[TouaregTwin]

Houston Texas to Lincoln Nebraska
22.5mpg...
880 miles in 11hrs 45min= average speed 74.89 mph
Kind of disappointed on mpg, was hoping to see 26-28mpg

 

[RDub7]

We might be talking apples to oranges, but I have going on 17,000 miles and the (total) average is app 30 mpg. I am sure this itself can be a discussion in and of itself.

However for a trip and or a leg of a trip, especially if you were trying to post higher numbers, I am sure that further discussion will bring out things that do not meet the eye.

The range of mpg has been between a low of 28 to a high of 36 mpg.

( like you) I normally like to talk about a mpg figure on tank " fulls". So for example, my last fill or tank full was 30 mpg (on 17 gals/515 miles, 26.4 gal VW stated capacity)

 

[LOtouareg]

Yesterday:
Portland, OR to Sacramento, CA
600 miles. 12 hours.
Took so long because of traffic and snow.
Ave. MPG: 17.35
I'll take your 22.5 MPG any day

 

[RDub7]

Glad to see you made it ! I understand (at this writing) CA Trans has closed the roads both ways.

Yes, about two weeks ago a trip UP (from sea level) and back to S. Tahoe 500 miles R/T, chain controls both ways and the attendant slow speeds, waiting, traffic breaks, incidents, idling and massive use of defroster. When it was not wet snowing (due to temperatures higher than 33 degrees it rained very hard both ways. Driving rains par for the course. VW T posted app 30/31 mpg.

 

[TouaregTwin]

Average speed was 74.xxx but I had the cruise set at 85, once I got of each town... I did notice that mpg tanked when I had it set from 75 to 85, from ~28mpg to ~22 mpg

 

[RDub7]

Perhaps it IS the cruise control !? I have to confess I do not know how to operate the VWT's CC correctly. Perhaps I should both learn how to operate it and actually use it; so I can say I actually have done it.

In any case, the real point is the (VWT 3.0 L TDI) engine is actually optimized for app 2,100 RPM (defacto NOT a speed). There are a host of reasons that may or may not be germane to the discussion here. This translates to roughly 81 mph.

My experiences on other CC's have been they try to nail speed (81 mph). As a result, the rpm is all over the place. This of course is anathema to best mpg. So for example, when I try to HOLD 2,100/2,200 RPM (NO CC), the computer (instantaneous mpg screen) bounces around from 30 to 37 mpg.

So the obvious question, ( given "proper" running of your motor) what is more important, speed, rpm, or mpg?

So for example, DEFACTO you posted that 85 mph was MOST important. That being so, the mpg fell into place.

 

[pajohn]

Speed kills the MPG in the Treg. I have found that 55-60 mph yields the best MPG. It starts falling off significantly faster than that. For example, I can get 30 mpg but average speed with be between 60-65. If I average 75mph , my mpg will go down to around 26-27.

 

[catalystgod]

Wow, at 77 mpg, 21.5 is what i get from the V10. I can get 24 if i stay between 65 and 70. I also get better results when i am in control as opposed to cruise control.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using AutoGuide App

 

[volkswagendude]

Force of drag for high speed turbulent flow:
Fd = ½ρv²ACd

The power required to overcome the aerodynamic drag is given by:
Pd = ½ρv³ACd

'nuff said

 

[herothedog]

Seems about right.

Over the past year I've averaged 25MPG. The best MPG is in the 65-70MPH range and starts to drop rapidly above that.

 

[warminwisco]

I am pretty much with ya at 25mpg long term and like above low 70ish the MPG starts dropping

 

[ludwigsburger]

currently 30200 miles, between 70-75mph i get now about 30.3. following people in texas it dropped to 22mpg. will not tell you the speed.

 

[SamTrooper]

My best tank yet, 1,106km and total tank average of 6.3 litres on 100 km hand calculated. MFD was a bit optimistic. works out to be full hand calculated tank ofo 37 US MPG. Average is still just under 27 US MPG. It probably dropped a bit since summer as i've let my wife drive.

 

[TouaregNCC1701]

As a comparative post, I have a 2008 VR6 Certified Preowned, so do not get TDI mileage, however I have kept every single gas reciept for the past 6 months of ownership. I put on exactly 5421 miles in 173 days, and spent $1007.14 on 279.92 US gallons of gasoline. I therefore have the following statistics:

3.597 USdollars per USgallon average.
19.36 Miles per USgallon (which converts to 23.18 Miles per UKgallon)

I do mainly highway driving, and the highway I drive on is posted at 70 MPH. VW bills the 2008 Touareg at 20mph highway 14mph city, so I would say I am doing quite well these past six months. And having the large gas tank reduces trips to the station too... there is a Range indication on the dash which shows around 430-460 miles for a full tank.

Also you can set your dashboard indicator to show ongoing MPG as you drive, which shows how driving downhill, or level is better than uphill, also easing up rather than pushing that accelerator too much, helps, while a lot of breaking and speeding up does not help. But the realtime MPG indicator shows how you get 14, 17, 20, 30, 40 up to 60 and up MPG depending on driving habits - but of course the road conditions and hills and pesky stop lights get in the way, and it averages out, so the longer you can sustain better MPG realtime numbers the better the overall average will be.

What is also encouraging to me is I paid less than half the original price for my certified Touareg, and therefore feel I have saved a lot of money to start, rather than spending 35-45K on a hybrid or high MPG vehicle, which have their own pitfalls - battery life and such.

 

[Tregv10]

V10 TDi. 70-75MPH I get 21MPG and 55-60MPH I get 23MPG.

 

[TouaregTwin]

Average mpg 23.5 on the way back from Lincoln to Houston. With average speed of 78mph.

 

[frshcatch]

V10 MPG

I am also in the 21 MPG on open highway at around 70. But, at higher speeds you are pushing a wall of air and gas milage drops dramatically. I try to use the other car most of the time around town.

This milage doesn't compare with the V6 apparently, but I wanted the brute force of the V10. With a 7500# towing load the milage drops to near 13 MPG. Ouch (but it still beats a Ford 250 with similar towing capability). It is a brute of a little truck and the milage is workable for a second car. People wonder how I can tow such a large load with such a pea of a truck. They don't realize that it is a tractor disguised as a SUV.

 

[JMosch]

Living in South Florida I can only get 14 MPG out of my v10. Doesn't help there is a traffic light every block.

 

[goudh]

New to me TDI

Have put a new to me 2010 TDI into use. Quite a change from the stout 4.2 V-8. Although the TDI has a very sneaky and quite rush and is not a slouch. The mileage has put a nice smile on my face and I normally see 25-26 mpg on a trip like and 19 to 20 around town. Not sure how much the cold weather and snow tires affect mileage but would suspect they do.

Of course I learned why I do not manage stocks. Just after getting the TDI the price of gasoline took a dive and clean diesel went up!

 

[Yeti]

Of course I learned why I do not manage stocks. Just after getting the TDI the price of gasoline took a dive and clean diesel went up!

It always goes up in the winter time and will be at or lower then gas in the summer.