'How much further can you go on a tank of petrol?' blog discussion

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  • Brydav
    Brydav Posts: 37 Forumite
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    camaj wrote: »
    Martin says that when he does drive, it's often in urban traffic with a lot of sitting in queues. If that's your most common journey then buying a car with MHD (Micro hybrid drive AKA stop-start or mild Hybrid) should be your priority next time you buy a car. Essentially these are cars that switch the engine off when your stationary or crawling along, which is something you can't really do yourself in a normal car unless you're really not moving at all for a long time. They're not as complex as proper hybrids and you can even get a Smart car with MHD now.


    Two long posts in a row! Apologies to anyone hoping for a quick read!

    From a pollution point of view, I agree with camaj that a hybrid engine makes more sense for someone making mostly urban trips.
    However, if Martin sticks with Smart, their quoted mpg figures for the MHD are still lower than those for the diesel engined car. This might be due to the additional weight of batteries etc. in a particularly small car.

    BTW - the Smart website quotes the same 85.6 mpg for urban, extra urban & combined in the diesel, which sounds unlikely but it still beats 54.3, 70.6 & 62.8 for the MHD.
  • Eric_Pisch
    Eric_Pisch Posts: 8,720 Forumite
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    there's money saving and there's ground for divorce :D
  • DKLS
    DKLS Posts: 13,459 Forumite
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    Mine varies between 26-18mpg depending on driving style.
  • Brydav
    Brydav Posts: 37 Forumite
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    DKLS wrote: »
    Mine varies between 26-18mpg depending on driving style.

    ... but you don't say what car it is. That would be very low if you drive a Prius, but exceptionally good for a Lamborghini! :D
  • Impet_Limpet
    Impet_Limpet Posts: 690 Forumite
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    Me and my b/f like to compare what our average MPG over a journey is, I usually win! Never in my life before this has it been acceptable to get to trafford centre and say "72.1mpg average IN YOUR FACE" to him! It is a diesel vRS and we love the thing!
    :kisses2: Got married September 2011:smileyhea
  • kevpartner
    kevpartner Posts: 9 Forumite
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    I'd have thought that "Within this trial, there was one 50 miles round-trip outside London on the motorway, which is likely to have helped a little." would have made a big difference to the results: perhaps enough to even up experiments 2 and 3.

    I've found that the difference between urban and long trips is between 15 and 20% and that's all about acceleration. Acceleration is the key and judging by the speed of the people who drive up and down the road at the end of my cul-de-sac petrol isn't expensive enough yet!
  • DKLS
    DKLS Posts: 13,459 Forumite
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    Brydav wrote: »
    ... but you don't say what car it is. That would be very low if you drive a Prius, but exceptionally good for a Lamborghini! :D

    Sadly not a Lambo, and definitely not a Prius.
    I hired a Prius whilst on holiday and it was dire and I could only get 35mpg out of it at best.

    Mine is a twin turbo Subaru Forester with a performance few tweaks,
  • alanfp
    alanfp Posts: 173 Forumite
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    A few weeks ago I filled up with the more expensive diesel, you know the stuff I mean- has different names depending on the supplier - about 5 % more expensive than the standard stuff.

    Very sceptical, but on a 15 mile journey I do every week at 37-38 mpg, I got 39.8 - so about break even.

    But on another journey (8 miles from a cold start) I always get 43-44mpg - I got 48.4mpg , so I was showing a small profit.

    Probably inconclusive overall and maybe it's different for each engine, but I reckon it's worth trying a tankfull.
  • emiff6
    emiff6 Posts: 794 Forumite
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    I drive a 207 (2009), which I use mostly to get to work, 10 miles each way. I was fairly happy with 39mpg, but since I started using what I believe is called short shift, I now get 49mpg, according to the trip computer. :T:T:T

    I've also timed a lot of traffic lights in my area, and they are rarely on red for more than 30 seconds, unless at a very complicated junction, and then not more than a minute, so putting your foot down to beat the lights wastes petrol and saves no time at all.

    Lastly, since I rarely drive more than 70 or 80 miles at a time on the motorways, I now allow an extra 20 minutes for the journey, and drive at 60mph. This means I don't have to keep pulling out to pass lorries, which must reduce, in a small way, the distance travelled, I'm getting better fuel efficiency, and it is more relaxing, as I find the faster I go, the more I have to concentrate on other traffic.

    :j:j:j
    If I'm over the hill, where was the top?
  • bingo_bango
    bingo_bango Posts: 2,594 Forumite
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    Have been trying the hypermiling thing recently in my clio 1.2. Averaging around 43mpg now that it's run in, but that's 50/50 urban and motorway.

    Best I've had is 81.8mpg, but it was 30mph in 5th and coasting a bit.
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