Driving For Better Economy - A Challenge?

[OldSkoO1]

I'd really love to chop it in for pretty much anything but the lease company arent being very forthcoming about it. Gonna take it to the dealers first as Ive to get them to check it over and take it from there.

Leon FR for me instead I think

I considered the FR too - liked it, much better value when up against the golf i think if it was my money, ride was just v.hard. Did only get 43mpg out of it though, wasn't trying so sure its capable of more. It was the 170. Crap in second gear thought, tried to pull off and nearly stalled :)

[Djw John]

It was between that and the Auris when I got the Auris. I tried to arrange a test drive of the Leon and they basically just blanked me so thought sod it, not giving them any business. The fool that I am!

[OldSkoO1]

Doh!

Well the toyota dealers always seemed like better CS. Seat were fine with me, engine power was completely different, came in very low and was quite savage but that savage shove was short lived sadly. Engine was as noisy as hell, so diesel tractor like, hard suspension setup so felt like it cornered good but stock tyres didn't so the engine and suspension setup justice. But it did do low - mid 40's without thinking. I reckon 50 by trying but the seat boards do report 3-5mpg optimistic from the obc. Most people get 460 miles per 55 litre tank.

Liked the FR quite a bit, ESP. with bodykit NICE! but an extra 2k.

[mountain_mania]

My 2.0 d4d Auris is great

5.5 l/100km on the highway. 140km/h with tempomat and AC with two person. It's good, right?

NO !

DD

My car

I am the first with my 2.0 d4d My speed is always higher than the allowed (10-15%).

It is simple fantastic nothing else. The Auris with this engine is a great choice. (enough hp and economy)

Show me your results

[Djw John]

Got it booked in for Wed 29th to check the mpg, rattling dash and squeeky brakes.

Service manager said 35mpg was normal. If it comes back with nothing wrong then I'll be taking it up with Toyota themselves.

[OldSkoO1]

Got it booked in for Wed 29th to check the mpg, rattling dash and squeeky brakes.

Service manager said 35mpg was normal. If it comes back with nothing wrong then I'll be taking it up with Toyota themselves.

Around town 35mpg is pretty normal but it certainly is not normal on extended runs. I simply wouldn't except that, if i only got 35, i'm stubborn, i would stay there until something was agreed because 45mpg should be perfectly achievable on a flat a-road or dual carriageway run at 60mph. Easy infact. Mine does it, infact mine does 50+MPG in those conditions, I done it loads of times, this weekend being the most recent. I get 45 combined providing i'm not stuck in town traffic.

[carlowlad]

Hi Oldskool.

I commented on another thread of yours about eco driving or whatever you want to call it. Been doing it myself for a few years now and it has been fun to see how low i can get it. I do it in L/100k..... heh!

I also realise i'm a yaris driver in an auris forum but the same principles apply. My main thought on the thing is that i think like a cyclist when i drive. I wouldn't get up out of the saddle and welly it up a hill now would i? Neither would i gun it up to a red light, only to slam on the brakes. The list goes on. It works for me anyway!

I don't really go over 100 kph and look as far ahead as possible/safe. This allows me to lift the foot and deccelerate as soon as i detect a slowing of traffic. I have yet to perfect my acceleration technique and i use a scangauge. It plugs into the OBD port and gives a readout of everything that the ECU does. It also shows up any alarms that may happen and resets them too. Handy! But it's proving tricky to dial in to my car. Apparently it reads fuel consumption differently to how a diesel engine uses fuel. I almost have it right and it has helped me get my consumption down to 3.2L/100k per tank. On the straight and flat it will do around 1.5 to 2L/100k at 60 to 70kph but as you have said before, the mere sight of a hill and it's drinking like an alchoholic!

Hardware mods include: Belly pan, grille block, Tires inflated to 40psi, block heater (yet to be perfected), 5W30 in the engine and 75W80 in the gearbox. I plan on installing a sump heater and maybe something to heat the gearbox oil along with the block heater. They use these in scandanavian countries with good results. In any case it will have my car warm-ish when i get into it during those cold frosty mornings. Can't be a bad thing??

I'll save bugger all extra with the oil heaters but it's a hobby of mine and i enjoy tinkering with stuff. Anyway, my yearly fuel usage is currently about 750 litres, down from 2500 litres in my last car....

Also, if anyone has a problem with my tire pressures then they better have scientific proof that stopping distances are longer and that my tires will explode. They haven't yet and i have hit the odd pothole that would certainly have cut my tire and maybe bent a wheel etc. No damage done. I won't have any hearsay and talk of "recommended pressures" Scientific proof only.

[Johan007]

Also, if anyone has a problem with my tire pressures then they better have scientific proof that stopping distances are longer and that my tires will explode.

They wont explode and I too run mine very high on the front 38-40psi on the Auris (rear 33psi). However it does make the compound "virtually" harder that will reduce stopping distance in the dry so never do this with hard cheap or echo tires. But with softer performance tires you get reduced MPG but you probably know that.

Hey I also own a Yaris now (2001). Have to say the interior quality is much better than my Auris or most other moden cars these days.

[carlowlad]

Thats a worrying trend with the auris' quality. How could toyota do that?

[Beretta]

As an interest to Toyota quoted/claimed fuel consumption figures.

Toyota have just sent me the brochure for the new Prius and under fuel consumption figures they quote:-

"The fuel consumption and CO2 figures are measured in a controlled environment, in accordance with EU legislation EC715/2007 as modified EC 692/2008, on a basic production vehicle. For further information or if you are interested in buying a basic production hehicle, please contact Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA".

As these are EC regulations they must also apply to the Auris.

They then go on to state the obvious regarding driving styles, passenger loads, traffic conditions etc.

What now springs to mind, is that to get anywhere near the quoted figures you should be driving a "BASIC PRODUCTION VEHICLE", in a controlled environment, so lets ask what is this basic production vehicle and how basic is it, and why is it only available to special order?

Its also surely wrong to quote figures for all cars in a model range, when the testing is done on a car that is not generally available, and then only on special order?

[carlowlad]

The basic production vehicle is probably the one that has no paint on the bumpers and steel wheels, manual windows, no central locking, no sunroof...... Basically the one nobody buys because it's useless! Mind you, weight doesn't make that much difference. I removed my rear seat (very heavy actually) for a whole tank once and it actually made no difference at all. The warmer weather made a bigger difference! Driving style makes the biggest difference but unfortunately an economical driving style seems to be frowned upon these days.

I believe the EPA have changed the way they come up with their figure for fuel economy. Apparently it is to reflect a more real world environment. My other car is a 2008 diesel and i find it very hard to get the figures quoted by the epa. But my 2004 yaris can easily pass the epa. I dunno whats going on?!

[Aurissimo]

basic production vehicle means , a car pulled off the production line without any further tinkering, tuning and adjustment, effectively a car as it would be delivered to customer.

You cannot give fuel consuption figures for a T180 based on another engine spec supsension spec etc... , and you cannot give fuel consumption figures for a T180 on a trim specification that is not sold to customers, (unpainted bumpers etc...)

The EC directive is constant across all vehicles . The Auris figures will be based on the basic specification, AVAILABLE TO CUSTOMERS, and against each engine derivative, available to customers.