[Geo's comps]

Originally Posted by jespers

Attached is a plot of MPG for my 320i from new. It has currently done 7k miles (11k km) as seen there is no clear trend of improving. My commute is a few km highway then town traffic which tends to be queuing in one direction, that typically yields low 30s MPG, longer highway trips at 70 mph yield high 30s, as seen the overall average is mid 30s.

How did you get that chart ?


In my old e92 in the summers months around town I got 34mpg
Around motorways 39

In the winter it droppered to around 30mpg town and 33 during motorway driving.

I doubt these figures will help as it's as competent different car etc.

The mpg your experiencing at the moment in your 420i is because your engine has not broken in yet, once it's run in then your fuel economy should Improve.

[j.s.]

Originally Posted by Geo's comps

How did you get that chart ?

The "Road Trip" App on my iPhone, I log the milage, liters added etc each time I fill up the tank. The app generate this and other charts.

[Consett Mag]

I got my new car in November and have kept an eye on fuel economy over the winter. I use the Fuelly app and have seen a generally improving MPG as the engine loosens a bit and it warms up a bit quicker.

If the 420i and 335d give a similar MPG, but the latter is a whole load more powerful, it will help some to make a choice.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Consett Mag

I got my new car in November and have kept an eye on fuel economy over the winter. I use the Fuelly app and have seen a generally improving MPG as the engine loosens a bit and it warms up a bit quicker.

If the 420i and 335d give a similar MPG, but the latter is a whole load more powerful, it will help some to make a choice.

Yeah very much so.

There does not seem to be a huge difference between 2.0i and 3.0i either.

The lowest I get my 330d is 29mpg, however it sits around 45 for last few 'sensible' trips and that's with a fair bit of sport.

[Carjack]

You don't need to go to a 330D for good fuel consumption.

For good cost effective all round motoring you cannot beat a 320D and BMW UK sales prove it and with better all round handling than a 330D with its nose heavy engine!

My 320D cruising on the autobahn at 80mph its 55mpg.

[boom77]

Using Fuelly my average for the F31 335d over 14k miles was 37mpg.
Only just passed the 1200 mile run in period in the M135i, currently sat on 1500 miles and the Fuelly average is 31mpg, which I'm quite happy about.
Took it for a good ragging around Monmouthshire last week after hitting 1200, used about 1/3 tank but still got 25mpg.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by Carjack

You don't need to go to a 330D for good fuel consumption.

For good cost effective all round motoring you cannot beat a 320D and BMW UK sales prove it and with better all round handling than a 330D with its nose heavy engine!

My 320D cruising on the autobahn at 80mph its 55mpg.

The line I was taking was why go for a 2.0 litre when you only gain a few mpg when compared to a 3.0 and extra power if required.

For example my 330d Xdrive can return 45mpg in the example you show.

So a 330d Sdrive will be at least giving 5 mpg more or so.

Then there is the sound and refinement.

Admittedly, when in Germany and on autobahn, I tend to not be below 90 and don't even think about fuel ( other than oops) as we hire M3 etc. apart from one time they gave me a 2.0 Passat !!!!

[stefan4]

I do a 19 mile commute and I'm getting around 35 - 37 mpg in my 320 I - more if I'm careful.

On a long run I can easily get 40 mpg

[SH89]

I certainly would rather have a 3 litre however purchase cost was the main constraint. Ideally I would have a 335i, however the cost difference is massive from the 20i. I wish I had got the ACS tuning box as soon as I got the car.

[Consett Mag]

Originally Posted by boom77

Took it for a good ragging around Monmouthshire last week after hitting 1200, used about 1/3 tank but still got 25mpg.

I knew those M135i's were fast, but yours must be tuned

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by boom77

Using Fuelly my average for the F31 335d over 14k miles was 37mpg.
Only just passed the 1200 mile run in period in the M135i, currently sat on 1500 miles and the Fuelly average is 31mpg, which I'm quite happy about.
Took it for a good ragging around Monmouthshire last week after hitting 1200, used about 1/3 tank but still got 25mpg.

Yeah love the roads down the 'Border', was down Hereford (Credenhill) the other week, took a bit of circuitous route, you need to have stick to the left to appreciate them.

A certain 335i user must definitely have fun on them...

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Brigand

The line I was taking was why go for a 2.0 litre when you only gain a few mpg when compared to a 3.0 and extra power if required.

This has been the case in many ranges of car. Certainly in BMW from E46 days, where the 3.0i is virtually the same mpg in average conditions, as the lower capacity (even 4-pot) engines.

How I have seen it for years, driving in average UK conditions, there isn't a lot of difference across petrol engine sizes in a specific model, obviously the bigger engines will consume more fuel, when using the full output. But as exploiting the bigger engine is not typically the average driving condition, we don't lose much mpg in normal driving.

Our friends over the pond have found this with the F30 328i and 335i, both give similar mpg when driven within the limits of a 328i, the 335i clearly uses more fuel when extracting the full (extra) output.

Putting purchase costs and tax implications aside, fuel costs are not too dissimilar.

To get good figures from the 320i models it will require light driving conditions and a bit of driver restraint. 33 - 35mpg average does appear to be where it is currently being indicated.

HighlandPete

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

This has been the case in many ranges of car. Certainly in BMW from E46 days, where the 3.0i is virtually the same mpg in average conditions, as the lower capacity (even 4-pot) engines.

How I have seen it for years, driving in average UK conditions, there isn't a lot of difference across petrol engine sizes in a specific model, obviously the bigger engines will consume more fuel, when using the full output. But as exploiting the bigger engine is not typically the average driving condition, we don't lose much mpg in normal driving.

Our friends over the pond have found this with the F30 328i and 335i, both give similar mpg when driven within the limits of a 328i, the 335i clearly uses more fuel when extracting the full (extra) output.

Putting purchase costs and tax implications aside, fuel costs are not too dissimilar.

To get good figures from the 320i models it will require light driving conditions and a bit of driver restraint. 33 - 35mpg average does appear to be where it is currently being indicated.

HighlandPete

Engine size and fuel economy always amuses me when people buy 1.2 - 1.6 type of engines and then drive at 70 wondering why they don't get advertised fuel returns.

As you are fully aware, driving a small engine at the top end of its limit feeds the fuel monster.

[boom77]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Yeah love the roads down the 'Border', was down Hereford (Credenhill) the other week, took a bit of circuitous route, you need to have stick to the left to appreciate them.

Some not bad ones up your way either. Had to do a job in New Cross Hospital last week, sun was out and in no rush so took the scenic route. Abergavenny, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, then the B4364 across to Bridgnorth and on to Wolverhampton.
The B4364 was great fun for most of the way with no traffic until I caught up with some oldies. Even enjoying the lanes still averaged 36mpg (less than 1/4 tank), very happy with this M135.
I must admit I was a little anxious with all this recent talk of West Midland hot hatch thefts, but survived to enjoy the M6/M5 car park on the way home.

[....,,,,..,,..]

Originally Posted by boom77

Some not bad ones up your way either. Had to do a job in New Cross Hospital last week, sun was out and in no rush so took the scenic route. Abergavenny, Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow, then the B4364 across to Bridgnorth and on to Wolverhampton.
The B4364 was great fun for most of the way with no traffic until I caught up with some oldies. Even enjoying the lanes still averaged 36mpg (less than 1/4 tank), very happy with this M135.
I must admit I was a little anxious with all this recent talk of West Midland hot hatch thefts, but survived to enjoy the M6/M5 car park on the way home.

Yeah that's one of my runs down to Ludlow, am only 20 mins from Bridgenorth on a slow day

Some really good sweeping bends mixed with some tight ones.

Try the A5 towards Anglesely, that can be fun as well

Definitely beats using motorways all the time.

[boom77]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Yeah that's one of my runs down to Ludlow, am only 20 mins from Bridgenorth on a slow day

Some really good sweeping bends mixed with some tight ones.

Try the A5 towards Anglesely, that can be fun as well

Definitely beats using motorways all the time.

Not often I get up north these days, used to look after the North Wales hospitals as well as being a keen kayaker so was up there reasonably often, particularly if there was rain. The A470 up through Mid Wales is a lovely road, but don't think I've once been up there and not seen a speed van man.
Always avoid motorways if possible but with all the South Wales hospitals situated along the M4 corridor I probably end up on them 50% of the time.
Only went to New Cross to help a colleague.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Brigand

Engine size and fuel economy always amuses me when people buy 1.2 - 1.6 type of engines and then drive at 70 wondering why they don't get advertised fuel returns.

As you are fully aware, driving a small engine at the top end of its limit feeds the fuel monster.

Absolutely, reminds me of a few tests where cars were driven at 70mph. A Smart Fortwo 0.8 CDi returned less mpg (48.5) than a BMW E60 520d (50.8). The Smart had a combined figure of 85.6mpg the BMW 520d 55.4mpg. No need to guess who'd be 'smarting' about mpg.

So easy to buy the wrong car/engine without really thinking what our driving pattern will do to mpg.

HighlandPete

[oldnail]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

This has been the case in many ranges of car. Certainly in BMW from E46 days, where the 3.0i is virtually the same mpg in average conditions, as the lower capacity (even 4-pot) engines.

How I have seen it for years, driving in average UK conditions, there isn't a lot of difference across petrol engine sizes in a specific model, obviously the bigger engines will consume more fuel, when using the full output. But as exploiting the bigger engine is not typically the average driving condition, we don't lose much mpg in normal driving.

Our friends over the pond have found this with the F30 328i and 335i, both give similar mpg when driven within the limits of a 328i, the 335i clearly uses more fuel when extracting the full (extra) output.

Putting purchase costs and tax implications aside, fuel costs are not too dissimilar.

To get good figures from the 320i models it will require light driving conditions and a bit of driver restraint. 33 - 35mpg average does appear to be where it is currently being indicated.

HighlandPete

If it's in or around 33-35mpg I will be happy (same as my previous 318i). I'm not expecting diesel-like mpg. I was just shocked that the consensus seemed to be heading towards the mid 20s at one point!

[dopper99]

Although not a bmw, the wife's 1.25 litre Fiesta petrol is indicating 29mpg on the trip computer, this is around town driving. Rubbish.
My 335d is no worse than this.

One of the reasons why I personally would not consider buying petrol - unless it was something special and worthwhile such as an M car.

(Note, "worthwhile" means something I'd be happy to throw money at - fuel comsumption-wise )

[oldnail]

Originally Posted by dopper99

Although not a bmw, the wife's 1.25 litre Fiesta petrol is indicating 29mpg on the trip computer, this is around town driving. Rubbish.
My 335d is no worse than this.

One of the reasons why I personally would not consider buying petrol - unless it was something special and worthwhile such as an M car.

(Note, "worthwhile" means something I'd be happy to throw money at - fuel comsumption-wise )

Fair enough. The difference in price between a 420i M Sport and a 435d M Sport (only X-drive available in the GC as far as I can see) is £10930. At an average of 33mpg for the petrol (and using the current unleaded price here of £1.109 a litre), that price difference buys roughly 71.5k miles of fuel which is about 6 years motoring for me.

If I could readily afford a 435d I would certainly buy one but (with the exception about my concern over the future of diesel powered cars in this country), but, working to my budget, a 420i is just at the edge of affordability.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by oldnail

If it's in or around 33-35mpg I will be happy (same as my previous 318i). I'm not expecting diesel-like mpg. I was just shocked that the consensus seemed to be heading towards the mid 20s at one point!

Looking at your driving profile in one of the other posts and your diesel mpg, I'd expect to see you getting mid thirties.

I had a decent test drive in a run-in (1,500+ miles) F30 328i and after a mixed drive of 89 miles the OBC was reading over 42mpg. I was going to buy an F31 328i and would have expected at least 35mpg in my driving.

HighlandPete

[oldnail]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

Looking at your driving profile in one of the other posts and your diesel mpg, I'd expect to see you getting mid thirties.

I had a decent test drive in a run-in (1,500+ miles) F30 328i and after a mixed drive of 89 miles the OBC was reading over 42mpg. I was going to buy an F31 328i and would have expected at least 35mpg in my driving.

HighlandPete

Thanks Pete. That's what I'm hoping.