A dream come true for a VW nut!
 

Howdy all,

I am in Germany for a while and I have seen all those great high MPG cars everyone talks about. I have always wanted to drive/own a true high MPG car just to get a good perspective of how things should be in the less enlightened USA.

With that said, I am now driving my very own 2001 Volkswagen LUPO 1.7L SDI Diesel! So far, it seems like any other small car except it gets nearly 80 MILES PER GALLON! I will post my mileage as I learn how to drive this thing better to squeeze the max MPG out of it. :)

It is not a race car and requires very different driving technique to avoid getting squashed on the autobahn. I grew up driving low-powered cars, so I am adapting very well...

It also has a Bin 4 sticker, so it is super clean also! That is not my main concern though, as I believe the total fuel consumed is more important to reduce than the emissions produced per KM/Mile...

Anyway, I'll let you all know how much fuel this thing is using as soon as I put some Diesel in the tank. That may take a while at the rate I am going!

We'll see!:thumbup:

Welcome to ecomodder.
Is that 80 mpg (US) ? :eek:

You'd be at the top of the Lupo fuel efficiency on spritmonitor.de - beating a good many Lupo 3L drivers !

Regular Lupo
Overview: Volkswagen - Lupo - Spritmonitor.de

Lupo 3L
Overview: Volkswagen - Lupo 3L - Spritmonitor.de

Welcome to the site. I'd love to get my hands on a small diesel...

You have such wonderful cars there. Sigh........
Why can't we get them here ?

I was wanting a Polo for a while still do but do not feel like dealing with the hassle to import one.

awesome! I'm not surprised @ 80mpg out of a lupo whatsoever. I hate how it seems like we Americans "have" to use more gas as a result of the cars available to us. Just look at Canada! Their VWs are known for getting better gas mileage than their U.S. counterparts.

I know that this concept is intertwined with emissions standards, etc. But, that explanation is kind of lame to me. It doesn't make sense that we would make emissions standards that ultimately lower the efficiency of an automobile, which, (i would think) would then raise emissions to their original levels!!!

I mean c'mon!!!

Can anyone offer new and exciting insight here?

nice, congrats! lupo sounds cool. @ 80 mpg forget any hypermiling and just have fun with it!

HA! Shoot for 100 MPG:thumbup:. You could put it in your carry on luggage when you come back:D.

It takes some serious hypermiling to get at 80 mpg, even in small diesels.

This isn't the Lupo "3L" version - which doesn't get up to 80 mpg all too easily either, despite all the mods VW made to it - but the run of the mill SDi Lupo.

SDI non-turbo Diesel!
 

Yep, this car is a FOUR cylinder direct injection Diesel and it is not a TDI. The Lupo/Polo TDI is a three cylinder 1.2L engine. I looked at buying a 3L until I read the reviews of how the engine shuts off automatically and the gearbox shifts at super low RPM to save gas. Very uncomfortable to drive.

My 1.7L engine is pretty low on power and has reasonable torque, but I can compensate with driving technique. I am well on my way to finishing my first completely full tank and it looks like I will be getting over 1300 KM out of around 36 Liters of Diesel. That averages over 80 MPG, as far as I gan tell...

My first MPG check was not accurate because I did not fill up the tank completely. I figured it was between 55 and 70 MPG based on guessing the amount of fuel in the tank. I will know for sure when I finish this tank!

Besides the crazy gas mileage, this car is fun to drive and is very comfortable for such a small car. I can drive the 30 KM speed limit in third gear at 1100 RPM all day and the engine is just loafing along...

Stay tuned for more info as I collect it! :thumbup:

Kevin

Welcome to the Dub family, basically you've got a short throw directinjection version of my non-Turbo engine (1.9IDI)

If you do mainly highway stuff the 1.7 would be the motor to have over the 1.2/1.4 which are better if you do a fair amount of City stuff.

Glad you're liking it!!

Nothing that won't start a lot of problems on a fun thread.:p

Since 41 mpg seems to be the latest selling point here in the US, let's use it.

Average cost of regular $4.00 / gallon.

Then, let's take that Lupo at 80 mpg.

Average price of diesel in the Germany is 1.37 euros / liter or about $1.94 / liter.

This breaks down to roughly $7.36 per gallon US.:eek:

With our 41 mpg car it costs roughly 10.25 cents a mile at our current fuel price.

With the Lupo, 10.87 cents per mile at the current price.

In other words, we all pay about the same amount of money per mile.

So, if we had those wonderful cars that everyone else gets...........................

Ok now imagine you ran the lupo in the states at US Diesel prices and compare that tot 41mpg target and how much do you save?

Let's see, current price $4.07, 80 mpg, count fingers and toes and bing!

$.05 a mile.

I think the boards of the energy companies will have a problem with that.

That's why we don't get the good stuff.

1300km on 36L is 84.9 mpg.

A few km over 1300 will push you up to 85 mpg and beyond :thumbup:


Fuel consumption conversions :
Online Conversion - Fuel Consumption Conversion

The menu on the right leads to a wealth of other conversions.

That's 102mpg in Imperial gallons. My CB250 can match that, but only at 50-55mph on the motorway, whilst leaving me much colder and wetter :eek: well done! I should get myself a Lupo then, or maybe a Seat Arosa, which is the same thing but often cheaper because it was built by Spaniards. Project Aerosa, anyone?

Hmm, I wonder how to get a few of those back here.

Citroen 2cvs and the like come over here all the time.

Thanx
Ryan

Interim MPG report.
 

I'm not sure I am getting the tank full, it just seems to keep filling and filling...

This tank won't count because I am still learning where "full" is. The car went 900 Km on 34 Liters. That should be 68 US miles per US Gallon. That makes sense, since I wasn't really trying hard to hypermile and the fillup took more this time.

Two more tanks or so and I will have accurate fuel consumption numbers for this car. Hell, even at 70 MPG I am saving a whole lot of money of fuel!

More info to come!

Sometimes i have to slow the fill nozzle to a trickle due to foaming. Otherwise i would get very inconsistent fills and "better" mileage. Currently doing around 1300km per 40 litres or thereabouts. No pulse & glide either as my clutch is in its twilight years!

Is it another VW with a reserve / expansion tank ? Is there a little 'nipple' in the fuel filler ? If so when it looks full or backs up you can sometimes press it with the filler nozzle to vent the expansion tank - or make it a permanent feature with a 'ventectomy'.

Some people warn about Diesel spillage if you do this which is dangerous for bikers especially but I have never had a spill yet even in very warm weather.

The magic vent button...
 

Yep, when I bought the car, the PO showed me how to push the "secret button" to open the vent valve and fill the vent tank. I have tried twice to completely fill the entire tank system, but it takes too long. I will allow lots of time on my next fillup and push that button as many times as it takes to fill the entire system.

Based on my current mileage, I am almost 600 KM on half a tank. That is looking closer to 75+MPG (US). That seems about right for this car.

I would love to have this car in the US and add an internal aux tank. Imagine driving 2000 miles unrefueled routinely? I can.

It shouldn't take too long, the fastest technique is to let it get to the brim and then press - it seems to vent really quickly.

If your in the military you should be able to take it home?

Or did they stop that?

75 mpg
 

OK, I finally got the tank full and used a little over 34 Liters for the last tank.

Still approximate, but that works out to 75 MPG with only a mild attempt at hypermiling. A nice long trip will really show the true fuel economy of this car.

We'll see. I have spent about $117.00 for 3000 miles if driving, so that is the best part (I am not paying the German price).