fuel mileage.....can you beat this

[Professor Farnsworth]

Check your o2 sensors ^^

[mrghia]

We got about 675kms out of our BA with a full car load and on 91ron.
Got just over 1000kms in the missus old EF Fairmont with about 270,000kms driving from Adelaide to Geelong.
Also averaged 800kms in my AU3 XR6 manual mixed driving.

[302 XC]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Easy done!... with a diesel ;)

My 2L diesel Focus returns an easy 5L per 100 on the freeway no worries. If I'm really tight with my driving I can get it down to 4.8L

Did the same trip with a loaded 5x7 trailer (prob 600kg) and some in the car and the consumption went up to 7.4L per 100.

Still very impressed... What would my rig have weighed total? 2.1 tons?? A slightly tuned version of the 2L diesel (130kw / 380NM) would do sub 7 per 100 in a Falcon easy.

So you have a modern high tech diesel weighing with trailer ect say 2.1 Tonnes, total
I ask is this really that great when in a 30 year old 4x4 near 3 tonne diesel i can get 10L/100Ks ,and the engine has over 500,000Ks ,a 4 speed box,aerodynamics of a house brick ...
Theres some who in their old 30 year old diesel 4bies who can manage 12L/100Ks and put threw a 31 x 10.5x15 tyre 400 nm of torque
Technology ,and engine advancxement should see new cars smashing these old engines ,power,economy outta this world, but are they really trying ???
Newer engines are forced fed,need intercoolers to get the figures they get, yet theres a few old skool diesel lads pushing 15 psi , even as high as 20 psi into these old diesels and they are holding together,not like the new stuff
The neighbours newish hilux diesel is great on fuel,but a full engine rebuild and a new turbo at 170Ks, costing just under 19 K , the economy doesnt come into the equation then
Would have been better of in a juice guzzling V8 cruiser thatll go the distant

[RASER]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

I actually thought that was a very silly ad but as you say...... I remember it

Maybe because they are still showing it on TV?

[poppa smurf]

dont know, rarely watch the idiot box

[Gassit100]

FG XR6 averaging about 10.7 on regular, premium not much better.
Wifes Territory around 10.9, we don't have to drive in heavy traffic as a rule

[poppa smurf]

do you really get better economy from higher octane?......I filled up with it a couple of times but didn't notice any difference

[thefargo]

Poppa, don't forget that Alice is about 500 - 600 m above sea level. So from Alice to the coast is 'downhill' , you could have rolled it in!
but seriously, good figures in my opinion

[poppa smurf]

Originally Posted by thefargo

Poppa, don't forget that Alice is about 500 - 600 m above sea level. So from Alice to the coast is 'downhill' , you could have rolled it in!
but seriously, good figures in my opinion

Hah! Hah! I could have shoved her into angel gear and brought her home on fumes.....Love it!

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by 302 XC

So you have a modern high tech diesel weighing with trailer ect say 2.1 Tonnes, total
I ask is this really that great when in a 30 year old 4x4 near 3 tonne diesel i can get 10L/100Ks ,and the engine has over 500,000Ks ,a 4 speed box,aerodynamics of a house brick ...
Theres some who in their old 30 year old diesel 4bies who can manage 12L/100Ks and put threw a 31 x 10.5x15 tyre 400 nm of torque
Technology ,and engine advancxement should see new cars smashing these old engines ,power,economy outta this world, but are they really trying ???
Newer engines are forced fed,need intercoolers to get the figures they get, yet theres a few old skool diesel lads pushing 15 psi , even as high as 20 psi into these old diesels and they are holding together,not like the new stuff
The neighbours newish hilux diesel is great on fuel,but a full engine rebuild and a new turbo at 170Ks, costing just under 19 K , the economy doesnt come into the equation then
Would have been better of in a juice guzzling V8 cruiser thatll go the distant

If the figures you have quoted are true then that is really impressive.

I'm no expert, but my thoughts on the matter:

I can't confirm or deny if a "3 ton, 30 year old diesel with the smoothness of a housebrick" returned 10L per 100. If I were a betting man I would bet that it didn't... but you may very well be right!

Having said that, the power and torque outputs of low tech diesels back then were very low. A 30 year old 4L diesel probably had half the power of my 2L turbo diesel. (Did a quick search, 1982 3.9 diesel in a Land Rover had 66kw as an example).

Wonder how emissions have come into play as well?

The Econetic, a very frugal 1.6L diesel is able to return around 3L per 100 on the freeway. While I believe that figure is achievable, it would need to be driven in just the right way, in favourable conditions. The engine output (both power and torque) is quite low for a modern 1.6L, much lower than the i30 1.6 diesel - 20kw less power, 55nm less torque). I would think the engine was de-tuned to help achieve those figures???

Also, regarding my Focus towing the trailer example. Very little in terms of consumption was attributed to the load. Most of that figure above the 'car only' consumption was just the extra drag of pulling an extra axle. Why?? Well, 300km there - empty trailer and driving very carefully returned an average of 7.2 per 100. The 300km return trip, trailer was full, drove like a bat out of hell and only added .2 per 100... so peanuts.

Had that weight been in the car, I probably wouldn't have broke 6L per 100.

Oh, and my car is an auto.

My brother has a diesel Hilux, and comments on how good it is. But for him, good would be 10L per 100. So, in the end I'm very happy with the consumption of my Focus. I do about 25-30,000km of driving every year, as well as tow my boat / trailer on occasion so bought the Focus for the great pulling power as well as low consumption.

If I were to replace my wifes old Mirage as our 'run about' car I would be getting an Econetic for sure.

[302 XC]

I think we buy what we buy because it suits our needs
The old diesel 4by has returned they mileage on various runs,as i to thought the first time was a fluke
Its certainly not the fasted in the fleet, but the old slug managed to pull over 3 tonnes a few times, didnt get there fast but got there
Its hard to compare new to new, 2nd hand to 2nd hand,old to old , its all relevant to its life and service history
A few mates swear by their hilux utes , there great nothin better, you ask them,after a run in my AU ute they have changed their thinking
I get economy on par to their 4 pottas, i got alot more power,i can carry more load,pull larger loads,more comfortable, did i mention similar economy

Economy or mileage per tank i dont buy on that alone,i buy a package
Cheap to service, cheap on parts, depreciation,economy helps but its the package
Thats why i cant justify buying a late model SUV, the package doesnt add up
My AU is my runabout,its not much dearer than the inlaws 4 cylinder hyundai, and when the power is needed to overtake on the roads,its there
Overtakin b doubles has to be done today not tomorrow