Mk5 GTI DSG Economy

[Rikster]

Hi,

I recently purchased a Mk5 GTI with a DSG gearbox on it and am dissapointed with the economy I'm getting out of the car. 

On a run (cruising at motorway speeds I get 29MPG - is this right?

The most I've had out of it driving as slow as Miss Daisy would I've got 34MPG - is that right? or is it a little low?

Is anyone gettting more then that out of their's?

Does anyone have any ideas of I could do to improve economy?

[luvmygti]

Sounds about right to me  ,

mine is manual but thats what i chose cos i was told the dsg was thirsty compaired to the manual. i get about 31ish normaly but can get it much higher if i drive like a fairy

 

[FamilyDub]

cruising at motorway speeds

^^^ Define your interpretation of 'motorway speeds'. I find sitting at 70-75 makes it almost impossible to better 33 (ish) MPG. I find winding down to 60-65 makes a big, big difference. Boring as f00k, though.

Does anyone have any ideas of I could do to improve economy?

Retro-fit cruise control - it can make a difference when pounding Motorways.

[Ed30DSG]

DSG is booked at being more economical that the manual - in reality they should be very similar.

I've found that cruise control makes fuel economy worse as it wants to accelerate as hard as it can to reach the set speed on resume (or maintaining a set speed going uphill), whereas if you're careful with your right foot you can avoid this.

I can get 33 mpg crusing on long journeys (200+ miles), but it is usually down in the high 20's on shorter journeys.

If I'm heavy with my right foot then it's mid 20's!

[FamilyDub]

I've found that cruise control makes fuel economy worse

^^^ I've only ever found the opposite :: I must drive far more boringly than you on motorways. 

[Saint Steve]

Have you tried it without the Air conditioning off?? also avoid running the heated seats .

[Jimp]

Try changing the MPG readout on the dash to the instantaneous reading to optimise how much you're using while sitting at a constant speed. Dropping from 70 to 60 makes a big difference too. A steady right foot is better on fuel economy than cruise control. Otherwise just normal fuel-saving tips apply like avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.

[maxp]

... A steady right foot is better on fuel economy than cruise control...

Are you sure?

[Jimp]

... A steady right foot is better on fuel economy than cruise control...

Are you sure?

100%, both from experience and just a knowledge of how a cruise control's controller works. The cruise control won't keep a constant output, rather it will cycle around the value you set it to, so it will overshoot, drop back down, go up, overshoot, drop back down, etc. A bit like how a heater keeps its temperature. The time it spends bringing the speed back up will use more petrol. So instead of using a constant amount of petrol over time, you'll be accelerating occasionally which will inevitably use more petrol. The better the controller the closer it will be to using a steady right foot, but most of them are pretty basic.
If the word of someone who works with them isn't enough, remember the episode of top gear where Clarkson took an A8 to Scotland and back on one tank? He turned off cruise control after a while and commented on the increase in fuel efficiency.

[ilovedsg]

I average 29 in winter and 31 in summer, mostly motorway driving.