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Audi A4 Real World MPG

23 messages,  Last post on Sep 15, 2008 at 9:50 PM

You are in the Audi A4 Forum.

What is this discussion about? Audi A4, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 1 of 3

#1 of 23 Audi A4 Wagon: MPG-Real World Numbers by pf_flyer HOST

Jun 12, 2006 (8:56 am)

With the price of fuel being what it is, the mileage you're getting is becoming more important. This is the place to discuss the mileage performance you're getting out int he real world.

#2 of 23 Surprisingly good mileage w A4 by 204meca

Jun 13, 2006 (12:47 pm)

We got the A4 sedan, 1.8T for comfort, expected to be able to equal or slightly exceed EPA numbers. Big surprise is how much power and economy there is with this car.
 
2004 A4, non-quattro, 1.8, CVT.
 
Last urban driving tank by wife w moderately heavy foot: 70 in town, trips less than 10 miles got 23.8 mpg Aveage city driving is closer to 26mpg, have gotten up to 28 mpg in urban driving.
 
Last trip, 423 miles 5% forest service roads, 10% freeway, 85% two lane blacktop, driven with light foot & only a couple of WOT runs, top speed 80 mph, average speed overall 49mph (car's computer) got 34.4 mpg. Our personal best was 37 mpg; mostly freeway average speed of 65 mph.
 
Considering the best I ever got with 92 Honda Civic Si & 97 Del Sol Si was just under 40, the A4 is bit of a surprise. That plus the fact that it is supremely comfortable & had no mechanical problems for 29,000 miles makes us feel like we have a terrific car in the A4!

#3 of 23 Re: Audi A4 Wagon: MPG-Real World Numbers [pf_flyer] by rapowitz

Jun 20, 2006 (5:38 pm)

Replying to: pf_flyer (Jun 12, 2006 8:56 am)
I have 2 Audi A4's. First is a 2001 1.8T (frontrac) 5-sp manual and I watch my MPG pretty closely. I get 24-25 MPG pure city and I just put 500 highway miles on. At a steady 70 I got 34 mpg for 200+ miles. Coming back, I couldn't drive that slow. Going between 70 and 100 mph, I averaged 31 mpg all highway.
 
We just got a 2006 A4 Avant. First tank was around 20 MPG all city. I'll update this board as we drive more.

#4 of 23 Re: Audi A4 Wagon: MPG-Real World Numbers [rapowitz] by byronwalter

Jun 22, 2006 (7:53 am)

Replying to: rapowitz (Jun 20, 2006 5:38 pm)
My '06 2.0t, manual, Quattro, sports suspension, reflashed ECU (for 230 hp)... gets similar numbers. Recently I covered 22 miles with city/expressway at 5/95% and held my speed to 65 mph. The trip computer indicated 37.6 mph!
 
An eariler 300 mile trip at 75 mph came in at 34.5 mph. But dailey driving around town & country I'm hitting around 27 mph.
 
Really pretty nice for such a hefty little car.

#5 of 23 A4 Wagon 2.0T Auto Quattro by rapowitz

Jun 26, 2006 (2:43 pm)

OK, We've put alomst 1,000 miles on a 2006 A4 Avant 2.0T Quattro Auto CPO (delivered to me with 5,000 miles already on it). Mileage has been OK, but a bit disappointing. Straight city has worked out to around 19.5 MPG. Mix city/highway (30/70) has returned around 25.5 MPG. I haven't had a chance to do straight highway yet, but I anticipate getting 28 to 30 based on what I've seen so far.
 
The car itself drives like a dream . . . confident and very tight handling. The one thing I'm going to look into is the extremely quick upshift when driving in standard "D" mode. It quickly upshifts to 2nd gear, resulting in a bit of as hesitation at launch. When in "Sport" mode, it doesn't do this becaus it holds first gear longer.

#6 of 23 MPG for 2004 A4 Quattro 6 sp. by sdradioguy

Jul 03, 2006 (5:12 pm)

When I first got this car in the fall of '03, I was getting right at 17-20 in pure city driving, maybe as much as 23 if I really took it easy on the throttle and coasted to every stop. Pure highway driving returned an easy 33, driving 70-85 mph on the 5 between San Diego and LA. A tank of combined driving would return 25-ish.
 
In the fall of '05, I got a new job, and pulled up stakes for Orlando. On the cross-country trip, the dash kept telling me I was getting about 34, a figure that agreed with the math I did at each fill-up.
 
My mileage in Orlando has been somewhat disappointing. I thought driving on flat land would help me get even better mileage. Not so much. I'm driving with a much lighter foot these days (65 on the fwy., crawling around town), but my mileage is pretty much the same as it was before. I don't know if it's because I no longer have the occasionally hill to coast down, or if it's because I swapped my Dunlops for Avons, or what. I've been keeping the tires inflated and the oil changed on schedule.
 
Still, I can easily wring 340 miles out of a tank, which I think is great for a car with a certain level of performance, luxury, and safety (the real reason I bought the car).

#7 of 23 MPG for '04 A4 Avant 3.0 6sp by rbenj

Jul 28, 2006 (12:44 am)

I've done three approx. 1,000 mile mileage tests to compare the second trip computer's average with my calcs. from gas fill-up receipts: #1 - 22.6 mpg (both matched); #2 - 21.8 (computer)/20.5 (calc.); #3 - 21.2 (computer)/19.6 (calc.). Assuming I saved all the receipts, the trip computer seems optimistic.
 
I can't break down freeway/city percentages during the tests; my driving is mixed, and it's most often easy-going (except for the occasional runs to redline - don't check instantanous gas mileage then! - or an occasional brief 120mph freeway moment).
 
A beautiful car to be sure, but for around-town errands it's overkill. Oh for a midweight sport bike that could easily transport a bag or two of groceries.

#8 of 23 Re: MPG for '04 A4 Avant 3.0 6sp [rbenj] by byronwalter

Jul 28, 2006 (6:48 am)

Replying to: rbenj (Jul 28, 2006 12:44 am)
My guess is that the mileage computer doesn't start doing its thing until the car starts moving... thus startup isn't included in the trip computer calc.

#9 of 23 Re: MPG for '04 A4 Avant 3.0 6sp [byronwalter] by rbenj

Jul 31, 2006 (12:49 am)

Replying to: byronwalter (Jul 28, 2006 6:48 am)
Interesting point I hadn't considered. I just looked over the manual's section on the trip computer, and while the instantaneous fuel consumption figure is recalculated every 33 yards, there was no mention of any distance for the average consumption figure. So if movement is needed, then startup, and stand-still idling, consumption would be ignored by the computer.

#10 of 23 Re: MPG for '04 A4 Avant 3.0 6sp [rbenj] by 204meca

Aug 01, 2006 (1:37 pm)

Replying to: rbenj (Jul 31, 2006 12:49 am)
Interesting, I missed that detail. Another interesting aspect w the instant mileage readings is the dramatic improvement after the engine is hot. When starting with a cold engine at highway speeds the computer may show 22-26 mpg for the 1st 5-10 miles. After 10 miles it may read upper 30s to low 40s depending on whether I am driving 55 or 75. I am amazed how much more gas is used on brief drives. I imagine this is true of all vehicles.

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