Best car for MPG at 80 mph

[BarnatosGhost]

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

?

[AnotherClarkey]

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

Is the drag coefficient somehow totally independent of the arse end of the car then?

[Bonefish Blues]

BarnatosGhost said:

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

?

I wasn't the only one then

[Turkey]

macdon2000 said:

I have an abused 04 plate mondeo estate.
At 56 miles an hour I can average 77mpg
At 80mph it drops to about 57mpg.
Compared to the 4litre V8 disco it replaced........(I now forget what petrol stations look like)

Are you going off the trip computer? I once drove a Mondeo TDCi that was about 10mpg optimistic on the computer (or more) on motorway work. Also, do you have a tuning box? This makes it even more inaccurate.

Sorry, but I don't believe your figures to be honest.

Edited by Turkey on Saturday 11th September 00:56

[Fatman2]

Bonefish Blues said:

BarnatosGhost said:

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

?

I wasn't the only one then

Yeah sorry, should have explained myself better

Drag coefficients are useful but unfortunately most manufacturers fail to design the back ends of 'regular' cars well enough to handle the flow of air once it's left the back end of the car. Spoilers are useful but given the shape of cars most, if not all, the benefits of a slick frontal shape is negated by a naff shaped rear i.e overly high and boxy.

Sadly the Prius/Insight is the best shape you can get but looks totally ste.

[Colonial]

A large engine ticking over at low revs.

For example, the 3.6 Holden wagon I use sometimes for work is more economical than the 1.6 Astra wagon I use sometimes for work.

[CraigyMc]

Fatman2 said:

Bonefish Blues said:

BarnatosGhost said:

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

?

I wasn't the only one then

Yeah sorry, should have explained myself better

Drag coefficients are useful but unfortunately most manufacturers fail to design the back ends of 'regular' cars well enough to handle the flow of air once it's left the back end of the car. Spoilers are useful but given the shape of cars most, if not all, the benefits of a slick frontal shape is negated by a naff shaped rear i.e overly high and boxy.

So basically what you're saying is that you think the Cd factor listed doesn't include the back of the car?

How very very odd.

C

[GingerWizard]

VAG-Bluemotion' would probably be a good shout.


edit: Whoosh!

Edited by GingerWizard on Saturday 11th September 09:55

[heebeegeetee]

daemon said:

Bonefish Blues said:

After Eight said:

I've just been looking at the Insight but seems the hybrids are not that great at higher speeds, they are better at around town driving.

My Prius on the cruise at an indicated 75 leptons does around 50-55 mpg, based on measurement, not indication (which is optimistic in my car).

Combined with a bit of urban at either end of the Mway, last tank was a measured 58 mpg. VW Bluemotions may do slightly better, perhaps?

Best tankful i got was 65mpg on my passat bluemotion. That equates to over 1000 miles to a tank.

heres my best run to work - 23 miles over A class roads, then motorway, then city driving...







Even allowing for the 5% discrepency thats pretty impressive!

'Kin 'ell, for a car that size that's bloody impressive.

[2 Wycked]

My Vento consistently averages 59mpg without trying. One day I hope to see 70mpg in it but I think that's a bit of a pipe dream.

[Fire99]

I'm just throwing randoms in but:

Citroen C1 1.4 HDi. That little chap must be pretty damn economical even at motorway speeds.

Personally, i'd sacrifice a few (not millions) mpg for something bigger and more comfortable. All the VAG 1.9 /2.0 diesel's i've had have given impressive mpg on a cruise and still a comfortable car too.

[AnotherClarkey]

CraigyMc said:

Fatman2 said:

Bonefish Blues said:

BarnatosGhost said:

Fatman2 said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

Sorry to piss on your fireworks but sadly drag coefficients don't do a lot for regular cars. Not sure why companies brag about this kinda thing when the determining factor is the arse end of the car

?

I wasn't the only one then

Yeah sorry, should have explained myself better

Drag coefficients are useful but unfortunately most manufacturers fail to design the back ends of 'regular' cars well enough to handle the flow of air once it's left the back end of the car. Spoilers are useful but given the shape of cars most, if not all, the benefits of a slick frontal shape is negated by a naff shaped rear i.e overly high and boxy.

So basically what you're saying is that you think the Cd factor listed doesn't include the back of the car?

How very very odd.

C

Indeed, and the 0.25Cd quoted for the A2 is actually exactly the same as that for the latest Prius. Since the frontal area of the A2 is smaller than that of the Prius it will suffer from less drag.

[macdon2000]

Turkey said:

macdon2000 said:

I have an abused 04 plate mondeo estate.
At 56 miles an hour I can average 77mpg
At 80mph it drops to about 57mpg.
Compared to the 4litre V8 disco it replaced........(I now forget what petrol stations look like)

Are you going off the trip computer? I once drove a Mondeo TDCi that was about 10mpg optimistic on the computer (or more) on motorway work. Also, do you have a tuning box? This makes it even more inaccurate.

Sorry, but I don't believe your figures to be honest.

Edited by Turkey on Saturday 11th September 00:56

No tunning box but yes I am going off the trip computer. I have never worked it out manually but I generally get 650-750 miles to a tank (never drive with the fuel light on) so I don't think it's that far out. When I bought it the bloke I got it from had owned it from new and abused it (generally 5 up doing 90mph which is what he said (great sales pitch) IT WAS CHEAP!!) so I had low expectations (well after a V8 discovery you can't do worse). We have been amazed by the mpg. Done about 10,000 miles in the last 3 months and it has been great. Rattley at idle but great. Can't complain for £1800!!!

[rawkyjnr]

homerjay said:

busta said:

davepoth said:

Audi A2 1.2TDi. Drag Coefficient of .25, and the same engine that was in the 100mpg Lupo. Also an all aluminium body.

But with 74hp would it actually do 80mph?

The same thought crossed my mind.

The wifes 1.6hdi c3 Picasso is lucky to see 50mpg on a run. It must have the aerodynamics of a small house.

Yet it will do over 100mpg at 50mph

I'm thinking some larger lazier diesel would better.

Is that the Audi A2 (3L) which you could only get in Germany? A pal of my old man has one and he does well over 100mpg rather easily.

[AJS-]

My Dad's Skoda Fabia TD is the best thing I have driven for economy. Can do 45mpg all day at sensible motorway speeds, and even pushing it along at 100 (in a country where the world doesn't even go bang at those dizzying speeds) returns decent consumption

[GingerWizard]

My EP3 Type R Civic does 26mpg average. 38mpg on the M-way if kept around 80. Chin up, because this thread depresses me.

[Compo_Simmonite]

Our 54 reg 1.4 diesel Skoda Fabia does an easy low 70's mpg driven carefully on motorways with high 50's / low 60's in traffic.
Even towing (Spridget on A frame) recently it got mid 50's average over 200 miles .
These are from the dash display and not miles v fuel used calculations but SEEM about right.

Paul H

[LukeBird]

^^ Agree with macdon2000.
My housemate used to have a Mondeo TDCi.
Economy (at least via the trip computer) was very impressive. Very tall gearing, so perfect for the motorway.

[rudecherub]

macdon2000 said:

Turkey said:

macdon2000 said:

I have an abused 04 plate mondeo estate.
At 56 miles an hour I can average 77mpg
At 80mph it drops to about 57mpg.
Compared to the 4litre V8 disco it replaced........(I now forget what petrol stations look like)

Are you going off the trip computer? I once drove a Mondeo TDCi that was about 10mpg optimistic on the computer (or more) on motorway work. Also, do you have a tuning box? This makes it even more inaccurate.

Sorry, but I don't believe your figures to be honest.

Edited by Turkey on Saturday 11th September 00:56

No tunning box but yes I am going off the trip computer. I have never worked it out manually but I generally get 650-750 miles to a tank (never drive with the fuel light on) so I don't think it's that far out. When I bought it the bloke I got it from had owned it from new and abused it (generally 5 up doing 90mph which is what he said (great sales pitch) IT WAS CHEAP!!) so I had low expectations (well after a V8 discovery you can't do worse). We have been amazed by the mpg. Done about 10,000 miles in the last 3 months and it has been great. Rattley at idle but great. Can't complain for £1800!!!

Could be a good one - a wednesday car, the sum of the parts are accidentally better than average.

That said my Dad always abused his diesels, well first thing, oh and they were tractors. He'd flog em' from new, give it the hardest work ie heavy cultivation engine running high at load, then change the oil.
He always said they ran much better that way.

[Chris_w666]

The C2 HDI in 1.6 form should be quite good, the Mini Cooper D should also manage very good mpg, also the 116 or 118d would impress. All modern 6 speed and lightish cars.

My fiesta can managed 60mpg if driven steadily at 65ish, and over 70 if you stay with the trucks. But once up over 70mph this drops to around 50mpg at 80mph, not really bad but could be better with a 6th gear.