General Not another TwinAir MPG thread...

[jasonFazack]

I know this is often a topic of comment, but I really think I must be doing far worse than other owners. Much of my driving is shorter journeys avg 6-8 miles. Some traffic but mainly steady 30-40 mph, but quite hilly. I rarely get more than 40mpg, and I think I drive very carefully, obeying the shift indicator and with a light right foot. Even on a long, steady 50mph run I cannot achieve more than 46mpg. If I put it into Eco mode I might add another 2 mpg. I have the air con off, and I know I should check tyre pressures, but no reason to think they are off. It is a 4x4 with 3,500 miles on the clock. Am I off the mark?.

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

I don't think that you are off the mark.

The killer is the first mile or so and you don't have a long enough trip to make up for the high initial consumption.

To be honest we're not really keeping an eye on the consumption of the 4x4 Panda.

We did go on a long run yesterday mainly along quiet A and B roads and it was probably averaging something like 45mpg which included coming back through a busy town.

When we first got the 500 TA three years ago we kept a close eye on how it performed as it was a novelty and the main topic of conversation about that engine.

You probably know the results!

Long story short it averages in the mid 40s, though I did once get 70mpg over the most boring five mile journey I have ever driven.

Twitch your big toe the consumption goes up, it is so throttle sensitive.

Combine that with 4WD, your hilly terrain, a less than aerodynamic body and getting over 40mpg isn't the end of the world.

Twist things round; you've got a go (nearly) anywhere vehicle with a fun engine and you're getting over 40 mpg!

 

[deeyup]

i agree with all twinair newbie says.

I can get upto 50mpg on my work route, with 60 being the best. However, when my wife uses the car on her work route she gets 27.

 

[Goudrons]

I drove my new 4x4 TA London to Saddleworth and back again at the weekend.

It returned 45 mpg overall, I'm reasonabily happy with that.

At a steady 70 is was around 48-50 mpg.

In the 50 mph road works, 65-70 mpg.

Ragging it over Saddleworth Moor, 18 mpg!

I must admit, the last one was the most enjoyable.
Keeping it on boost by flat changing and letting the stability control sort the corners out was a lot of fun.
I've driven lots of car up over that route, nothing has flown up those hills like that did!

What is noticable, the overall shift, it does great if you putt putt along on the flat with a steady foot, poke it a little on a hill or incline and the swing downwards is massive.

I tried the putt putt, but think I like ragging it a whole lot more, so I've decided to forget looking at the mpg from now on.

 

[Mercky]

I know this is often a topic of comment, but I really think I must be doing far worse than other owners. Much of my driving is shorter journeys avg 6-8 miles. Some traffic but mainly steady 30-40 mph, but quite hilly. I rarely get more than 40mpg, and I think I drive very carefully, obeying the shift indicator and with a light right foot. Even on a long, steady 50mph run I cannot achieve more than 46mpg. If I put it into Eco mode I might add another 2 mpg. I have the air con off, and I know I should check tyre pressures, but no reason to think they are off. It is a 4x4 with 3,500 miles on the clock. Am I off the mark?.

Sounds about right to me too considering your hills and short journeys. I get a mix of results from my 500 TA depending on driving style and external conditions. Best so far was 67mpg over a 60 mile trip (Eco on). 52 mpg over a 375 mile round trip, mostly motorway, eco off and a big headwind. My typical everyday commute mpg is early to mid 40's. A good way to see what's going on is to turn on your instantaneous mpg readout, it will give you a really good indication of how different driving styles and conditions effect the car, it's suprising how lifting your foot just ever so slightly effects the mpg dramatically. I find it a really good way to 'train' yourself to drive economically. The Inst readout may not be that accurate but it's certainly indicative.

 

[varesecrazy]

with only 3.5 k on the clock, it's still tight,
I changed the oil in mine at 7K, and that seemed a little livelier after ( they reset the ECU after oil changes),
now at 10 K it's really livening up,
rule of thumb is,
new 'ish on "full power" is what you get once run-in on "ECO",

Charlie

 

[Goudrons]

I pressed that ECO button once, It felt like someone jammed the handbrake on.
I can't see me pressing it again!

Interesting reading the 105hp TA has the same torque as the 85hp at 145Nm.

I'm also wondering what these Magnetti Marelli tuning boxes are like?
I guess stated improvements are overestimated, but another 20 or so of HP and Nm would be interesting if the clutch can live with it!

 

[Mercky]

with only 3.5 k on the clock, it's still tight,
I changed the oil in mine at 7K, and that seemed a little livelier after ( they reset the ECU after oil changes),
now at 10 K it's really livening up,
rule of thumb is,
new 'ish on "full power" is what you get once run-in on "ECO",

Charlie

I've only got 2K up and it's loosened noticeably since new. Should I expect a further improvement?

 

[varesecrazy]

I've only got 2K up and it's loosened noticeably since new. Should I expect a further improvement?

YES - a significant one..!!


@ 7k miles is the norm to noticeably "free-off",


not sure if the piston ring break-in procedure helps everything else, but it 's well worth it - just in expensive oil saved -not "blown-by",




Charlie

 

[Mercky]

YES - a significant one..!!


@ 7k miles is the norm to noticeably "free-off",


not sure if the piston ring break-in procedure helps everything else, but it 's well worth it - just in expensive oil saved -not "blown-by",




Charlie

Thanks Charlie, what's the piston break in procedure? You mean coasting in gear etc?

 

[varesecrazy]

Thanks Charlie, what's the piston break in procedure? You mean coasting in gear etc?

Yep..that's the one..,

I normally get things all warmed -up , then go a "gear too low" into corners so it holds @ 4K on the overrun for @ 30 seconds,

did this on occasions from day 30 ( when I read repeaded "oilconsumption" worries on here),

10 K on the little motor now = not seen the level budge at all

just did a trip of busy dual carriagway / m'way, cruise at 60 booted up to @75 for passing trucks then "coeast" back to 60..returned 55 mpg..,
pretty good,
the TA gives better MPG as the airtemp creeps up.. so the punto's 2nd summer should give great figures..,
Charlie

 

[macamxthe1st]

Just a quick note, I almost spoiled the TA experience by getting hung up on the MPG obsession. Once I came to terms with the consumption being in line and proportional to the fun/performance available the joy returned.

Geoff.

 

[chr1s]

However, when my wife uses the car on her work route she gets 27.

You need to add a hidden "wife" button (connected in parallel with the "ECO" button)

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

This reminds me of the highly outdated sexist joke about the female who would pull the choke (remember that?) out and use it to hang her handbag on.

 

[Mercky]

Just a quick note, I almost spoiled the TA experience by getting hung up on the MPG obsession. Once I came to terms with the consumption being in line and proportional to the fun/performance available the joy returned.

Geoff.

Yeh completely agree. I was quite obsessional with mine at the start - always monitoring the trips, now I tend to not view them and just drive and enjoy the engine for what it is which is much more enjoyable. It is fun now and again though to do an 'Eco' journey and monitor your progress.

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

I totally agree with the above two posts.

We've had the 500 TA for far longer and when I take it out I tend to go easy but if need be give it a bit of welly for either overtaking or having a bit of fun, and still get over 45mpg.

It's the best of both worlds.

 

[ahmett]

This is funny!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ms-leave-drivers-forking-400-year-petrol.html

 

[Aikidoamigo]

This is funny!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ms-leave-drivers-forking-400-year-petrol.html

It wouldn't open for me.

 

[Happyman]

We got our 4x4 TA at the start of this month. At the moment it's got around 300 miles on the clock, so still very new. On the way to and from work it's doing about 32mpg indicated. That's city driving and only about 4 miles one way. This is about the same as the 100hp doing the same journey. A couple of days after we got it we took it for a bit of a run, along the M62 and up the M6 keeping it to about 60-65ish. It was showing about 55mpg. Coming back down the A65 that dropped to an indicated 50mpg. Which is about what we were expecting, with it being so new. Eco button has not been used.

 

[babbo_umbro]

We got our 4x4 TA at the start of this month. At the moment it's got around 300 miles on the clock, so still very new. On the way to and from work it's doing about 32mpg indicated. That's city driving and only about 4 miles one way. This is about the same as the 100hp doing the same journey. A couple of days after we got it we took it for a bit of a run, along the M62 and up the M6 keeping it to about 60-65ish. It was showing about 55mpg. Coming back down the A65 that dropped to an indicated 50mpg. Which is about what we were expecting, with it being so new. Eco button has not been used.

I did the same swap 14 months, and nearly 18,000 miles, ago. Different motoring experience, of course, but equally enjoyable. The 4x4 TA is giving the same mpg as the 100HP did and - interestingly enough - surprisingly similar performance in most situations. Now in Umbria on its third trip to our Italian home - 42 mpg on this sort of journey.