Technical 1.2 MPG question

[kipster1]

I filled up my 1.2 Dynamic 200 miles ago, reset the trip. The average is now at 56.2mpg (The computer reads 3mpg over, i've checked it). The car has covered 20k so is now well run in.
I have had 66mpg showing before now, the lowest i've seen is 47mpg.
With the price of fuel now you really have to think about how you are driving.
If i get the urge to waste money i take my motorcycle out .

 

[izzy eckerslike]

I
With the price of fuel now you really have to think about how you are driving.
If i get the urge to waste money i take my motorcycle out .

Exactly, thats why I kept at 60-65, 90% of cars were doing well over 70mph
& no doubt fuel economy would be rock bottom. I noticed a lot more lorries keeping down to 55-60mph, probably on orders from their boss to keep costs down now its gone sky high.

 

[kipster1]

Exactly, thats why I kept at 60-65, 90% of cars were doing well over 70mph
& no doubt fuel economy would be rock bottom. I noticed a lot more lorries keeping down to 55-60mph, probably on orders from their boss to keep costs down now its gone sky high.

7.5 tonne lorries are now governed to 56mph, same as the 40 tonne HGV's.
I've just completed a 400 mile round trip at 56 mph, just try to imagine that!!!
When your vehicle is governed, you realise just how crap car drivers are, not all of them, but there are so many plonkers out there. They pass you and then slow down to 55mph!!!

All vans over 3.5 tonnes are now also restricted to 56mph, so if you are sat behind a twin wheel base van, it aint his fault.

 

[Sammyboy]

My Eleganza did 52.1 MPG on it's very first tank but now barely does 44MPG!

 

[Chinky_500]

I must use this opportunity to thank National Express coaches! I was tucked behind one of their coaches all the way from Brighton to Watford for the rolling road day at red dot on Sunday - 60 mph all the way and got a very cool 75 mpg for that part of the journey!

Lesson - let something bigger take the drag penalty

 

[ScoobyChris]

Just to confirm the Panda tank is 35 litres. Spent the day blatting around lovely clear country roads with the climate set to 18 deg C and got 37.0mpg measured and 37.4mpg on the OBC over the 164 miles.

Chris

 

[Sam87]

From my 1.2 eleganza (with climate always on)

Get best of 53mpg at 65-70 on motorway.

Can get low 40's around town if sensible, normally average 35mpg. Compared to the KA i used to have its much better (MPG wise) but i regret not getting the 100hp holds its money better with the only downside the ride which for me is no big deal.

Sam

 

[udtrev]

I've got a 1.2 Dynamic, it spends at least 75% of the time on either the M23 or M25, normally doing around 65 mph.

In the fillups it's had since I got it, it's averaged 56.58mpg with a best of 59.55 mpg and 393 miles out of a tank, the dreaded light came on 1/2 mile from the filling station.

So far it's done 1,330 miles using 106.86 litres.

The poor thing is a 2005 model, and only had 11,200 on the clock when I got it - hope it likes the motorways :devil:

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Evening all

This makes interesting reading, and also shows that my 1.2 4x4 is 'not as bad' as I thought it was. My daily round trip is nearly 50 miles, much on motorway or dual carriageway. Over past 2,000 miles, the computer shows an average of 41mpg. (Haven't checked but suspect this is slightly over-optimistic though). Most Panda's tanks are 35 litres (7.7 gallons), but the 4x4 which is only 30l (or 6.6 gal) because it needs room for the propshaft for 4x4 system to go under it. I get five days, (just! - yellow light on on the way home) from a tank.

The 'driving at speeds to save money' is interesting: I've had the computer on the 'instantaneous mpg' setting for the past few weeks, and this reveals that (perhaps not surprisingly) its not road speed, but engine speed that makes the most difference. Driving slowly at 2,500 or less rpm seems to be less economical. Keeping it around 3000 rpm (bearing in mind the 4x4 is lower-geared than 'normal' Pandas, this is about 60mph in fifth, but also keeping at this rpm in lower gears on hills or in town) is much better -- can have it showing 60+ (instant) mpg on level (always goes to 141 on long downhill section). Going up hill can drop to 25-35 with gentle acceleration (say half throttle), but as low as 15-18 if pedal buried in the floor. it doesn't go any faster with pedal buried, just uses more fuel. I'd love to see what mpg this 'gentle' (but not slow) driving would give in the MultiJet. And at the end of the journey, I catch up with things that went flying past me, so the overall journey time is about the same. Means I can hear the radio better too!
Pete

 

[udtrev]

I agree with you Pete, the Squirrelmobile seems to sip better at 3000 revs than it does at 2500, which is handy for keeping out of the lorry lane .

I will admit the MPG plummets like a rock when it even sniffs an uphill stretch .



Trev

 

[Sammyboy]

I usually get 45-50MPG but the best I got (using proper maths not the computer) was 64.2MPG driving as efficiently as I could and that was mixed driving. Doubt i'll top that again but that is mightily impressive for the 1.2litre