320d mpg?

[Muffster]

Hi folks.
I have just got a 2004 320d sport 6 speed. My first bmw after driving audi's for 10 years. So far i'm happy with the car-until i went to the petrol station and filled up.
I do a lot of mileage so economy is important. I have been looking at the mpg figures for some time and the mpg for a 320d is not much differet to my old audi a4 130 tdi.
So i was shocked to see after filling up today that the range is only giving me 526 miles on a full tank!!! Thats at last 200 miles less than a full tank on my audi.
What sort of figures are you getting? Im beginnig to think iv'e just made and expensive mistake.

Cheers.

Muffster.

[the_kato]

My brother's e46 320d Sport Touring does 46mpg
My e46 320cd Sport does 40mpg

I can't work out why there's so much difference, plus mine does 40 driving like a granny and his does 46 getting the arse torn out of it

Edited by the_kato on Wednesday 29th June 16:51

[the_kato]

Plus I wouldn't worry about the computer telling you it's 500ish until empty. It's not exactly accurate. Mine will regularly tell me I've more miles remaining after a 50 round trip to work than when I started out on the journey!

[gizlaroc]

Audis love to tell you that you have mega miles from the off, then it slowly goes down as you go through the tank.

I could get around 46-48mpg from a 1.9tdi if I was careful and a fair bit of motorway mileage, manual 320d E46 touring gave me around 43-45mpg, so something like 600 miles per tank compared with 550 miles per tank.

[Muffster]

Thanks for the response fellas.
I will be doing motorway mileage, my commute is 550 round trip, so going by the range it gives me on a full tank (526) it wont even do the whole trip!
I used to put around £75 ish in the audi (not full up to the clicks) and it gave me 700+ miles. I could do the round trip and have between 50- 100 miles left. The tank was full at £75 in the 320d with significantly less miles showing. I would be surpised is the computer is giving an inacurate reading and i will get much more, considering BMW engineering. I'm really hoping that there won't be a big difference in ecomomy, the car is a real beauty. 320d m sport, le mans blue, alcantra seats 18" wheels etc.
Anyone else run a 320d?
Cheers.

Muffster.

[Patrick Bateman]

I run a 320Td and just did 640 odd miles on one tank there, was easily another 20 miles at least to be had if I wanted to stretch it.

It's had a remap and that effort has just bested my previous best of 630 odd (pre-remap) and that was stretching it. I've found the difference between not caring and consciously driving carefully can give a difference of 50/60 miles easily.

Don't go above 70, change up at about 2000rpm; if you don't get 600 miles at least by doing that then maybe some investigation would be worthwhile.

[gizlaroc]

The A4 has a 70 litre tank compared with the 63 litres of the 320d.

If both cars do 46mpg that will be 710 miles vs 630, take off 70 miles for reserve and you will probably see 640 vs 560.

Which A4 was it? I know my old B5 A4 1.9tdi used to do stella mileage, managed to get nearly 900 miles out of a tank on the way back from St. Tropez one year while sat at 60mph for a very tedious 11 hours in the summer traffic.

[Muffster]

Hello mate.
It was a 2002 130 tdi se. I sold it with 130k on the clock but it still drove like brand new. I was pretty quick off the mark when the turbo kicked it. The BMW seems it bit slower in comparison,despite the extra 20 or so BHP, although acceleration in the 320d is much smoother it is definatley less urgent.
I had an a3 tdi 115 sport before, which i owned for 5 years, that was a grat little car as well.

Cheers.

Muffster.

[Sir_Dave]

Mine is currently averaging between 46-49mpg depending on how much traffic i have to sit in on the daily 90 mile M3 commute. Thats sitting at 80-85 leptons when possible.

Personally, id rather be doing 25mpg in a BMW than 60mpg in an Audi, but thats a different story

If it hasnt been mentioned before:

Swirl flaps (remove them): http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/e46-320td-3...
Oil Breather (upgrade it): http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/replacing-t...

[mike325112]

I've always found the VAG 130tdi unit to be much more economical that the BMW units when driving them. I had a passat as a hire car before xmas and was getting 55mpg on the motorway. I get around 42 our of a 120d and 45 out of a 330d (bigger engine more power, less fuel - go figure).

[Muffster]

Sir_Dave said:

Mine is currently averaging between 46-49mpg depending on how much traffic i have to sit in on the daily 90 mile M3 commute. Thats sitting at 80-85 leptons when possible.

Personally, id rather be doing 25mpg in a BMW than 60mpg in an Audi, but thats a different story

If it hasnt been mentioned before:

Swirl flaps (remove them): http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/e46-320td-3...
Oil Breather (upgrade it): http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f3/replacing-t...

Thanks Sir dave. i had the swirl flaps done by the garage where i bought the car.
Looking at the other link, that breather looks exactly like the one i changed on my range rover TD6, is that the case?
I just reading up on some info on remapping, i think an eco remap may be a good option for me.

Thanks to all for your replys.

Cheers.


Muffster.

[denarii]

how can you go as slow as 60mph? lol

[soda]

Muffster said:

So i was shocked to see after filling up today that the range is only giving me 526 miles on a full tank!!! Thats at last 200 miles less than a full tank on my audi.
What sort of figures are you getting? Im beginnig to think iv'e just made and expensive mistake.

Don't panic yet if you've just bought it, the computer makes a best guess for this figure based on the last 1000 miles of driving. If the car has recently been doing alot of short runs that could account for it.

FWIW my 330d usually gets between 550 and 650 between fills so I'm sure it'll improve

[willisit]

I have a 2004 320cd and I do a fair few miles.. and so far I'm getting around 700 miles to a tank. Is that what you'd expect? It seems fine to me.

[Col1]

Muffster 18 inch wheels drag your mpg down a lot depending on all round size of the tyre. My 320d had original 15 inch i could get 100 miles for £8-9. I put 18 inch on and 100 miles cost about £14-15. Put smaller tyres on

[iSore]

My smaller, lighter 118d (206 M47N) six speed averaged 45 mpg with mixed driving - the 320d Touring I had a few years ago (2002 5 speed) did about the same and so did the W plate 320d Touring (original 136 bhp). I found long steady motorway trips made little difference, getting 48/49 but never quite 50.

50 mpg average rarely happens in ordinary driving with these.