 when I fill it up and I never get that - 600 is more typical. So I'm not sure who to believe!

UVB

557 posts

224 months

Thursday 18th February 2010
quotequote all
Mine has been in for service today and on the 20 mile mixed road run back I returned 35mpg average. Perhaps a little early to pronounce it as a significant increase but I'm hopeful in the least (was getting 30mpg before service).

tomw2000

Original Poster:

2,508 posts

226 months

Friday 19th February 2010
quotequote all
Thanks for the updates guys.I think it's because most of my journeys are relatively short.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

255 months

Friday 19th February 2010
quotequote all
I have a 3.2 petrol, however whenever I am in for service or warranty work I always get a 3.0tdi, had one for a week recently, noticed that on my short journey (12 miles from cold) the diesel was getting the same as the 3.2 at 28mpg, on longer runs of 100+ miles the diesel was beating the 3.2 getting 36 compared with 32mpg.
However, nipping across town, 5 miles, the petrol was beating the diesel showing 25mpg vs 24mpg from the derv.

Diesel is good for long runs, but not for short runs and seems to hate the cold weather too.

chard

29,082 posts

214 months

Saturday 20th February 2010
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30mpg doesnt sound far off. Remember quattro drive will cost you a couple of MPG from the BMW the 3.0TDI lump takes a long time to warm up so better on longer journeys.

siren69

150 posts

269 months

Saturday 20th February 2010
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Over the last 12k miles or so our has averaged 36mpg on the trip computer. (Never have reset it.)
The 'daily' readout is 30 on a bad day, and 44 on a good day.

plg101

4,106 posts

241 months

Saturday 20th February 2010
quotequote all
I get 35-44mpg from mine depending on all sorts of things.

I have found that on the recent cold weather it has been about 5mpg worse, esp on short runs. Yesterday Warwick>North Yorks in rush hour - 36mpg, mixed traffic, fairly gentle right foot until I was nearly home wink