Terrible mpg

[Harley8588]

I only picked up my new A6 in October and it's only done 3500 miles but I can't help thinking that the mpg should be improving a little by now. I'm struggling to get above 43 mpg on my journeys to and from work which is a mixed journey of 20 miles. In my previous car a VW Passat CC GT 2.0TDi 170 BMT I could easily exceed the manufacturers estimate of 57.6 mpg (combined figure).

The A6 is a 2.0TDi 190 S-line Black Edition Quattro S-Tronic which is supposed to do the same 57.6 mpg as the Passat CC. I know people may say that it's still new etc. but the CC was only a few mpg down when brand new.

This is around a third less than what it should do which is going to make running it more expensive than it should be. Do I need to give it a good hiding to loosen it off? Anyone else getting better/similar figures with the same engine/power/gearbox/AWD configuration?

[B5NUT]

I'm getting around 45mpg on my 2.0 TDI s tronic quattro Avant, and my car has only done around 4050 miles. I had a non quattro C7 before that and easy got around 56mpg, however the quattro drivetrain will have a big impact on mpg and so does the weight of the car. Other things are the tyre pressures & what mode you have the engine & gearbox etc. Personally I'm not that bothered about the mpg on the car, my other motor is an A6 3.0TD Quattro it only gets around 35mpg, so getting around 45 is about what I expect from the 2.0 TDI.

[Abduls Miezis]

It should get better when you will get closer to 8000 miles.

[johnsimcox]

You have had the car over the winter when diesels deliver poor fuel consumption due to the lower ambient temperature. I have noticed my consumption improve by more than 5 mpg over the last few days when the temperature has been 10c or higher compared to a couple of weeks ago when it struggled to get to 0c during the day. It will get better but I doubt you will get an average as high as you are hoping. I have had both a 170 and 190 Avant Manual and the only times I have managed to achieve a journey average over 55mpg has been on long predominantly motorway journeys

[robes401]

Afraid I don't have quattro, but I have averaged 44 mpg over 51000 miles in s-tronic 2.0 ultra (non quattro) so your hit for having quattro doesn't seem too bad relative to my mpg.

[Harley8588]

I know what you're saying about the winter months with the extra additives in the fuel to prevent the derv from thickening/emulsifying. Though I've never really noticed the difference during summer months as the air is more dense due to humidity.

I meant to mention that I've used nothing but BP Ultimate 98 RON as reccommended by Audi & I'm using the Efficiency mode. Quattro is only meant to have a negative 4-5mpg effect (according to Audi's bumf) not almost 20. I assumed that because the VW was so good that the Audi would be similar. The car is amazing otherwise!

I might try the journey in manual and see what kind of effect that has.

[Dutch Paddy]

6500 kilometers in to my A6 Avant S-Tronic Quattro Ultra and my 'long term' average is now showing just over 42 Mpg, which is something I would have expected at this stage. What i did notice is that in 'Auto' selection in the Car settings the revs drop really low when cruising in traffic at 50-55mph. At just over 1200 revs it seems the engine struggles somewhat and when changing to Dynamic or simply putting the gearbox in sports mode the fuel consumption indicator show better mpg. I would have expected the 'intelligence' in the car to be more responsive and select gears more accurate for the type of driving. I've also read on the forum that some claim high 40's on the Mpg and they are always in Dynamic mode which I find hard to believe...

[mikeruss]

MY17 SE 2 litre 190 ultra s-tronic 2000 miles. Mpg has been gradually improving from under 40 to 47. Regular 20 mile journey today the display consumption was 63, that's the best it's been. Running on efficiency.

[Silane]

AFAIK The 20" inch wheels knock off as much if not more mpg as Quattro due to the extra unsprung mass.

[Phutters]

In my previous car a VW Passat CC GT 2.0TDi 170 BMT I could easily exceed the manufacturers estimate of 57.6 mpg (combined figure).

The A6 is a 2.0TDi 190 S-line Black Edition Quattro S-Tronic which is supposed to do the same 57.6 mpg as the Passat CC..

The 57.6 figure isn't a manufacturer's estimate, it's a figure achieved under strict (and repeatable) test conditions which is intended to be used solely for comparison with other cars.

It isn't 'supposed' to do 57.6 either. It isn't a target figure, though using it as a target clearly isn't a bad thing in itself if you're a confirmed hair shirt wearer.

It's none of my business of course, but hair shirts and 2.0TDi 190 S-line Black Edition quattro S-Tronics seem to be rather uneasy bedfellows.

I reckon the best way to save fuel is make sure that the engine spends as little time running as possible, and there are a few things that will help in achieving that:

Drive everywhere as fast as you can.

Avoid braking. Accelerating back to top speed uses more fuel.

If you're waiting in a queue at a junction adjacent to a petrol station, don't. Cut through the forecourt. It's much quicker.

.

[drewetm]

Ive had my A6 is a 2.0TDi 190 S-line Black Edition Quattro S-Tronic now for 10 months, just hit 11,000 miles and the life time average is 38.xx. Very rarely see a journey with an average above 42.
TBF I think the stated averages are a joke but then Ive never had a new car that has got anywhere near them anyway, I've learned to ignore them

[Harley8588]

The 57.6 figure isn't a manufacturer's estimate, it's a figure achieved under strict (and repeatable) test conditions which is intended to be used solely for comparison with other cars.

It isn't 'supposed' to do 57.6 either. It isn't a target figure, though using it as a target clearly isn't a bad thing in itself if you're a confirmed hair shirt wearer.

It's none of my business of course, but hair shirts and 2.0TDi 190 S-line Black Edition quattro S-Tronics seem to be rather uneasy bedfellows.

I reckon the best way to save fuel is make sure that the engine spends as little time running as possible, and there are a few things that will help in achieving that:

Drive everywhere as fast as you can.

Avoid braking. Accelerating back to top speed uses more fuel.

If you're waiting in a queue at a junction adjacent to a petrol station, don't. Cut through the forecourt. It's much quicker.

.

Who said anything about being a hair shirt wearer?

I expect a vehicle with a RRP of £47k to do what it claims. My previous car worth £15k less when new could do it with let's face it virtually the same engine. I don't buy the extra weight craic as the figures are quoted with all spec considerations accounted for and the 2WD Ultras seem to be nowhere near their numbers either.

[Phutters]

Who said anything about being a hair shirt wearer?Me. It was tongue in cheek.

The car doesn't claim to achieve any particular economy figure. The published figures are there for comparison with other cars. That's all.

They don't pretend to be anything else, and never have.

.

[Gareth_Rees]

Me. It was tongue in cheek.

The car doesn't claim to achieve any particular economy figure. The published figures are there for comparison with other cars. That's all.

They don't pretend to be anything else, and never have.

.

Out of interest, do you know if the tests used for comparison have changed over the years?

I have done about 10k in 2 different cars using the exact same journey to work and back etc in each. Each tank of fuel was calculated and not relied on the DIS.

First - 2005 Audi A6 (C5) Avant 1.9 TDi 130 Manual - Claimed combined MPG 47.8mpg - Actual mpg - ~50mpg over 10k (DIS showed 52mpg)
Second - 2013 Audi A7 3.0 TDi Quattro 245 Tiptronic - Claimed combined MPG 47.9mpg - Actual mpg - ~39mpg over 10k (DIS showed 43mpg)

So yes, some big differences! Obviously disappointed with the A7 fuel wise, but that's the only issue fortunately :biglaugh:

[GDA6]

Just passed 24000 miles in my 18 mth old 2WD Ultra S Line S Tronic. Never reset the long term DIS from new and showing 55mpg which I've checked manually a few times and it's pretty accurate. About 70% of mileage is motorway/dual carriageway. I don't aim to drive economically but spend a lot of time on the M60.....the traffic is a natural speed limiter!

[cjmcb]

I found exactly the same with my 2013 2.0tdi CVT auto. I do almost all motorway miles.

I got it at 2500 miles and up to 1st service at 10000 miles I never bettered 39 mpg. After the service that jumped almost instantly to 45 mpg for same routes and road conditions. This then hovered around there until next service at 20000miles and then it was up to 53+ mpg with all time personal best of 58.9 mpg from Plymouth to Bristol airport (that was driving like miss daisy herself though). From 20000 miles to selling at 24000 miles it was always in mid to high 40s mpg.

The Audi published figures are almost unachievable and tests are conducted under super strict lab conditions in a way in which no one ever drives. Hence the "real world" figures are so different.

Also, after lots of miles on the motorway the eco mode does nothing other than make overtaking really a bit of a gamble as it just blunts the cars response to accelerating.