Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Guys,

I've been driving my new 2011 Q5 2.0T for a few weeks now. i have about 1,400km on the vehicle. The computer is indicating I'm getting 11.8 liters per 100kms at the moment. Now I've done 2/3 City and 1/3 highway. Three trips on the highway for a total of 600kms.

I've been taking it easy for now. No hard acceleration, no excessive speeding and minimal braking.

I still find these numbers way off the posted fuel efficiency for the truck. It should have a combined 9.3 l/100kms (10.6 city & 7.7 highway).

11.8 l/100km = 19.9miles per gallon
9.3 l/100km = 25.2

Will this improve as the engine 'breaks in' or is this the reality?

thanks

Nemrac

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

It should improve a bit, but not much. I had even higher read, but I'm driving 90% in city.
As sad as it is, you have to ad about 10% to posted fuel economy for real life readings.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Hi Nemrac, Yes tomashek is bang on but I am very happy with with my fuel efficiency. My Murano was running 17.5l/100km and now I'm running at your numbers. Even with premium fuel I'm way ahead of what I was paying. Enjoy your new vehicle, you will never hit posted rates.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Mine is running at 12.2 L/100k, its a 2.0t with about 1500km, 90% city driving.

I actually think its pretty decent mileage.
Previously, I had a MB B200 turbo which is a smaller vehicle without all wheel drive, same size engine (2 litres with a turbo) and that ran at 11.8L/100k over a 2 years.

Personally, I have never been able to get the government numbers.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I am getting around 29-30 mpg highway diving. I don't do a whole lot of city driving but I think I average around 24 city driving.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm hoping the numbers improve a bit. We'll see when the warmer weather comes.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I am averaging 12.5l/100km in my Q5 after 3 months of ownership.
That number has been going down constantly as the engine gets worked in. I am at 5k now.

Thing is, in comparison to your numbers... I have the 3.2L V6.

Glad I got the V6!

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

At some point you should start seeing around 10-11/100K doing a mix of city and HWY. This is for the 3.2. This is what I used to get at around 10K.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Hey All,

I am now seeing in the the mid 9's on our Q5 2.0t with 60% highway 40% city.

we are at 5000k now. As the weather has been warming up, its been getting better, and as the car breaks in its been getting better as well.


Interestingly the computers distance to empty adjusted as we drove more often. the first fillup from the dealer showed 720km to an empty tank. after the first 2 months that went to 760, and the latest fillups show 820 to empty.

We actually experience about 700. We'll be doing a road trip in april, so a good opportunity to get some straight highway kms in.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

My last trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls, i set the cruse control to 119km and drove on the highway all the way down. The trip computer had came in at 8.1 l/100km. That has been bringing the overall efficiency down. It's now at 11.1 l/100km (2,500km to date).

I'll update once i do some more kms.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

A trip from Burlington to Niagara Falls and back is a 1/4 tank of gas. A full tank (60 L) will get me 450 Kms on a good day.

Hope this makes you feel better.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

My 3.2 Q5 used to get an average of 10.3/100K, this was about 70% city. I started seeing this at around 8K all the way till the day I sold it when it had just under 19K. On my S4 I am getting about 11.5 which is not bad at all.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

That is what I have found. City driving - close to 12, but highway is 8.5

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Are you all posting the results from the trip computer? I found that it underestimates the fuel consumption by about 10% compared to what I actually get when calculating fuel economy from fill-up to fill-up.

I have a 2.0T and my actual fuel consumption is averaging 11.2 L/100 km after 5600 km, whereas the trip computer is averaging 10.1 L/100 km.

This is a mix of City and Highway driving since early April.

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-metric/63373.png

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Just wanted to give an update. I drove a 1200km drive this weekend (600 there and 600 back). I filled with 94 oct on the way there. I averaged 7.5l/100km. On the way back i could only find 91 oct. I did the trip back at 8.0l/100km. Very interesting. My driving was very similar in both directions. No heavy acceleration or braking. I drove very conservatively in both directions. I'm just wondering if the difference in 91 vs 94 is that great. The vehicle is now averaging 10.3l/100km after 6,500k.

Only bad thing on the trip was that a rock cracked my windshield. Will need to replace it now :(

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

So far first 18 days if driving (past 7 days it's at dealer to fix gear shifter issue) pit 1300km and 95% of it all HWY driving and I am getting 12.5L / 100km
Hope that improves....

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Lets hope that most of the population buys Toyota Prius that way there will be more gas for us ..... supply and demand

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Is it not good when my 2.0T Q5 is 15L/100km, and 100% city driving?!!!!!
But I consider myself a little bit on the aggressive side (I'm 17, pretty much says it all).
Anyways, I find my numbers are very abnormal compared to all of yours.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

No, we're in the same boat, kb. I'm seeing the same sort of numbers at 1,500 km but—on the advice of others here—am waiting until 5k before thinking there is a issue. It has been coming down gradually.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Just be patient guys, it should come down a bit. I was seeing 13L in 80% city - now is closer to 11L. On the highway however - it shines! 7.5L! That is pretty awesone is you ask me.
I have close to 9K on it now.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Thanks Tomashek. I noticed those hwy#s too. In spite of my rather dismal city numbers, highway has been surprisingly good: 7.5 - 8.5 with heavy inclines (#99 to Whistler). Why this break-in period results in bad city & good highway #s I am not technically-inclined enough to know, but it is promising.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Actually, i just check today.
Mine was 11.5L/100km
(I have no idea how it came down to this low or how i saw 15)

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I get the same discrepancy between the computer's L/km vs. calculating fill-up/km reading. (computer reads around 11 and I calculate around 15)

Does the computer know what tire radius I have? i.e. is there a set-up I can do? or is it dealership and/or VAG-com?

Thanks.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I don't know how to reset the computer for a different tire radius. However, both my winter and the OEM all-season tires have an identical circumference, so the trip computer should be accurate.

I am over 9400 km now, with the trip computer reporting an optimistic average of 10.67 L/100km, whereas the actual consumption has been 11.6 L/100 km (1100.71 litres to drive 9477 km).

I would appreciate if others would indicate it in their posts whether they are reporting actual (fuel purchased/distance travelled) or indicated (trip computer) fuel consumption. This way we can compare real world results, and not "apples to oranges."

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Just a thought about the accuracy of calculating fuel economy from fill up to fill up. There is a margin for error to the actual fuel you get from the pump. I am pretty sure they over charge for the amount of fuel you actually get in the tank. There's no way to prove it, unless you take a measuring cup with u to fillup.

That being said, my trip computer says 11.3 but I calculate 12.0 over 1500 kms

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Just to add to something.
If you're using the onboard computer to calculate the efficiency.
It can be very misleading (happened to me).
You have to drive a bit to see the more accurate ones.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Wow, 7.5L/100KM is great for a vehicle like the Q5 - now I want to get the wife one even more! At what kind of speeds are you able to achieve that economy, and how are you collecting your data?



Yup, that's why only with many fill-ups (think of them as trials in a science experiment) does the figure become statistically significant. It's rather easy to fill up to different levels every time, or even have a pump shut off early/late compared to other pumps, making single-tank data nearly useless.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Exactly - that why I am reporting data after nearly 10,000 km and many fill-ups. Sure, on any give fill-up I may have added one litre more or one less that the previous time, but after so many fill-ups, the error becomes very small. This is because one can simply take the total km travelled and relate that to the total fuel purchased.

Regarding the measurement of fuel at the pumps, there is a tolerance for the error, and it could result in one getting slightly more or slightly less fuel than indicated. The calibration for the pumps is inspected regularly. I am sure that there are some stations that try to shortchange the customers, but overall I believe that most employ accurate pumps.

Does anyone have evidence of the trip computer agreeing with the pump data over a significant number of fill-ups? It seems to me that the difference is due to an error in the calibration of the trip computer.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

"Wow, 7.5L/100KM is great for a vehicle like the Q5 - now I want to get the wife one even more! At what kind of speeds are you able to achieve that economy, and how are you collecting your data?"


I usually do 117, and simply switch trip computer to real time fuel consumption.

14,000 km update on fuel consumption
 

Over 14,000 km now with my Q5 2.0T, and the indicated fuel consumption is averaging at 10.8 L/100km. However, the actual fuel consumption is averaging at 11.8 L/100km. The trip computer has been consistently underestimating the fuel consumption by 1.0 L/100 km since I got the Q5 in February.

To those posting incredible fuel numbers - have the courtesy to let us know whether they are the optimistic (bogus?) trip computer data.

http://www.fuelly.com/sig-metric/63373.png

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Have 42000 on a 2010 with 3.2. Highway averages about 7.0-7.3 L/100 k driving Calgary to Vancouver two passengers and fully loaded with holiday cargo going about 110-120 kms/hr. Coming back due to it being almost uphill about 7.5 L/100k average. This was actual fuel purchased and Km's travelled.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

This is seriously impressive.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Yeah, that's seriously awesome. Here are my stats so far:
https://www.audiforum.ca/attachment....ine=1316021978

Granted it's more city driving than highway. Hmm... maybe I should ease on my lead foot. :wink:

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I wonder how you can get that. Driving in Saskatchewan on a highway that is pretty much flat I average about 9.5-9.8/100km. Driving at 120km.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Cruise control and some places slowed traffic for construction but it's the best i've seen so far from this engine.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

I do not want to offend you but your car is the world record for low fuel consumption (for Q5 3.2)
Audi has written that the engine 3.2 consumes outdoors 7.6L per 100km which refers to ideal conditions (constant speed of 90km / h, air temperature, straight road with no climbs, one person in the car, etc. ..) As is known factory car ever Provide information on fuel consumption, which are always smaller than is realistic. In your case it's different you car uses less fuel than the official data it sounds unbelievable + two passengers and fully loaded with holiday cargo going about 110-120 kms / hr
My friend has a Q5 3.0TDI and the spending on the open road the 8.1-8.4l per 100km and you 3.2FSI petrol engine consumes 7.0-7.3 truly amazing

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

No offence taken. It hasn't always been that way. Got to remember that each day we were driving the outdoor temps were at least +20C. Few months back I drove to Sask for my father's funeral and barely got 10.0 L/100kms going there and back. Since then I had all the injectors replaced due to what Audi said was "poor fuel" which doesn't make any sense as I run Shell 91 exclusively. Maybe the new injectors have something to do with it? I'm meticulous when it comes to tire pressures and not driving with any windows or sunroof open etc. Not complaining as cold weather is coming and the efficiency will go down.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Recently got back from a road trip. Of the gas receipts I remembered to document, total km= 1320, total L = 133.16 for a grand total of 10.08L/100 km. Mostly highway driving. (my previous reading of 15 was from daily city driving)

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

It's normal consumption.
Do not you confuse my Q5 2.0TFSI sometimes in town when the crowd at traffic lights know to show consumption of 14-16 liters, but only in the city.

Re: Poor Fuel Efficiency
 

Was the air conditioning on? That adds an instant 0.5 L/100km, regardless of how efficiently you are driving.