lee
12-25-2008, 06:56 AM
PD engines are known for their fuel efficiency, so how come our Passat has been faring so poorly?
simply had to get those fuel efficiency figures up; it was getting embarrassing. So,' after a lot of trial and error I finally did manage to get above 13kmpl in the city, which still might not seem brilliant, but for the car's weight, it's great.
So, here's how I did it. Always drove in D mode, and the moment the engine crossed 1600-1800rpm I used the paddles to shift up. Feathered the throttle, but most importantly, left for work at least 15 minutes earlier every day of the month. It's not the most en¬tertaining way to drive, I agree, but if fuel economy is on your mind, it's very effective.
That was for one fill and one fill only, because now its status quo - hard on the accelerator and complete use of paddle shits albeit for down shifting only. The figure, not surprisingly dropped, pulling the overall figure for the month down to 1O.8kmpl.
174
There's more to the car than just fuel efficiency or driving fun; take the cornering light for in¬stance, it lights up the road you intend being on highlighting all possible inconveniences like pot holes or stones or even sloshed individuals lying by the road. The Passat's xenons swirl with the steering and it gets additional cornering lights (mentioned above) which light up at a pre decided steering angle and fade away slowly when the steering is back in the straight ahead position. Though I haven't ex¬perienced it on the VW yet, but it should make tackling hills at night a safe and convenient af¬fair. Another reason to take the Passat up to the mountains for sure.
The gearbox problems that threatened to plague the car seem to have disappeared and the gearbox is working smoothly as of now and we are keeping our fingers crossed.
simply had to get those fuel efficiency figures up; it was getting embarrassing. So,' after a lot of trial and error I finally did manage to get above 13kmpl in the city, which still might not seem brilliant, but for the car's weight, it's great.
So, here's how I did it. Always drove in D mode, and the moment the engine crossed 1600-1800rpm I used the paddles to shift up. Feathered the throttle, but most importantly, left for work at least 15 minutes earlier every day of the month. It's not the most en¬tertaining way to drive, I agree, but if fuel economy is on your mind, it's very effective.
That was for one fill and one fill only, because now its status quo - hard on the accelerator and complete use of paddle shits albeit for down shifting only. The figure, not surprisingly dropped, pulling the overall figure for the month down to 1O.8kmpl.
174
There's more to the car than just fuel efficiency or driving fun; take the cornering light for in¬stance, it lights up the road you intend being on highlighting all possible inconveniences like pot holes or stones or even sloshed individuals lying by the road. The Passat's xenons swirl with the steering and it gets additional cornering lights (mentioned above) which light up at a pre decided steering angle and fade away slowly when the steering is back in the straight ahead position. Though I haven't ex¬perienced it on the VW yet, but it should make tackling hills at night a safe and convenient af¬fair. Another reason to take the Passat up to the mountains for sure.
The gearbox problems that threatened to plague the car seem to have disappeared and the gearbox is working smoothly as of now and we are keeping our fingers crossed.