Shell VPower thoughts.....

[dbm]

if your worried about fuel costs why buy an RS? if your worried about running costs why buy an RS?

Because I want a performance car I can run every day, doing over 20k miles per year. Because I want a car where I won't be out of pocket when I'm doing business miles on petrol expense rates.

I buy the best performance car I can afford to run on these terms so fuel efficiency and servicing are a factor. Different things are important to different people.

[Nickyboy]

Nothing wrong with saving a few quid either! Just because you can afford an RS doesn't mean you aren't savvy with your money.

[JonG]

Fifth Gear did a test on super unleaded on this evenings episode.

1. Shell V-Power 240.9 bhp
2. Esso Supreme 240.5 bhp
3. BP Ultimate 236.7 bhp
4. BP (95 RON) 236.1 bhp
5. Asda (95 RON) 235.8 bhp

Test car was a Golf GTi ED35

[SteveCuz]

By my calculations that would make a 7.14 bhp difference on a 340bhp RS3 between Asda and V-Power.

I know all things won't be the same and it depends on the map.

Steve

[Dave_Hedgehog]

By my calculations that would make a 7.14 bhp difference on a 340bhp RS3 between Asda and V-Power.

I know all things won't be the same and it depends on the map.

Steve

Unfortunately you can not rely on one cars results to provide a rule of thumb for which fuel to use. There was a group test of various cars running UL and vpower which included an M5. Fuel made almost no difference to the M5. BMW explained the car was torque capped to protect the drivetrain.

Does the golf have a 98 fuel map?

[JonG]

[Does the golf have a 98 fuel map?

Yes, and VW recommend 98RON for it, although it can detect lesser RON petrol and adjust to run safely.

[Moschop5]

In reply to Steves post, my RS3 has now clocked just over 4k. We went to Cornwall the other week. The car returned on the way home, 34 mpg after 288 miles, mixed driving, back lanes, A/B roads and motorway including traffic jams. She then went up to Blackburn where I refuelled her with Shell V Power, so overall, 33.2 mpg and 371.5 miles to a full tank. My best result so far.

[SteveCuz]

That's impressive stats. Just shows what a super all rounder the RS3 is. I did a few long runs on my last tank and got 366 and 5 on the DIS.

The next tank is very mixed and will give me a better comparison with regards to 95 RON v 97 RON.

Steve

[Moschop5]

That's impressive stats. Just shows what a super all rounder the RS3 is. I did a few long runs on my last tank and got 366 and 5 on the DIS.

The next tank is very mixed and will give me a better comparison with regards to 95 RON v 97 RON.

Steve

Cheers Steve,

Yes the car is feeling better and sounding better too.

Oil change next week and a clean weather permitting.

Oh forgot to add the car had all the holiday bags in the back too. My average run to work is now returning better figures too as well, was high 20's now into the low 30's. 25 miles each way. B roads, dual carrage way and the usual stop/start at traffic lights.

Cheers

Wayne

[Nickyboy]

As mentioned earlier in this thread the cars ECU needs time to adapt. If this is true then the test on fifth gear didn't really factor this in as they ran the tests back to back.

[PetrolDave]

My average run to work is now returning better figures too as well, was high 20's now into the low 30's.

What I said - the lower sulphur levels of super unleaded reduce the amount of pre-cat purging required, which means mpg improves.

[stu]

My average run to work is now returning better figures too as well, was high 20's now into the low 30's.

What I said - the lower sulphur levels of super unleaded reduce the amount of pre-cat purging required, which means mpg improves.

That's interesting. So does the car continually purge, or is it just frequent enough to expect it every journey?

[PetrolDave]

That's interesting. So does the car continually purge, or is it just frequent enough to expect it every journey?

It only purges when it detects a significant restriction through the pre-cat - then it increases the fuelling and adjusts the timing to increase the exhaust gas temperature which purges the pre-cat. Then it returns to normal until it repeats again.

How often? Depends on what the sulphur content is in the fuel and how hot the exhaust gas temperature is when you're driving "normally".

[geek]

You've just dumped £40k on a car and you're going to quibble over a few pence on petrol, the mind boggles with some of you lot

Spot on.

[P_G]

if your worried about fuel costs why buy an RS? if your worried about running costs why buy an RS?

Because I want a performance car I can run every day, doing over 20k miles per year. Because I want a car where I won't be out of pocket when I'm doing business miles on petrol expense rates.

I buy the best performance car I can afford to run on these terms so fuel efficiency and servicing are a factor. Different things are important to different people.

But at the same time it is widely recignised that V-Power produces in the region of 10% increase in economy compared to the 6% increase in cost. And on a 60 litre tank you are talking about £4.80 on a £80 fill at 133.9 for unleaded