[AlanHo]

The UK What car magazine - like most knowledgeable motorists - are more than a little sceptical about the government official car economy figures.

For some time, all the new cars they have road tested, have been subjected to an identical economy drive of 50 miles which includes motorways, main roads, country roads and town conditions.

This is a link to their results which enables you to check your model versus your style of driving - but only if it has been tested by them to date.

Watch the video first to see how the test is organised before you have a play with the input settings for your model - or any other you wish to compare with.

http://www.whatcar.com/truempg/how-we-did-it

I have compared my new i30 with the equivalent Golf and Focus. According to "What Car", drivers can expect to achieve the following average economy figures for my style of driving.

Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDI Style        : 42.1 mpg (6.71 l/100 km) - My model
Hyundai i30 1.6 CRDi Active       : 53.7 mpg (5.26 l/100 km)
VW Golf 1.6 TDi Blue Motion SE  : 51.2 mpg (5.52 l/100 km)
Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi 115 Zetec   : 42.1 mpg (6.71 l/100 km)

The actual economy figures for my car over the 6,600 miles I have owned it are :-

Worst tank of fuel : 50.45 mpg (5.60 l/100 km)
Best tank of fuel   : 59.39 mpg (4.75 l/100 km)
Average to date    : 54.12 mpg (5.22 l/100 km)

My conclusion is that although the What Car magazine have tried to provide more realistic economy figures - even they cannot be trusted.

They have tested two new i30's. The 110 PS Blue Drive diesel and the 128 PS Blue Drive diesel which have identical government economy figures - but just look at the difference in their road tests and compare that with my car's figures.

It's a minefield.

PS

A reminder. To convert mpg to l/100 km - divide 282.5 by mpg.

[Asterix]

As much as we all hate those lab figures, as they're allmost impossible to obtain in real life, I think they are the best way to indicate the consumption, if you want to compare two cars.

In that test by What Car, I'm sure they would have reached different figures if they did the test with two different drivers. Their fine equipment can compensate for humidity and temp. a.s.o, but not for different driving styles.

BTW, are you happy with 5,22 average in your new car..? It's not much better than the old one, is it.?
Just curious, as I believe your new car is set to 3,7 mixed..?

[Dazzler]

Thanks Alan,

That is a fairly big difference between their rating and your actual 

[Phil №❶]

It's been said before but all the lab figures can be used for is to provide a similar playing field for different car makes. I'm still interested in them from that point of view only, but certainly not as a guide to what I might achieve personally. Having these figures at least enables people considering a car brand / model change (Dazz ) to make fuel consumption comparisons between different brands & models

[AlanHo]

BTW, are you happy with 5,22 average in your new car..? It's not much better than the old one, is it.?
Just curious, as I believe your new car is set to 3,7 mixed..?

My previous i30 1.6 CRDi averaged 48.6 mpg (5.81 l/100 km) over the two years I owned it. So the new car is showing an 11% improvement in economy so far. As I illustrated in an earlier post, the fact that the new car has a DPF which regenerates approx every 250 miles costs me a loss of about 7% in economy

https://www.i30ownersclub.com/forum/index.php?topic=16724.msg182314#msg182314

So ignoring the effect of DPF - the new car is about 18% better than the previous model for 230 miles - then ruins its advantage when the DPF regenerates for about 20 miles and drinks fuel - which drags the advantage down to 11%.

Am I happy with 5.22 - well it's better than 5.81 but would be 4.85 if I lived in Australia where you guys are too poor to afford a DPF.....

[Phil №❶]

Am I happy with 5.22 - well it's better than 5.81 but would be 4.85 if I lived in Australia where you guys are too poor to afford a DPF.....

Alan, you can't imagine the huge disadvantage it is to have been removed from the mother country and forced to live out here with all this space and no DPF's   

[Doggie 1]

Am I happy with 5.22 - well it's better than 5.81 but would be 4.85 if I lived in Australia where you guys are too poor to afford a DPF.....

Alan, you can't imagine the huge disadvantage it is to have been removed from the mother country and forced to live out here with all this space and no DPF's   

 
It's a sacrifice that has to be made unfortunately and we do it so that you can continue to live in the Mother Country, so I hope you appreciate it.

P.S. I don't get an update on the delivery date on mine until after the end of the month apparently. 

[Dazzler]

P.S. I don't get an update on the delivery date on mine until after the end of the month apparently. 

I might be due to trade my new one in before you get yours 

I have a long wait .. could be up to 3 WEEKS   

[Doggie 1]

That's right, rub it in. 
I reckon the steel might have just been pressed for mine. 

[Dazzler]

Sorry Dave 

[rustynutz]

You can't rush quality, hey Dave? 

[Doggie 1]

You can't rush quality, hey Dave? 

Too right. 
And it has further to come.