RS 6 Fuel Usage

[RS6Fan]

Just picked up my new RS6 Avant yesterday, and even with mostly motorway driving taking it easy have not got over 18 MPG!

Can you other owners let me know if this improves with mileage (currently 200)? My 360 BHP S8 would have returned 25 MPG on a similar run.

However SXXT it's fast even compared to my old 996 GT2!

[TheBrit]

If you follow a breaking-in process, you should find that fuel economy will improve with more miles on the clock.

Once thing to note is that the trip computer's average MPG can be wrong. Mine indicates an average of 18.7mpg (never reset since delivery), but my calculations put me nearer to 15.5mpg.

You should find that motorway driving at around [ahem]mph in 5th gear with the revs slightly under 3000rpm should return around 24/25mpg averages, once your engine is broken in.

I do most of my miles on rural A roads, and I usually get 300 to 320 miles out of a full tank before the low fuel (9 litre) warning comes on.

Oh, and welcome to the forum and hope you're enjoying your RS 6! :)

[peterb]

The readings from the computer in my car seem to be pretty close to the calculations based on mileage/petrol pump display. In the very early days, driving gently and mainly motorway, I got the display up to 23mpg. Since then the average consumption has been going steadily down - more enthusiastic driving and more in-town use!

[Mal]

After 5000 miles mine is showing 17mpg. Most of my driving is in town and when I hit the open road it is rather enthusiastic. You dont by an RS 6 for an economy run do you though.

[Alex K]

Have had my RS6 Avant now for a bit more than 2 months and fuel consumption so far has averaged 14,9 l/100 km which equals about 16,8 mpg.
Haven´t noticed any big changes since the beginning (currently 8000 km/5000 miles on the clock).
Driving style can be decribed as "ambitious" with mostly aound-town-driving and occasional high-speed Autobahn runs (up to the limiter).

[TheBrit]

Originally posted by Mal
You dont by an RS 6 for an economy run do you though.
RS 6 and economy in the same sentence? What a terrible thing to say - go wash your mouth out with Optimax! :D

[Thilo]

Originally posted by Alex K
Have had my RS6 Avant now for a bit more than 2 months and fuel consumption so far has averaged 14,9 l/100 km which equals about 16,8 mpg.


Hi Alex,

I have also 8000 km on the clock. My average fuel consumption is right now 15.5 l/km. I started with 15.1, hope that i have reached now the peak.

Greetings
Thilo

[Alex K]

Hi Thilo,

The average seems to depend very largely on your style of driving. More so with the RS6 than I have seen on other cars. It´s probably the (twin)turbo syndrome.
My highest "average" on one stint (night-time high speed run from Würzburg to Augsburg, 280 km) has turned out to be around 22 l/100 km which I regard as about maximum for an average of one tank filling.

[Benman]

So far very worse tank: 11.9 mpg (had ALOT of fun with that one!) And the very best: 20.3 (coming back from Laguna Seca)
:cheers:

Ben:addict: Bake Mono BANZAI!!!

[JAXRS6]

I recently returned from Michigan-to-California-and-back in my RS6. According to the computer, I averaged 19+ MPG on the way to CA, then 20+ from Utah back to Michigan. Individual tankfuls measured at fill-up ranged from just under 11 mpg (after a week of city driving that included a little showing off) to 25 mpg (probably too high due to different cut-off points for the gas pumps involved), but most individual tankfuls were in a range of 17-22 mpg. We were travelling with a pet, so every few hours we would leave the dog in the car with the AC on & take 2nd key with us for 10-20 minutes, meaning that the figures above include a lot of idling (i.e. zero mpg). So, IMHO you should be getting better MPG. Use D, not S, on the tip, calculate your mileage on a trip of at least 200 miles with no stop-and-go driving. Flat roads help, too, of course.
BTW my problem has not been fuel economy, which I never expected to be good, but rather acceleration from launch. I've been driving a chipped S4 for two years & didn't think the RS6 was faster. Last Friday I visited a local dragway & confirmed my concerns: My best run was 14.137, just a notch under my S4's best of 14.2 at the same track and a full second worse than most of the car mags got! Any suggestions?? (I used the S mode on the tip & put foot down smoothly and rapidly, but I did not "stomp" on it because that seemed to result in a slower start)

[TheBrit]

Originally posted by JAXRS6
My best run was 14.137, just a notch under my S4's best of 14.2 at the same track
Launching the RS 6 seems to be a bit of a variable thing. I think the best reported RS 6 quarter mile times are high 12s (aren't they everyone?), so 14+ may be down to launch and conditions (cooler air and warm tyres help).

You could try holding the brake with your left foot and winding the revs up to 2000 (there seems to be a limiter, so you shouldn't be able to break it!) and then let off the brakes and floor it. Don't forget to either switch the A/C off, or make sure you hit the kickdown, as it's supposed to disengage the A/C compressor for a short while.

Your results may vary from run to run. I've had good launches with left-foot-braking and bad ones. I think pushing the throttle right down before releasing the brakes doesn't help - half throttle or a bit less, going to full on launch may work out better.

Finally, if you get slower and slower launches, it could be down to a slipping torque converter lockup clutch, which has been a problem for a few RS 6s. Hopefully it's just a case of finding the right "sweet spot" for your car though!

Chris.

[peterb]

Originally posted by JAXRS6
most individual tankfuls were in a range of 17-22 mpg.
Assuming that you're talking in American gallons, rather than imperial ones, those sound like pretty good figures.
My DIS is showing 21.7mpg at the moment, but the actual figure calculated from odometer/fuel pump readings is a little lower than that (imperial measurements, of course).

[Benman]

Way more important things to discuss rather than fuel economies but thought i'd share some of my observations:

First 10,000 miles summary:

10,054.4 miles driven
629.8 gallons of super consumed
34 stops for gas (petrol)
Very worse tank 9.87 mpg (Infineon Raceway:D )
Very best 26.14 (driving like a complete grandma on the way back)

avg fuel consumption: 15.964

Not too good but not that bad considering that i DON'T drive slow (except for that one test tank;) ):cheers:

Ben:addict:

[rs6w]

Originally posted by TheBrit
RS 6 and economy in the same sentence? What a terrible thing to say - go wash your mouth out with Optimax! :D

:D

In normal driving I get better mileage with the RS6 than I ever got in the S6 (different gearing).

If I'm having fun well, I just don't worry about it.:addict:

[Erik]

Originally posted by TheBrit
RS 6 quarter mile times are high 12s (aren't they everyone?), so 14+ may be down to launch and conditions

Correct!

[gmbh6]

Fuel Mileage :D :D :D .......good one guy.

[Audihead]

Buying a performance car for mileage is like saying you like to crap your pants for the way it feels.

:D

:s4addict: -Bimmerhead

[JAXRS6]

I calculated mpg for every tankful while driving from Michigan to Florida last month. Also re-started the computer for mpg.

Most impressive was the stretch from Detroit into Kentucky, for which the computer said I averaged 23.5 mpg and my calculations showed 22.5. Flat terrain helped, but so did keeping the HVAC shut off & using sunroof for fresh air. I also went easy on the throttle, driving at 68 when speed limit was 65 -- and 73 when the limit was 70. Passing was minimal & usually involved either no kickdown or a kickdown to 4th, not 3rd.

After that I ran into sections of road work & an accident that slowed traffic to a crawl, so of course the figures dropped. Hilly terrain might have been a factor, too, although I returned to the 22-23 range for a tankful in Georgia.

I was a bit blown away when the computer sometimes stayed in a range of high 20s to low 30s (!) while I was cruising around 50 mph. :applause:

I calculate mpg often & these are the best figures I've had when measuring back-to-back fill-ups. I recently passed the 32K mile mark & also posted my best 0-60 time ever. In other words, indications are that performance AND economy improve with age on this car.

Just another reason to hang onto it as long as it behaves!:rs6kiss:

[Benman]

Originally posted by JAXRS6

I returned to the 22-23 range for a tankful in Georgia.

I was a bit blown away when the computer sometimes stayed in a range of high 20s to low 30s (!) while I was cruising around 50 mph. :applause:

On road trips I've noticed the Beast does really well. Always get low 20s.

As for the computer sometimes staying in the high 20s to low 30s, just pop it in neutral on a long down hill. It will shoot up to 200 mpg in no time!;)

Ben:addict:

[DaveyKid]

24.8 from St. Louis to Chicago. More realistically like 19-21 averaging about 75-85 highway speeds. City? Forget it.

[gjg]

Fuel Mileage .......good one guy.

want to dance, got to pay the music ...... :thumb:

I get between 14.5 l to 20 l/100 km (12 to 17 mpg) depending where I drive. Autobahn driving is between 10-12 mpg. 4 month average 17.6 l/100km or 13.6 mpg. That is + although there is not much difference between that and "normal" rs6 as my friend's mileage is about the same.

:cheers:

[7:53 RS6]

I can just go 160km on a full tank on Nurburgring, thats 8 laps.:rs6kiss:

[Hy Octane]

Been getting around 7-9 mpg in town but its interesting to note that here in L.A., since the holiday began and alotta people left town, the reduction in traffic has actually boosted my city mileage to over 11mpg.. Got 24mpg on my trip to Vegas recently..

[SpinEcho]

My Beast now has about 11,000 km. For the last 5 or 6,000 km I've used it mostly for trips over long highway distances, at average speeds of 130-160 km/h (about 80-100 mph). This has given me an average fuel economy of 14.2 L/100 km or about 16.5 mpg. I've just used a couple of tankfuls in city driving at cold temperatures (-30 C to 0 C) over the holidays and economy was around 19 L/100 km (12.3 mpg).

[GoFastKindaGuy]

"20+ from Utah back to Michigan"

JAXRS6, That is all down hill!:p

[JAXRS6]

Originally posted by GoFastKindaGuy
"20+ from Utah back to Michigan"

JAXRS6, That is all down hill!:p

Some downhill at the start, yes, but I can't imagine that 1-2 miles vertical over 1500 miles horizontal makes much difference. :incar:

Besides, Michigan to Kentucky is not downhill -- may even be uphill some -- and on that more recent stretch I got an honest 22.5 mpg calculated over several fillups.:thumb:

[gjg]

recent stretch I got an honest 22.5 mpg calculated over several fillups.

very light and steady foot .......

[JAXRS6]

Originally posted by gjg
very light and steady foot .......

Indeed, it was steady, but cruise control must take the credit.:D

Other factors (already cited) include keeping speeds to 68 mph when speed limit was 65, 73 when 70, and minimal passing with kickdowns to 4th gear but not 3rd. Plus shutting off heating & air conditioning and opening the sunroof for fresh air. The latter doesn't work well in all conditions, of course, but when it was about 50-65 F outside it worked fine. (More recently I discovered that the sunroof can be kept open during light rain at 50 mph & up with no water getting into the cabin.)

Did I mention that the car was loaded with stuff, since the trip was my annual migration to Florida? About 150-200 lbs, I would guess, most of it jam-packed into the trunk. So, I might've done even better than 22.5 mpg with a lighter load:thumb: