2.0 TDI 140 Fuel Consumption

[osbo]

Hi all,

I've recently taken delivery of my luverly new B6. Having run 2 tanks of fuel through it I have to say that I'm a little disappointed by its fuel economy. It replaces my old 1.9tdi 150 Bora which regularly achieved over 50mpg averaged over a tank. My wife has an A4 2.0tdi 140 (2006) which I can eek 60 to the gallon from on journey and has averaged 52 mpg since she's had it (32,000 miles). Having only managed to average 42 and 43mpg between two brim-to-brim fillings in the Passat I'm left wondering whether something's up.

I really can't see that it's going to improve dramatically with time (that's a lot of energy being turned into heat if it's just down to a "tight" engine!).

Any thoughts from owners of the same model would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

O

[iaint]

It depends on what type of driving you are doing. I do mainly rush hour motorway driving and am currently getting about 46mpg. On a good run on a reasonably quiet motorway at a steady 75ish I can get low 50's if I'm lucky.

This is with about 20K on the clock, I used to get a similar mpg to you when I first got the car. I bought it as an ex demo with 4K on the clock so I don't know if those first few thousand miles made a difference.

I put my initial mpg down to winter diesel which obviously isn't an issue at this time of year. I'll be interested to see if my mpg drops down when it changes back.

Cheers
Iain

[Quatrelle]

Mine converts to about 42-43mpg with 7500 kms on the clock, but most of my driving is on country roads around here and I don't get much chance to use 6th, and often 5th gears. I don't, however, consider that I drive it hard.

I get a similar consumption with our Laguna I diesel - non turbo.

[carl s]

Interesting figures, my 2.0 FSI seems to averages 34mpg mixed town & back roads. On a long trip I get 38mpg

It seems Petrol is catching up with diesel... :biglaugh:

[MAC]

My '06 Passat 2.0 TDI 140 avearges low - mid 40's on town driving, and as Iain mentions, I too regularly get 53mpg on a steady motorway run at 70 - 75mph.

Regards

Mark

[Loofer]

I just want to be smug and say that I get consistently get 60mpg to a full tank... and thats calculated myself when filling up rather than just relying on OBC

I must admit I have had it remapped where previously in same driving conditions it returned 55mpg

Just to clarify.
I do a 38 mile (one way) commute on motorway and stick to 70mph. Not much traffic at 0630-0730.

By the time I hit 40mph I'm already in 6th gear. No harsh acceleration.

[osbo]

Loofer, a question.

Does your post relate to a Passat or the Bora mentioned at the foot of your post?

The figures you quote are more in line with my Bora experience than those of us posting on the Passat 140.

From your replies it would seem that mine's running at about average. I guess my experience of the wife's A4 led me to have too high an expectation! Her's really is an amazing machine - 60mpg over 20 miles cross country on the OBC, bourne out by over 800 miles on a full tank.

I wonder what's different about the engine in the VW? It's considerably less frugal.

[Loofer]

It's in my bora. The mileage on it is currently 128k. The fuel economy helps me get a rough idea of how 'healthy' my engine is (though that should never be substituted for proper maintenace and care).

I've always been told that it takes about 20k miles for a new engine to 'run'/'break' in. Apparently thats when it start to run better with re performance and economy. Clutch is supposed to be smoother too.

Bare in mind a Bora/A4 is slightly smaller than a passat so the weight difference may also be a factor.

And as I've mentioned above, I'm a very ...erm, how an I put this... fuel consciencious driver... the type you hate to see on the motorway (I'm not that bad... I just don't accelarate hard). Can't wait til I fit my Cruise Control

[osbo]

Loofer,

as I thought. My Bora was very good too as I mentioned in my first post, but what I was interested in was people's practical experience with their 2.0 TDI 140PS Passat B6.

It looks like VW have taken a step in the wrong direction. Does anyone know the difference between the engine in the Passat and the same spec unit used in the Audi A4?

O

[passat170]

Hello Osbo,
Audi quotes 35.3 / 58.9 / 47.1 mpg (urban / extra-urban / combined) for the 140TDI (manual).
VW quotes 35.8 / 57.6 / 47.9 for the 140TDI Passat saloon (manual).
So there isn't much difference at all.
Why not swap cars with your wife for a week, maybe it's down to driving style, amount of urban / cruising, or the fact that her shoes are lighter than yours!
Cheers,
J

[osbo]

Thanks for the figures P170.

My observations are based on driving the wife's car regularly on the same runs. I have no doubts that the Passat is 15 - 20% poorer on economy that the A4.

As for the 57.6 mpg figure - not a chance in hell (well, maybe on a salt flat!).

BTW, I'm actually quite light on my feet, but only when it comes to driving!

Cheers,

O

[thatch]

Mid to low 40s when I got my Passat, now getting regular 50+ MPG.

50-50 A road and motorway 60 miles per day.

Average 2 is sitting on 50.3 MPG at the moment.

Drive like Miss Daisy, use 6th most of the time from 40 mph up.

[angus]

My Passat was dreadful when new, now got 20K+ on we average 40 (if lucky) solo on mixed use, 27 towing a caravan.
At least 5mpg worse than the old TDI 130 Sport, which incidentally which was a much stronger towcar.

Fortunately, I don`t pay the fuel bills!

[Santana]

I get just over 40 mpg. Mileage on 4500.
My driving is a complete mix. Short journeys in town, holidays stacked up with luggage and four people, motorways at 80mph.
This is worse than my old petrol B5 so I'm expecting it to improve.

[shudman]

Passat170....what fuel economy do you get in your 170 ?
I have a mixture of motorway and town driving and averagely, I get about 40mpg :(

[samblackman]

Have got the 170 as well. Usually get around 44 to 45 mpg during my commute to work down the A1. Can easily drop down to 39 or less if I drive it hard or when there is a lot of stop and start traffic...

Sam

[ajs1968]

I have had my 2.0 TDI 140 SE Estate for about 10 months now, just broke 18K this morning and had a service reminder.

When I first got the car I immediately posted on this forum regarding the disappointing MPG, initially I was averaging 41.1 over about 2500 miles and less than 40 on motorway driving (80-85mph).

Initially forum users replied saying that winter grade Diesel made an impact and also that the oil used in the engine from new was a thicker grade to minimise wear during running in.

Since then I have topped up about 2 litres of oil and although the summer weather has been pretty poor I am assuming we are not running on winter grade Diesel at the moment. The MPG has improved slightly, I am now averaging 43.5 overall on the OBC and get about 41 on motorway driving.

I have just booked in for my first service next Thursday and I will be interested to see what difference (if any) an oil change will make.

[alanb]

I get over 700 miles per tankful ... 60% motorway work

If I keep under 65mph and drive as economically as possible i can get close to 60mpg

Passat 140 TDI saloon 48k miles

[sathound]

I have done approx 4500 miles in a May 2007 170PS DPF 6 speed manual SEL Estate

In the first week I ran the car in on a round trip to Scotland and back doing 1400 miles and averaged 43mpg. Subsequently on shorter cross country commutes each day I get approx 39-40mpg driving on B and C class roads.

[LeeS]

I have a 55 reg'd 2.0tdi estate that's just turned 38k; fuel cons initially around 36MPG but has improved over the last 20k, I have an idea that this may partly be due to a series of software upgrades that would have coincided with the 1st service at around about the 18k mark, though don't remember an 'overnight' improvement.

Fuel cons currently varies between lowest at 39, the most I've seen is just short of 45; 99% motorway, 70- 80 ish MPH cruise.

As a point of interest I did query the initial high fuel consumption with the dealer, but they could find no fault (well bowl me over!).

[sathound]

My 170PS SEL Estate has just averaged 40.1mpg over 500miles on B and C class roads. It has done approx 5750 miles in total.

[Quatrelle]

My 170PS SEL Estate has just averaged 40.1mpg over 500miles on B and C class roads. It has done approx 5750 miles in total.Mine (140) does the same under similar conditions, and is coming up to 8000 kms - be interesting to see if it improves over the next 8000....

[VanWheeler]

A remap will get you a few more MPG's. i know cars in theory these days donpt need running in, but most cars improve once they have loosened up a bit. How many mile have you done in it so far?

[BenR]

My 140 ps has returned 48 mpg over the first 13,000 miles of use mostly in commuting, which fits exactly with the VW figure.

[shepton00]

I have a 72k B6 which aerages the same kind of figures that yours does so I wouldn't expect much in the way of improvement. I must admit that I was suprised by the mpg that I achieved. It can vary from 40 to 51. It doesn't seem to improve. I was going to try changing the tyre pressures and fiting some Michelins as they're supposed to improve the mpg by about 10% If I ver get mine bak fro the dealer I'll let you know how I get on.

[arctic blue]

hi osbo, i have a passat 140 tdi DSG saloon. according to OBC 33-40 urban. on a motorway run 50- 55 mpg. ive yet to do top up to top, but with 140 DSG touran got 60mpg on motorway @ 60 - 70mph. i am though what is known though as a 'granny driver.' i'll post my tank top ups asap. ( not bad figures for an auto i thought)
cheers

[arctic blue]

done 5500 miles now. strange as it may seem, using semi auto selector ( change gear manually) seems to improve mpg round town. just topped up tank after mostly urban, some motorway, 36mpg . thats cold mornings, short journeys, and putting heat setting to HI . if i'm right heater burns fuel because it gets hot so quick, theres no way the water is up to temperature in such a short time.

[aristotle]

Osbo, for what it's worth, my experience seems to bear out what others have posted. I swapped an Audi A3 2.0 TDI 140, which from new always averaged around 50mpg or better on long motorway runs, for an ex-VW dealer demonstrator Passat Estate SE with the same engine. It only had 9000 miles but in 4 months the best mpg I've seen was just under 45 on a long motorway run with the cruise set at 75mph. It's pretty frustrating as I drive it more frugally than the Audi but consumption is regularly down to just over 40mpg. Hope I haven't bought a dud....

[LeeS]

I've a bit of an update - mine is a company car, which ironically comes to the end of it's company life today and we're buying it from the lease co. But before doing so I practically begged the local VW dealer (after two years of gently querying) to investigate an excessive smoking problem that had been there since an ECU recall at about 18k (now 66!). After a day of investigation, and sending the code back to VW, there was a fault and a new ECU was fitted. Result = MPG up (to about 44 on a run, from 36 - 39 and no smoking).

So from my experience, I'd keep an eye out for black smoke - though I don't envy you if you have to go through the same hassle as I did to get it sorted!

Cheers

Lee

[james_tiger_woo]

44mpg over 25k in total for me - many ups and downs though as I often drive on rural roads which drops MPG a lot

[malc11f]

I consider myself to be a very economic driver but my Passat 2.0 Tdi (140) has only achieved 50mpg when driving at 65mph on a steady motorway run. I have had the car diagnosed and a fuel filter was replaced but made little or no difference. Compared to the Audi A4 2.0Tdi (140) I had before which regularly achieved 55-58mpg when driving at steady 70mph on a motorway.

[drpellypo]

I used to get 65mpg on mine on a decent run.

[dunkley201]

The economy of mine has been a bit of a disappointment, even allowing for the DSG. Previous B5 and B5.5 (both manuals) were great. In understand the CR is much better tho'.
See my fuel consumption pattern by clicking on the pump icon below..

[malc11f]

Thanks for the information, my fuel consumption seems very similar to yours. I have written to VW UK to ask them to explain how they arrive at their 'official figures'.

[dunkley201]

Thanks for the information, my fuel consumption seems very similar to yours. I have written to VW UK to ask them to explain how they arrive at their 'official figures'.

I'm REALLY looking forward to the reply.........;)

[logiclee]

The economy of mine has been a bit of a disappointment, even allowing for the DSG. Previous B5 and B5.5 (both manuals) were great. In understand the CR is much better tho'.
See my fuel consumption pattern by clicking on the pump icon below..

Yep I easily beat the combined figure on my CR DSG. Official Combined in 47.9 which is about what I get on my commute mid winter up to mid 50's in Summer. Last tank worked out at 50mpg with 52.7mpg on the computer.
I do a 60 mile commute. 40mile motorway, 10mile A road, 10 mile 30/40mph roads. Going to work at 5am cruise is set at 75mph on motorway, coming home I keep up with traffic in the outside lane.

They now do a bluemotion tech dsg which does 53.4mpg combined.

Cheers
Lee

[170diesel]

Thanks for the information, my fuel consumption seems very similar to yours. I have written to VW UK to ask them to explain how they arrive at their 'official figures'.
Try reading this:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/autocarconfidential/archive/2011/04/01/economic-with-the-truth.aspx

[dunkley201]

Try reading this:

http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/autocarconfidential/archive/2011/04/01/economic-with-the-truth.aspx

"tests at -10degC showed real-world consumption was ‘much worse’ than in normal conditions" says it all!!!! :(

[malc11f]

A VW representative spoke to me today and explained that fuel consumption tests are carried out on a rolling road, i.e. No wind resistance, indoor temperatures, unladen vehicle etc... according to 1999/100/EC. Therefore not really representative of every day driving.

[170diesel]

A VW representative spoke to me today and explained that fuel consumption tests are carried out on a rolling road, i.e. No wind resistance, indoor temperatures, unladen vehicle etc... according to 1999/100/EC. Therefore not really representative of every day driving.

And I believe around 75% is in an "urban" environment - therefore cars with Stop Go dramatically benefit.

Hence see why many European manufacturers (including VW) have retro fiitted this at little cost - and why the Japanese electric fridges get nowhere near their claimed economy figures in the real world.

[logiclee]

Yep I have to laugh when I pass a Prius on the motoway with it's normally aspirated petrol engine screaming to keep up with traffic. Stop start and all the other low speed tweeks is the reason why you see 200bhp E Class Mercs and 5 series positing 50 mpg combined. Even the extra Urban figure that most people see as on a run actually has significant periods of engine at idle during the test.
My 60 mile a day commute would mean I wouldnt use stop start at all on my way to work and perhaps one or two times on my way home if the junctions were busy.
Would be good for those who work in city centres I suppose.

Cheers
Lee