The fuel economy on our 2015 Outlander diesel auto hasn't been fantastic in the 2 years of ownership. As a result I have been religiously driving around with the big green ECO button on the dash turned on. Supposed to re-map the throttle, cut power use by the a/c condenser, etc etc whatever.
So yesterday I made our regular mixed 200-mile round trip without using Eco-mode. Car is much more responsive. I didn't alter my relaxed driving style. Yep, you guessed it: my fuel consumption improved! Finally cracked 40mpg.
Guess the ECO thing is just another big marketing hoax...?!
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I used it for two days, and then turned. It off. It felt as if the carpet had got under the accelerator.
My three fill rolling average is currently 41.2.
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>> Guess the ECO thing is just another big marketing hoax...?!
>>
Two years? Or is that a typo?
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My Civic has an ECO button.
Only difference I can see is you have fancy lights on dashboard to tell you that you are driving economically, and also a difference on the cruise control. On eco, the CC will gradually increase its speed to the set speed whereas with it off, the car will accelerate quickly up to the set speed.
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I have the PHEV version of this car and the ECO button makes quite a big difference. Using it on country roads I get a realistic 25 miles of electric range, as opposed to about 18 miles not using the ECO setting.
Of course, you do actually have to remember to press the button, as there is no way that I can find of defaulting to the ECO setting.
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When I press the button on the dash, ECO stays on permanently. Or rather until SWMBO takes the wheel, when she promptly deactivates it for the reason that Manatee describes above.
Maybe not 2 years ON, but certainly 18 months or more. It's SWMBO's daily driver; I only drive it once a week or so.
Engine is finally loosening up and performing better after almost 20,000 miles I guess.
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A friend of mine has a button marked +R on his Civic
He calls it his WTF button. His partner never touches it. And he rarely does.
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>> Engine is finally loosening up and performing better after almost 20,000 miles I guess.
I've been driving like a vicar to get the 41mpg, although I do go at the speed limits where appropriate. It's only done 2,200 miles so far and it does seem to have improved - the first couple of fills were in the 36's then a 39, now we're in the 40's.
It's a Euro6 and it is certainly clean as regards soot. Not a smudge in the tailpipe. All stuck somewhere up the exhaust blocking it up I expect!
I have been using V-Power Nitro FWIW, which according to Shell is about an extra 9p/litre.
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The M135i has Sport+, Sport, Comfort and EcoPro, and the drivetrain (gearbox/throttle response) and chassis (dampers/steering) can be configured within that, i.e. Sport drivetrain with Comfort Chassis.
I have never played around with EcoPro though can get 37mpg + on a long run mainly in Comfort. I'll have to try EcoPro next time I have the opportunity and see if it makes any difference.
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No such refinements on the Outlander, presumably because it is the ultimate blend of comfort and handling already.
The handbook calls using the steering wheel switches "Sport mode". I'd actually quite like a setting that uses a gear lower in auto, just for the twisty bits. Even the Roomster has that.
This is the gear selector - how retro is that? I haven't got round to trying L yet. The handbook is very unspecific about what it does.
goo.gl/h9mn9K
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>> The handbook calls using the steering wheel switches "Sport mode".>>
"Outlander" and "Sport" are mutually exclusive surely ;-)
"L" is low ratio I guess?
I'll let you know if I need pulling out of a muddy field ...
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>> "L" is low ratio I guess?
>>
>> I'll let you know if I need pulling out of a muddy field ...
Here's the Manuel:
“L†LOW
This position is for driving up very steep hills
and for engine braking at low speeds when
driving down steep hills.
WARNING
this position can be used for maximum
engine braking.
Be very careful not to shift into “Lâ€
(LOW) suddenly.
Sudden engine braking may cause the
tires to skid.
Select this position according to the road
conditions and vehicle speed.
I went out this morning, and forgot to try it again.
It doesn't have a low box, but has little need of one for normal purposes with the torque converter. I'm guessing it will only use the bottom 3 or 4 gears.
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>> The M135i has Sport+, Sport, Comfort and EcoPro, and the drivetrain (gearbox/throttle response) and chassis
>> (dampers/steering) can be configured within that, i.e. Sport drivetrain with Comfort Chassis.
>>
>> I have never played around with EcoPro though can get 37mpg + on a long
>> run mainly in Comfort. I'll have to try EcoPro next time I have the opportunity
>> and see if it makes any difference.
>>
In my experience EcoPro takes away around 280 of the 320 available bhp of the car, and makes the throttle response akin to that of a very damp sponge. In terms of economy, it claims to add around 20 miles to a tank. But I don't know what the baseline is - what's to say that the techniques I use in day to day driving don't work on the other settings?
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I had a Skoda Superb on demo for a week. It has the 220PS petrol engine and DSG. In anything other than 'sport' model the throttle response meant it didn't feel like it had anywhere near the power and torque it had. Yes you could floor it but it was slow to accelerate like I'm used to in my current 1.4TFSI car. Indeed, the (only slightly lighter) A3 with the 1.4 accreted in eco mode better than the Superb in most setting.
Put it in sport and it was fast. And yes you could accelerate by flooring it but it was reluctant to just accelerate.
Leaving it in anything other than sport was fine for the week's driving because I wouldn't go for the 220PS anyway. But it returned less than 29mpg according to the trip computer whilst I had it.
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Mitsubishi Outlander II - The big green ECO button... - Manatee
