Technical 500 Twin Air Real life mpg?

[Bluefiat500]

Hi
I don't trust the trip computer so I do a check when I fill up.
It's important that I get good MPG as I do so many miles.
I fill up, drive for the best part of a week, Record the mileage until next fill up then do the sums.

 

[jrkitching]

Hi
I've had my Twinair from new for just over a year with 25000 miles now on the clock, I do a mix of Rural and Carriageway driving and I am getting a return of 63MPG.
I don't accelerate hard or brake hard and tend to sit at around 60-65mph.
How does this compare with other Twinair owners??

What Maxi said re the trip computer. My 1.2 is averaging almost 70mpg on the trip just now, but that calculates out around 63-64 at the pump.

You're still doing much better than most TA (or even 1.2) owners, though.

 

[Bluefiat500]

Before the TA I had a 1.3 Diesel which returned in excess of 72mpg.
I covered 72000 miles in the 3 years that I had it, replaced the front tyres at 56000 miles and only had it serviced 3 times!
I covered the same ground as I do in the TA and even drove it to SW France twice, the car never let me down and the Dealer I bought it from asked me if I actually drove the car or parked it in the garage and just drove it to be serviced!

 

[306maxi]

Ummmmm, a 1.3 dismal 500 needs more than 3 services in 72k miles.

 

[ahmett]

Ummmmm, a 1.3 dismal 500 needs more than 3 services in 72k miles.

why so maxi? Should be ok with those intervals I think that's what the service manual says anyway, especially for a high mileage in a few years one meaning he prob goes on many long drives cleaning the engine. Cant really do 72,000 miles in 3 years by only driving in central London now can you = )

 

[306maxi]

why so maxi? Should be ok with those intervals I think that's what the service manual says anyway, especially for a high mileage in a few years one meaning he prob goes on many long drives cleaning the engine. Cant really do 72,000 miles in 3 years by only driving in central London now can you = )

No, the service intervals at 18k miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. That said, it could have been due its next service when it was chopped in, but a disease 500 actually getting to 18 miles without wanting its oil changed is pretty much unheard of, but I guess with such high mileage maybe it made it!

 

[The Twins]

It just a bit mental to think that maybe "most" people with a TA are getting, say mid to high 40's in mpg on average. Is that fair to say? Now that a teeny tiny engine in a teeny tiny car. Whereas my neighbours dad has a huge 3.0lt diesel Mercedes S Class (must be the best part of 2.5 tons) and regularly gets 50+ mpg.

I really cannot believe that a Merc 3.0 S class will return 50+ mpg compared with a TA over the same kind of journeys returning mid 40's mpg.
I had a 2.5 ton VW Phaeton 3.0 TDi and was lucky to get 40mpg on a motorway run and less than 25mpg around town.

 

[jrkitching]

I really cannot believe that a Merc 3.0 S class will return 50+ mpg compared with a TA over the same kind of journeys returning mid 40's mpg.
I had a 2.5 ton VW Phaeton 3.0 TDi and was lucky to get 40mpg on a motorway run and less than 25mpg around town.

Actually, I can think of circumstances when it might.

They're completely different missions. For long distance motorway cruising at the legal speed limit, aerodynamic drag is everything and a slippery german oilburner is the ideal tool - you are not bothered about weight, since you only need accelerate and brake once in maybe 100 miles. Aerodynamically speaking, the 500 is a brick sh**house in comparison and the light weight won't help you much in the cruise.

Around town, the exact opposite applies and constant repetition of the accelerate/stop profile with a 2.5 ton car will guzzle fuel. At city speeds, aerodynamics matters much less than weight.

 

[The Twins]

Actually, I can think of circumstances when it might.

They're completely different missions. For long distance motorway cruising at the legal speed limit, aerodynamic drag is everything and a slippery german oilburner is the ideal tool - you are not bothered about weight, since you only need accelerate and brake once in maybe 100 miles. Aerodynamically speaking, the 500 is a brick sh**house in comparison and the light weight won't help you much in the cruise.

Around town, the exact opposite applies and constant repetition of the accelerate/stop profile with a 2.5 ton car will guzzle fuel. At city speeds, aerodynamics matters much less than weight.

Good summary. So right about stoping and starting a 2.5 ton lump.
Aero figures on the 500 are very good iirc

 

[jrkitching]

Aero figures on the 500 are very good iirc

IIRC Cd for the 500 is around 0.37.

Perhaps good in comparison to a Morris Marina, but the best of the motorway cruisers are below 0.30 now.

Motorway economy with a 500 is hugely dependent on cruising speed, which is one reason for the wide range of figures folks are reporting on here. Most economical cruise speed on the 1.2 is certainly less than 50mph, and probably below 40 mph.

 

[The Twins]

The classic 500 was 0.38
The new 500e is 0.31
The new Mini is 0.35 so the 500 is not too bad.

 

[306maxi]

IIRC Cd for the 500 is around 0.37.

Perhaps good in comparison to a Morris Marina, but the best of the motorway cruisers are below 0.30 now.

Motorway economy with a 500 is hugely dependent on cruising speed, which is one reason for the wide range of figures folks are reporting on here. Most economical cruise speed on the 1.2 is certainly less than 50mph, and probably below 40 mph.

Best ways to reduce aerodynamic drag on a car are to run narrower tyres, lower it and obviously remove as many sticky outy bits as possible

OR

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/honda-insight-tail-extension-project-13533.html

 

[The Twins]

IIRC Cd for the 500 is around 0.37.

Perhaps good in comparison to a Morris Marina, but the best of the motorway cruisers are below 0.30 now.

Motorway economy with a 500 is hugely dependent on cruising speed, which is one reason for the wide range of figures folks are reporting on here. Most economical cruise speed on the 1.2 is certainly less than 50mph, and probably below 40 mph.

Thinking about it, motorway economy is not really an issue with 500TA. I can get 60mpg on a motorway run.

 

[306maxi]

Thinking about it, motorway economy is not really an issue with 500TA. I can get 60mpg on a motorway run.

I've had up to 70 showing on the trip on a single journey in my 500 If it were more aerodynamic it could do stupidly well

 

[jrkitching]

If it were more aerodynamic it could do stupidly well

If it were more aerodynamic, most folks would likely get 50mpg driving it normally, instead of the 43-46mpg averages that dominate fuelly just now.

 

[The Twins]

I bet skinny tyres are more aero too, as well as having lower rolling resistance.
Oh well, you can't have it all I guess.

 

[bgunn]

I get around 4-5mpg more when the winter wheels are on, with their flat wheeltrims (and crap brake cooling).

 

[306maxi]

I bet skinny tyres are more aero too, as well as having lower rolling resistance.
Oh well, you can't have it all I guess.

That's what I said

In F1, the tyres are one of the biggest sources of drag because they out there and causing shedloads of aerodynamic drag.

 

[The Twins]

That's what I said

Yes you did, sorry been a long day : )

 

[UFI]

IIRC Cd for the 500 is around 0.37.

Cd is a meaningless throretical construct, relevant only in the lab or for comparing cars of the (exact) same size. CdA is what counts and I can't see an S-Class beating a 500 in CdA.