PS - the link makes for really interesting reading - no hills, no wind and VERY slow acceleration (0-70 km/h - equivalent to 43mp/h - in 41 seconds!) that is very light throttle work!

PaulD said:

I've just completed a return journey to the Peak District and back in the Cross TA. Two passengers plus driver for the journey, then four of us in the Peaks. A total distance of just over 400 miles and average 52.2 mpg.

Click to expand...

Wow! Swap?

After about 800 miles in my TA 4x4 the mpg readout is steady at 43.2

After a similar mileage my wife's Trekking TA is steady at 46.3

Again I tried the Miss Daisy driving style this morning, trying not to go over the 2000 rpm but also not labouring, managed to get 48.3 mpg. Even though it has only covered about 300 miles, my old 4x4 MJ did about the same at 16,000. Can only put it down to extreme daisy driving or I should have got the TA instead, just can't understand how you can get around the 50 mpg mark with people and luggage on board from the TA, could just be driving style

I think 'TA Antarctica' sums it up perfectly. Also driving conditions have a huge impact on driving style and mpg. Almost all my journeys involve a minimum distance of 25 miles on low traffic routes. Once at 50-60 mph I can readily maintain a constant speed without the need for constant adjustments, acceleration and deceleration etc. that are necessary when traffic is heavy. I have plenty of time to anticipate junctions, roundabouts etc. coasting up and accelerating away without the need to stop

Just a little traffic on my commute has a noticeable effect on economy.

Incidentally who did I see in a yellow Cross on the A47 tonight, about 7pm, driving eastwards in the direction of Norwich?

PaulD said:

Incidentally who did I see in a yellow Cross on the A47 tonight, about 7pm, driving eastwards in the direction of Norwich?

Click to expand...

On any other day it might have been me (at least on that bit of the southern bypass that goes from the Watton road to the Beccles/Bungay turn-off) but I went to work in the Barchetta today

By way of example. I used to own a Mini Clubman Cooper S. I used to typically get ~42-44mpg on a run up the M1. One day, I had to follow my in-laws towing their caravan. We probably cruised just under 60mph and acceleration, as you'd imagine, was much slower than what even my usual 'steady' acceleration would be. After 120 miles, the readout showed 54mpg - from a 1275kg, 175bhp 1.6T petrol engine. Point being that normally I wouldn't get anywhere NEAR this, but employing VERY gentle acceleration, with a lower cruise makes a big difference on many turbocharged petrol engines.

That was one of the most frustrating journeys I'd ever driven in that car, though! ;0)

PaulD said:

Interestingly Fiat have a modification to the rear brakes to eliminate the noise. The information from Fiat, via the dealer, was that earlier attempts at a cure involving changing pads, guide pins, greasing etc. were not effective. The parts are on order so I'll be able to report back soon as to how effective the modification is.

Click to expand...

Any more news on this? I refused to pay for new rear pads when I complained about my squeaky brakes. Very interested to see if Fiat have finally come up with a real solution.

Sorry triumph to hijack and go off topic, apart from to say has your mpg improved yet?

Hi. I'm as interested as u r in the rear brake squeal, so happy to veer off-topic lol
On the mpg front, I did a motorway and a-road trips recently and averaged 46mpg which is pretty OK in my book. But the town and country lane mpg is pretty darn poor really. Not that it matters that much to be fair. As for the drop after the service.....looks like an unconnected coincidence

Also interested in how they fix brake-moan! From what I understand, it's just a build up of brake-dust caking up the calipers and causing the pads to catch?
Back on topic, drove Wells-next-the-Sea to Essex, 2-up with camping clobber at an indicated (likely optimistic?) 52mpg - it was 58mpg, but putting my foot down along the M11 brought it down!

No news from the Desira as to when they will be able to fit the modification to the rear brakes.

Fuel consumption since servicing over 1600 miles is an average of 51.9mpg. The bulk of this was on holiday (Norfolk to Herefordshire (Black Mountain), Dorset then back to Norfolk via Salisbury, Oxford and Northampton). The journey was made two up with a bike on the back. I don't think my driving was atypical and the journey times matched almost to the minute that predicted by the TomTom Live system. I find good economy is easier to maintain cruising at 60 mph rather than 50-55 mph, using relatively quiet A-roads rather than mortorways where higher speeds seriously affect the economy and using every opportunity to coast in-gear where this doesn't impact on speed on downhill sections and coming up to junctions.

Hi PaulD, any chance of an economy driving lesson?