Club 80-90 Forums

what mpg do you get from these beasts if diesel, or is lpg better? I'm thinking of joining you 4x4 mad lot.

get told off round here if you state any MPG's

but . . .my non scientific experience:

16" syncro tin top with heavy interior, running AT's, on LPG

I'm getting 290 kms (180.2 miles) to 50 litres (11 gallons) of LPG

(conversions carried out on http://www.onlineconversion.com/)

that's about 16.4 mpg literal, but I pay 42.9p / litre for gas (half the price of unleaded?) so 32 / 33 mpg equivalent

I understand there are many variables regarding MPG, but my figures are based on running the van until the engine cuts out on gas, filling 50 litres and running until cuts out again. I always use the same pump at the same petrol station. I cover much the same territory week in week out ( a selection of A, B, country roads & short motorway bursts)

Most of interior's out and the props off at minute, be interesting to see if the figures change . . .

My 1.9 dg petrol doka does 23-25 mpg on a run.. (110kmh on the motorway) bit less "around town" (local stuff) and that does mean below 20 mpg..

My 2wd caravelle used to do 17 - 24 on LPG or petrol..

But... its not the fuel cost that will kill you.. its if anything goeas wrong witht he transmission.. if you buy one that has the money spent already, then ok.. if it hasnt and has reached that critical milage/age limit, then it will cost you...
If you are really concerned with running costs, then dont buy one... they can be ok.. but most will tell you yhey have had to spend a good amount of cash on theirs...
Reahd through the posts on this forum to see what you could let yourself in for...

everything he said & then some

BBB and toomanytoys are right, not just the price of the fuel, more what you spend getting the vehicle mechanically right as most of them are in need of a refurb and tlc
been doing a lot of motorway miles lately and seem to be getting really good mpg running on gas, but the engine is now run in after a rebuild and the gearbox was rebuilt with higher 3rd and 4th gear
do not even dare add it all up, but its my daily drive and I love it

didnt want to frighten him too much

Aidan and I were talking this morn.. dread to add up what I am spending on mine.. but I am keeping it....!!!

I get 36miles+ per galon in my 16 westy mTDI hightop fully laden with 2 adults,2 children 115L feul,80L water,sand laders,surfboard,2 spare wheels,high lift jack,3 big battrys and lots more. and on mudterrain tyres.

Thats pretty god going for a fully freighted sail.... but that TDi does its bit to help... shame I cant find a way round the french red tape else its the way to go....

My last tank gave 24mpg on motorways and A roads, from Taunton to Banbury and back via London. The next tank which is just commuting 10 miles there and 10 miles back across the Blackdown Hills gave 21mpg.
The engine is a new vw DJ 2.1. Had to do a lot of fiddling to get the injection system running right. My old VR6 1999 205bhp caravelle used to do 22-24mpg. Just at double the speed!!! My old 1.9 DG caravelle syncro used to do 17-21mpg. My old auto DG caravelle did 19mpg however you drove it. My Bay window 1600cc did 27mpg. And lastly my dads 2.5 tdi 1998 syncro t4 camper does at best 32.5mpg and at worst 17.4 when towing a caravan, and an average of between 27 and 29mpg. That is just normal driving. Russell must have a very light right foot.

On the trip to Morocco, I recorded most of the mileage and tankfuls, brimming it each time etc.

So this is with a fully loaded 1.9Tdi Westy, full roofrack, sometimes 100l of fuel 100l of water, waffle boards, surfboard, gas, spares, hilift etc etc blah blah.

The worst was 26.3mpg, which was whilst on sand and some seriously rough tracks which required alot of hard driving.

The best was 36mpg, which was on the mways in Spain.

We found that Russel's van also took in a few less litres on each fill on the mway sections, which we can put down to the more lower revving at the same speeds thanks to longer gears and larger tyres etc.


My old 2.1 DJ got about 17-18 avg, and 22 if I was nice to it on a long run.

The 1.9DG actually managed to creep up to around 24mpg, again, if I was nice.

The 2.3 5cyl got managed to get about 25-26mpg on a long run if I drove leisurely - which didn't happen often .

anyone any bog standard 1.6 TD figures?

I just got 80 miles to £20 of Diesel -
Scared a few folk though!

Smokes a bit, pump has been fiddled with in the past so i think somethings to "cock" after I set everything back to where it should be, goes well though!

In theory a diesel is 1/3 more thermally effiecent than petrol, due only to the raised compression ratio the fuel can take. Therefore a good 2.1 DJ doin 24 mpg should mean that a good diesel would do 32mpg. This is what a low mileage 5 cylinder t4 vw tdi syncro will get. But when pushed they are just as thirsty as a petrol in my experience. I usually drive everywhere flat out though. I can never be bothered to go everywhere at 50mph!!
simon.

In theory a diesel is 1/3 more thermally efficient than petrol, due only to the raised compression ratio the fuel can take. Therefore a good 2.1 DJ doin 24 mpg should mean that a good diesel would do 32mpg. This is what a low mileage 5 cylinder t4 vw tdi syncro will get.

..due only to the raised compression ratio the fuel can take ?

I'm sure you'll agree Simon that another contributor is that a diesel isn't being throttled so the pumping losses are a lot less. Which makes it depenedent on engine size Vs vehicle size (e.g. a petrol engine sized to run flat out won't have pumping losses, but will consequently be teeny weeny) - hence the 1000 mpg economy cars, that go flat-out unthrottled with a 50cc motor and then coast back down to whatever the optimum is (min.) before blasting back up again to whatever is optimum (max.)

But when pushed they are just as thirsty as a petrol in my experience. I usually drive everywhere flat out though. I can never be bothered to go everywhere at 50mph!! simon.

Pretty well agree with that, though !

Now, those Blackdowns you drive daily...

Used to drive Taunton, Trull Road, Microlight Airfield?, then another airfield (Smeatharpe?), twisty down to Upottery, across the Honiton road and then that fantastic straight 'B' road down to Axminster, Stockland Hill, straight as an arrow through lovely country and goes on and on and on, flat out in 5th with ne'r a car to be seen (in the late 80's)... d'ya know that route? Very fast to Lyme Regis from Taunton

Oh yes I know that route, lots of long straight but bumpy roads across the Blackdowns, Then Stockland hill with the Base Jumpers Radio Mast. All the roads down here are empty compared to Hertfordshire. I don't miss the daily grind around the M25 a single bit. On most days I can get away with a 10 mile drive to work without coming up behind another vehicle. I do work anti social hours though.