# diesel mpg



## sirbikes (Aug 17, 2012)

ok so a couple of weeks ago I got a speeding ticket :wahwah:. So lately I've been driving like a grandma, and guess what? No improvement in my mpg. I don't get diesels, they seem to get the same mpg no matter how you drive them. :dunno: If I didn't know any better, I'd say the diesels like to be flogged. Thing is, you do that with a gasser and you'll get crap mileage.


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## Michael47 (May 9, 2014)

Not in my experience. They do, however, show much less effect from how hard you squash the go pedal.

Braking, however, is an entirely different matter.

The best way to get maximum mileage from any car is to drive it so that you minimize using the brakes. It's a big part of why you get better mileage on the open road than around town.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

Not my experience either. I get about 40 MPG flat ground at 70, and more like 30 mpg at 85. My ecodiesel gets 25 at 85 on flat ground and about 30 at 70.

Mileage works on a curve for each gear, there are two cruising speeds on the curve, on high speed and one low speed, where you will get the same MPG. What speed were you going before and what speed are you going now? Are you also going slower in town and accelerating more slowly or is that all the same but you adjusted your highway cruise speed?


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

In long summer trips my VW TDI ALH produced right at 50 mpg every year that I had it. Twice I made long trips at 55 mpg, across Canada on a two lane with lots of Mounties enforcing the 100 kph limit, and down the east coast on US-17 and not I-95 at about 50 - 55 mph maximum and got 56 mpg.

Aerodynamic drag force is the greatest steady state force and increases with the second power of speed. Acceleration force is by Newton's Second Law F=mA, and acceleration is speeding up, slowing down (restoring the energy lost to braking) or ascending. Descending, the diesel consumes no fuel in over run.


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## sirbikes (Aug 17, 2012)

Now I think something else is going on, because I just checked my mpg average and it has dropped from 24.2 to 21.7 mpg recently. Maybe it's the hot summer and a/c use, traffic, etc. Perhaps it's time to add a bottle of Amsoil Diesel Injector Cleaner to the tank at my next fill-up.


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## Michael47 (May 9, 2014)

Don't get too excited about what the computer reports as your overall average. On my X5, I've managed to get it to claim 30 mpg average by judicious choice of reset time, although I'm quite certain there's no way to get that high overall. An X5 just isn't going to produce 30 mpg running shopping errands around town.

Further, there's nothing necessarily wrong with the vehicle. So very many things influence mileage: speed, number of starts and how long you run the engine, whether air conditioning is on or off, whether the windows are open or closed, how much you use the brakes, which gear you are in, head/tail winds, whether you drive from up in the mountains to the coast or vice versa.

Diesels do require somewhat different driving techniques than gassers to get the best mileage and to take advantage of the different torque curves. It takes new diesel drivers a little while to adjust, sometimes. But, yes, diesels do like to be driven hard.


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## howdytex (Apr 14, 2015)

i drive mine like i stole it. everyday. 

fuel economy in mixed driving...about 30 mpg. on country backroads, about 35.

this car is fun and it's meant to be driven hard


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## John Galt (Jul 21, 2012)

I just came back from a long trip up to northern Ontario and spent nearly 8 hours driving a max of 65 MPH down one-lane (per direction) narrow country roads with lots of moose near them. My 2015 F15 35d was FULLY loaded and I averaged a personal-best 36MPG. When I drive (extensively) for work along the northern-Midwest interstates at around 80 MPH and with a limited amount around town, my total average is 30.9-31.1MPG on summer diesel. 

It's a love-hate relationship with my X though as I'm still experiencing CBU symptoms on this one at just over 22k miles and the dealership was unable to sort it out the last time I brought it in, just before my trip. Nearly stalled twice today with hard shudders, just as my 2014 35d did only that one was at 46,xxx miles before it experienced extreme CBU. If this vehicle wasn't so damn-efficient, it would be gone but alas, there it sits in my garage, begging to be driven like a big fast sports sedan with the fuel-sipping frugality of an econobox. 

-John


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## basilray (Aug 10, 2016)

Have had my 11 X5d for just over a week.

Took it on a 260mile trip from Minneapolis to northern Iowa. All highway, 85ish mph there and back. After that, some mixed city driving across the rest of my first full tank. Having come from a Subaru Tribeca w/ a similarly sized engine that would have been LUCKY to get 20mpg, I'm pleased with the 24mpg I averaged across the first tank. Plus, diesel is less expensive right now than premium, which I religiously ran in the Subaru.

I've been mashing the pedal, enjoying all this newfound power and acceleration. It's a real treat to drive. So, with a limited sample size, I'm sold on the diesel.


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## BB_cuda (Nov 8, 2011)

My experience is the D is pretty RPM sensitive. The basin bridge just east of Baton Rouge has 60 mph speed limit and we have family that are law enforcement there. They say DON"T SPEED. I set cruse for 60 mph and got ~46 mpg. Going fast which is about 83 where I set cruse at, I get more like 33-34 mpg. At 70 mpg on flat ground, about 39 mpg depending if A/C is on. there are other factors at play too. When you're getting close to 40 mpg, little things will throw you off. When I hauled bicycles to Louisiana and back, the mpg fell from ~41 mpg to 35 from the aero drag. Another one I've noticed is use of the electric seat heaters puts load on alternator and that loads the crank a little. Small amount but the little things will add up. Try it sometime when it gets cooler. Do same run with and without seat heaters (and rear window defogger too) and you will see a couple mpg change. Heaters use a lot of current.


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## Nulevel (Sep 3, 2015)

I'm pure city driving, 5x a week, 50-mile total daily commute. I'm getting 19.5 MPG. Not bad in my opinion for a mid-sized SUV. 

Worst MPG was 17.0 MPG--I was driving in sport mode.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

BB_cuda said:


> Heaters use a lot of current.


At 12 VDC, 1,000 Watts is 83 Amps. 745 Watts is one Horsepower. For back of the envelope, 1000 Watts is 1 Horsepower and 100 Amps

Note that 83 Amps for an hour will kill a 100 AH battery dead, dead, dead. That is our PTC heater that comes on until the engine cooling water is hot.


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## Hoooper (Jun 17, 2013)

Doug Huffman said:


> At 12 VDC, 1,000 Watts is 83 Amps. 745 Watts is one Horsepower. For back of the envelope, 1000 Watts is 1 Horsepower and 100 Amps
> 
> Note that 83 Amps for an hour will kill a 100 AH battery dead, dead, dead. That is our PTC heater that comes on until the engine cooling water is hot.


For reference at 70mph, a 335d is fighting only about 16 hp worth of aero drag. Additional drag due to tires, trans losses, etc. put us somewhere between 20 and 30 hp required at the crank to maintain 70 mph.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Hoooper said:


> For reference at 70mph, a 335d is fighting only about 16 hp worth of aero drag. Additional drag due to tires, trans losses, etc. put us somewhere between 20 and 30 hp required at the crank to maintain 70 mph.


Where'd you get that number please?


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## docvb (Dec 6, 2004)

My mileage is down a tad, to 24.5, usually 25.1. I attribute it to hot muggy weather and heavy a/c use, also recent bump up of freeway speed limits to 70 mph here. Enjoy it until the winter diesel is back, then it's 24!


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## dhhbmwfest (Jun 29, 2011)

I just purchased a CPO 2016 328d xDrive in September. With a little over 2 months of roughly 75% highway driving, I'm averaging 45mpg. From what I had read previous to purchasing the car, this is about what I was expecting. But I am still nonetheless thrilled - love the car!

Also, regarding the notion that diesels like to be driven hard, I think that depends on the vehicle. For example, I have a 2008 GL320 CDI, and it definitely doesn't like to be pushed - it's more of a cruiser. However, my new 328d doesn't mind this at all. So bottom line is depending on your driving style and vehicle, your mileage will vary.


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## x5Boise (Jul 23, 2016)

sirbikes said:


> Now I think something else is going on, because I just checked my mpg average and it has dropped from 24.2 to 21.7 mpg recently. Maybe it's the hot summer and a/c use, traffic, etc. Perhaps it's time to add a bottle of Amsoil Diesel Injector Cleaner to the tank at my next fill-up.


You may have addressed this already, but check your coolant temps. When the car is warmed up, it should be around 85-89C. If the coolant temperature is around the 70s (can drop as as low as 65) Celcius, even when the car is fully warmed up, you're looking at a stuck thermostat (open position). My car had the stuck open thermostat issue, and I was getting 22-23mpg max in the freeway as the car thought it was never warmed up and dumps extra fuel to try to warm it up further. You won't get a check engine light either--you have to run an OBD scanner to check your coolant temps.

My X5 35d (has a 3rd row for even more weight) is back up to 27-29 mpg with a new thermostat (replaced in the summer).


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## Enthusiast 456 (Jun 23, 2014)

My recent best is 53 mpg through PA doing 65-85 mph.

I normally get no less than 44; in fact I can't remember when the display read less than 44.


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## Enthusiast 456 (Jun 23, 2014)

howdytex said:


> i drive mine like i stole it. everyday.
> 
> fuel economy in mixed driving...about 30 mpg. on country backroads, about 35.
> 
> this car is fun and it's meant to be driven hard


Amen...it runs best when hauling ass... too much stop and go and she doesn't like that! Cruises effortlessly at 80-90 and she probably wants to go much faster.


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## shafeeq (Oct 25, 2015)

My 2016 X5 35d loves the highway.


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## Jerry K. (Jan 2, 2017)

New here and had my CPO 328D since 12/31/16. I'm getting 40+ mpg in all driving conditions. I just did a run from San Diego to the Bay Area and back (950 miles) and got 41mpg, 70% highway, averaged 75-80 mph on the highway with a couple 90 mph stretches. Not flat country by any means and loving the car which replaced my 2010 Jetta TDI.


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## jfxogara (Oct 26, 2012)

Jerry K. said:


> New here and had my CPO 328D since 12/31/16. I'm getting 40+ mpg in all driving conditions. I just did a run from San Diego to the Bay Area and back (950 miles) and got 41mpg, 70% highway, averaged 75-80 mph on the highway with a couple 90 mph stretches. Not flat country by any means and loving the car which replaced my 2010 Jetta TDI.


Wow that is nuts!


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## rparnel1 (Oct 29, 2014)

I took a 1000 mile trip from Ft Worth to Ruidoso last August in my 2014 328D. Ran 80 to 85 for a large part of it on the straight and flat West Texas and East New Mexico roads. Average speed was around 75. Got 41 for the trip, even while running the air conditioner the entire time. Very pleased. Can easily get higher if just slow her down to around 70


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## FaRKle! (Jun 18, 2016)

Jerry K. said:


> New here and had my CPO 328D since 12/31/16. I'm getting 40+ mpg in all driving conditions. I just did a run from San Diego to the Bay Area and back (950 miles) and got 41mpg, 70% highway, averaged 75-80 mph on the highway with a couple 90 mph stretches. Not flat country by any means and loving the car which replaced my 2010 Jetta TDI.


That is great. I'm only getting 35-36. Darn Bay Area traffic.


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## ddsski (Jul 23, 2009)

Doug Huffman said:


> In long summer trips my VW TDI ALH produced right at 50 mpg every year that I had it. Twice I made long trips at 55 mpg, across Canada on a two lane with lots of Mounties enforcing the 100 kph limit, and down the east coast on US-17 and not I-95 at about 50 - 55 mph maximum and got 56 mpg.
> 
> Aerodynamic drag force is the greatest steady state force and increases with the second power of speed. Acceleration force is by Newton's Second Law F=mA, and acceleration is speeding up, slowing down (restoring the energy lost to braking) or ascending. Descending, the diesel consumes no fuel in over run.


 Course the motor was totally illegal. Thanks VW for screwing up the diesel market


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## basilray (Aug 10, 2016)

Averaging about 21mpg right now in mixed daily driving.

The cold weather here in MN really does take a toll on the fuel economy, as the diesel engine takes a long while to get to operating temperature when ambient temps are <20F


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## Tex (Oct 6, 2003)

ddsski said:


> Course the motor was totally illegal. Thanks VW for screwing up the diesel market


Actually not, he said he had an ALH TDI which means a MKIV Jetta or Golf from the early 2000's. That engine is not dealing with the scandal at all. In fact, the combination of a light car with a small and very efficient diesel engine made this car an oil sipper with 49-50mpg highway rating and reports of much higher than that by hypermilers.

With this said, I agree to thank VW for screwing up the diesel market by trying to do without DPF and DEF what others had already determined could only be done with.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Tex said:


> Actually not, he said he had an ALH TDI which means a MKIV Jetta or Golf from the early 2000's. That engine is not dealing with the scandal at all. In fact, the combination of a light car with a small and very efficient diesel engine made this car an oil sipper with 49-50mpg highway rating and reports of much higher than that by hypermilers.


Thank you. At 180K miles my 13 y.o. TDI produced at least 50 mpg on every long hot summer trip. Its highest was 56 mpg on a long slow trip on US-17 south from NY/NJ and another trip across Canada with 100 kph speed limits and lots of enforcement.

ETA: Because SirBikes started this thread, the trip home from the Five Boroughs NYC ride had our DoubleDay tandem crosswise in the wind.


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## Nadir Point (Dec 6, 2013)

That's waaaay low MPG, even for cold weather. You are probably entering the CBU zone.


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## Proconsul (Aug 2, 2015)

28 in the city, 32 cruising 70+ in my X5d, pretty consistently year-round.


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## CHDriver (Oct 24, 2016)

*Impressed*

I just completed a weekend trip with the 328d SW. Mostly interstate driving (I-20 east from Atlanta to Columbia, SC) with the cruise set at 73mph. Distance driven about 200-miles. Per the On-Board trip computer, average speed was 66.6mph. I think I've found the sweet spot for maximizing mpg - 73-mph. The On-Board trip computer indicated I achieved 50.5mpg! I drove the distance in ECO-Pro mode. I-20 for this stretch is fairly level with gentle hills.

I then did a run on I-26 to Spartanburg (100-miles +/-) at 75 to 80mph and my mpg dropped to 42.

My last run was from Spartanburg back to Atlanta (140-miles +/-). This stretch of I-85 is hillier and more traffic. I tried to stay within the 73mph area but was anywhere from 55 to 80mph. Result was 45mpg.

For you cogitation.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

I'm on my way to Charleston's Seabrook Island Monday-week and dread I-26. What a POS Interstate full of PIA drivers. I'll be hauling 'bicycles' too big to get them out of the windstream and will do my best to not look at the mileage.


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## indy_gator (Jun 28, 2006)

2014 328d... to/from work 102 miles round trip, 814 miles on 14.75 gallons...55 mpg! but took Eco mode and some hyper-mile'g and only a top speed of 60 mph.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Well, I am here on Seabrook Island, SC, for a month. The trip was three ~400 mile days, the first featuring Chicago Tollroad, the second featured heavy rain, flooded highways and stupid drivers (three of whom kissed the wall but many tried), and the third featured just heavy interstate traffic.

I reset the mileage computer parameters at my first fuel stop after reaching NOT and presumably a DPF regeneration. Then the mileage climbed steadily to *22.6 mpg* (remember the bicycles in the wind) unaffected by the mountains. Average speed was a bit less than 80 mph with little variation.


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## CHDriver (Oct 24, 2016)

indy gator gets an "atta boy"! It's amazing what backing off on the pedal can do.

Doug, sounds like you had a tough, long haul!


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## tehDiceman (Nov 3, 2016)

I'm seeing around 30mpg in mixed mostly city driving. On longer trips I've seen [email protected], but the car only has 5k miles on it so it has a lot of breaking in to do. I expect this to get better. When on the highway the in dash reads around 45mpg until I exit and hit suicide socal traffic.

On my 2013 TDI, I regularly saw 50mpg on long trips, up hills or otherwise. I was seeing the same 30mpg in mixed mostly city driving to/from work. 

Daily round trip is 32 miles, long enough for the car to warm up all the way, have a couple good pulls from light to light, then shut her down. Not ideal, but it's not technically a short trip since the car is warming all the way up. Typically if I need to take a short trip, I'll drive around for an extra 15-20 minutes just to ensure oil temp is up to snuff before parking again.


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## rbhirsch1 (Sep 13, 2007)

I have a 2015 535d and thinks is great. Out of curiosity, how often do you use diesel fuel additive? Why did you choose Amsoil diesel injector cleaner instead of any other brand product, e.g. BG 244 BG 248? 


sirbikes said:


> Now I think something else is going on, because I just checked my mpg average and it has dropped from 24.2 to 21.7 mpg recently. Maybe it's the hot summer and a/c use, traffic, etc. Perhaps it's time to add a bottle of Amsoil Diesel Injector Cleaner to the tank at my next fill-up.


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## sirbikes (Aug 17, 2012)

I no longer use any additives or believe that they do anything. I bought the cheapest diesel and used additives and had carbon buildup. Now I just run name brand diesel such as bp or exxon with no additives and have not had any issues for 45k miles.

I didn't know about bg products at the time since they are not sold retail and only learned about them later while at my indy.



rbhirsch1 said:


> I have a 2015 535d and thinks is great. Out of curiosity, how often do you use diesel fuel additive? Why did you choose Amsoil diesel injector cleaner instead of any other brand product, e.g. BG 244 BG 248?


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

Enthusiast 456 said:


> My recent best is 53 mpg through PA doing 65-85 mph.
> 
> I normally get no less than 44; in fact I can't remember when the display read less than 44.


How is this even possible? My avg is 24 and best was like 27. Most people are around this range so please do explain, This is X5D?


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Ozer said:


> This is X5D?


 His Auto: 328d


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

Mileage varies with the square of the velocity,_ceteris paribus_.


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

floydarogers said:


> The time, distance, and speed tell the story. Fast enough to be in top gear, but not so fast that air resistance is bad: the best speed.
> 
> You weren't going downhill, or with a tailwind, were you?


Excellent questions, the route was along the coast so just gentle and small ups and downs so generally no gain or loss. I can only prove the tailwind theory if I were to backtrack the whole 18 miles immediately and record it but I am not going to do that. The route is a natural one for me so I will keep doing it and if I suddenly get a big difference that may be a reason.


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

Doug Huffman said:


> Mileage varies with the square of the velocity,_ceteris paribus_.


There should be variance from week to week based on lots of things. I am just learning the car for one and also weather, temperature, wind come into play. Traffic is usually light but this freeway is a major interstate so you know what that means.

As you say, I will be experimenting with optimum speed as well so lots of fun challenges.


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## TheBusDriver (Jan 23, 2018)

Brand new 540d (500km on the odo). 170km trek (110 miles), speed between 110-120km/h (70-75 mph) 41.7 US mpg on an engine that hasn't even begun to "loosen up" !


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## Vancityy (Mar 15, 2018)

geodug said:


> Update to my small mileage project on a 2016 BMW X3 28d. While I am very happy with how economical this car is I think the Trip Computer is reading slightly optimistic. I am collecting some more datapoints before I have a conclusion.
> 
> On the good side my earlier baseline test indicating 51.0 mpg was not a fluke. I did the same procedure again and this time the Trip Computer indicated 52.3 mpg. This baseline is not an indicator of a real world experience but the trend upward is a good thing.
> 
> Any other owners interested in the mileage that the 28d package offers? I would think that 3 Series sedans should perform even better.


Haha I guess just like me, you love having diesel in Vancouver area these days right? .. What gas stations do you use and you think it matters for your mpg?


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

Vancityy said:


> Haha I guess just like me, you love having diesel in Vancouver area these days right? .. What gas stations do you use and you think it matters for your mpg?


Great to hear from a sedan owner. The price spread on diesel in Vancouver right now 20 cents less than regular is terrific. But BMW owners who have gas cars pay another 10 cents more than regular so that must hurt.

My secret juice lately for my 50+ mpg runs has been the Costco in Bellingham. If you go there fill up, reset your trip computer, make a run for the border, take the truck exit, turn right at the first light, stop and photo your trip computer to see how much better your diesel sedan gets than the barn door I drive.

I am very curious to see the results.


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## BillyBremner (Apr 14, 2016)

geodug said:


> Great to hear from a sedan owner. The price spread on diesel in Vancouver right now 20 cents less than regular is terrific. But BMW owners who have gas cars pay another 10 cents more than regular so that must hurt.
> 
> My secret juice lately for my 50+ mpg runs has been the Costco in Bellingham. If you go there fill up, reset your trip computer, make a run for the border, take the truck exit, turn right at the first light, stop and photo your trip computer to see how much better your diesel sedan gets than the barn door I drive.
> 
> I am very curious to see the results.


Hey Geodug.

I live in the lower mainland, and I am looking at getting out of my GTI because I want more space and the ability go down some dirt roads so I have narrowed my search to a X3 but I am curious to your thoughts on the handling and performance of the 28D. I was looking at a 28i because my wife has the sedan, but if the performance isn't that bad I would definitely go the diesel route. Like you, I used to be a VW TDI owner who sold his Jetta back to them a year ago.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Vancityy (Mar 15, 2018)

geodug said:


> Great to hear from a sedan owner. The price spread on diesel in Vancouver right now 20 cents less than regular is terrific. But BMW owners who have gas cars pay another 10 cents more than regular so that must hurt.
> 
> My secret juice lately for my 50+ mpg runs has been the Costco in Bellingham. If you go there fill up, reset your trip computer, make a run for the border, take the truck exit, turn right at the first light, stop and photo your trip computer to see how much better your diesel sedan gets than the barn door I drive.
> 
> I am very curious to see the results.


Haha I know, I commute a lot during the day because of my work and that's why I switched to BMW Diesel from my Audi S3 (premium gas of course  ).

Hmmm, so you think the quality of the Diesel across the border makes the difference? As of now I'm getting 6.8 L/100km (~34.5mpg) after 1 month of having the sedan, which is mostly highway driven in comfort mode without AC (I have BMW Roof racks and a single bike rack), and I've just been putting any Diesel that was the cheapest (which mostly ended up to be the Shell beside my place).


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

BillyBremner said:


> Hey Geodug.
> 
> I live in the lower mainland, and I am looking at getting out of my GTI because I want more space and the ability go down some dirt roads so I have narrowed my search to a X3 but I am curious to your thoughts on the handling and performance of the 28D. I was looking at a 28i because my wife has the sedan, but if the performance isn't that bad I would definitely go the diesel route. Like you, I used to be a VW TDI owner who sold his Jetta back to them a year ago.
> 
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Happy to help. I loved my TDI but was skeptical that a 2.0 L diesel in a much larger X3 would have enough grunt for me. I was very pleasantly surprised that the car pulls more effortlessly than my TDI. I think a large part of that is the 8 speed transmission and how it is programmed. In a straight line it is definitely faster than a TDI even though it is much bigger.

The handling of an X3 is more clumsy than my TDI because of the high centre of gravity. It is made worse by the run flat tires that BMW puts on these models. Handling is not bad but I added a stabilizer bar to my VW that changed it a bunch. I will be changing to conventional tires in time to get a less harsh ride and better life.


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

Vancityy said:


> Haha I know, I commute a lot during the day because of my work and that's why I switched to BMW Diesel from my Audi S3 (premium gas of course  ).
> 
> Hmmm, so you think the quality of the Diesel across the border makes the difference? As of now I'm getting 6.8 L/100km (~34.5mpg) after 1 month of having the sedan, which is mostly highway driven in comfort mode without AC (I have BMW Roof racks and a single bike rack), and I've just been putting any Diesel that was the cheapest (which mostly ended up to be the Shell beside my place).


My 50+ mpg runs are to establish a baseline for what the car is capable of. Around town in mixed driving I get mid 30s as well but in Vancouver that is almost meaningless with the amount of traffic there is.

If you go to Bellingham (who doesn't?) do your shopping or whatever and make your last stop at Costco. The key thing with Costco is that with their high volume of sales the diesel is always fresh particularly now in May. Fuel at other stations may still have winter fuel to sell which has less energy than summer fuel.


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## BillyBremner (Apr 14, 2016)

geodug said:


> Happy to help. I loved my TDI but was skeptical that a 2.0 L diesel in a much larger X3 would have enough grunt for me. I was very pleasantly surprised that the car pulls more effortlessly than my TDI. I think a large part of that is the 8 speed transmission and how it is programmed. In a straight line it is definitely faster than a TDI even though it is much bigger.
> 
> The handling of an X3 is more clumsy than my TDI because of the high centre of gravity. It is made worse by the run flat tires that BMW puts on these models. Handling is not bad but I added a stabilizer bar to my VW that changed it a bunch. I will be changing to conventional tires in time to get a less harsh ride and better life.


Thanks for the input. I am more concerned about highway speeds, as I have heard it can be a little sluggish. How would you compare it to the Jetta TDI for highway driving?


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## Vancityy (Mar 15, 2018)

geodug said:


> My 50+ mpg runs are to establish a baseline for what the car is capable of. Around town in mixed driving I get mid 30s as well but in Vancouver that is almost meaningless with the amount of traffic there is.
> 
> If you go to Bellingham (who doesn't?) do your shopping or whatever and make your last stop at Costco. The key thing with Costco is that with their high volume of sales the diesel is always fresh particularly now in May. Fuel at other stations may still have winter fuel to sell which has less energy than summer fuel.


Thanks for help, will try that out next time :thumbup:


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## geodug (Jan 22, 2018)

Vancityy said:


> I have the same engine in my 2018 328d and it's really good. If you put your foot on the pedal it will go fast pretty much as as the gas variant. I have no problem with taking over cars on highway. Yes my car is lighter than X3 but again compared to my old 2.5 Golf it's faster + if you are going to do more highway driving then for sure go with Diesel!
> 
> Just keep in mind the cost of maintenance if you are buying used, make sure it is CPO or the car still has the warranty on it as I know the new model doesn't come in Diesel.


Performance is a relative thing. I have had high performance cars for many years but now I am interested in how efficient I can get my car.

If I was to compare my X3 28d with a gas car I would say it is like a gas powered sedan with 230 or so horsepower. It is hard to really judge because diesels have that low rpm torque which is a lot different than gas cars.

Another comparison may be my car with a Honda Civic that has been modded for a little higher performance. From a stop light (not racing) I will accelerate the normal way I do and my car is not struggling or making much noise. The Honda Civic will row through the gears going buzz.... buzz... buzz and will be right beside me the whole time.


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## BillyBremner (Apr 14, 2016)

Thanks guys.

I am not expecting it to rip like my GTI, but if it is similar to my wife's 328i, then I am sold.

I am looking at a 2016 CPO hopefully. They are pretty rare to find, but when I do I would move on it.


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

My 2011 X5 with 155k miles was dead set at 22mpg average. I decided it was time to replace the thermostat that was maxing out at 75 degrees and water pump.

After that its running at 83 degrees and average mpg is climbing to 28mpg + I will see 30 or maybe more on longer trips im sure. Well worth the $400 in parts and labor i spend. I know a guy that works at a local bmw shop and does work from his house.


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## Ozer (Sep 17, 2015)

duplicate post


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## Lennysx5 (Dec 16, 2017)

2017 X535d now at 7500 miles on the odo. Recent highway trip at 78 mph = 32 mpg. Mid 20’s local driving. 


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## Lennysx5 (Dec 16, 2017)

First longish road trip yesterday. Drove 785 miles mostly at 80 mph and got 31.5 mpg. 


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## kozlio (Mar 14, 2018)

My 2012 x5d gets just over 22 mpg (displayed) driving on flat highway at 140 kmh for last 15,000 kms. Thats better than my 2004 330xi.



shafeeq said:


> My 2016 X5 35d loves the highway.
> View attachment 584515


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## turbo97se (May 9, 2018)

My commute is around 85% highway but I am only getting around 30 mpg in 535D. Seems on the low side. My E320 CDI gets 37+ with same driving habits. I am wondering if my intake may be clogged with soot. The EGR has been replaced before so that leads me to suspect there may be excessive soot build up. Also is anyone aware of any way to reset ECU so that it can relearn driving habits etc .. not sure if that exists on this car. Does on Benzes. Wish I could get some of the 40+ mpg that some of you are seeing.


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## kozlio (Mar 14, 2018)

Did a lil test. My e70 x5d mileage when i bought it 40k kms ago (last winter) was 22 mpg. Once in my possession, i reset the counter. Just before the bad weather months, i averaged same 22 mpg on my 90% hwy commute at ~85 mph (~140 kmh). 
Recently dropped to 19 mpg in last few refuellings (which i attribute to below freezing temps and winter diesel).
So there was an ice storm today, decided to be more civilized on the road, and once the engine temp reached 85C, reset the MPG counter and set cruise control to the posted speed limit 100 kmh (~63 mph). 
Faq mpg got to a steady 30 mpg over the next 20 kms. Impressive. Knew the e70 x5d was capable but hadn't had the patience to test it before. 
Now i can brag to my sister with her frugal x3d.
Cheers


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## Michael47 (May 9, 2014)

kozlio said:


> {SNIP} . . . once the engine temp reached above 85C, i reset the MPG counter and set cruise control to the posted speed limit 100 kmh (~63 mph). Faq mpg went hit a steady 30 mpg over the next 20 kms . . . {SNIP}


Yup, that's how you wring the very highest MPG possible: slow as possible in highest gear, cruise control on a steady cruise after the engine warms up. What burns the fuel is -- in no particular order -- (a) starting a cold engine and warming it up; (b) applying the brakes, thereby throwing away the fuel it took to reach speed; (c) accelerating to a higher speed; (d) sitting watching the traffic light cycle around. The last three of these, of course, account for why city driving drops your mileage.

For what it's worth, just for funsies, I once did a similar test in the summer and got a hair over 31 mpg. It was on a long drive, 200+ miles, so it took a long time for the average mpg to drop down to a realistic number.


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## Doug Huffman (Apr 25, 2015)

About once per winter tank of fuel I take mine out for a DPF burn run. My Island is 5 miles x 5 miles and the two cross Island straight roads are about seven miles with 45 MPH maximum speed (and two bored cops for currently about 400 residents). Back and forth for an hour on cruise control at 45 MPH with seat heaters hot, rear window deice, headlights on, Intensive IHKA, et cetera. Typically I start with 17 - 19 MPG BC mileage and end with 28 - 29 MPG.

Summer time interstate travel I can always see 31 MPG, but not at 100 MPH where I get 28 - 29 MPG clean, and 23 MPG with bicycles in the wind.


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## robnitro (Aug 3, 2016)

Doug Huffman said:


> .
> 
> Summer time interstate travel I can always see 31 MPG, but not at 100 MPH where I get 28 - 29 MPG clean, and 23 MPG with bicycles in the wind.


Wow, 28-29mpg at 100 mph on an e70 x5? I thought to get that we would need a taller 6th...


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## X3-terrestrial (Aug 27, 2008)

52.6


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## CHDriver (Oct 24, 2016)

Been awhile since I posted. Thought I'd give an MPG update. These COVID months have not allowed for much long distance travel, mostly in and around Atlanta with a few longer runs to nearby state parks. Yesterday, however, I made a 350-mile round trip to Birmingham, AL via I-20. FYI, the car just had the 25K service. Anyway, the OBC indicated 47.3mpg for the trip, with the cruise set on 75mph. I topped of this morning and my Fuelly calculated 43.7mpg for 490-miles, overall. It appears, that for my F31, 75mph is a mpg sweet-spot. Needless to say I am very pleased! The car performs flawlessly. 
I do use PS Kleen Diesel additive (silver and gray bottle) - an ounce of prevention. 
Stay Safe.


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