Huge mpg difference between city and highway
05-18-2019, 03:32 PM
#12
AudiWorld Senior Member
I've been taking most short trips (< 5 miles) for the past week and I've noticed my mpg averages only about 15 mpg at best. I do drive pretty aggressively but by no mean extreme. I drive in D mode. These are mostly morning trips with a cold engine.
At first, I wondered if my recent alignment was the cause, since I don't remember getting such poor mileage prior to my alignment.
So yesterday I did a test on the freeway, with engine warmed up, cruise set to 70 mph and in a 10 mile stretch I got 37 mpg from point A to point B, and 33 mpg from point B back to A. I reset the trip meter only when I've reached the set cruise speed (so the extra gas to get the car up to speed is excluded) and I measured both ways to account for any changes in elevation or wind speed.
My question is, is that HUGE of a variation in mpg between city driving and highway normal? Is everyone else seeing this?
At first, I wondered if my recent alignment was the cause, since I don't remember getting such poor mileage prior to my alignment.
So yesterday I did a test on the freeway, with engine warmed up, cruise set to 70 mph and in a 10 mile stretch I got 37 mpg from point A to point B, and 33 mpg from point B back to A. I reset the trip meter only when I've reached the set cruise speed (so the extra gas to get the car up to speed is excluded) and I measured both ways to account for any changes in elevation or wind speed.
My question is, is that HUGE of a variation in mpg between city driving and highway normal? Is everyone else seeing this?
05-21-2019, 04:35 AM
#13
I recently switched over from my 18" winter to 19 x 9.5 summer and feel like the city mpg has dropped by like 3 mpg. I still manage to get 28-30 mpg on highway trips however barely getting 18-19mpg during city driving. If i remember correctly i used to be getting 23-24 mpg even for city driving. I thought my car had an issue or something or can someone confirm if bigger wheels do cause a drop in mpg.
05-21-2019, 06:03 AM
#14
AudiWorld Super User
05-21-2019, 11:47 AM
#17
AudiWorld Senior Member
05-21-2019, 02:40 PM
#18
AudiWorld Senior Member
I got 32.6 mpg (7.2l/100 km) on my S5 the other night on my regular mixed city/highway commute, but it was late at night and I was really hypermiling. It's possible though, with more typical driving I can get 8l/100km and if I have a little fun it's more like 10. It's all in how slowly you accelerate, hit those green lights, and stick close to 50 mph (although on the highway I was doing more like 65).
05-21-2019, 05:17 PM
#19
AudiWorld Super User
I got 32.6 mpg (7.2l/100 km) on my S5 the other night on my regular mixed city/highway commute, but it was late at night and I was really hypermiling. It's possible though, with more typical driving I can get 8l/100km and if I have a little fun it's more like 10. It's all in how slowly you accelerate, hit those green lights, and stick close to 50 mph (although on the highway I was doing more like 65).
05-21-2019, 06:12 PM
#20
AudiWorld Senior Member
Every car suffers fuel economy on short trips. The same exact trip, my i4 Accord got 19 mpg vs 15.5 mpg for the S5. That's really not too bad considering the difference in engines.