Fiance has had her new Audi A3 2.0 tdi 170ps for about 3 weeks and 700 miles now. She's pretty pleased with it with the exception of the fuel consumption. So far its averaging about 38mpg.

On a run, you can get it up to a maximum of about 43mpg if i drive it like there's an egg between my foot an the accelerator and don't go over a steady 70mpg.

This seems pretty poor to me, particularly as the old a4 would do 50 mpg in the same circumstances.

Do they need running in to get the fuel consumption up or has she got a faulty one?

 

My experience with my ex's 2.0 TDI 140 Golf V was that you could get 40 - 45 mpg in normal driving outside of towns. If you stuck to 70 on the motorway you would see approaching 50 mpg but at 80mph average you were back down to around 40 again.

If you were to "press on" on the roads around the Dales it was possible to get that down to around 30mpg.

In reality they're not bad a steady speeds but if you use the performance they're not very impressive from a consumption perspective...

My dad's 56 plate A3 1.9 TDI, on the other hand, is very frugal in comparison but then you have nowhere near the performance...

The fuel consumption will probably improve from where it is now given the low mileage of the one you're talking about.

 

That sounds like what i'd be expecting. karen's old 1.9 tdi A4 would give similar figures to your ex's golf. But the new a3 (which is the 2.0 170 ps model) so far just seems to be crap. It has plenty of go and there isn't any smoke coming out of the back, but 42mpg on a run for a modern diesel seems rubbish.

Particularly as audi quote 44mpg on the combined cycle.

 

New car, it will get better.

Also, it is a higher performance car from the same 2.0TDi engine as the 140 model, so fuel consumption will suffer.

 

I recently got a 2.0TDI in an A4 avant.. and was also a bit surprised on the fuel consumption.. comparing to my previous car, a 320D.. and my wifes A3 with the 1.9TDI..

the A4 has improved.. 7000miles after 2months.. from late 30's..I can now get around 42-45mpg.. the BMW was still closer to 50, same as the A3. I assumed it was because the A4 avant was a heavier car than the other 2...

oil consumption is a bit weird on the 2.0TDI.. nothing.. and then suddenly 0.5Litre goes and the warning light comes on. The dipstick is a poor design also.

 

Is that 42-45mpg motorway miles or average consumption from a mix of driving?

Karen's done some asking around at work because the A3 seems to be the car of choice for all the female buyers at Next so there are a few of them around. Fuel consumption is pretty poor for the first 2-3k miles and then seems to take a jump upwards. It never gets as high as the old 1.9tdi engined cars but then the new ones are a lot more powerful.

 

42 is the general mix - then 45 on the longer runs.. you can get a bit better if you really are careful.

Recent example, we have just driven down to Salzburg.. 700mile run.. the fuel computer said 45mpg, and that is with 4 up, packed to the roof with luggage. The average speed over the total trip was exactly 70.. so including traffic jams.. some local roads.. and some periods at indicated 120+

btw.. mine isn't tuned to 170ps for belgium tax reasons.. though when you read the specs in the manual, all the torque figures are identical from 136-170ps.. I wonder how much different is the engine other than to avoid tax in some countries.

I will be changing my wife's A3 to another one soon.. and I will be getting the 1.9 again as I don't see the benefit of the 2.0L..