16 MPG...Is this normal at all?

[tpo209]

I've had my 2010 A4 since August and never really tracked MPG until now. I just got the car back from stage 2 (pistons and rings) and it seemed like the fuel gauge was dropping faster than normal. To be clear I definitely drive the car hard and make no effort to conserve gas (regularly full throttle through 80 mph etc.) but 16MPG seems low even for my driving. I calculated mpg on my last fill up and the question is, is this normal for the way I'm driving (if so fine with me I love driving the car) or is there something else going on?

I know it's a completely different car but I used to drive my 2.0L RSX the same way and would still get ~30MPG.

Let me know what you all think, is this normal or should I be looking into it?

[7speed]

What are your mods ?

[tpo209]

No mods, bone stock unless you want to count some rubber floor mats and CF vinyl wrap

[ryank382]

are you flooring it in 6th gear? if so that would definitely hurt fuel economy

[TCHUN003]

I get about 17mpg

[jaysen]

wow... that seems a little low.

I am certain our driving habits differ quite a bit, but to give you an 'idea' I get about 400 miles to a full tank. Though most my driving is freeway cruising at about 75ish and rarely ever flooring

[tpo209]

I'm going to try and lay off the throttle for this tank and see how much improvement I get. Is 16-17mpg normal though?


I got ~220 miles to a little less than a full tank on this fill. I'm 15miles to work mostly highway driving 80mph or so.

[jaysen]

I'm going to try and lay off the throttle for this tank and see how much improvement I get. Is 16-17mpg normal though?

Is it normal for your driving habits, probably. Normal for these cars under 'typical' driving conditions, No.

You're telling me you only get about 230-250 miles to a full tank?! That's insane. I'd be broke (more than I already am) driving that way....

[tpo209]

Is it normal for your driving habits, probably. Normal for these cars under 'typical' driving conditions, No.

You're telling me you only get about 230-250 miles to a full tank?! That's insane. I'd be broke (more than I already am) driving that way....

That's why I'm looking into it, just seems like I'm filling up way too often for $50 a tank. Part of me wants to save the money but at the same time there's a great feeling of full throttle through 80MPH getting onto the highway.

[TCHUN003]

If I do a mix of highway and city, I get about 300 to the tank, but I only avg 17mpg when I do all my miles in the city.

[shonseb]

City driving/stop and go will kill your fuel economy, especially with AWD. If you floor it every time you take off 16mpg is not surprising. Also depends on how high you let your RPMs stay. Do you normally drive in lower gears or in S-mode most of the time?

[tpo209]

City driving/stop and go will kill your fuel economy, especially with AWD. If you floor it every time you take off 16mpg is not surprising. Also depends on how high you let your RPMs stay. Do you normally drive in lower gears or in S-mode most of the time?

I'm only in the city for 2-3 miles every day but I definitely give it a bit more gas then needed. I don't usually use s-mode or keep it in low gears while driving though.

Seems like the consensus is that this isn't that odd depending on driving style. I'll lay off the gas for this tank and see if I can improve.

[dracolnyte]

from your driving habits, then yes it is normal to get 16mpg. dont forget rsx is lighter, no turbo, and fwd so that helps with fuel economy. if you keep driving like you stole it then better expect low mpg

[bluetori]

If I do highway at 80-85 I will get anywhere between 425-460 a tank, of yeah and I have an 09 estate with nearly 70k on it.

[bigdadi]

I'm only in the city for 2-3 miles every day .... this explains why your mpg is low because the engine warm-up waste more gas. You arrive destination before the engine warms up.

To make sure your mpg is normal, go make a trip on hwy only for an hour or two, then calculate the mpg
(1)fill up the tank before the trip and write down how much gas needed to fill up again after the trip...(X)
(2)record the mile before and after the trip. The 'after trip' mile minus 'before trip' miles ...(Y)
then Y divided by X

If the Hwy MPG is normal, then it's nothing wrong with your car and blame it on short trip before engine warm up.

[tpo209]

I'm only in the city for 2-3 miles every day .... this explains why your mpg is low because the engine warm-up waste more gas. You arrive destination before the engine warms up.

To make sure your mpg is normal, go make a trip on hwy only for an hour or two, then calculate the mpg
(1)fill up the tank before the trip and write down how much gas needed to fill up again after the trip...(X)
(2)record the mile before and after the trip. The 'after trip' mile minus 'before trip' miles ...(Y)
then Y divided by X

If the Hwy MPG is normal, then it's nothing wrong with your car and blame it on short trip before engine warm up.

Should have been clearer, I commute 15 miles each way, only 2-3 are in the city. ( I live in the city and work outside)

[jlaudio]

drove from hartford ct to harrisburg pa today and i netted about 29mpg per the trip computer

all highway so i don't think its abnormal to cut your mpg in half if you floor it everywhere you drive to redline in each gear

i must say i would hate to be the buyer of your car once you do sell it :)

[bigdadi]

The winter gas formula will rob you 10% mpg at least ... check it again in summer.
My 2012 A4 quat AT is avg 23mpg in daily 24 miles both city & hwy w/Shell 93 oct. gas.

[coolwater]

I avg about 16 myself with NYC traffic.
I do drive spirited and you have no choice but gun it in Manhattan.
-cW

[BarEaterB8]

I get about 280 miles to a tank. I am running stage 2 software with a intake and full exhaust and about 30 mile round trip to work with a mix of spirited highway and street driving

[LFDMedic]

I was wondering the same thing too, i just got my car back from stg 2 pistons and rings and then a water pump failure right after that and im only getting around 270-290 to a tank, and i drive conservative. Told the dealer and they said that i was within normal limits and similar to identical vehicle. Im wondering if the stage 2 had something to do with this. Im bone stock

[kwbdc]

Stage 2 and winter gas with about 60/40 highway/city I'm getting about 23.5-24 per fill up. We only get 92 Octane and I get on the car every now and then. About 360 per tank.

[pneks2001]

I have a 6spd and average 230 miles per tank before the light comes on. I do drive spiritedly. I didn't buy the car for the mileage. What is weird to me though is that I have owned 9 (counts on fingers to confirm), the best mileage I got was on my 2005 a4. I constantly got between 350 and 400 miles a tank. I have had 5 b8s and now a b8.5. Mileage has been similar on all the b8's for me.

[08CW6MT]

I average 22-24 mpg in city driving and 30+ freeway. 6 spd bone stock...

[LFDMedic]

just seems like it was much higher prior to all the oil consumption work

[saucemanpc]

I'm about 600 miles into "post Stage 2" myself. My adviser actually told me that when they change out the pistons and rings, they use different sizes than OEM and by going with a different size the gas mileage is diminished. This is BS if you ask me. In fact I currently have opened a case with AOA stating that this is not the car I purchase CPO and I either wanted my money back or for them to put me in another vehicle. I've owned my A4 for 8 months and 2.5 months of that has been in service.

[bluetori]

I've had stg 2 done on mine and mileage has been the same. I think a lot just have horrible driving habits. After stg 2 I still get the same before I had it done. In city ill get around 350 a tank.

[OmaHahn]

My 3.2 V6 gets about 17-19 City. This is because I floor the living sh1t out of her daily! Every single damn morning I wake up and head off to work thinking I'm going to take it easy, relax, listen to some good tunes and get ready for the work day. But then every single day there's ONE fregin jack ass that just pisses me off and I end up hitting the throttle and it's game over. Same thing on the way home!! Last Thanksgiving I drove the wife and I from Omaha to Denver via North Platte and I actually drove like a granny and used Cruise the entire time. My V6 averaged over 30 MPG! Very happy! I can't wait to see your updates...

[tpo209]

My 3.2 V6 gets about 17-19 City. This is because I floor the living sh1t out of her daily! Every single damn morning I wake up and head off to work thinking I'm going to take it easy, relax, listen to some good tunes and get ready for the work day. But then every single day there's ONE fregin jack ass that just pisses me off and I end up hitting the throttle and it's game over. Same thing on the way home!! Last Thanksgiving I drove the wife and I from Omaha to Denver via North Platte and I actually drove like a granny and used Cruise the entire time. My V6 averaged over 30 MPG! Very happy! I can't wait to see your updates...

Sounds like we have a very similar drive to work! Glad I'm not the only one who drives the car hard every day. I'm about halfway through a tank of taking it slow and nothing over 3k RPM and already see a difference in gas gauge vs. miles to empty number. I'm on pace for over 300 miles to this tank instead of the usual 230 or so. We'll see where it ends up when the fuel light comes on.

[staticuxo]

sounds terrible for the A4! i get 14-16 MPG city in my B8 S4 with a heavy foot.

[Jon-A4]

dude 100% agree with you. For me its fuking CA drivers.

My 3.2 V6 gets about 17-19 City. This is because I floor the living sh1t out of her daily! Every single damn morning I wake up and head off to work thinking I'm going to take it easy, relax, listen to some good tunes and get ready for the work day. But then every single day there's ONE fregin jack ass that just pisses me off and I end up hitting the throttle and it's game over. Same thing on the way home!! Last Thanksgiving I drove the wife and I from Omaha to Denver via North Platte and I actually drove like a granny and used Cruise the entire time. My V6 averaged over 30 MPG! Very happy! I can't wait to see your updates...

[dwong04]

Had my car (2013 a4 2.0t quattro) about a month now, my last full tank was mostly for city driving and got around 250 miles...