(G) multijet mpg

Those are the hydraulic lifters ticking because the oil is not yet at operating temperature and therefore a bit more viscous than ideal. It's nothing to worry about, all engines with hydraulic lifters do this.


I think this comes from the way most people think diesels should be driven, never venturing above 2000rpm and certainly never ever above 2500rpm!

"Ye gods, it would probably fall apart spinning that fast!" seems to be the general idea, I've even seen people drive like this in petrol cars

You can certainly cruise along at 50kph in 4th, but accelerating away will be rather slow until you hit the beginning of the powerband around 2000rpm.

I generally drive around between 2000 and 2500rpm at which point flooring it definitely produces results. For most driving, letting it get to ~3000rpm before upshifting is more than adequate, but if I really need to move, 4000 is the target. For extended acceleration as fast as possible on short onramps etc., 4500rpm is in fact the ideal shifting point, since that will put you right in the powerband in the next gear.

There is some turbo lag, true. I can take off smoothly by just releasing the clutch in 1st, but then I'll be below 1000rpm making very little power until I get further up the revs. It's a valid way to drive it, it's just very slow. Just slip the clutch like you would on a petrol car and don't hang around in the low revs for too long.

When driving around, don't baby it, let it have some revs and keep that turbo on the boil and you will make better progress, and dare I say possibly even better in-gear rolling acceleration in the Multijet Panda than in the 100HP From 2300rpm or so in 2nd or 3rd it really flies when you floor it.

dare I say possibly even better in-gear rolling acceleration in the Multijet Panda than in the 100HP

I've never understood the concept of "in-gear rolling acceleration". Ultimately, you're saying that in a gear (of the gearbox designed for the car it's in) with the engine revs around maximum torque, the car really flies. I think the same would apply to the 100HP too?

Chris

What I mean is that normal "driving around" RPMs in a diesel are much better situated in the powerband compared to a petrol-engined car.

I know the official Fiat docs say the torque peak for the Multijet is at 1500rpm, my butt dyno says its around 2000rpm, in any case it's much lower in the rev range than on the 100HP.

Unless of course you drive the 100HP around at 4250rpm all day? (I would)

The 100HP really requires you to drop a gear or even two for good acceleration, a diesel has the power right where you are in the revband already. It's just more practical for day-to-day driving.

Heck, a Skoda Fabia vRS will out-accelerate a BMW 330i in the 80-120kph sprint, even with both cars right in their powerband.

Heck, a Skoda Fabia vRS will out-accelerate a BMW 330i in the 80-120kph sprint, even with both cars right in their powerband.

I can see where you're coming from with the day to day driving comment, but would counter it with this: When you need to go in a 100hp, at 1,200 revs it won't. Neither will the multijet. The 1.4 picks up at around 2500, much like the Diesel, but the HP has another 4,500 revs to play with after that point as opposed to 2,000 for the Diesel - so it's actually a lot more flexible....

I assume you're talking about famous "in gear" time quote where both cars are in 4th gear? Having driven both, I can safely say that with each car in their optimium gear for that speed, the vRS won't stand a chance

I think this comes from the way most people think diesels should be driven, never venturing above 2000rpm and certainly never ever above 2500rpm!

"Ye gods, it would probably fall apart spinning that fast!" seems to be the general idea, I've even seen people drive like this in petrol cars

You can certainly cruise along at 50kph in 4th, but accelerating away will be rather slow until you hit the beginning of the powerband around 2000rpm.

I generally drive around between 2000 and 2500rpm at which point flooring it definitely produces results. For most driving, letting it get to ~3000rpm before upshifting is more than adequate, but if I really need to move, 4000 is the target. For extended acceleration as fast as possible on short onramps etc., 4500rpm is in fact the ideal shifting point, since that will put you right in the powerband in the next gear.

There is some turbo lag, true. I can take off smoothly by just releasing the clutch in 1st, but then I'll be below 1000rpm making very little power until I get further up the revs. It's a valid way to drive it, it's just very slow. Just slip the clutch like you would on a petrol car and don't hang around in the low revs for too long.

When driving around, don't baby it, let it have some revs and keep that turbo on the boil and you will make better progress, and dare I say possibly even better in-gear rolling acceleration in the Multijet Panda than in the 100HP From 2300rpm or so in 2nd or 3rd it really flies when you floor it.

I thrashed the arse off my MJ as it was the only way to make any progress at all. I never babied it in any way. There is loads of turbo lag. The power band is too narrow.

If you pull away as described which is what I tended to do as I don't do clutch slipping you find that flooring it achieves nothing until you are way out into the middle of the road, then it all comes at once. It doesn't ever fly, not at all. It has reasonable acceleration if you catch it right, but select the next gear and it has to build boost again.

It's no way quicker than a 100hp (i've had both) because in the 100hp you have throttle response (which is absent in the MJ) so you can drop a gear or two and easily outrun an MJ. Sure the MJ might be quicker in in gear acceleration at some points but don't forget you aren't comparing like with like as the 100hp has a six speed box.

Honestly 30mph in 4th gear I just found a pointless exercise as there is just zero acceleration at that engine speed, it was embarrasing at times and frustrating at others.

I don't wish to offend anyone, but I thought the engine was absolute rubbish, it's too small for a dismal and it's too peaky and way too laggy. I just wanted to drive it off a cliff in the end. That's why I took a 1K hit on the finance to get rid of it and chopped it in for a 100hp.

I honestly think you're being a bit harsh on the MJ. The engine is decently smooth for a diesel and a petrol-engined car offering the same performance would use more fuel. Driving it does call for a greater degree of anticipation because of that narrow rev band, though I have had a Tipo 1.9 Tds (not that tedious) and an Uno Turbo ie and I'd say the MJ's turbo lag is quite acceptable. I actually find driving the MJ quite satisfying as it calls for a little more concentration on traffic and road conditions - you have to anticipate and select a lower gear before you really need to - if you see what I mean - so I do sometimes find that I've dropped a gear or two only to find the need for it doesn't arise. I suppose it's a bit like a throwback to driving a (real) 500 where maintaining momentum became a primary consideration. We're taking the MJ to Italy some time in the near future to draw a direct comparison with doing the trip in the 100HP.

In the MJ, right on the peak of its torque curve, I occasionally think that it might be comparable to the 100HP over a narrow speed range - then I get in the 100HP and realise that it really is much quicker. I should say that I've done something over 8,000 miles in the 100HP and it still feels as though it's loosening up further.