General TwinAir Thread (including MPG)

[306maxi]

Can anyone suggest a cure for the noisy wipers?

A liberal application of using the search function helps with that

 

[pearce_jj]

There are people who aren't getting great figures from the 1.2 and mj as well.

So has anyone actually posted decent numbers from the t/a?

 

[306maxi]

So has anyone actually posted decent numbers from the t/a?

Well Rallycinq is getting over 50 on fuelly regularly and is getting almost 50mpg overall and he's not put a huge amount of miles on his car. I'm only getting 47.9 with almost 28k on the clock.....

 

[grimwau]

Can anyone suggest a cure for the noisy wipers?

These come highly recommended and are a direct replacement for the standard items. I will be getting a set before the winter.

 

[jrkitching]

There are people who aren't getting great figures from the 1.2 and mj as well.

True, but a run-in 1.2 is at least capable of bettering its combined mpg figure over an extended period of real world use. I seriously doubt I could get a consistent 70mpg from a TA, however carefully I drove it.

 

[306maxi]

True, but a run-in 1.2 is at least capable of bettering its combined mpg figure over an extended period of real world use. I seriously doubt I could get a consistent 70mpg from a TA, however carefully I drove it.

But neither of us has tried the TA sadly

 

[loveshandbags]

No and we never expected to either. The TA is not alone in having the official figures out of whack with reality, though I agree that the discrepencies are pretty bad.

However we didn't get the TA just because of economy, in fact it didn't really come into it.

We got it as it was a relatively inexpensive fun car with a great deal of personality.

As to whether we'd have preferred the Abarth, that car didn't come into our reckonning.

Mrs J did not want a hot hatch with associated increased costs and frankly unwanted attention from other people wanting to 'race her' as she found was the case when she previously had hot cars.

We're very pleased with the TA, even though it has been recalled, and look forward to driving it with the knowledge that it doesn't shout its abilities with exterior badges.

I'm not knocking the Abarth, it's simply not for us.

From the test drives that I have done of the TA I could not dispute the FUN factor and for anyone buying a TA they would be buying one with 'their eyes wide open'. Re the Abarth and that the boy racer look the Bravo has the same T-jet engine and doesn't advertise it.

With the emphasis on lowering the grs/km, BMW are producing some micraclous figures and I understand at the cost of other more important enrvironment figs e.g. Nitrous Oxide. Even Porsche have got their 911s below the 'magic' 225grs/km.

http://www.wintonsworld.com/cars/2011/Fiat500_TwinAir.html
Fiat, and most other car manufacturers, has found a way to game the system by persuading the European Union to allow their cars to beat a ludicrously unworldly fuel economy test, which allows them to claim huge fuel economy figures unattainable in the real world.

There are countless reviews of the TA but this first review that I have seen that did an independent test on grs/km and it got different grs/km than that quoted. To 'balance' the review it gave 'good' mpg figures...

1:44 vibrations 2:00 gearbox
2:38 rear tends to fishtail ESP would help
2:41 Full 39M stop from 100km
3:40 Eco button
3:50 Emissions test



http://www.euronet.nl/users/grantm/frans/fuel.html
5.1 l/km = 55mpg
4.1 l/km = 68.9mpg

 

[pearce_jj]

It does seem quite odd really.

 

[eco sTAr]

I've had the odd journey at over 70mpg, with most journeys being in the low 60s.

I've given up with 'eco' mode as it just spoils enjoyment of the car, so latest journeys are a little lower than previous.

Fuelly says 55 on average which isn't too bad, but I can't see any way that I'm going to achieve regular high sixties, especially as it's shared with MOH!

Does anyone have any idea how to get an ecorive score of better than 3 stars on acceleration or gear changes? I'm struggling to make any improvement in these areas.

 

[306maxi]

I've had the odd journey at over 70mpg, with most journeys being in the low 60s.

I've given up with 'eco' mode as it just spoils enjoyment of the car, so latest journeys are a little lower than previous.

Fuelly says 55 on average which isn't too bad, but I can't see any way that I'm going to achieve regular high sixties, especially as it's shared with MOH!

Does anyone have any idea how to get an ecorive score of better than 3 stars on acceleration or gear changes? I'm struggling to make any improvement in these areas.

Disregard ecodrive. It's ****. You can get a better score but drive LESS economically...... it's a steaming pile of poop.

 

[bgunn]

Does anyone have any idea how to get an ecorive score of better than 3 stars on acceleration or gear changes? I'm struggling to make any improvement in these areas.

Same here - I think you have to keep the revs/throttle opening right down. I've noticed that the engine tolerates pulling from low revs in higher gears a lot more since I've put 1000 miles on the car since new, so I suspect it'll free up yet more as time goes on.

 

[eco sTAr]

In 'eco' mode GSI says to shift up from 4th at 30mph, but I'm yet to find any sort of road that isn't downhill, where the car will tolerate 5th at that speed!

 

[Franda]

So, am on 5 th tankfull of fuel, TA dualogic, just did a trip from Bournemouth to Southend, 315 miles round trip, using Eco occasionally and 70+mph to keep up with motorway traffic, trip computer said 55mpg, brim to brim says 57.23mpg. I am very happy with that as I certainly wasn't driving in economy mode...
980 miles on the clock, so hope it continues to improve.
Franda

 

[pearce_jj]

That sounds a bit more like it. Although I recorded a full-tank @74mpg a couple of days back in the 1.3MJ, so it's considerably behind whichever way it's cut - despite the same official combined mpg.

 

[steelfish]

Hi there,

I'm looking to order perhaps the bog standard Twin Air tomorrow. (it's either that or the 1.2 Lounge). As far as I noticed, all the cars at the dealership had the leather steering wheel, but I'm wondering if I could live with the non upgraded wheel and no Blue & Me to get the better engine.

I had a check through the member pics I could find - but you all seem to have upgraded steering wheels too!

Anyone perhaps have a pic of the standard wheel they could share with me, please?

Thanks in advance.

 

[306maxi]

Standard wheel is nasty. Tbh if you're on a budget then there is no choice other than the 1.2.

We have a 1.2 lounge and if we were buying again and we wanted a 500, it'd be a TA lounge for sure. Go for the lounge!

 

[bgunn]

Agreed, the standard plastic wheel is really nasty feeling, I wouldn't buy a Pop, personally..

 

[loveshandbags]

Hi there,

I'm looking to order perhaps the bog standard Twin Air tomorrow. (it's either that or the 1.2 Lounge). As far as I noticed, all the cars at the dealership had the leather steering wheel, but I'm wondering if I could live with the non upgraded wheel and no Blue & Me to get the better engine.

I had a check through the member pics I could find - but you all seem to have upgraded steering wheels too!

Anyone perhaps have a pic of the standard wheel they could share with me, please?

Thanks in advance.

It is no longer possible to order a bog standard TA - but it might be possible to get a 'Stock item'. The cheapest TA is the 'Twin Air' as a new order.

 

[steelfish]

Agreed, the standard plastic wheel is really nasty feeling, I wouldn't buy a Pop, personally..

OK thanks for the advice on the plastic wheel. Just to avoid confusion it's the TwinAir TwinAir rather than the Pop TwinAir I was thinking of.

I'll see if the dealer can come up with a better figure for my BM trade-in tomorrow and make the choice from there (TwinAir TwinAir + decent steering wheel v. 1.2 Lounge).

It's my own fault really - made the mistake of test driving the TwinAir rather than the 1.2 and the noise was just awesome! May end up talking myself down to the 1.2 and some extras instead.

 

[steelfish]

It is no longer possible to order a bog standard TA - but it might be possible to get a 'Stock item'. The cheapest TA is the 'Twin Air' as a new order.

Yeah sorry I should have said TwinAir with no options (ie incl. plastic steering wheel). The one we test drove was the TwinAir, but with leather wheel and Blue & Me and was fine for what we need it for.