Fuel econ 2001 V70

[macdive]

Hello,

I have just purchased a 2001 V70 140bhp 2.4 manual with 99K on the clock. Off skiing next week to Austria so a long (10-12 hr/745m) autobahn run ahead of me. Does anyone have any ideas what I can expect with the fuel economy for this on this type of run doing no more than 80mph?

Many thanks

Macdive

[RUTV70]

So many variables here.!
..but in my 170 bhp V70 Auto I'd be expecting to see mid thirties...that's what its usually given me on long runs.

Neil

[DaveNP]

If it's fuel economy you're after 80kph (50mph) will do much better than 80mph.
Not sure of the exact optimum figure for a V70, but generally about 50mph is considered best as the car is in top gear with the engine at about the best rpm for power v fuel consumption and the drag effect is just starting to become significant. the increase in drag, and thus fuel consumption is a square of the increase in speed, so increasing from 50 to 55 is a 10% increase in speed but a 21% increase in drag, following that route to travel at 80mph would increase the drag by 156% (or 2.5 times as much drag) and correspondingly high fuel consumption or lower mpg. (Before clever people jump on with highly complex analysis this is a rough working figure as I don't own a wind tunnel etc).
The down side to driving at 50mph on the autobahn is it will probably bore you silly, if it were me I might try resetting the fuel computer (if you've got one) and try driving at various speeds just to see how it worked in practice, I know from driving various trucks and doing 'economy runs', to see who can get the best result in the yard, that it's possible to get more than 30% better mpg by doing the right things compared to just 'flooring it'.

[macdive]

Thanks for the info, but with a 4 year old and 7 year old in the back seat a 50 mph run over 745miles would result in my death......

[Paffel]

Originally Posted by macdive

Thanks for the info, but with a 4 year old and 7 year old in the back seat a 50 mph run over 745miles would result in my death......

Which route do you intend to make MacD? And do you know how much the tolls are over there? (Going Austria soon myself and looking to drive - although I will be doing 60ish rather than 80ish being as I have the T5!)

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by macdive

...with a 4 year old and 7 year old in the back seat a 50 mph run over 745miles would result in my death......

....especially on a German Autobahn with some of the speeds they go. It would be like being parked up!

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by macdive

Thanks for the info, but with a 4 year old and 7 year old in the back seat a 50 mph run over 745miles would result in my death......

OK so forget the fuel economy and the best of luck, I've spent years refusing to drive long distances on holiday with the kids.

[macdive]

Hi,
I'm going Dunkirk-Namur-Luxembourg (cheap fuel)-Munich-Salzburg-Flachau. Went this way last year, there is one stretch of about 50 miles which is like the old A1, but I'm driving at night so it shouldn't be too busy. I think it's better than cutting across Belgium and enetring Germany further up. No toll charges for the Autobahn, and the French section from Dunkirk is free, only the Austrian vingette (8 Euros for 10 days) which I ordered on http://www.tolltickets.com. The cheap fuel in Luxembourg is almost as soon as you cross the border, I plan to arrive with nothing more than a teacup in the tank, it's about £1.10 per litre with the exchange rate now!
Hope this helps
MacD