Fuel economy……again

[MrMagoo]

So now we are living in turbulent times for everything getting more and more expensive. Me and the missus have retired due to health and I down sized my motor to the modest focus estate. The ecoboost thingy 1 litre engine. Was told it was great. Poppycock. The car inside is the one with all the bells and whistles. An x or something and that I rather like, although the dash and dials seem to get grubby quick and there is always bits of muck and sand getting into every crease of door, chairs and any other crevasse. We don’t go far, local journeys of a couple of miles here and there. Literally a couple of miles max at least 5 times a week.

Now here’s the crux, even if I have it on eco and drive like a knob I’m getting horrendous fuel economy. I know the short journeys don’t help. However, a mate of mine is getting between 10 and 20 more miles per gallon in a petrol 3 litre BMW. How can that be right. We are doing the same journeys and distances. The only real difference's, other than his car an tyres weighing in at least a ton heavier…..I think the piled carpet in his probably weighs more than my whole car. Neither of us fill our motors anymore. My boot is nearly always empty yet his is full of work and kids crap. His car has got just over 80,000 miles whilst mine has 3000 ish.

When I was choosing a vehicle the sales guy, whom we liked and seemed to know his business, poo pooed my idea of anything hybrid even though it could sit on charge four days a week at someone else’s expense. I’d rather find out going down the route of something I can do about it before kicking up a stink with the dealer and potentially Ford. To say we are unhappy is an understatement. 
 

Otherwise the car is fine, the interior works well, the toys suit me and my personal style of driving. The global opening and shutting work well. During the winter the app made sure I had a warm car to get into at half past stupid a clock in the morning. It even cleared the screen and gave me a hot *****. The steering wheel heater almost elevated the car to god like status. But now that fuel has gone up, we are struggling to afford to get out. And this is probably the biggest luxury we have. Just taking a coffee to the seafront and watching the sea and birds float past.

 

Any help received or even constructive criticism would be gratefully received.

 

warmest regards

 

D

[TomsFocus]

Best advice sounds like selling it and buying a BMW. 

As you've pointed out, the main issue is short journeys.  You've also got a heavy estate to lug about on that poor 1.0 engine.  Presumably it's just the measly 125bhp model if it's brand new and not hybrid at all?

How many MPG are you actually getting?

 

[Nimrodmk8]

16 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Best advice sounds like selling it and buying a BMW. 

As you've pointed out, the main issue is short journeys.  You've also got a heavy estate to lug about on that poor 1.0 engine.  Presumably it's just the measly 125bhp model if it's brand new and not hybrid at all?

How many MPG are you actually getting?

 

My car is averaging 44.7 MPG manual gearbox, I'm not that heavy footed and used mainly commuting, I do not bother with stop/start or Eco mode, MPG goes up a little in the winter. I didn't want to consider a 1.0 litre, I had motorbike engine larger than that, also surely engine is more stressed.

[StephenFord]

45 minutes ago, Nimrodmk8 said:

My car is averaging 44.7 MPG manual gearbox...

Well, there's definitely some improvement over the years. My 2005 1.6 petrol engine will manage no more than 30Mpg, and that's me driving like my granny!

[TomsFocus]

10 minutes ago, Nimrodmk8 said:

My car is averaging 44.7 MPG manual gearbox, I'm not that heavy footed and used mainly commuting, I do not bother with stop/start or Eco mode, MPG goes up a little in the winter. I didn't want to consider a 1.0 litre, I had motorbike engine larger than that, also surely engine is more stressed.

The 1.0 125ps is fine in a Fiesta...but it does struggle in a Focus hatch, let alone an estate!   

The 155ps MHEV is more than adequate though, honestly wouldn't know it was only a 1.0 (my other Mk4 was a 1.5 150 for comparison).  Haven't tried a 125ps MHEV but I would expect that to be better for efficiency as well as driveability than the conventional 125.

You're absolutely right about the extra stress and strain on the engine (without electric assistance)...  Seems to be a common misconception that a small engine automatically means better MPG.  But the reality is you're having to work it harder, so end up using near enough the same amount of fuel for the same work done in the end anyway. 

I had a 2.0 TSI 190 DSG Leon delivered 100 miles or so last year...that averaged over 50mpg!!  My own urban driving in it averaged around 45mpg.  The same trips in my 1.0 MHEV 155 also averaged around 45mpg.  The 2.0 was much nicer to drive as well, just a a shame I couldn't manage the automatic gearbox with my vertigo.

[Nimrodmk8]

Had a MK1 Fiesta many years ago, I think the engine was 997cc, it used to go up hills the speed it wanted to, even if the accelerator was pinned to the floor, we stopped talking at motor way speeds as the car was so noisy, it was reliable, even if it did have high mileage on it.

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

42 minutes ago, Nimrodmk8 said:

Had a MK1 Fiesta many years ago, I think the engine was 997cc

957 or 1,117 on the Mk 1, which I always thought strange engine sizes. My mate had a 957 new, he thought it was amazingly quick after an 850 Mini. I went for the 1,117 which also seemed very nippy after the Triumph Toledo I'd been driving immediately previously!😀

But vaguely on topic, my current 140 Mk 8 Fiesta gives very similar economy (mid-40s average) to that old 1.1, and to the 1.8 Leon (180ps) I had before the Mk 8.

[steplce74]

my mk2 focus does to, i got 210 to a full tank but that's short journeys , mines a vct-ti, full service history, and my old 2.0 golf gti was a lot better

[unofix]

6 minutes ago, steplce74 said:

i got 210 to a full tank but that's short journeys ,

Assuming a 10 gallon tank, that's only 21 MPG !!!!!

You should sell it and use the money to buy a Bus Pass 🤣

[StephenFord]

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

Assuming a 10 gallon tank, that's only 21 MPG !!!!!

 

Or, splash out on a Bentley Continental GT, they get 23Mpg LOL

[unofix]

There'll be bother at the next climate meeting if Greta finds out 🤣

[steplce74]

lol, like the car to much, only done 83k, i do tend to drive it pretty hard thou, 

[steplce74]

had a big issue with a misfire, had to have the wiring sorted between coil and ecu, they couldnt get the plug of the ecu  but managed to run a sperate wire from coil to ecu, its always been bad on fuel for a 1.6