Hello everyone, first post.

I have had an 08 plate A3 1.9Tdi Sport 3dr since last July. 13k on the clock when I bought it, 20k now. I have had several BMW 3-series before switiching to Audi because I wanted a hatchback and FWD car.

I am absolutely delighted with the car in every respect - probably my favourite of any car I have owned.

However I am a bit disappointed with the fuel economy and would like to canvass opinion as to whether the numbers I am getting are reasonable.

Around town it's great; 38-40 mpg but on the motorway I really struggle to get above 50mpg unless I really slow down below the speed limit. Usually I am getting around 48mpg at 70-75mph. For my driving which includes a lot of town and short journeys I average about 45mpg.

Whilst not a disaster gut feel says I should be getting more than my old 3 series (320d coupe) which got me 55mpg when driven carefully on the motorway. I would have expected high 50s which is in between the official extra-urban (67) and combined (55) figures by Audi.

I would be very grateful if any other 1.9 owners could share their experiences.