1.4 TSi ACT economy

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
But this isn't a naturally aspirated engine. It's a turbo.

And the naturally aspirated engines I've driven tail off. Usually, they are no longer producing peak power by the time you get to the red line. The torque is gone and it's just noise.
I know that i am saying n/a pulls hard to the redline turbo’s tail off

cars with a lift cam pull to the redline, vtec / vvtli, n/a has very little torque unless your in a v6 or biggger
 

HighFlyingBird

2016 Leon FR 1.4 150 in Chilli Red 2019 - 2020
Jan 15, 2019
250
87
Leeds
You need to move on up to a CUPRA. Then power between 280 and 500+ will only be held back by your wallet and insurance.


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The dealer I got mine from has a few 290s around the country, if I chopped mine in for one the payment for the car would be a tenner a month cheaper. Was honestly tempted until I saw the insurance went up to an eye watering £4000.

I pay just shy of £2000 for mine now. Never managed to keep a car longer than a year and it's worked out cheaper to just take out a new policy than swap cars on the current policy.
 

Maypack

Ambassador for Cumberland Sausage
Apr 20, 2014
3,175
2,327
Gods Country - West Cumbria
The dealer I got mine from has a few 290s around the country, if I chopped mine in for one the payment for the car would be a tenner a month cheaper. Was honestly tempted until I saw the insurance went up to an eye watering £4000.

I pay just shy of £2000 for mine now. Never managed to keep a car longer than a year and it's worked out cheaper to just take out a new policy than swap cars on the current policy.

Wow £4000 is way too much. Wait a few years and you’ll be able to get that down. We will see you in a CUPRA at one of the meets.


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Tass

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
33
9
Also stunned by how bad the 150 ACT fuel economy is!
I'm averaging high 30s in London with a light right foot, whereas my aging 2004 Fabia VRS (diesel) with 125k on the clock and no stop-start used to manage low 40s with spirited driving, 50 if I drove it round town super gently. Really wasn't it to beat the Leon!

has anyone answered the question of whether it's better to cruise at 30-40mph in a high gear with low revs, or a lower gear with higher revs so that 2-Cylinder mode activates? It's looking like the latter to me so far.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
Has anyone answered the question of whether it's better to cruise at 30-40mph in a high gear with low revs, or a lower gear with higher revs so that 2-Cylinder mode activates?

I would suspect the higher gear would be better but I'd like to know the answer too.
 

Wilkesy

Active Member
May 1, 2018
255
29
Stupid question, but the throttle change to direct with Carista wouldn’t have an effect with mpg would it? Or is just a mentality thing, wanting you to push for more revs
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Not ACT but still 1.4
If I'm in a 30 I get better MPG in 4th than I would 5th. Same applies to 40, I get better in 5th than 6th.
In the higher gear at lower speed you are labouring the engine so requires more fuel to keep spinning. Although i bet the car will tell you to be in the higher gear as they are stupid.

i tried it with my 1.5 tsi ACT, 30mph the car said to be in 6th gear so i went with it, 60mpg and no ACT, so then tried 4th at 30mph which you should be in, car said select 6th but kept in 4th, ACT kicked in and i was around the 120mpg.

lesson is computers are stupid
 

CalJames

Modification Addict
Jun 25, 2019
333
152
North Wales
In the higher gear at lower speed you are labouring the engine so requires more fuel to keep spinning. Although i bet the car will tell you to be in the higher gear as they are stupid.

i tried it with my 1.5 tsi ACT, 30mph the car said to be in 6th gear so i went with it, 60mpg and no ACT, so then tried 4th at 30mph which you should be in, car said select 6th but kept in 4th, ACT kicked in and i was around the 120mpg.

lesson is computers are stupid
Yup. Guess it's to do with the torque, at those speeds I'm sat at around 1500 RPM, which is peak torque.
 

Tass

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
33
9
Stupid question, but the throttle change to direct with Carista wouldn’t have an effect with mpg would it? Or is just a mentality thing, wanting you to push for more revs

I'm guessing you suspect you're getting lower MPG with direct?

Funny, I was wondering the opposite. I find the car over-revs slightly pulling away from stationary, no matter how light my right foot is. Similarly, I notice the throttle hang for a second or two when I lift off the accelerator. I guessed both of these things would be using more fuel than necessary and I'd get better fuel economy on a sedate drive with direct. Yet to make the mod though so I guess time will tell.
 

Owen83

Active Member
Feb 9, 2018
77
20
I have a 1.4 Eco TSI FR ST and find it brilliant on fuel. 44MPG around town. highest Iv'e had its 60.1MPG on a long steady motorway run.

usually get around mid 50's, but as all have said you need to be smooth & consistent using cruise control to keep it in 2 cyl mode
 

JonnyKnox

Active Member
Oct 26, 2015
33
4
I have the same engine in my Leon, drive 6 miles to work through 30&60mph and getting high 40's generally. On 120mile to Birmingham last weekend got nearly 60mpg!

If I'm driving sensibly I get to speed and keep it gear under what the comp says and stick it in cruise control, ACT always kicks in this way.
 

OJ9693

Mk3 Leon FR 150
Sep 2, 2019
284
56
Never get more than 44.4 MPG (Mixed town and motorway driving) Hardly ever go above 73mph and always use cruise control.. Maybe i need to improve my eco-driving skills :shrug:
 

SuperV8

Active Member
May 30, 2019
1,318
578
So, while we're on the subject of 1.4 performance...

My car is 150 bhp, approximately, allegedly. Doesn't feel like it. Does't feel slow but also doesn't feel like a 150 bhp car.

Looking at a power curve I found for the engine, it looks like power rises with revs and you only get peak power, the 150 bhp, between 5'000 and 6'000 revs. Which if correct is a bit mental. Can anyone confirm if this is right? It doesn't feel like it on my car. My car tails off by about 5k and there isn't anywhere in the rev range you would say it feels noticeably more powerful.

Power curves always rise with revs - as power is basically torque x revs.
You can get flat torque curves but not power.
 

williamxb

Active Member
Mar 11, 2019
79
35
Oxfordshire
I find the car over-revs slightly pulling away from stationary, no matter how light my right foot is.

You're not the only one! Only changed mine the other day and already noticing differences. I probably looked a bit silly slowly shuffling into my parking space this morning... at 2.5k revs!

I've also noticed it's much more eager to get moving immediately after downshifting, rather than the second or two of very little happening and then the car going.
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
690
249
You're not the only one! Only changed mine the other day and already noticing differences. I probably looked a bit silly slowly shuffling into my parking space this morning... at 2.5k revs!

I've also noticed it's much more eager to get moving immediately after downshifting, rather than the second or two of very little happening and then the car going.

I've eventually found it best to not touch the accelerator when manoeuvring or pulling away in 1st. Unless on a steep slope the ECU increases the revs, as the clutch comes up, enough to gently roll the car.
 

Tass

Active Member
Mar 8, 2020
33
9
You're not the only one! Only changed mine the other day and already noticing differences. I probably looked a bit silly slowly shuffling into my parking space this morning... at 2.5k revs!

I've also noticed it's much more eager to get moving immediately after downshifting, rather than the second or two of very little happening and then the car going.

Once my 3m warranty has expired the first thing I'm going to do is the Direct Throttle mod. Hoping it gets rid of that little blip of auto-throttle we're talking about. Maneuvering is really embarrassing at the mo, from the engine note it sounds like I'm a learner driver with a fetish for lead boots.
 
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