Best speed for mpg motorway
- Thread starter Ben Stoke
- Start date
I find best mpg comes from anticipation and keeping momentum up rather than sticking to a specific speed.
Very true, if you can avoid slowing down at all, it will greatly increase mpg. But this can be very dangerous if you are not careful and you need to be anticipating what is happening well in advance.
I would guess that a constant 55-60 mph (not using any cruise control!) Would be quite efficient. Couple that with sitting in a lorry's slipstream (but for goodness sake don't tailgate! ) you could really achieve high mpg, maybe even the claimed figures from SEAT.
Just don't be a
and inconvenience others like some do, really winds everybody up and makes other drives act rashly
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Like doing 54 in the middle lane while filming your instant mpg figure off the dash with your mobile...... haha remember that guy!?! He was even commentating!
I do the speed limit for the road in my 1.6 tdi and always get about 57mpg over a 53 mile stretch.
Anticipating other road users, not booting it up the hills, and trying to keep a constant speed.
Although by doing that you tend to piss off the guy who is screaming along at 90mph.
Anticipating other road users, not booting it up the hills, and trying to keep a constant speed.
Although by doing that you tend to piss off the guy who is screaming along at 90mph.
60 mph in the inside lane......plenty of planning ahead, anticipation, maintaing awareness by using mirrors and using truck slipstreams where appropriate.
Managed 57 mpg in my petrol 1.4Tsi doing that. Manchester - Edinburgh - Manchester round trip on a single tank of fuel.
Managed 57 mpg in my petrol 1.4Tsi doing that. Manchester - Edinburgh - Manchester round trip on a single tank of fuel.
On My mk2 Ibiza 2.0 Diesel FR I've had the trip up at 67mpg before (I know that's not 'accurate' though). I usually stick cruise at 60mph on the motorway and only speed up to go past lorries or someone going even slower in front!
My drive to work is a 6 mile round trip daily, but I usually do a long trip at weekends, between 50 to 100 miles each way as I either go home or to my girlfriend's.
My actual calculated figure since I got the car in October 2014 is 52mpg over nearly 4500 miles. Just bought a MK2 Leon FR+ so I'm looking forward to seeing how that compares. I don't expect it quite as high, but if I can get within 5mpg of my Ibiza figures that'd be nice.
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On my 2.0 TDI PD140, 60-65mph seems to be the most economical speed for me. Not using cruise control and anticipating what's coming up, as well as generally driving like a saint means I can achieve 60mpg.
Picked up my 2.0 diesel 170 FR+ today (12 reg). After resetting the trip and getting straight on the motorway (bar about 500 yards), it's hovering around 58mpg on the trip with cruise set at 60mph, and a few miles going at 50mph due to speed restrictions on the M1 at the time.
Not quite as good as the Ibiza I've moved from but still not too bad. I guess time will tell how good the actual figures will be.
Not quite as good as the Ibiza I've moved from but still not too bad. I guess time will tell how good the actual figures will be.
Prepare to watch that figure plummet. That's actually 5 MPG higher than the already fictitious manufacturer claimed value. Mine usually shows between 35-40 MPG and can go up to just over 45 MPG on long motorway runs at cruising speed. In 2 years of ownership the highest I have ever seen my MFD show was 51 MPG and that has only been once and was after 6 hours of pretty much continuous motorway driving across Europe.Anyway, the MFD lies. Don't get led into a false sense of security by trusting what it says. Do some real world calculations by tracking the amount of fuel put in from empty to full and then tracking the distance travelled until it gets to empty again.
Use the fuelly website for accurate mpg readings. It will vary from car to car and driver to driver. I always used to exceed the old claimed combined in my old cars. My old Kia 2.0CRDI used to achieve high 50's but was claimed to do 50.2. Trip comp used to show over 60mpg. Yet other owners used to get low 40s. Same with my old FIAT.
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Another thing to take note of is that the tyres DO matter for good fuel economy so depending on people's choice of tyres that is also going to be another reason for differences from car to car.
Until recently I had Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tyres all round which were factory OEM fitment but they have a pretty poor fuel economy rating due to their weight and construction which give them a high rolling resistance. I've just put a pair of the newer design Dunlop Sport Maxx RT tyres on the back which are made of a lighter construction and have a much better fuel economy rating. I will also put a pair of RT's on the front once the current GT's on that axle wear down so I'm hoping that once I have the RT's all round it might make my fuel economy a little better.
Until recently I had Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tyres all round which were factory OEM fitment but they have a pretty poor fuel economy rating due to their weight and construction which give them a high rolling resistance. I've just put a pair of the newer design Dunlop Sport Maxx RT tyres on the back which are made of a lighter construction and have a much better fuel economy rating. I will also put a pair of RT's on the front once the current GT's on that axle wear down so I'm hoping that once I have the RT's all round it might make my fuel economy a little better.
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Anyway, the MFD lies. Don't get led into a false sense of security by trusting what it says. Do some real world calculations by tracking the amount of fuel put in from empty to full and then tracking the distance travelled until it gets to empty again.
In my Ibiza 2.0 I hit 73.1mpg on the trip- a 500 yard trundle then straight on the motorway after resetting it. 60mph cruise all the way, and it was on about 68 when I got home (36 mile trip (M40-M25-M1). I know these trip readings aren't accurate and I keep track of all my fuel and mileage. When I worked out my ibiza over 5000 miles it was 52mpg.
Just did a 146 mile round trip in the Leon, again 95% motorway cruising at 60mph with no hold ups. Hit 69.7mpg on the trip, and it ended on 62.9. Started on half tank, and ended on bang on a quarter tank.
Again I know this mpg isn't realistic, but I guess the higher it is, the more likely the real world figures will be higher. I haven't done enough miles to be bothered in working out actuals yet for the Leon.
I planned to fit my sill guards and check tyre pressure today but it's chucking it down outside so it may have to wait until tomorrow.
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