Audi Diesel

[Tenderfoot]

Hello Members,
My name is tenderfoot, and I drive Comfort, a 2014 Audi Q5 TDi. I joined in July of 2014, and think this is a very useful site for comparing different cars and mileage results. I am lucky to drive a diesel, and achieve pretty good mileage for a heavy SUV (33 mpg for the initial 6000 miles). Audi has produced an excellent car that is well made and quite comfortable, even if a bit pricey. I bought a diesel based on owning a 2000 new beetle with a 4 cylinder diesel engine that amazed me with power AND economy. So far this car is showing me the same qualities...... that I hope to experience for years to come. Feel free to comment, as I would welcome someone to compare notes and share ideas about the car. I do not "hang out" on forums, so please be patient if I am slow to respond.
Like to hear from you,
Tenderfoot

[Jay2TheRescue]

Good luck with the Q5. There's a lot more potential with it. I was part of a group that took a small fleet of 2014 Audi TDI's from LA to NYC last fall. I was on team Q5. Made the trip in just over 46 hours, and we had the Q5 at 38.5 MPG. I think if we had the opportunity to do it again, we could do even better.

[Tenderfoot]

Thanks for the reply jay2therescue, and the encouragement. I know there is more to come, and expect to better my best mpg of 37.5mpg on a trip to Vermont. I would have loved to take part in the "clean diesel" run (LA to NYC) that you did, but not sure if that is still in me ( at age 77). My wife and I are planning a 5500 mile return to Grand Canyon/Yellowstone NP next May, and that is where the Q5 will shine. Am looking forward to cruising the SW highways and the wide open spaces where we can really enjoy Comforts road manners. We have been lucky enough to have visited all 50 states, and the Q5 appears to be the car to drive on our upcoming jaunt.
Regards,
Tenderfoot

[Draigflag]

Hi welcome, I have recently switched to diesel myself, for the same reasons, power economy qnd low emissions. I think in time you will get over 40 MPG, maybe 50 at a push. The modern German diesels are very efficient. I notice in the UK the 3.0 litre V6 TDI is rated at 61.4 MPG, is this your engine?

[Tenderfoot]

Hi Draigflag, thanks for the comments. Yes, I have the 3.0l V-6 with 240bhp and 428 ft/lbs of torque. I would be thrilled to achieve 40mpg under road conditions, but 50mpg might be a math error! It is very hard not to drive 70mph on the road as even our 18 wheeled "lorries" drive that speed, and 50mpg would have to be at slow speeds and mostly downhill. In North Carolina, where I live there are many traffic lights and congestion, plus most of my driving is short distance, which is hard on a diesel. On our trip to the SW, we will have much less congestion, so 40mpg might be attainable.
When I had my 2000 New Beetle TDi I ran a fuel economy run using biodiesel and managed 72mpg under controlled conditions, but that was with a "chipped" 90bhp 4 cylinder, and 3000 lb car. Now the Q5 is a much larger V6 driving a 4500 lb SUV, so 40 would be generous indeed, but I'll try!
Tenderfoot

[Draigflag]

Optimism is key, ive been reading articles of Auto journelists in the states getting over 40 MPG on cross country trips in Audi V8 TDI's

[Jay2TheRescue]

Here's the skinny on the Q5 TDI. When accelerating keep the RPM under 2,000, and while accelerating keep popping the paddle shifter to upshift as soon as possible. Keep it in 8th gear on the highway at all costs. You may have to give it a bit more gas than you want to climb mountains in 8th, but if you let it slide to 7th you have to burn a lot of fuel to get it to the point where it will go back to 8th. The Q5 will enter fuel cut mode quite aggressively on downhill glides. On moderate descents, you may want to pop it into Neutral so fuel cut mode doesn't zap your momentum away. If you do pop it into Neutral on a downhill glide, ever so slightly depress the accelerator before shifting back to drive so it doesn't enter fuel cut as soon as you shift, and immediately start eating momentum.

The Q5 also does quite well just simply setting the cruise control. At one point in the run we were behind, and we had the cruise set at a speed that's illegal in most states, and the instant MPG numbers we were seeing on the dash were still quite impressive.

[Tenderfoot]

Thanks for the tips jay2. I do use cruise whenever possible, but unfortunately my car is not equipped with paddle shifters, so the auto selects up and downshifts according to fuel pedal pressure.....usually quite light! I am amazed at the pulling power below 2000 rpm, but that is why I bought a diesel, power without revs! As far as coasting downhill in neutral, or other hypermileage tricks, listening to sat radio soothes my "killer" attitude towards squeezing every mile out of each drop burned. Also, I prefer 32 psi in the tires over the more efficient 40 psi of the hypers.
Tenderfoot