Fuel economy - Can an estate really be this much worse?

taliwillow

Hello,

I was just wondering if anyone could advise as to whether this is normal or whether there may be something wrong with my car. I drive 11 miles to work and on this journey, when I had a Passat saloon 1.9TDI Sport 130, I was getting 47 mpg according to the computer. I have also had a Seat Ibiza 1.9 TDI 130 and was getting around 55mpg. I now have the same model of passat except that this one is an estate (children forced the changeover) and am lucky if I am getting 36mpg out of it. To me 11mpg lower than the saloon seems like a lot. Can the extra weight of an estate really cause me to have so much poorer fuel economy? Just to point out, both Passats are 2003 models so don't think their age could be an influence on it.

Thanks

Taliwillow

goldspanners

have you worked it out without using the trip computer?

vikingaero

Have you checked the tyre pressures? Or even the make of tyres. Same car but maybe different tyres? Some tyres have high rolling reisistance and others low. Or maybe something is duff with the engine on the estate car.

harveybobbles

Air mass meter could be at fault. Or the fact it's the summer holidays so there is less traffic on the roads, which affects your driving style and economy...

banger9365

is it new not second hand new ?
if iit's new give it about 15-20k and will get better

Biggles

More likely something wrong with the trip computer. Run a check yourself, as Goldspanners says.

ajtrader100

I only get 38 mpg out of my 2Litre mondeo estate, but I do drive it hard. So if your getting less I would be worried, I dont think I could make my fuel consuption any less if I tried!

AdrianHi

Has the nature of your driving trips changed with the arrival of (more?) children?
I would expect a drop of may be 2 to 3 mpg moving to the estate.
38mpg to 47mpg sounds like the difference between mostly open road and town driving.
Also I see 10% worse fuel economy in winter compared to summer, has the season / weather got anything to do with it?

hewhoisnotintheknow

i was always told that estates were more aerodynamic?

AdrianHi

hewhoisnotintheknow wrote: »

i was always told that estates were more aerodynamic?

The most aerodynamic shape in nature is a rain drop, fat and round into the airflow narrowing to a point at the tail of the airflow. An estate car is pretty close to the opposite of this shape

BillScarab

AdrianHi wrote: »

The most aerodynamic shape in nature is a rain drop, fat and round into the airflow narrowing to a point at the tail of the airflow. An estate car is pretty close to the opposite of this shape

Except small raindrops are spheircal and larger ones are flat on the bottom and round on top, they're not actually teardrop shaped.

Also for practical reasons a teardrop shaped car is not a good design which is why the Kamm tail was developed which is not that dissimilar to a lot of estate cars.