Van MPG question - is this really what they get?!

[DrTre]

Just finished a run of 300 miles, mostly motorway, the last 40 miles fast A roads avg speed of 66mph and I got 34 mpg according to the computer (not the most reliable indicator).
The van had 12 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
It's a Vauxhall something or other...diesel Vivaro..
Is that normal? It seems st to me.

[FisiP1]

No idea what they usually get, but brand new engines usually take a few k to loosen up and deliver sensible mpg.

Drafting a lorry or another van would help a lot too.

[Zad]

You think that's bad for driving something the size and aerodynamic shape of a brick wall at 70mph?

[WhereamI]

Zad said:

You think that's bad for driving something the size and aerodynamic shape of a brick wall at 70mph?

+1 I've no experience of vans but it doesn't seem bad to me

[98elise]

Whenever I've hired a van I've been shocked by how much fuel they use, for what seems like a gutless engine pulling a box of fresh air.

[RussH91]

Depends my dad can get over 50 MPG out my little van. I'm lucky if I get over 40, but its flat out everywhere, while lighting a fag, re-setting sat nav, reading a map, drinking a coffee and perving on summer clad woman, all at the same time

[eltax91]

WhereamI said:

Zad said:

You think that's bad for driving something the size and aerodynamic shape of a brick wall at 70mph?

+1 I've no experience of vans but it doesn't seem bad to me

This. My defender is similarly shaped to a van. Add permanent 4wd to the mix and 30mpg is a dream.

[300bhp/ton]

DrTre said:

Just finished a run of 300 miles, mostly motorway, the last 40 miles fast A roads avg speed of 66mph and I got 34 mpg according to the computer (not the most reliable indicator).
The van had 12 miles on the clock when I picked it up.
It's a Vauxhall something or other...diesel Vivaro..
Is that normal? It seems st to me.

Seems rather ok to good to me. What on Earth were you expecting and why?

[Andyjc86]

Seems good to me. I get late 20's in my lwb hi top boxer, although that is always fully loaded

[Jazoli]

I've done over 200k in Vivaro's (lucky me), they do 34mpg.

My new one is limited to 70 and still does 34mpg which is exactly the same as the previous unlimited one

More impressive was a 313 cdi Sprinter I had recently, fully loaded, nearly 500 miles cruising at 80mph, 27mpg, which I thought was pretty good considering.

[Lunablack]

My Ducato 2.8 Tidi van based motorhome is always laden at 3500kg ish, and does 30 mpg at 55 mph... Not bad in my book

[Steve H]

I get high 20s out of my 3.0 Vito fully loaded. Doesn't seem to matter much if I'm doing motorway, towing or town, it's always high 20s.

[s2sol]

I've got a 3 litre Iveco Daily box van which has to be nursed to average 22mpg. That's at 62mph on the motorway.. It gets filled every 4 1/2 hours. It breaks my heart.

[martin mrt]

My T5 Transporter over 25000 miles averaged around 34mpg, that was the "thirsty" 2.5 too, however of those 25000 miles I estimate 5-7000 of those were pulling a brian James car transporter behind it

I went to Spain in a 75bhp Transit Connect in January/Febuary time, over 3000 miles at an indicated 70-80mph (the speedo actually read around 6mph high) it averaged......... 29mpg. Shocking figures from a terrible van

[With these feet]

Transit MK6, loaded and towing anything from 22, unladen Ive had 37mpg. Very dependent on speed, pushing it up to 70, even when empty, has a massive effect on economy. I find myself leaving more time for journeys so I dont have to push it and save a bit on fuel.

[jagnet]

My little Caddy van sips diesel, but then it's small, light and only develops 60 odd hp.

The trouble with vans is they tend to have big frontal areas and the slab sided rear acts like a large parachute at speed.

[LouD86]

Thats about right figure wise! I borrowed works NV400 LWB the other day, managed to get 31mpg, which I was over the moon with. Compared to the ol HiAce van which was fighting to get 25mpg

[littleredrooster]

Back in the day a V4 Transit used to struggle to get past 18mpg...

[DrTre]

Thanks for the replies.

As to why I thought it was st mpg, I just did; I've no experience of vans or what it's reasonable to expect to get out of them.

98elise said:

Whenever I've hired a van I've been shocked by how much fuel they use, for what seems like a gutless engine pulling a box of fresh air.

Is pretty much where I was coming from, although I appreciate they have the aerodynamic properties of cinderblock.

[theironduke]

Around town my old kangoo (S plate non-turbo 1.9 oil burner) pushes 50 with ease, however on the motorway it really drops.