I don't see why people struggle to believe that the mk5 R32 isn't as thirsty as V6's of the past.
Agreed. The Mk5 R32,
when driven with restraint, really can give quite respectable fuel economy, just like my mighty V8 RS4 can. However, if you do have a heavy right foot, then that is where the VR6 engine looses out to the 2.0TFSI, and even the RS4 engine. The VR6 (just like all narrow angle V engines) need to run much richer (when compared to in-lines, conventional angle Vs [60 or 90 degree], or boxers) when developing high power due to the complications of less efficient engine cooling
The mk4 was pretty poor, but we now have FSI technology and when running at it's leanest the 3.2 can have an AFR of up to 65:1.
Erm, I suggest you lift the bonnet on a Mk5 R32 - because they definately do NOT have FSI. They still have manifold-sited injectors. And I'm slightly cautious of your lean AFR - at that quoted rate, that would need to be for miniscule timescales - because not only would you melt holes in your piston crowns, you would also get tremendous amounts of sulphur dioxides (and sulphur oxide derrivatives). I would hazard a guess that most modern engines (when using Ultra Low Sulphur Petrol [ULSP], available in the UK and Western Europe, but not anywhere else, particularly North America) would be able to safely achieve a lean AFR 25 or 30:1. Only direct injection petrol engines can go routinely leaner, but not for extended periods, because the primary EGT will be carefully monitored during lean burn mode.
Add to that the majority of the driving is done at less than 4000rpm, where the turbo boys are just into their power band.. well it's a rather efficient old lump.
Maybe the K04 boys, but the K03 in the standard GTI starts its power band from 1750rpm.
I get 300 miles from a tank on my usual commute (and I don't hang about), which involves a short motorway blast, lots of twisty back roads, a couple of speedy dual carriageways, 14 roundabouts, 8 sets of traffic lights, and finally a 15 minute crawl through stop-start traffic as I get into the town centre. On a pure motorway run I've seen over 400 miles from a tank.
Exactly. Horses for courses and all that. Fuel consumption is substantially dictated by the nut holding the steering wheel. An FSI GTI, or R32, or even an RS4, when driven with restraint (the latter with some serious restraint and discipline
) can absolutly achieve better fuel economy when compared to a TDI which is regularly caned.
I had the misfortune of driving a new Merc A-class diesel (A140), and in the 201miles I drove it (you had to cane the bast@rd - it didn't have enough guts to drag the skin off a rice pudding), it used £45 of diesel !!!!!
