# 2.5 gas mileage thread



## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

What happened to the mileage thread?
I checked the FAQ but the link was broken.


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## phrog23 (May 12, 2007)

idk but incase it was lost, ill post again..

APR'91
carbonio CAI
magnaflow 2.25 catback
castrol 0W30 full syn euro formula

99% highway driving and on a full tank of gas i can usually get between 350-380 per tank

and if i go the full gas light i can go 390-420 a tank....


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

i was pleasantly surprised by my mileage.
2010 Golf 2dr, 5spd.
mostly city driving, maybe 5% highway.
333 miles on 12.6 gallons, 26.4 mpg.
not bad considering the window sticker says 23 in town.


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## splatmatic (Sep 23, 2008)

08 Rabbit (5psd)
-Neuspeed SRI
-Eurojet Cat-back
-C2 93oct Flash

100% FLAT highway, (extremely, if not down hill) 33mpg
50/50 mix 26mpg
100% redlight city racing 20-22mpg


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## CostcoPizza (Jan 20, 2008)

2008 Rabbit 5 Speed
-Stock
-87 Octane
-50% rural/50% city

370-380 a tank.:beer:


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

2008, Tippy, 87 octane C-2 chip 
50/50 mixed driving 27mpg. 
100% hwy: 33mpg at 75mph


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

2010 Golf 5spd, stock.
just did a 1k mile trip at 75mph the whole way and got exactly 30mpg average at every fillup.


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## LampyB (Apr 2, 2007)

hope there isn't any exaggeration going on here, because my mileage isn't even close to what some of you are boasting. Either that or there's no spirited driving here.

2008 Rabbit - 5spd
50% HWY / 50% City, generally quite a bit of traffic though

19-22 City MPG 
22-25 HWY MPG

260-280 miles per tank AT MOST, never more. I'm getting pretty tired of of such terrible mileage in this car. My '04 Audi A4 was flashed at Stage 1+ and I was getting min. 28mpg City, 32-33 Highway if I wasn't heavy on the pedal. I'm putting twice as much gas into the Rabbit because of the city driving. Highly thinking of selling the Rabbit within the year because realistically its a terrible commuter car aside from easy city parking. Only perk is that it wasn't expensive to begin with. oh well, we'll see....


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## sticky euro (Nov 23, 2009)

08 Jetta 5-speed

ECS dogbone mount (doesnt matter for mpg)

Typically 27 mpg, but on a road trip from RI to PA I got 31 which mad me


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

lampy, 26 city/30 hwy. no joke.
take your emergency brake off, your mileage will pick up:laugh:


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## Turbonix (Oct 2, 2008)

C2 stage 2 turbo kit

300 miles on the tank of gas

245-255 if i have alot of fun with it :thumbup:


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

LampyB said:


> hope there isn't any exaggeration going on here, because my mileage isn't even close to what some of you are boasting. Either that or there's no spirited driving here.
> 
> 2008 Rabbit - 5spd
> 50% HWY / 50% City, generally quite a bit of traffic though
> ...


Your numbers are on the low side for HWY but my city numbers are similar. It's looking like that the 5 speeds are running lower MPG's than the Tips because of higher RPMs in top gear. Take a look at the "extended 5th gear" thread to see if that's a fix for you. sounds like there's only one guy out there that has this mod successfully installed.


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## vw93to85 (May 10, 2007)

06 Jetta 5spd 

Revo 93 octane tune, bsh cai, test pipe to awe catback.

Mixed driving, mostly country backroads and highway. Not a lot of stop and go.

29-31 mpg for the whole tank. I just do the math everytime I fill up.


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## mrmike02 (Feb 4, 2010)

I can get about 37mpg on my highway commute. 38 miles into DC, not really any hills. Staying around 55-65 mph pretty much the whole way. Using regular fuel. :thumbup:

EDIT: stock


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## 462222 (Apr 28, 2009)

91 or 93
22mpg all city driving. I usually fill up about once a week. 

When my jet's on the highway, I usually manage 33-35mpg. It's good.

Mods: Neuspeed SRI, Magnaflow Performance Cat Back


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## fdub15 (Oct 18, 2009)

Eurojet headers, hi flow cat, C2 race file ecu, custom 2.75" exhaust exhaust and carbonio CAI, without punching range about 26-29 MPG and 24 in the city. So still pretty good :thumbup:


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## SocoJoe (Jul 4, 2009)

I have been running 93 octane for the past month in regards to another thread on here about power gain, but...


I have been getting 28.29 AVG on a full tank, with 50/50 highway/city. I haven't been able to really stretch her legs out on a long road trip but I am sure I could push it to 34mpg on all highway.

**Edit: and this is with me running the **** out of her 50/50, I have been trying to quit smoking :thumbup:


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## LampyB (Apr 2, 2007)

upon further thought, i think seeing lower mileage than everyone else is due to the elevation i live at. i'm in denver at 5,280', and NA cars really struggle up here. turbo's are a huge gain up here, and i've also heard about how poorly the V8 S4's do at this elevation. just a thought...


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## Cabrio60 (Oct 14, 2006)

With 93 octane in my last 4 tanks, and a BSH intake and AWE cat-back on the car, I've been seeing 28-29 miles per gallon in mixed driving and as best as 33+ miles per gallon all freeway. The best tank on 87 octane was maybe 31 miles per gallon so suffice to say I'll be running premium for a little bit to see if this better mileage continues. 

Of every tank (I track all fuel-ups) the car as a whole has averaged 29.2 mpg over 26,000 miles... that makes me very happy for this car.


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

LampyB said:


> upon further thought, i think seeing lower mileage than everyone else is due to the elevation i live at. i'm in denver at 5,280', and NA cars really struggle up here. turbo's are a huge gain up here, and i've also heard about how poorly the V8 S4's do at this elevation. just a thought...


 I live in Denver and can testify to the O2 robbing altitude. At the wheels I've dynoed at 135 with mods listed. I don't think mpg's are any worse here as I average about 27 in 50/50 mixed driving.


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## Mazan (Nov 14, 2007)

Model : 2010 Jetta SE 2.5L 

Tranny: Auto (Tiptronic Non-DSG) 

Mods: Eibach sport springs, 18x8 MMR Wheels, 225/40/18, CAI (made by me), removed both suitcase and muffler and added a sport muffler 

Gas Saving mods: Run it without spare tire on the trunk, my tires have a max psi of 50lbs, I run them at 46-48 at all times 

Drive Modes and Habits: a mixture of 20% city / 80% hwy. I fill up every time I put gas to always my monitor my mileage. I use reg gas. This is a car I use for work and drive a lot. My company pays for mileage but I pay for my gas so I make it my business to maximize my gas at all times, therefore I drive this car very very gentle at all times specially when I require to accelarte from a standing still. On Hwy I drive at no more than 70mph and coast mostly at 65-67 mph always using cruise control. 

Results: lowest 28mpg's , average 30-32, my record 33.8 mpg's :laugh:


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## mk5jetta4fun (Feb 10, 2008)

Yeah I have no idea how ppl get 26-29 mi I guess it's all depends where u live. I live in Philadelphia PA so lot's of traffic, redlight, stops, so after all this I max could get 275 mi on tank but its only if I shift no more 25rpm if I go 30 and up mileage drops to 230-245. Highway I have no complaints its always more then 300... 

Oh and I drive 2008 Jetta 2.5 manual with BSH CAI & AWE Catback


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## vrsechslvr (Oct 21, 2002)

Hmmm.....after reading all the posts, I'm a bit disappointed with my '08 J 5spd. Stock minus Helios and suspension. 
Mixed use (50/50) yields ~21mpg and ~27mpg highway road trips; regardless if it's pumped with 87 or 91 gas. 
I just tried using 91 for a month and only thing it impacted was the wallet. Pep'ness was the same. 

Also, I just threw a CEL which reported as an O2 problem. Perhaps is the O2 was crap from the start which could be affecting the A/F ratio.


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## ocellaris (Sep 6, 2009)

I am at a 29.2 average since I purchased the car. I live in Maine, this is a lot of back roads driving however I manage to get in a lot of city driving as well taking my kid around. Over 16K miles recorded so far:



My worst ever MPG for a month is 27.7 in the dead of winter driving around in the snow. I recently hit 420 miles on a tank of gas :laugh:

In early august I am making a run from Maryland to Maine a night, I am going to try to milk 35 mpg out of it by holding cruise control at 65 the entire time.


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## gadgetpup (Jul 12, 2010)

2007 VW Rabbit w/ Auto Tiptronic-- 

I'm getting a little jealous reading about the good gas mileage some of you are getting (26+mpg). I've pulled high as just over 27mpg on a strictly highway trip, and average closer to 21-22mpg with mixed driving. I've gone as low as around 18-19 but that was because the dealer had the some of the tires over and underinflated (by at least 10psi). No mods on mine but I'm interested in a SRI (California legal Neuspeed P-flo) and eventually a chip for improved throttle response and hopefully slightly better mileage (how much mileage gain should I expect from this??). 

P.S. Apparently my car is a PZEV model (Partially Zero Emissions Vehicle) and I'm wondering if this is supposed to increase or decrease mileage, do all you people with higher mileage have PZEV or regular emissions models?


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## dcdude (Jun 17, 2010)

Did anyone do any A/B testing before and after adding CAI and/or cat-back? I'm curious which of these has a positive or negative effect on gas mileage? 

Also- which CAI is least likely to cause a CEL on in '08?


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## dr0pthehamm3r (Nov 30, 2007)

hit 337mi til gas light on Chevron 91oct. 06 jetta w 5spd. stock engine.


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

dcdude said:


> Did anyone do any A/B testing before and after adding CAI and/or cat-back? I'm curious which of these has a positive or negative effect on gas mileage?
> 
> Also- which CAI is least likely to cause a CEL on in '08?


CAI alone made no noticable difference for me. The AWE catback did though by adding about 10% more mpg. I'm also running a revised 87 octane C-2 chip which I can verify with my Scan Guage that the chip is shutting off fuel at hwy speeds when I lift my foot off the gas. The stock chip does not do this. So using a gentle touch of the throttle on and then off again (repeating) technique, I'm consistantly getting 34 mpg hwy cruising at 75mph. I just completed a trip in the CO mountains and averaged 36 mpg cruising at 65mph.
Prior to my mods, I was getting between 29 and 31 mpg hwy. Also, keep in mind that your tire width, diameter (which affects weight) and rolling resistance will also make a difference too.

I've not had any CEL's using my Neuspeed CAI.


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## VWShocker (Mar 19, 2010)

Schagephonic said:


> CAI alone made no noticable difference for me. The AWE catback did though by adding about 10% more mpg. I'm also running a revised 87 octane C-2 chip which I can verify with my Scan Guage that the chip is shutting off fuel at hwy speeds when I lift my foot off the gas. The stock chip does not do this. So using a gentle touch of the throttle on and then off again (repeating) technique, I'm consistantly getting 34 mpg hwy cruising at 75mph. I just completed a trip in the CO mountains and averaged 36 mpg cruising at 65mph.
> Prior to my mods, I was getting between 29 and 31 mpg hwy. Also, keep in mind that your tire width, diameter (which affects weight) and rolling resistance will also make a difference too.
> 
> I've not had any CEL's using my Neuspeed CAI.


You are hitting my MPG secret (the C2 chip).


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## cpsvr6 (Jun 5, 2009)

2006 2.5 5 SPD Jetta 
32.7 MPG @ 70 MPH HILLS, FLATS, 325 MILES

Thinking about a cold air intake for better mpg any other suggestions?


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## VWShocker (Mar 19, 2010)

cpsvr6 said:


> 2006 2.5 5 SPD Jetta
> 32.7 MPG @ 70 MPH HILLS, FLATS, 325 MILES
> 
> Thinking about a cold air intake for better mpg any other suggestions?


Tune is the BIGGEST helper.


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## cpsvr6 (Jun 5, 2009)

VWShocker said:


> Tune is the BIGGEST helper.


Tune? What do you mean?


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## dcdude (Jun 17, 2010)

VWShocker said:


> Tune is the BIGGEST helper.


"Tune" meaning "software" rather than timing, plugs, points and condenser, right? 

Specifically, the C2 Motorsports 2.5L Performance Software? Was anyone able to get this done locally? Was it "while you wait" fast to get? I'm concerned about the downtime and risk of shipping my only ECU anywhere.


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## 07Jetta (Dec 24, 2007)

2007 Jetta
Cabrino CAI
-average about 26miles per gallon
-best to date.... 29miles per gallon and got a little over 400miles out of the tank, 406miles I thihk to be exact.


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## dcdude (Jun 17, 2010)

*My stock baseline figures*

FYI- I just drove my new bone stock 5 speed CPO '08 SE back from Tucson. Just 225 pounds of me driving with 2 small bags. Here are my stats based on three partial tanks and fill ups:

85 MPH average: 24 MPG
75 MPH average: 27 MPG
70 MPH average: 32 MPG (almost. 31-point-something and change!)

Sweet spot might be 72 MPH to get 30 MPG.


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## Outie5000 (Aug 8, 2007)

08 2dr Rabbit Tiptronic
No mods except larger sticky tires (245's on lightweight 17's)

Day to day driving, which is 80% stoplights, and 20% cruising 45-60mph, I average 22-24mpg
This is taking it easy too.
When filling up after an autocross, its about 21.

Full on highway driving, I've gotten 35 before, but I was drafting a semi doing 60 most of the trip. Typically though, It will sit around 31-32 cruising at 75-78.


Driving around in the summer I get worse mileage due to the AC being on constantly, during spring and fall I get 26 on my day to day with windows down.


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## VWShocker (Mar 19, 2010)

dcdude said:


> "Tune" meaning "software" rather than timing, plugs, points and condenser, right?


correct


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

'06 Rabbit 5 speed
87 octane
suburbs
23-24 mpg fairly conservative driving


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## richard_rsp (Mar 17, 2010)

Its amazing how much tire pressure affects these cars. (2010 Golf 2.5, 5-speed)

I have the 17" Goals and normally run around 37 psi. I usually average about 25mpg around town and 30mpg on long trips. 

I got my oil changed about a month ago and have noticed a decline in my gas mileage. (like averaging 18mpg in town and highway of 25mpg)

Checked my tire pressure yesterday before I left on a trip and noticed that all four tires had been reduced to about 29.5 psi. (Thanks local VW service dept.  obviously they dont realize that with 17" goals, that it is supposed to be at 34 psi!)

Anyway, now they are back to 37 and I got 34.9 mpg on my trip yesterday (55-65 mph)

Keep them tires pumped up, especially with the larger, wider tires!


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

i am gettin consistent numbers... 25 city and 28 at hwy (80mph)


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## Vash350z (Jun 25, 2007)

I have noticed this as well. Tire pressure makes a significant difference with this car.


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

Want an instant 10% more MPG? Try to find non-ethenol "enriched" fuel. I found some in Ft. Collins, CO and filled my near-empty tank, reset my Scan-Guage, drove to Denver. Normally I get about 32.5 mpg on this highway run as there's a slight elevation gain. This time I achieved 36.2 mpg. I'll continue to seek out more of these gas stations and do more monitoring of the data.


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## rags2riches (Jan 2, 2010)

I was getting about 24mpg on average with the recommended oil. I switched to 0w-40 and now I get about 25 or 26mpg. Also, I noticed running 91oct or better improves my mpg.


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## the_humeister (Sep 25, 2008)

Here's mine

Pure stock
87 Octane gasoline

Best MPG = 46.4 MPG from San Diego to Sacramento
Longest range = 596 miles/tank

That was all back when I was doing >90% highway. Now with 50/50 mix driving and shorter trips, it's quite a bit less now. I was hoping to get my lifetime average up to 40 MPG, but that's not going to happen given my current driving situation.


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

26 per gallon last fill up around town. I'm not really sacrificing many mpg compared to my 2.0L Jetta with racks (28 winter, 30 summer around town).


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

I haven't been too impressed with the 2.5's city MPG. For the last two years in grad school, all I really ever drove were city miles to and from school. Every tank would amount to about 23 miles per gallon. Now, I'm working about 35 minutes away from my house and have a 65 MPH highway drive every day. I'm consistently seeing between 32 and 33 MPG 

- Jeremy.

EDIT: And all this is on 87 octane. If I use 85 I see about a one mile per gallon drop in both the city and highway.


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## dcdude (Jun 17, 2010)

My last two city tanks were 20 and 21 MPG. Granted, I still have my foot in it from time to time (hey- it's my new car) but I try to drive and shift between 2,000 and 3,000. My commute is only 7 miles each way, which can't be good, but I wonder if something's wrong? Checked tire pressure recently. I do haul around 2 car seats and a stroller, but that can't be 100 pounds of crap.

I like the idea of experimenting with 91 octane, but I wonder if it will pay for itself?

Also considering 0W-40. There is strong suspicion that Porsche specs it to cheat up their CAFE numbers.


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

Schagephonic said:


> Want an instant 10% more MPG? Try to find non-ethenol "enriched" fuel. I found some in Ft. Collins, CO and filled my near-empty tank, reset my Scan-Guage, drove to Denver. Normally I get about 32.5 mpg on this highway run as there's a slight elevation gain. This time I achieved 36.2 mpg. I'll continue to seek out more of these gas stations and do more monitoring of the data.


I live near Drake and Timberline in Fort Collins, so I'd be interested to hear at which station you found this. Also, ethanol has lower energy content than gasoline, so it's less efficient. I don't doubt you'd see a sizable increase in MPG by using non-enriched gasoline.

- Jeremy.


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## NickVW's (Mar 30, 2009)

My 07 Jetta 2.5 manual
Average 375-425 a tank winter-summer 87 octane 90% highway
Highway and city mpg don't vary much for my driving
Best ever was 33 mpg

My Fiance's 08 Rabbit 2.5 auto
Average 325-375 a tank all year round 75% city driving 87 octane

We took a trip to Florida in the rabbit and averaged somehow 36 mpg on cruise control doing 80 mph on 87 octane

I think they put pixie dust or something in southern gas


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## VWShocker (Mar 19, 2010)

Schagephonic said:


> Want an instant 10% more MPG? Try to find non-ethenol "enriched" fuel. I found some in Ft. Collins, CO and filled my near-empty tank, reset my Scan-Guage, drove to Denver. Normally I get about 32.5 mpg on this highway run as there's a slight elevation gain. This time I achieved 36.2 mpg. I'll continue to seek out more of these gas stations and do more monitoring of the data.


I used a whole tank full of gas the other day searching for non-ethanol petrol. No luck except that I was able to score some 101 octane. 

Gonna try it out before the big day.


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## ShadowWabbit (Aug 16, 2006)

Mostly city/traffic driving, any highway is usually spirited, 75-85, so my best is 30mpg worst is 19mpg


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## Schagephonic (Feb 5, 2009)

I've been running eth.-free gas, 87 octane and I'm on my 3rd tank. Set a new record for me at 463 miles for one full tank of fuel! That's a measured avg of 33.4mpg with 80% hwy. Hwy speed avg. was 70-75mph. Several highway stints of 60 to 100 miles were showing 36 to 38 mpg on my guage. The oil company that sells this fuel is Schrader Oil Co. hopefully I can find more stations pumpin this fuel.


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## Cabrio60 (Oct 14, 2006)

You're very lucky, in this part of Wisconsin I'm in, the only way to get ethanol-free is to buy 91+ octane premium (which is 30+ cents more per gallon) and still some stations still put 10% ethanol in that too. In North Dakota, you can buy 87 octane with or without ethanol at just about every station, the ethanol enriched fuel is 8 to 15 cents cheaper per gallon.

I've been running over 8 tanks of 93 octane Shell V-Power and got 31 mpg or so, 70% hwy and 30% city, so now I will run 8 tanks of 87 octane Shell w/ 10% ethanol in the same driving mix to find the results.


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## bunnyhopin (Dec 19, 2007)

08 rabbit 2 dr 5spd 
Uni stage 1+ 
custom cai 
custom cat-back 
Lowered on fk's rears down all the way (with perch) front at 15threads no helper spring 
shaved grill/hood notch bumper notch filled 
Oem audi A3 wheels et. 57 
225 45 17 summer tires 
Premium 93 fuel from Hess gas station 

Only other non driver related variable was that around 100 miles into the test i noticed my rear pass tire was low at about 18 psi. Figures i had a screw in it and got it plugged also i like to keep my windows down, other than that i am at 37psi all around. 

50/50:city-ave. mph 40+- hwy-ave. 70+- (rough estimate of course) "spirited" acceleration every once and a while  
21.8 mpg 

Not disappointed with it that number but with a change in driving style i know i can bring that number up a lot :thumbup:


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## VeloracerMike (Aug 20, 2010)

09 JSW 5sp 21 combined 80/20 city/hwy.


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## bunnyhopin (Dec 19, 2007)

bunnyhopin said:


> 08 rabbit 2 dr 5spd
> Uni stage 1+
> custom cai
> custom cat-back
> ...


*Update*

With proper tire pressure and a little more highway driving about 60/40 i got my mpg up to 
*25* :thumbup:


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## Shawn99/30V (Sep 28, 2000)

2010 Golf 4 door Tip: 22 city/31 freeway


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

well on the road from H2o i had an average of 37.5 mpgs!!!

i swear! the gas over there must be better...!!!


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## VeloracerMike (Aug 20, 2010)

Best tank full yet 22.6mpg combined at 80/20 city/hwy split. Here is the weird thing. I put my racks on at about 1.5 tanks ago...last tank was about 1mpg gain over the complete non rack tank. This tank was all rack and even better mileage. Go figure.


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## jtrujillo86 (Aug 21, 2005)

VeloracerMike said:


> Best tank full yet 22.6mpg combined at 80/20 city/hwy split. Here is the weird thing. I put my racks on at about 1.5 tanks ago...last tank was about 1mpg gain over the complete non rack tank. This tank was all rack and even better mileage. Go figure.


 That's weird you saw a gain in MPG. I can't stand leaving my rack on without carrying something. The wind noise is unbearable and it drops my MPG by about two. It's also not good to leave the feet of the racks on your paint, especially if you don't have the 3M film where the feet meet the roof. 

- Jeremy.


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## VeloracerMike (Aug 20, 2010)

jtrujillo86 said:


> That's weird you saw a gain in MPG. I can't stand leaving my rack on without carrying something. The wind noise is unbearable and it drops my MPG by about two. It's also not good to leave the feet of the racks on your paint, especially if you don't have the 3M film where the feet meet the roof.
> 
> - Jeremy.


 My racks mount to the factory racks via Yakima Lowriders. Having a wind deflector helps with the noise as well. This is the first stick I've driven since 2004 and that was my Formula Continental so it may just be me getting more used to driving a stick. For the 13 years I drove my 850R wagon it had racks on since about the first week of ownership and I ave about 21.5 combined. But yeah I agree my mileage should have gone down not up.


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

My 2010 Golf 2.5 5spd has about 18k miles now... 
I haven't bothered tracking the mileage recently until i noticed my trip ODO showed 367 miles. 
I thought maybe i didn't reset it last time because that would give 31mpg city driving. 
Next tank i verified 377 miles on 12.15 gallons (87 octane). 
This is city driving. I could hardly believe it. 
I guess my techniques are paying off. 
I kill the motor at longer lights sometimes and i decel up to red lights with the car in gear, hardly ever use the brakes. It pisses people off behind me that want to race up to the light, but i stay smooth and steady in traffic. 
I'm also shifting between 1500 and 1800 rpm. 
The commute is 15 miles each way with about 5 to 10 red light stops depending on the time of day. 
Top speeds are only about 50mph, which probably helps. 
I still can't believe I'm breaking 30mpg with the 2.5 gas motor. I think with the 87 octane that's probably more cost effective than diesel for a the TDI. not sure what a diesel would under these same conditions and techniques.


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## dcdude (Jun 17, 2010)

MK1- Wow! Those numbers are so far from my 22 city MPG that they are almost too good to believe. Does anyone know if the Golf has a weight advantage over the Jetta body? I expect that the 2-door does. 

I guess the big lesson for me here is the reminder to shift earlier. I try for 3,000 but this usually turns into 3,500  However, I don't like the way the car drives below 2,000. I worry about damage from lugging an old air- cooled car, which probably isn't too rational. I guess my new "target" shift point will be 2,500.


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

yeah, shifting at 1500 you risk lugging a little bit. i just go real light with the throttle to reduce stress. 
i think the real key in city is decel in gear- ECU uses fuel cut strategy on decel. don't shift to neutral to coast- actually burn more fuel that way. 
and like i said- try not to use the brakes, decel early enough to slow to light. i find the light will sometimes cycle again to green and i can stay in 5th and putt through it. 
drivers behind don't like it, but they can pass and accel to the light and wait. 
BTW- i was getting 22-25mpg with "spirited" driving. 
also check your tire pressure. i run 37psi.


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## tiffanyrogers (Jul 19, 2000)

*Terrible Mileage- Help?*

Hey all- 

Was a golf owner for many years- living in DC now, and haven't owned a car at all in 8 years. Recently moved to a part of the city were parking was easier, so i justified getting a car and opted for a used 2007 Rabbit (2 dr auto). I just used my first full tank of gas and got 163 miles total!!! Shocked- that's maybe 12.5 mpg. I'd say the driving was 95% city, but still. 

I will check the tire pressure, but anything else you can suggest? The car has a VW installed roof rack, so I imagine that is affecting the mileage, but online accounts vary as to how much that impacts- anyone have any first hand knowledge with the 2.5L and roof racks? I am trying to get the sucker off, but it has a keyed bolt i have to match. In the meantime, just looking to try and match so of your mileage numbers. Or get anywhere close. If I could I'd be thrilled with my foray back into these great little cars-- as is i'm pretty stressed and perplexed. 

Thanks!


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## alwaysdutch (Oct 19, 2011)

I drive about 60 miles a day with only 5 miles non-highway, but gas mileage for those miles is about 35MPG average....


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

12mpg, something's wrong with your car, unless you're idling in traffic for hours at a time. 
brakes dragging, coilpack misfiring, injector stuck open, timing chain skipped, etc.. 
do you have check engine light on? 

check your tire pressure, even though i doubt it would cause that much difference.


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## tiffanyrogers (Jul 19, 2000)

thanks. No lights on and a mechanic did a prebuy inspection and everything checked out. But yeah, this does not add up. Will check the tire pressure and remove the roof rack and perhaps have a mechanic check it out again?


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## mk1vw (Oct 17, 2007)

recent all highway trip @ 70mph constant, mostly flat driving yielded 29mpg.
so yes, my city driving returns higher mileage:screwy:

this car really needs a 6th gear.


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Amen. Lol

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


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## magics5rip (Mar 17, 2004)

thygreyt said:


> Amen. Lol
> 
> Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


Small thread jack: GreyT, what was all involved in your 02J swap? I think you went from Auto to manual which made the swap worse but I'm curious if the 02J from an 0A4 is direct...


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

magics5rip said:


> Small thread jack: GreyT, what was all involved in your 02J swap? I think you went from Auto to manual which made the swap worse but I'm curious if the 02J from an 0A4 is direct...


the main difference is the electrical.

but on all tranny swap, or most of them, the items are closely the same:

tranny, axles, starter, clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, slave cylinder, clutch lines, mounts, i think thats it...


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## WakingTh3Fall3n (Feb 20, 2012)

I avg between 32-35 mpgs. Today I did a rough calculation. 153 miles on a quarter thank. Should be approx 42mpg. Filling up tomorrow to confirm this . Was doing 55 on back country roads


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

WakingTh3Fall3n said:


> I avg between 32-35 mpgs. Today I did a rough calculation. 153 miles on a quarter thank. Should be approx 42mpg. Filling up tomorrow to confirm this . Was doing 55 on back country roads


 first 1/4 tank is usually 5 gallons.


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## magics5rip (Mar 17, 2004)

thygreyt said:


> the main difference is the electrical.
> 
> but on all tranny swap, or most of them, the items are closely the same:
> 
> tranny, axles, starter, clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, slave cylinder, clutch lines, mounts, i think thats it...


 IE not worth it unless you are a true enthusiest. I think the only way to achieve my MPG goals is to bite the bullet and buy a TDI. The 2.5L will become the weekend fun car


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

magics5rip said:


> IE not worth it unless you are a true enthusiest. I think the only way to achieve my MPG goals is to bite the bullet and buy a TDI. The 2.5L will become the weekend fun car


 i agree. There is almost no point on a 5 to 6 spd swap. 
instead, just do an LSD. 

in my case, i did 6spd because it was the same price as the 5spd.. so i just went with the better tranny. 

yes, the TDI 5th is the better solution for the majority. Cost effective and will yield GOOD results... 

The only downside is that when you are racing on the car, the 4th to 5th will bog the car... lol. 
:laugh:


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## alwaysdutch (Oct 19, 2011)

I got an average today of 38.5 mpg from my home to my work, about a 30 mile ride. Normally I sit on about 33-34 mpg. What is interesting is that I can only reach this mileage when i tank QT. When I pump gas at the local Racetrack, I get lower mpg. 

Also, weird thing is that when I do my oil change, the first 100 miles suck in mpg, but after that it goes much better. Figure that one out..... :banghead::laugh:


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

alwaysdutch said:


> I got an average today of 38.5 mpg from my home to my work, about a 30 mile ride. Normally I sit on about 33-34 mpg. What is interesting is that I can only reach this mileage when i tank QT. When I pump gas at the local Racetrack, I get lower mpg.
> 
> Also, weird thing is that when I do my oil change, the first 100 miles suck in mpg, but after that it goes much better. Figure that one out..... :banghead::laugh:


 what oil do you use?


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## alwaysdutch (Oct 19, 2011)

Castrol 5w40 synthetic oil. I also tried Mobil 1....


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

alwaysdutch said:


> Castrol 5w40 synthetic oil. I also tried Mobil 1....


 If you want, try using 1 change with lubro moly 5w-40. It's what I have used for the last 60k miles. It was highly recommended to me.
Both my oil analysis say that my motor has very very low wear, and I get ~30 mpg. Constantly.

Give it a try and see how it does.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2


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