Does everyone else get much lower MPG than expected?
Posted by TreKeyz@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 22 comments
I recently bought a car which is meant to realistically get 35+ MPG on Urban driving. In MK I am getting 25MPG. I was concerned something was wrong with the car until my mum visited in her 1.3 Nissan Qashqai, which should have great fuel economy, but its also getting around 25MPG.
I think its a symptom of all the roundabouts. Constantly accelerating to 60/70 mph, then breaking for the next roundabout, and repeat.
Just wondered if anyone else has the same experience?
malumfectum@reddit
Milton Keynes is terrible for MPG. Used to commute from one side of the city to the other and it absolutely drank fuel, not to mention additional wear on tyres and brakes. Now have a better paying job using far less diesel with a shorter journey time on a longer distance commute to Northampton up the M1. Win/win/win.
Lazy-Economist1465@reddit
Why accelerate to 60 or 70 when you have a roundabout every 500m. They were designed for 40mph for a reason.
Dizmondmon@reddit
Yep, the roundabouts. Now.. if you start approaching them as "chicanes"; well.. Your mpg should improve!
TreKeyz@reddit (OP)
Chicanes is how I will be doing this from now on!
UsefulAd8513@reddit
Yes, if you 0-60/70-0 every kilometer between the roundabouts you're not going to get good mpg.
Drive to conditions and aim to arrive at the next roundabout just as the queuing vehicle leaves, maintain momentum and flow.
TreKeyz@reddit (OP)
This is what I am learning now. Accelerate to required speed, then coast to the next roundabout, rather than driving and breaking at it, and try not to fully stop.
Haslerdesigns@reddit
You almost certainly get better mpg on grid roads than you would moving through the same distance one side to another of any traditional city
TreKeyz@reddit (OP)
Thats what I thought, but apparently it's not actually true. In cities you are creeping around and slow speeds. Grid roads and a constant cycle of accelerating and breaking. It kills the MPG.
split-tennisball@reddit
Depends on the car. My Lexus hybrid would get better mpg in 30/40s compared to the grid roads
Psychonesss@reddit
Having some specs of the car you have would help explain anything at all.
TreKeyz@reddit (OP)
2 Litre Diesel x trail.
But as I said, I was driving my mums 1.3 petrol Qashqai and getting similar.
Paulcaterham@reddit
Welcome to Milton Keynes! Yes to be expected. A semi-interesting data point, I can commute to work on H6 or H7, H6 dual carriageway, 70mph limit the whole way. H7 single carriageway, with a 40mph limit for 1 grid.
I get 30mpg on H6, and 40mpg on H7.
Ye_olde_oak_store@reddit
Why I prefer going along the h7 over the h8 for my journey.
Aggravating-Snow-784@reddit
Yep, lower MPG and higher wear of brakes and tyres. Welcome to Milton Keynes 😆
Freedom-For-Ever@reddit
Particularly the nearside front tyre!
mortran-@reddit
That reminds me...
nuttydogpoo@reddit
Urban is 20/30/40. MK is 50/60/70. But don’t worry, the council are slowing everything down, it’ll be 20/30/40 everywhere but the A5 soon enough.
Freedom-For-Ever@reddit
Yes, and even the A421dul carriageway has a 1 mile 40 mph section now past Kingston...
Longjumping_Let8597@reddit
Yup, depending on my route, across mk I can be anywhere between 30-42 mpg in a 1.5.
Previous car was a 1l turbo thing and that was 32 mpg at best.
But proper driving with both was 45-52 mpg.
EyeAware3519@reddit
If you're getting over 20mpg in MK you're driving too slow
cankennykencan@reddit
You will never get the range advertised by the manufacturers specs. They would of been in perfect lab conditions
jurassictwat@reddit
Yes, its common for the reason you stated. Getting top range MPG is usually only motorway conditions