34 mpg on highway
08-03-2014, 08:25 AM
#2
For most cars the best MPG is achieved at 50-55mph. It will only drop about 5% when you go up to 60mph, so that certainly shows what you can do if you're not in a hurry. I've found the MPG indicated by my computer is about 10% high, and I've also found that the mileage indicated in my odometer is about 3% low (when I go 100miles, the odometer reads only 97miles). So combining those two you can get a pretty accurate MPG computation by subtracting 7% from the computer reading. Bottom line is at 60mph you're getting about 31mpg--by my computations.
08-04-2014, 08:46 PM
#6
To me it is sort of useless to track mpg’s on a brief 80 mile trip if one is trying to discover for themselves or prove to others how good their car is on gas. Having tracked every drop of gas in the last four Audi’s I have owned since 2006 I can say that one trip or one tankful is not a significant indicator.
On my current ’13 A6 2.0 I have recorded fill-up’s that range from 17 mpg to 33 mpg, yet the overall mpg (in service to current fill-up) always stays in a narrow range of 22.3 to 23.4 mpg.
The important information fEArmE has shown us is the red highlighted “330” in the upper left (miles to empty) and the “178.8” in the lower right (miles since last fill up). The total of these two numbers is 508.8 miles, which is the car’s calculation of the total miles to be driven until empty on the most recent tank fill-up.
With a 19.8 gallon fuel tank in the C7 A6, we can calculate that 508.8 miles divided by 19.8 gallons amounts to 25.7 mpg, assuming every last drop of gas is gone from the tank before the next fill-up. More likely, the maximum fill-up is when one gallon is still left on the tank – let’s say 18.8 gallons Taking the 508.8 miles and dividing with this 18.8 gallons for a normal full tank, we arrive at 27.96 mpg’s. That is a very good number for a car of this class and that is the number I would highlight if I were looking to demonstrate how economical my car is.
Sadly, with the amount of city and congested suburban driving I do I will never achieve that kind of average mpg. My swings of 17 to 33 mpg for my various fill-ups is due to the traffic I drive in, and for that reality the current overall mpg of 23.4 for my car is pretty good.
I would add that for 29 days I had a Chevy Sonic while my A6 was being repaired after a deer hit. I tracked the Sonic's fuel the same way and with four trips into Manhattan, a lot of Westchester County suburban traffic light dense traffic and over 1,900 miles, I averaged 26.5 mpg. That is not so much better than my A6, but it took regular gas - a real savings.
On my current ’13 A6 2.0 I have recorded fill-up’s that range from 17 mpg to 33 mpg, yet the overall mpg (in service to current fill-up) always stays in a narrow range of 22.3 to 23.4 mpg.
The important information fEArmE has shown us is the red highlighted “330” in the upper left (miles to empty) and the “178.8” in the lower right (miles since last fill up). The total of these two numbers is 508.8 miles, which is the car’s calculation of the total miles to be driven until empty on the most recent tank fill-up.
With a 19.8 gallon fuel tank in the C7 A6, we can calculate that 508.8 miles divided by 19.8 gallons amounts to 25.7 mpg, assuming every last drop of gas is gone from the tank before the next fill-up. More likely, the maximum fill-up is when one gallon is still left on the tank – let’s say 18.8 gallons Taking the 508.8 miles and dividing with this 18.8 gallons for a normal full tank, we arrive at 27.96 mpg’s. That is a very good number for a car of this class and that is the number I would highlight if I were looking to demonstrate how economical my car is.
Sadly, with the amount of city and congested suburban driving I do I will never achieve that kind of average mpg. My swings of 17 to 33 mpg for my various fill-ups is due to the traffic I drive in, and for that reality the current overall mpg of 23.4 for my car is pretty good.
I would add that for 29 days I had a Chevy Sonic while my A6 was being repaired after a deer hit. I tracked the Sonic's fuel the same way and with four trips into Manhattan, a lot of Westchester County suburban traffic light dense traffic and over 1,900 miles, I averaged 26.5 mpg. That is not so much better than my A6, but it took regular gas - a real savings.
Last edited by irenesbob; 08-04-2014 at 08:52 PM.
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08-05-2014, 08:40 AM
#8
If you were trying to do a fill-up and computation after 80-miles, I agree it would be pretty useless. But I have found that using the On-board computer and subtracting 7% from that number, gives a pretty accurate indication of MPG over a shorter distance. That makes keeping track of MPG over a shorter distance, under controlled conditions much more fun than having to wait for 400+ miles with mixed driving and after a fill-up to check it. Also, you were looking for what MPG could you get driving slower and on the freeway--so what you got is a really good indication of what's possible. BTW, strong (>10mph) headwinds or tailwinds will make a significant difference.
08-05-2014, 09:52 AM
#9
I don't disagree with James or dicktahoe on the fun aspect. I have found that I can get a good sense of my mpg's by noting the miles-to-empty as I start a long trip (after a round of normal city/suburban driving), then by driving like a puss, I see it gradually increase. As I drive I frequently mentally add up the miles-to-empty and the miles-since-last-fill and see where that number goes - hopefully it gets bigger. Old school me, I guess.
