500 Fuel Economy

[Job38]

The wife has had a 500 1.3d for a few months now and she loves it!

It's averaging 53 mpg

But, the odd thing is the mpg doesn't appear to improve on a cruise.
I would expect to see say 60-70 mpg at a sensible cruise of say 60 mph but it doesn't.
Its seems to get 50 odd how ever you drive it.

Any one else got any experience with one?

[RicksAlfas]

Alfa trip computer Averages seem to take forever for the average to improve. I suspect the Fiat ones are probably the same. Stick in on Current Consumption and you'll feel better.

[mitch_]

Onboard computer fuel averages are awkward thing. If you want to know what your average for a trip is then you need to reset it, otherwise they keep adding data to an ever longer average. As a result you could have a fuel economy average being calculated over thousands of miles in which case your average for your last 50 mile trip won't have any impact whatsoever. Just reset them every once in a while and it'll be much more 'fulfilling'.

[penryar]

We've got a 1.2 Lounge Dualogic, and I've been rather sad and recorded all the fuel we've put into it since we got it back in April. The worst we have had out of it was 37.2mpg and the best was 47.3mpg.

Those figures were worked out using the odometer and fuel receipts, the best I've seen on the trip computer was over 60mpg (average consumption just after filling up and resetting the trip)on an A road trip late at night.

[stephen300o]

Averaging about 37mph for our 1.4pop but that's without any interest in driving economically.

[photo_ed]

The wifes diesel 500 has returned an average around 60mpg for most of the time we've had it. Some recent months have been slightly less 58ish - which I'm putting down to the colder weather and type of journeys she's been doing.

My 1.4 petrol hovers around the 40mpg mark most months, again it's dropped to 38 this last month mainly due I think to slower more congested journeys due to the adverse weather conditions.

HTH

[Noger]

Always about 54-55 ish. But mostly my journey is 60-70mph "cruising".

For whatever reason 45-50mph seems the sweet spot, and can get 60mpg.

One thing that I have noticed is that 5th isn't always the best gear, 4th is a more economic gear going up hills.

Don't really understand the whole hypermiling thing, so no doubt there is an explanation.

[Job38]

Yup, they confirm my findings.
You're right, it's often best not to be in top.

And yes, strangely 45-50mph seems to be the optimum for economy, which is a bit odd........

However, I'm not going to drive at 45-50mph in a NSL just for maximum economy!