Real life fuel economy ?
08-08-2017, 05:36 PM
#31
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If you look at how they come up with the numbers, it seems to me it isn't too far off from being a kind of stab in the dark with respect to real-world figures.
In order to really honestly compare the EPA rating to actual mileage, you have to compare to other MY2018 vehicles to establish some kind of basic benchmark before assuming it is the car or the manufacturer. If other cars tested in the same class get approximately the rated mileage, then sure - you have something. But until you know that, you don't have enough to go on. I smell stinkage from the overall testing methods. To compare to what they did, you're going to have to average your city mileage over a year or take data points at other times of the year than summer. (my AC is ALWAYS running. Almost enough to completely thwart auto-stop.) Speaking of auto-stop... is yours on or off?
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml
In order to really honestly compare the EPA rating to actual mileage, you have to compare to other MY2018 vehicles to establish some kind of basic benchmark before assuming it is the car or the manufacturer. If other cars tested in the same class get approximately the rated mileage, then sure - you have something. But until you know that, you don't have enough to go on. I smell stinkage from the overall testing methods. To compare to what they did, you're going to have to average your city mileage over a year or take data points at other times of the year than summer. (my AC is ALWAYS running. Almost enough to completely thwart auto-stop.) Speaking of auto-stop... is yours on or off?
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml
True on AC, and other factors.
08-08-2017, 06:32 PM
#32
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Conditions for the experiment:
Gasoline: 93 octane
AC: OFF (fortunately it was not hot as Drogon's breath outside)
Mode: Comfort
Auto Start/Stop: ON
Transmission: D
Drove it like it was a baby Prius. Light on the acceleration. Straight up "city" drive. I could have gotten the average higher if I had more distance to go, I'm sure of it.
When I got her home, I had to wipe away her tears and promise to NEVER drive her like that again. It was HARD.
08-09-2017, 05:33 AM
#34
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One more data point for the experiment:
Gasoline: 93 octane
AC: ON
Mode: Comfort
Auto Start/Stop: OFF (S)
Transmission: S
Drove it normally. Route was reverse of yesterday's route with the exception of a tiny re-route to avoid where they were tearing up the asphalt.
Gasoline: 93 octane
AC: ON
Mode: Comfort
Auto Start/Stop: OFF (S)
Transmission: S
Drove it normally. Route was reverse of yesterday's route with the exception of a tiny re-route to avoid where they were tearing up the asphalt.
08-09-2017, 11:42 AM
#35
AudiWorld Senior Member
Well Talbot, there ya have it. As I have low-key suspected it seems that 21 rating is only possible in D with auto-start and a meticulously light throttle foot to keep her out of boost.
Truer words never spoken. There's no way Audi expects its target market S car buyer to actually drive it like you did...they just expect the EPA official test driver to do that so they can win the higher CAFE number.
But god damn does it take meticulous concentration and self control to keep the turbo from spooling and achieve those numbers on the dash, with the car begging you to just please put me in S, please let the turbo spool, please let the exhaust sing, please let me use just a measly 10% more of my boundless available torque...
But god damn does it take meticulous concentration and self control to keep the turbo from spooling and achieve those numbers on the dash, with the car begging you to just please put me in S, please let the turbo spool, please let the exhaust sing, please let me use just a measly 10% more of my boundless available torque...
08-09-2017, 12:36 PM
#36
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Thread Starter
Honestly my bigger concern (reason why I posted in the first place) was long highway driving, cross state, with adaptive cruise control, as that's how I get most of my miles. And I was happy to see that there, you can match the sticker. In my city test drive I got 17mpg which was oodles better than I would get with my B8...
08-19-2017, 01:32 PM
#39
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So I burned off my first tank from the dealer. On the second tank, probably 80%+ highway, but a fair amount of that either stop and go traffic or 80 mph cruises, I got 25.9 mpg on the tank (372.1 miles, 14.364 gallons). Trip computer said I got 27.2 mpg (so yeah, that's not very reliable). I used an individual setting that had the throttle/transmission set to auto, so effectively in comfort mode. Breaking it in so didn't go very hard on the throttle (with one or two exceptions). My daily commute is about 30 miles each way, with short city street diversions to the gym before work, and one round trip to the airport on mostly highways (50 miles each way). AC blasting all the time (and very warm temps). I'm pretty pleased with that, but in my brief shifts into dynamic mode, I can tell with the higher RPMs and more aggressive downshifting, my mileage would have been a lot worse. Also, if you do a lot of stoplight to stoplight driving without long stretches of even throttle, I can see getting mid-teens pretty easily, especially if the engine isn't warmed up.
08-28-2017, 06:17 AM
#40
AudiWorld Senior Member
Update:
Just completed a 700 mile road trip this weekend. Averaged 31.4 mpg. About 2900 on the odometer now, after that.
This is with 2 people + a weekend's luggage in the car, on 19" OEM Summer tires, running the lower "normal load" tire pressure from the manual (not the higher "max load" pressure you'll find on your door jamb label here in the United States). The drive was completed almost entirely in Comfort Mode / D.
I'm very happy with this highway mileage...it's the same as my old car, a 2011 V6 Honda Accord, which made 2/3 the power, half the torque, had half the drive wheels, *and* had the ability to deactivate up to half its cylinders while cruising down the highway via variable cylinder management.
I would definitely call that having your cake eating it too...though of course my Accord could sip 87, and this car requires premium which was quite pricey this weekend with all the Harvey stuff going on. (I hope you guys down in Texas are doing okay!)
Just completed a 700 mile road trip this weekend. Averaged 31.4 mpg. About 2900 on the odometer now, after that.
This is with 2 people + a weekend's luggage in the car, on 19" OEM Summer tires, running the lower "normal load" tire pressure from the manual (not the higher "max load" pressure you'll find on your door jamb label here in the United States). The drive was completed almost entirely in Comfort Mode / D.
I'm very happy with this highway mileage...it's the same as my old car, a 2011 V6 Honda Accord, which made 2/3 the power, half the torque, had half the drive wheels, *and* had the ability to deactivate up to half its cylinders while cruising down the highway via variable cylinder management.
I would definitely call that having your cake eating it too...though of course my Accord could sip 87, and this car requires premium which was quite pricey this weekend with all the Harvey stuff going on. (I hope you guys down in Texas are doing okay!)