GTD DSG Estate - MPG

[My other womans a vw.]

The aero trays mentioned by golfdave are a worthwhile retrofit.
They offer protection and improve MPG.

[dubber36]

The aero trays mentioned by golfdave are a worthwhile retrofit.
They offer protection and improve MPG.

But at what cost? The expence of buying those parts would pay for a fair amount of additional diesel.

Monkeyhangers comments about DPF regens ring true with me too. I've had a 2010 Golf, 2011 Passat, 2015 Amarok, 2016 Golf, 2016 Tiguan, and can't say I've ever noticed any of them doing a regen. My 2019 Euro 6 Caravelle seems to try to do it at least twice a week. Even on a really short 5 mile round trip, I'll park up and the fans will be on and the smell of hot exhaust is wafting about. It does get good, long runs too. Even if none are planned, I'll hold it in 4th gear for a ten mile A road lorry following procession.

[Yusee]

I have a pretty good comparison between my old UK GTD hatch DSG (66 reg - so the old 6 speed wet box) and my current 2019 German spec Leon ST FR DSG (newer 7 speed) and the 184hp diesel with AdBlue, so very comparable to a GTD estate DSG.

My Leon returns 50mpg (over a distance of approx 30k miles) the GTD did 48 (over 50k miles).

Suspect it's all down to how you drive, I only got 30mpg during the first lockdown in spring on a run from near Munich to near Frankfurt, covered 245 miles in just 2.5 hours. At certain stretches doing nearly twice the UK speed limit for a few minutes continuously at a time...

Just week before last I did the same journey again on an eco run and managed 70mpg (in individual mode with engine/dsg in eco, steering in sport and dcc in comfort).

Doing 55-65mph on a single carriageway should return close to 50 in my experience of UK driving with a GTD hatch DSG ... but of course depends if you're mostly crusing along or chasing corners

I agree a lot is about how you drive, what kind of roads you drive on and temperature has a big influence.  But the only thing thats changed is the car in the last few weeks.  The official stats mostly explain the difference I'm seeing - I guess it just caught me off guard how much the difference was.

Your experience does seem to be broadly in line with published data. The only other factor may be how it’s been run in. Does it use any oil?

[My other womans a vw.]

dubber36-that’s a good point,but if you intend to keep your car and you do plenty of miles,it’s a no-brainer.
If you look on golfdaves how to guide,he lists all the parts required and prices (perhaps the prices are a little out of date),also there’s a very comprehensive fitting guide for each tray-you can’t go wrong.
I got all the parts from E-Acca and whilst I can’t remember exactly what I paid,it wasn’t a fortune-about £400 springs to mind.
What’s a tank of diesel/petrol cost nowadays...£70/£80?-if you fill up using ‘v power’ like I do.

[golfdave]

The aero trays mentioned by golfdave are a worthwhile retrofit.
They offer protection and improve MPG.

But at what cost? The expence of buying those parts would pay for a fair amount of additional diesel.

A few points you have missed:-

1. Those parts by improving the underbody aero also reduce the underbody wind turbulence, therefore the inside of the car is quieter, without having to rip apart the inside to add more sound deadening.

2. Some of those parts improve the stability of the car, again because they reduce the underbody turbulence.

3. Most of those parts provide protection of the underbody from stone strike etc., which is also sound deadening.


MPG on my lowly petrol 1.4lt MK7 estate is no worse than 38mpg with a heavy right foot on the twisty back roads, 42-46mpg in normal driving & 52mpg+ on long trips....But my car has 190bhp+ & 312Nm + with a Revo Stage 1-B remap (98Ron)...


People spend way more on swapping alloys "because they look better", those undertrays at least have several practical & functional benefits!!!

[ub7rm]

You know what, over the last couple of days the MPG has improved.  No idea why.  Maybe the half tank of diesel it came with was stale from sitting waiting to sell or I've blown away some cobwebs but this is more like what I would expect



Weird... not like its any warmer.  Anyway, good to see its capable of much the same mpg I was getting from the old car. 

[monkeyhanger]

You know what, over the last couple of days the MPG has improved.  No idea why.  Maybe the half tank of diesel it came with was stale from sitting waiting to sell or I've blown away some cobwebs but this is more like what I would expect



Weird... not like its any warmer.  Anyway, good to see its capable of much the same mpg I was getting from the old car.

My A4 (190ps 2.0TDI) is much keener (far more responsive) with a shot of Millers in the tank to up the Cetane number if using local supermarket (usually Morissons) diesel, doesn't need it when I fill up at Costco.

[itavaltalainen]

Possibly you got more used to the DSG in addition to having better fuel?

An auto does require some change in how you drive the car. I found you cruise more than in a manual.

[ub7rm]

Possibly you got more used to the DSG in addition to having better fuel?

An auto does require some change in how you drive the car. I found you cruise more than in a manual.

That crossed my mind as well to be honest.  I'm used to Auto's though, the 'other' car on the drive has been an auto of some sort for 7 years. 

[monkeyhanger]

Possibly you got more used to the DSG in addition to having better fuel?

An auto does require some change in how you drive the car. I found you cruise more than in a manual.

Not sure whether these comments were intended for me. I flit between local supermarket fuel and Costco fuel when I'm passing (I'm not going to do a 26 mile round trip to fill up on better fuel if I'm not going to Costco anyway ). When I fill up at Costco, the car's more responsive without needing to add Millers Ecomax (detergent and Cetane enhancer). The mpg isn't appreciably better, but the puck-up is better when you use the throttle.

I am getting used to DSG - I'd rather have a manual but VAG seems to be taking that choice away for anything over 150ps. I can beat the car's own gear choices for marginally better mpg, not by a large enough margin to be bothered. When I'm driving down the A19 (about 50% of my miles these days), that 7th gear encourages me to maintain 80mph rather than 70mph, for better fuel economy (the car being in 7th much more of the time).