Fuel Consumption New Car

[FGRL]

Hi All
I'm very cautious of believing dealerships when they claim figures like 5l/100kms for a new 1.5 petrol vehicle, however, Im inquisitive to know if there's truth to some of the findings on the net that state you cannot "believe" the cars trip details in the first 5000kms when it comes to fuel consumption - is that true?

Here's the scenario:

Bought my new Ford Figo 1.5 Trend on Friday and have driven 250kms this weekend (no crazy racing or wheel spinning) at a sedate speed (my trip details claim my average is 20kms/hour (I'm really not going that slow I swear!!!) but I've been doing urban driving mostly with lots of stop and starts and just a single trip on the freeway at 100 to 120kms per hour for around 10 mins.

My trip reading states 9l/100kms average and I'm a little worried as that's double the "sales speak" of the dealership and brochure. I'm very aware that urban driving is a lot heavier on fuel but I'm a little shocked at that number.

Do you think it's just the car wearing in?

 

[Vegeta]

Wait so this is the first 250km on the clock. If so that is way too early to tell, all that new metal is expanding for the first time the consumption will settle once the new car smell wears out.

 

[DA-LION-619]

I've heard things level out after the first service.

 

[FGRL]

Phew!! I was stressing a bit! I'm so old school I was driving a Corsa Lite prior to this and did my own fuel consumption calculations based on my odometer so this is a whole new experience for me with the trip readings and computer calculations happening on the car!!

I was also told by the dealer that "new car aircons don't affect petrol" do you think this is true?

I had to keep my windows closed until today as the Llumar tint was curing so aircon was on all times!!

 

[Jewpacabra]

It will come down (average out) the further you travel. Pulling away will show figures around 20l/100km and then it drops to around 6l/100km as you move along. 250km is too early to tell.

 

[Jewpacabra]

Needless to say that stop start traffic will return a higher average.

 

[FGRL]

It will come down (average out) the further you travel. Pulling away will show figures around 20l/100km and then it drops to around 6l/100km as you move along. 250km is too early to tell.

I will try not look at it for a bit!! :crylaugh:

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Maybe the trip computer still has too little info to actually calculate acurately. Check after 1 or two fill ups. 250km isn't a lot to compare to.
Also, that is really bad for a Figo, if true.

 

[Jola]

I was also told by the dealer that "new car aircons don't affect petrol" do you think this is true?

I had to keep my windows closed until today as the Llumar tint was curing so aircon was on all times!!

New aircons have electrically driven compressors, so there is some truth to this.

But it is not 100% true, as the aircon electric power draw will make the alternator work harder, and that will take some power from the engine.

But it is much better than the old aircon compressors that were driven directly by the engine via a pulley.

 

[Brawler]

The old Figo was actually quite heavy on fuel for what it was. Not sure of the new one.

Give it more time but if you are sitting in bumper to bumper traffic 9l/100km isn't bad really.

To give you an indication, my car is rated at 7l/100km. Highway I get 6.7ish and in traffic 8.5ish.

 

[FGRL]

Thanks All!
I think I best wait until after 1 or 2 fill ups - I am hoping it will settle a bit after that.
Maybe I'm just being overly pessimistic!!

 

[SauRoNZA]

Firstly don't believe your car and start tracking with Fuelly instead.

Secondly don't believe the book/dealer as it's all done in "laboratory conditions" and not representative of the real world.

It's for comparison with other cars tested in the same labs, not for individual measurement.

Use Fuelly to compare or research to other cars of the same model and for real world values.

Generally before the first service things won't be great.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Phew!! I was stressing a bit! I'm so old school I was driving a Corsa Lite prior to this and did my own fuel consumption calculations based on my odometer so this is a whole new experience for me with the trip readings and computer calculations happening on the car!!

I was also told by the dealer that "new car aircons don't affect petrol" do you think this is true?

I had to keep my windows closed until today as the Llumar tint was curing so aircon was on all times!!

Keep your windows closed and use your air con.

In most cases the drag caused by running with open windows will use more fuel than the air con even would.


Besides...you paid a lot of money for that air con so it would be pointless to suffer in the heat and not use it to save R2.

Generally they use max 0.3l per HOUR. Small price to pay for comfort. It's something like 4 horsepower that is lost to A/C. Not a big trade off.

 

[SauRoNZA]

New aircons have electrically driven compressors, so there is some truth to this.

But it is not 100% true, as the aircon electric power draw will make the alternator work harder, and that will take some power from the engine.

But it is much better than the old aircon compressors that were driven directly by the engine via a pulley.

I am yet to actually see one of these magical cars with electric compressors.

Short of hybrids or fully electric cars of course.

They pretty much all use belts and run off the engine. I wouldn't say all as I'm sure there are anomalies, but I'm willing to bet it's in the much higher price ranges or performance cars and not 1.5l commuters.

I don't know who perpetuates this stuff exactly but it appears to be nonsense when in comes to cars in general.

However they are much more efficient in modern cars to the point where it is pretty much irrelevant to fuel consumption and power loss.

*****

Quick Google shows that the Fords definitely are all belt/pulley driven.

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/shop_parts/a-fs-c_compressor/ford.html

 

[xodosman123]

I really don't know much about this but i would call the Company.

 

[nakedpeanut]

Get a fuel tracking app, you'll just log your refueling each time then you get a much better estimate and can keep track of costs!
http://www.fuelly.com/car/subaru/xv_crosstrek/2015/nakedpeanut/394565

 

[kripstoe]

Thanks All!
I think I best wait until after 1 or 2 fill ups - I am hoping it will settle a bit after that.
Maybe I'm just being overly pessimistic!!

You'll have to wait a lot longer than the first 1-2 fill-ups. All of my cars only started returning their best consumption after 30k kms.

 

[Lupus]

The older Figo was really bad at consumption, also take the official figures with a grain of salt

 

[kscomputers]

Hi All
I'm very cautious of believing dealerships when they claim figures like 5l/100kms for a new 1.5 petrol vehicle, however, Im inquisitive to know if there's truth to some of the findings on the net that state you cannot "believe" the cars trip details in the first 5000kms when it comes to fuel consumption - is that true?

Here's the scenario:

Bought my new Ford Figo 1.5 Trend on Friday and have driven 250kms this weekend (no crazy racing or wheel spinning) at a sedate speed (my trip details claim my average is 20kms/hour (I'm really not going that slow I swear!!!) but I've been doing urban driving mostly with lots of stop and starts and just a single trip on the freeway at 100 to 120kms per hour for around 10 mins.

My trip reading states 9l/100kms average and I'm a little worried as that's double the "sales speak" of the dealership and brochure. I'm very aware that urban driving is a lot heavier on fuel but I'm a little shocked at that number.

Do you think it's just the car wearing in?

Hi there i know this is an old post but did the fuel economy ever get better on your figo or not i bought a demo with 22000km on the clock and same story.

 

[Ockie]

I've heard things level out after the first service.

The fuel consumption improved on my car after about 2000 km or so. Dont know if it perhaps have anything to do with the engine being run in and "loosening up" a little. If I knew that I would have just made it sniff a bit of poppers before driving off.