Late announcing my arrival
 

Hi everyone,

I joined Fuelly in late May 2015 to track my brand new 2015 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI. So far, my actual fuel economy has beat EPA numbers handily, and I'm tied for first place on Fuelly for best fuel economy for my vehicle/engine (5 fill-ups). Granted, I've spent most of that time on highways, but it's a testament to my "gentle" driving style, and to a noteworthy engine.

FWIW, I used Fuelly to research real-world fuel economy that real owners were getting before I purchased my vehicle. I'm glad I did.

-Steve

Hi Steve, belated welcome. Those German TDI units always seem to do well, it's a shame the fuel test here grossly exsadurates results this side of the pond!

What numbers do you see advertised by authorities compared to real-world numbers? For example, Audi Canada's numbers for the Q5 3.0 TDI V6 are: 7.5 l/100 km highway (31.37 MPG US, 37.67 MPG UK). Meanwhile, I'm getting 6.89 L/100km (34.12 MPG US, 41 MPG UK). Mind you, a lot of people on Fuelly are getting a lot worse than the target numbers.

Is yours the bi-turbo or single? Those figures sound similar to those here to be honest, it tends to be the smaller diesels with lots of fuel saving technology on board that get crazy high numbers. Some get over 100 MPG, and despite long term Road tests of people getting such figures, they are few and far between!

Mine has a single turbo. Word is Audi will be importing 2 liter TDIs for the all-new 2016 Q5 into Canada, but nothing's for certain. As much as I love my 428 ft-lbs of monster torque, I use it so infrequently, I think I would have been fine with a more fuel efficient 2.0 liter TDI, if it had been available.

This is my first diesel, but now that I've tried it, I could never go back to gasoline (petrol). Diesel sells for CAD$1.049/liter locally, while regular gas goes for $1.179, and premium, which is what newer cars usually need, goes for $1.359. Yeah, I know that's cheap compared to many European countries, but it makes diesel a smart choice over gasoline, even in North America.

I just checked, the highway figure is 44 to 47 UK MPG, so yea a bit optimistic. The 2.0 TDI unit is way more popular here as people favour lower Road tax and better economy over performance.

The rating is higher than the 24city/31highway in the US. I think the official Canadian numbers are the US EPA ones pre-2008 adjustment. The auto companies probably lobbied for this to save on certification costs.

It should return better with reasonable driving.