My 3.0 V6 lump is just about run in now after 5k miles, and I’ve been slightly surprised by how economical in can be when pootling along. It’s all relative, and when I say pootling I mean 65/70 in a 60, and sticking more or less to 30 & 40 posted limits.
Yesterday I had a 100 mile round trip up the A65 for a days walking in the Lakes, and despite a couple of spirited overtakes of slower moving traffic the trip computer was showing 33 mpg. Last weekend, a 250 mile trip, fully loaded 4 up with lots of luggage, was 24mpg.... but that involved some lovely fast roads in the north Pennines around Alston and a Sunday evening blast down the M6 from Carlisle averaging 85/90. Who’s a naughty boy then.
My brother, in his 1.6 Subaru Levorg ( I call it grovel) averages only 34mpg, and he is a very sedate driver.
My annual mileage is only 7k ish so low mpg isn’t an issue, and on longer trips away with chums fuel costs are always split equally.
Zero...what are you averaging from the 540, although I appreciate the roads where you live are probably more congested.
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Over the last 3 months (since I last reset the long range trip computer) its averaging 28.4 mpg.
This has included some very very naughty driving indeed where the short term computer is giving 12MPG, to some very sedate Mway cruising providing 37mpg. Its the town stuff that kills it, 20mpg, if I lived in the boondocks it would be higher MPG
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>> Over the last 3 months (since I last reset the long range trip computer) its
>> averaging 28.4 mpg.
>>
>> This has included some very very naughty driving indeed where the short term computer is
>> giving 12MPG, to some very sedate Mway cruising providing 37mpg. Its the town stuff that
>> kills it, 20mpg, if I lived in the boondocks it would be higher MPG
Seems to be only about 2-3 mpg lower than mine in all situations, which is pretty impressive given the extra weight, and the x-Drive.
The Valvetronic system on the BMW engines plays a big part in part throttle efficiency, as it can reduce the lift of the inlet valves (to under 0.2mm) to throttle the engine, rather than relying on a throttle butterfly. This gives a significant reduction in pumping losses, not to mention an improvement in throttle response, and a reduction in turbo lag
Great engine, the B58.
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Why be surprised at the economy of a 'large' engine. Fuel consumed is primarily a function of how much work you are asking the engine to do. The work remains the same for a small engine in a similar aerodynamic body weighing the same amount at the same speed. The biggest consumption difference is when you use the additional available power to accelerate the car in a shorter period of time, and also the consequent additional time at higher speed. Hence stop start urban motoring is the killer. Cold starts and short trips are not too good either.
OK much simplified, but you get the drift.
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Sun 22 Jul 18 at 09:51
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As a diesel comparison, the 2.0 150bhp in my brick shaped Peugeot Traveller will easily do 40mpg on a 70 mph cruise. Overall use average is 36. We have just got back from France (Dordogne and Isle de Re) where fully loaded (6 people, large roof box and 3 bikes on tow-bar mounted rack) with cruise control set at 80 mph gave 34 mpg. Cheap motoring!
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As a hybrid comparison, my Golf GTE has just completed 1000 miles since I got it and has averaged 47 mpg on mixed driving, probably about 75 of these from a socket rather than a pump, average speed overall 29 mph so fair amount of urban / motorway jams etc, with a god bit of new car playtime, exploring the "wottle" factor & the various gearbox & economy/performance settings.
Pretty much as expected, about the same as the diesel overall much better than equivalent petrol would have been
So far very pleased with it.
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Always curious to know how miles per gallon is calculated on a part electric vehicle?
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That one in particular is the straight how far did I go, how much fuel did I put in at the pump.
There is a trip computer calculation at various stages but I have no idea how that is calculated.
As I said, about 75 miles of that came from charging with a cable.
Haven't bothered with the maths further than that.
What is included in the overall MPG I calculated is any electric miles which have come from both direct charging from the engine, or inertial recovery in hybrid modes as those miles have come one way or another from burning petrol. As I said, the first 1000 miles included a lot of experimenting both for economy and for the fun of testing the acceleration in "dual engine" mode ie with both electric and ICE going full blast, great fun but very dodgy on economy
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On mine, I have more than one meter. One shows lifetime mpg which I would imagine is total miles travelled divided by gallons used. Mine is sitting at about 71 IIRC. Some are on 250+ (250 being the upper limit of what it can report.)
One shows "since last recharge" so that's the same but is reset each time a full charge cycle is completed. Mine often reads "250+", but I only see that when I have driven only on electricity between charges.)
There are also two trip meters and I reset one when I bought the car. That shows in my ownership I have achieved something like 180 miles per gallon (almost a year now).
In a way it's a bit like having a smart meter for your energy - it makes you realise much more where you are using your power, and if you aren't careful you get hooked on trying to achieve an ever better figure (the max distance on electricity in mine is something over 60 miles but I've not even done a qualifying 50 yet, and I don't expect ever to. I did get 53 a bit back but that was by manually switching to petrol for uphills and electricity for downhills and so on.)
The US version of my car (Chevvy Volt) has an always-on connection and many people upload their data. It's here, but you can work out for yourself what's interesting :-) www.voltstats.net/
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 23 Jul 18 at 15:46
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So the mpg is in effect exactly as it states, the miles per gallons of liquid fuel that you have put in?
But doesn’t take into account how many of those miles were achieved on electricity that you plugged in to get ?
So what is most accurate way of recording costs, I would guess that it needs to be pence per mile then assuming you can accurately work out how much the cost of the electricity going in is?
In the 32000 miles I have done in my Civic diesel, it has averaged 8.5p per mile fuel cost.
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>> But doesn’t take into account how many of those miles were achieved on electricity that
>> you plugged in to get ?
>>
That's why I said about 75 miles of electricity from cable was included.
I just can't be bothered to do the extra maths
As it happens, all the cabled electricity was free, part charging station at the client site and part hotel electricity from a 13A cable between my hotel room and the car outside.
Maybe for you it needs to be pence per mile, I use it as a rough guide and don't really care about the cost per mile.
It was only as an example :-)
Last edited by: commerdriver on Tue 24 Jul 18 at 09:37
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Similar. Although I try to stop being as obsessive as others about ekeing out every electric mile, I don't really track exactly what it costs.
I know my car does about 45 mpg on petrol alone, on a motorway/fast road run.
I know it takes about 12Kwh to charge the battery from empty and I vaguely know that I pay about 12p per Kwh, probably plus VAT plus a portion of standing charge. But then I have solar panels which on some days means some of the leccy is free, especially at this time of year.
But I know that the electric only range is between about 30 and 45 miles depending on roads how it's driven and time of year.
In my head the leccy miles are about a third of the cost of petrol miles but for sure the figures don't stack up if you are trying to prove that it's cheaper to buy and run and electric car. The monthly savings on fuel can be significant though if, like me, you mostly don't travel beyond electric range. The quietness is fun as is the speed away from the line (which soon peters out)
Last edited by: smokie on Tue 24 Jul 18 at 09:54
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Smokie, if you look at some of the EV forums you see just how "mileage neurotic" having one can make you.
In my case I frequently need to do more miles than I could on pure electric with anything but a Tesla so a Hybrid matched my needs.
I do like that, most of the time, I do not use the ICE in Marlow where I live, 2 of my kids live and my grandchild lives. I also like the feeling that, without using any existing charge in the battery I can get some electric running in slow traffic on longer journeys purely from electricity recovered from my ICE travel and braking or lifting off. I have even seen in the last month some occasions where I finish a journey with more in the battery than I had when I started.
Unless you get quite anal about recording computer readings for every journey there is really no way of accurately measuring the miles on electric, I am having too much fun driving the thing to do that.
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What a load of faff and hassle, I just have to put petrol in mine occaisionally, at my convenience when I happen to be passing a petrol station.
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>> What a load of faff and hassle, I just have to put petrol in mine
>> occaisionally, at my convenience when I happen to be passing a petrol station.
>>
My local, convenient, Shell station is closed until October for refurbishment. If only I could just plug it in at home overnight ;)
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>>What a load of faff and hassle
11,000miles and £0.00 fuel costs.
Beats Boab's diesel Civic...
... not worth a toot for driving to Southampton tho.
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"faff and hassle"
I can assure you that just plugging in the car when you get home is a lot less faff and hassle than queuing to fill then queuing again to pay at a smelly petrol station I do both, but one much less than I used to, so I am in a position to judge :-)
Joking aside, I'm not sure what faff and hassle you think there is. Maybe you have no mains electricity at your croft?
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>> In the 32000 miles I have done in my Civic diesel, it has averaged 8.5p
>> per mile fuel cost.
If you have to work out your cost in pence per mile, then your motoring is clearly not enjoyable.
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Have always kept spreadsheets of fuel for every car I have had.
It also calculates the ppm.
Curiosity reasons only.
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At a "macro" level some record of miles per gallon is relatively useful as an indication of how the car is running. have never bothered to calculate pence per mile at any level as I have always treated motoring as one of these things I have to/like to do and I am, like most people here, lucky enough that I don't need to manage my finances at the pennies level.
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I like my gadgets in my cars.
Electric to me is a bit of a gadget, a new toy.
I have a driveway and a 15 mile each way commute. I could probably go for a PHEV of some sort. Maybe something like the 2 series would tick my boxes of higher seating position and electric range. I want to get an auto next time so electric ticks those boxes.
Was interested in the Outlander but by all accounts, once you have ran out of electric it is a bit of a gas guzzler due to the extra weight on top of an already heavy base car.
Have looked at Auris , Lexus CT as well but definitely want back to higher position.
If Nissan would do a hybrid Qashqai I’d be happy!
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I don't know Bobby, I will be interested over the next few months to see how the consumption goes, as I say it seems to recover power which would otherwise be lost from braking etc, time will tell how much effect it has.
To me it is as economical overall, for my mix of driving, as my GTD was but is much cleaner for the environment, especially urban/suburban areas, at least as far as I can tell after only 1 month and 1000 miles.
Oh, and it is quicker than the GTD.
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Here you are Bobby. tinyurl.com/yd8xgfuy Just make sure it has proper service history.
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Smokie, needs to be a 5 seater !
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Just in case your lotto or P Bond numbers get lucky, a petrol-electric version of the Macan is due this year. Same engine and drivetrain as currently available in the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. 456 horses and 516 torques should be sufficient. And 4 seats, 5 at a squeeze, but if that fifth person complains tell them to get out and walk.
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>>Smokie, needs to be a 5 seater !
KIA Soul EV has "tight Jock" written all over it.
Even comes in a Rangers top if you want.
www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/kia/soul-ev
Latest has bigger battery, 15% more range, and can be bought for under 20 grand (drivethedeal.com), or leased from £200/mth (drive-electric.co.uk)
Sorely tempted after having to replace front and middle exhaust pipes on the gaffer's FRV yesterday...
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Still as ugly as hell though
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'tis indeed aesthetically challenging.
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335d is driven as it should be, unerringly returns 40mpg. Driven like a nun it does more than 50.
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Mate gets 35-40 from his 330d X-drive.
Would take Zed's petrol personally.
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Bobby, it HAS to be an E-Pace
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True mpg of a gas guzzler - Zero
