So cars get better MPG with age - not according to my data

[ti rich]

So it's almost time for the Audi to go. It's been a love hate relationship. Faultless, comfortable but so boring - sorry!

The car has now covered 55,000 miles and I have have kept a log of the MPG from new. Most people will say that MPG gets better as the car loosens up. This data doesn't show this as the trend line is definitely down, not up. Just wanted to share this.......

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b362/evansrj/AudiMPG_zps753e2a32.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/evansrj/media/AudiMPG_zps753e2a32.jpg.html)

[Necroscope]

The more bored you got, the heavier your foot got?

What would have been the more entertaining equivalent?

[ti rich]

What would have been the more entertaining equivalent?

Most cars in the same class to be honest. But that's not to say the Audi is a bad car - it isn't!

[Necroscope]

Most cars in the same class to be honest.

Nice ;-)

So what's next then?

[johnsimcox]

So it's almost time for the Audi to go. It's been a love hate relationship. Faultless, comfortable but so boring - sorry!

The car has now covered 55,000 miles and I have have kept a log of the MPG from new. Most people will say that MPG gets better as the car loosens up. This data doesn't show this as the trend line is definitely down, not up. Just wanted to share this.......

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b362/evansrj/AudiMPG_zps753e2a32.jpg (http://s23.photobucket.com/user/evansrj/media/AudiMPG_zps753e2a32.jpg.html)

Cqan't help but wonder what you were doing a couple of weeks ago to get a tankfull of fuel to return significantly less than 36 mpg

[ti rich]

Nice ;-)

So what's next then?

Well drove a 5 Series, thought I would love it but didn't.

Drove a *** XF 3.0D R-Sport - loved it but the purchase and running costs too high.

Tried a *** XF 2.2D R-Sport - quite impressive but the XF really needs the 3.0D engine to feel right.

Tried a BMW 335D XDrive - fast as hell but handled like a boat. Your could feel the extra weight of the engine and 4 wheel drive system.

So it's back to a 3 Series 330D M-Sport which is what i had before the A6. Smaller, faster, more economical and engaging to drive. I will miss the A6's space and comfort however.

[Necroscope]

So the A6 being boring probably isn't a surprise given where you came from then? Why not consider a 3.0(245) A6?

[ti rich]

Cqan't help but wonder what you were doing a couple of weeks ago to get a tankfull of fuel to return significantly less than 36 mpg

Blasting back from Lyon, France with a car full of equipment at 90mph(ish)

[ti rich]

So the A6 being boring probably isn't a surprise given where you came from then? Why not consider a 3.0(245) A6?

The running costs didn't work out and, to be honest, I just fancy a change as well.

[Whippy53]

Blasting back from Lyon, France with a car full of equipment at 90mph(ish)
Yup, that'll do it.

[Whippy53]

Cars are'nt like wine you know, bit like my wife's derrier, they don't get better with age. Mine is more or less as economical now as when I got it. The car's the same.

[Passatier3]

Can't argue with your figures obviously, but for most drivers I think the figures would tend to remain about the same, except for exceptional journeys like one or two of yours i.e. greater or lower than the norm, even if they don't improve much with the engine loosening up. Wouldn't expect them to get worse unless there was a problem with the car.

[ukgroucho]

My (OLD) A4 1.9 TDi Avant (P plate) improved for the first 10k miles and then just delivered 45 mpg pretty much consistently... it was doing that when I sold it with 168k on the clock (and that was calculated from fill to fill every few tanks). It did have an unusual life in that during the first 95k it spent a LOT of time on the motorway at err 'normal' speeds on cruise - certainly well over half of that 95k. I was also manic (as I still am) about not ragging it from cold - that will certainly wear them out faster.

C6 3.0 TDI quattro SE avant .. again it improved in the first 10k and then hovered around 32 mpg with mixed driving, best 'long term' average I saw was 32.4 based on the computer, worst was 31.4. Maybe it was slightly worse at 83k when I traded it but I think my driving had become a little more spirited. It also did a much higher proportion of short trips compared to the A4 - and I equate that with more wear and probably more variability in fuel consumption.

Allroad definitely improved comparing new MPG to what I see now - and taking into account seasonal differences (always worse in cold weather). It's now done 13.5k so once again loosened up in first 10k.

I'd not expect to see any significant improvement once the initial loosening up is done - and maybe a gradual decline once the engine gets over 75k - 100k depending on the kind of trips you do.

[ti rich]

I really think the long service intervals aren't helping. Air filter still not changed until 3rd service (any time soon).

"

[ukgroucho]

A4 was on 10K changes, A6 was 'extended' which I think worked out around 18K - I just used to do what the onboard computer told me to.

Oh and on the air filter topic.. I am sure that you are right. Top speed of my C6 was substantially down 500 miles prior to a service.

[ti rich]

Oh and on the air filter topic.. I am sure that you are right. Top speed of my C6 was substantially down 500 miles prior to a service.

You do know it's only changed at the 3rd service? not every service.

[niall campbell]

Mine opened up after 45,000 miles and get 65 mpg at 60mph , and 46 mpg in town once warmed up. Its a 2.0 tdi 140hp

I change my diesel and air every 20,000 , oil every 10,000 by myself.

Colder air will decrease your mpg, but I fail to see that with your chart. However at 90 mph, we know your exhaust should be decoked !

[SammoVWT]

Do you run this monster on long life service schedules? 10k changes make me shudder. All those metal flakes :s

But with me being a tinkerer by nature as soon as my MPG drops enough, i've got the tools out to check what it is. You are right the engine will loosen up, but you are talking slightly below expected to around about the book mpg figures (give or take). I wouldnt expect a 30mpg motor to be doing 80mpg after 3 years without a very gentle right foot.

[MarkTM]

Can I ask if car yours or company/PCP?

[Harry Weinert]

Well drove a 5 Series, thought I would love it but didn't.
Drove a *** XF 3.0D R-Sport - loved it but the purchase and running costs too high.
Tried a *** XF 2.2D R-Sport - quite impressive but the XF really needs the 3.0D engine to feel right.
Tried a BMW 335D XDrive - fast as hell but handled like a boat. Your could feel the extra weight of the engine and 4 wheel drive system.
So it's back to a 3 Series 330D M-Sport which is what i had before the A6. Smaller, faster, more economical and engaging to drive. I will miss the A6's space and comfort however.

When I set out to buy my brand new car, I did the rounds to figure out which kind of car I would like to own:

BMW 5 530D - far too boaty and luggish for my tastes.
BMW 4 428i - far too small for my tastes! (I felt like my elbows were constantly being restricted - I'm 6.1ft, slim build.)
Jaguar XF 3.0 - very nice car, but got won over by the audi.
Mercedes E Class - again very nice car, bit sluggish compared to the jaguar/audi and I wasn't keen on the 'standard' gearbox, you could feel a loss in power on every shift.. I was used to a Manual at the time.
Audi A5 3.0TDi - gorgeous car, drove well, little bit on the smallish size, but not uncomfortable like the BMW 4.
Audi A6 3.0TDi S-Line Quattro - another gorgeous car, drives very well, felt sporty and hugged the road like a champ, I fell in love with it!

and that was it! I fobbed off all other dealers and drove the Audi garage sales rep down to the ground to get the price on my 'perfect' audi A6 down as low as possible ;)

Audi A6 Black Edition 3.0TDi (272) Quattro S-Tronic (Saloon), Garnet Red, Rear Sports Diff, Matrix LEDs, 20" 5 spoke titanium alloys, and a ton of options.

Sorry - on the subject of MPG, mine gets around 28-30mpg on a short run to the office, and I've had it over 40mpg down the M4 on a run to wales. - currently under 5,000 miles on the clock though, so I may still have room for 'loosening up'?

[jimbo322]

Agree. I've had my 3.0tdi sline quattro since new 55 plate, drives fab, goes like a train and does forty plus easy on a run. I live with the lack of drop down seats/it's a saloon/keep thinking of trading it in, but what could I get for that sort of money now... Does chew tyres though but apart from that, never missed a beat. Insurance less that 200, diesel 1.09 what's not to like?

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[MarkTM]

The C6 quattro's all have drop down seats...am guessing a luxury you loose on the smaller car

With over 110k miles I'll get up to over 40mpg in under 10 miles and usually achieve 50mpg after 25 miles, but in my part of the world there's rarely any traffic :)

Get a 4 wheel alignment as am sure the lighter car should achieve 20k+ per axle pair...mine does

[jimbo322]

Yeah. I'm not sure why. Mine don't even drop down. Perhaps it was an option. I've seen cars with a least a hole in for skis. Was this an at cost option.? My only gripe really with a superb car.

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