Potential Purchase - Info Required Please

[MELUNS]

Hi Everyone

A forum newbie here.
I am looking to chop in my current A4 Avant 130 Sport TDI for a ex demonstrator 2003 , 4.2 S4 Avant.

My local dealer has exactly the car I am after and I am very tempted after the recent test drive.

Although I know we dont buy a car like this for fuel economy reasons , I do need to get a guide on what mpg can be achieved for general UK motorway journeys.
Has anyone any direct facts relating to this?

I am hoping that the S4 will give me the best of both of my current cars (second car is a tuned STI 5 Type R Impreza with 317bhp(253@wheels) and 310lbft)

All comments and advice greatly appreciated

[SimonS4MTM]

I am sure that there are people here that can give you a more accurate figure but i would guess at 19mpg?

[Joshie]

It really does depend on your driving style - at 70MPH you should be looking at 28-29MPG - at 90 MPH probable mid to low 20's. I get about 30MPG from my M3 at 80-85MPH and in high teens belting around the local roads.

Like you said you don't really buy a car like this for fuel economy but you want to be sure that a long motorway journey will not guzzle gallons of extra fuel.

[JamesB]

Hi and welcome to rs246,

The best I ever get from my V8 S4 saloon is about 23-24MPG, even when cruising on the motorway. The average on the trip computer over the last few thousand miles, i.e. all road driving, is 20.8MPG. When I first had the car it was sub 20 for a long time. I reckon the trip computer is slightly generous too.

But as both Joshie and you have so wisely said, this is not the sort of car to buy if you're worried about fuel economy.

In terms of getting the best of both your current cars, I don't think the S4 will feel (or be) quite as quick as the Impreza but it's certainly no slouch and I'm still enjoying mine after 12000 miles. It will certainly do the job in terms of relative practicality however.

[S4Tony]

Mine's a tiptronic. I did actually get nearly 28mpg on a long motorway run once, but normally it's around 20-23mpg. I didn't buy this for economy, but a range of well under 300 miles can get quite irritating sometimes.

[MELUNS]

Thanks everyone for all your comments.
Unfortunately I think I am going to have to postpone my purchase until
mpg is simply not an issue.

Currently this would be a work tool and for it to be viable I would need to return an average of 23-24 and I just dont think I would get it from the S4, as I would always want to drive it as it should be driven!

[Gareth]

Mine's a tiptronic. I did actually get nearly 28mpg on a long motorway run once, but normally it's around 20-23mpg. I didn't buy this for economy, but a range of well under 300 miles can get quite irritating sometimes.

Very true and that's why I sold mine recently. Was hacked off with the mpg and the rubbish tank range

[runrowsam]

Christ, it really is low on the efficiency ratings that engine! The RS4 went in for a service and lent us an S8 for a few days (wheels were being changed to hard ones). Over the whole 5 or 6 days we had the car it averaged 23mpg, and that was in the S8 bodyshell! It's also a slightly higher tune too, with 361hp vs. 344hp, and we were hardly hanging around while we had the car!!! I think at one point we were averaging 90mph down the motorways after a refil and it averaged 29mpg the whole way down to deepest Cornwall.

Just as a random point, my bastard 525e, marketed as an "efficient motorway cruiser" returns about 18mpg on the run down to Bath, and I'm a student! That hurts the wallet I can tell you, that's my beer money!

Sam