Can my 500 Audi A2 return 100mpg - Autocar
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Date: 2026-01-23
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Comments and reviews: 20
franksmith6683
I'm disappointed that you didn't achieve 100mpg effortlessly, in a small, lightweight 3 cylinder diesel it should be easy. I can get over 100mpg in my 1999, mk4 golf tdi without too much trouble, no slipstraming needed.
I have discovered that the older engine is better, I think the lower injection pressure VE pump, (only13, 000psi) uses less energy to inject fuel and that must help. In normal use I get 75mpg howerver I know that the engine has to be in perfect condition with new injectors and critically, the cam timing has to be perfect. This is a much overlooked detail, when I asked a main dealer to check it they laughed at me and told me they didn't know what i was talking about. I did it myself using vagcom. The difference is night and day, in economy.
I have a newer mk4 golf tdi with the PD injection (30, 000psi) and it's rubbish, only 65mpg on a good day.
Both cars sre well maintained with quality low drag tyres.
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I'm disappointed that you didn't achieve 100mpg effortlessly, in a small, lightweight 3 cylinder diesel it should be easy. I can get over 100mpg in my 1999, mk4 golf tdi without too much trouble, no slipstraming needed.
I have discovered that the older engine is better, I think the lower injection pressure VE pump, (only13, 000psi) uses less energy to inject fuel and that must help. In normal use I get 75mpg howerver I know that the engine has to be in perfect condition with new injectors and critically, the cam timing has to be perfect. This is a much overlooked detail, when I asked a main dealer to check it they laughed at me and told me they didn't know what i was talking about. I did it myself using vagcom. The difference is night and day, in economy.
I have a newer mk4 golf tdi with the PD injection (30, 000psi) and it's rubbish, only 65mpg on a good day.
Both cars sre well maintained with quality low drag tyres.
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hedydd2
Very good economy though my 1. 5 three cylinder petrol Toyota Yaris can do 90mpg on good roads. I get mid seventies on rural busy West Wales A roads. I was amazed when I first got it. It’s not slow either. Forget slipstreaming! Stay back a good safe distance for best visibility and safe overtaking potential. Haven’t driven it any great distance on good flatish roads as I take my 38mpg Range Rover D300. I did take my Defender D250 on a 500 mile round trip to Norfolk and back a last Autumn, starting at 1am both ways and sticking mostly to speed limits and got over 36mpg without trying which is about 6mpg better than I used to get on a Mk1 Golf GTi 1. 8 years ago and the same for the car before that, a 1977 Ford Fiesta 1300S which had all of 66hp. Where did all that fuel used to go Straight out of the exhaust taking the lead with it
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Very good economy though my 1. 5 three cylinder petrol Toyota Yaris can do 90mpg on good roads. I get mid seventies on rural busy West Wales A roads. I was amazed when I first got it. It’s not slow either. Forget slipstreaming! Stay back a good safe distance for best visibility and safe overtaking potential. Haven’t driven it any great distance on good flatish roads as I take my 38mpg Range Rover D300. I did take my Defender D250 on a 500 mile round trip to Norfolk and back a last Autumn, starting at 1am both ways and sticking mostly to speed limits and got over 36mpg without trying which is about 6mpg better than I used to get on a Mk1 Golf GTi 1. 8 years ago and the same for the car before that, a 1977 Ford Fiesta 1300S which had all of 66hp. Where did all that fuel used to go Straight out of the exhaust taking the lead with it
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davidrumming4734
That’s the 1. 4 PD diesel I had in my polo many years agoit was economical but not that economical.
A lot of things make a difference to economy.
Speed, I find 50-60mph is best.
Avoid stopping (even with idle stop.
Windows closed.
Warm weather, aka 15c
No rain
No lights
No air con or even plain fan switched on.
No additional passengers or stuff in the car.
Terrain (hills drag down economy)
Pls don’t encourage people to drive close behind to big vehicles or any vehicle. even if not critically close. Let’s not give the message that it’s ok.
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That’s the 1. 4 PD diesel I had in my polo many years agoit was economical but not that economical.
A lot of things make a difference to economy.
Speed, I find 50-60mph is best.
Avoid stopping (even with idle stop.
Windows closed.
Warm weather, aka 15c
No rain
No lights
No air con or even plain fan switched on.
No additional passengers or stuff in the car.
Terrain (hills drag down economy)
Pls don’t encourage people to drive close behind to big vehicles or any vehicle. even if not critically close. Let’s not give the message that it’s ok.
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DaDa-David
1990 and a year after leaving school a mate tries to demonstrate the 'Slipstreaming technique' to me in his VW Polo Derby think 70s/80's Polo with a boot at the back instead of hatch. I'm in the passenger seat of this spearmint lolly coloured speed demon (less than 1 litre engine) as we sit inches behind a coach on the A12 near Colchester. He was content he was educating me by the time he had finished I was content that I hadn't filled my underpants during this scary science trip. He went on to work for an independent Automotive design company as a draftsman!
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1990 and a year after leaving school a mate tries to demonstrate the 'Slipstreaming technique' to me in his VW Polo Derby think 70s/80's Polo with a boot at the back instead of hatch. I'm in the passenger seat of this spearmint lolly coloured speed demon (less than 1 litre engine) as we sit inches behind a coach on the A12 near Colchester. He was content he was educating me by the time he had finished I was content that I hadn't filled my underpants during this scary science trip. He went on to work for an independent Automotive design company as a draftsman!
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mervynjones3066
Matt, this is an interesting article. My Toyota Yaris Cross training vehicle often achieves 60 MPG and will do 70 MPG just by driving at legal speeds. The best theoretical fuel consumption is a constant 50 mph on the flat. If you exceed 60 mph in any combustion vehicle, you will use much more fuel. In the dry leave at least a two-second gap. If the lorry in front of you stopped in an emergency, any accident will over compromise the the structural integrity of the A2.
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Matt, this is an interesting article. My Toyota Yaris Cross training vehicle often achieves 60 MPG and will do 70 MPG just by driving at legal speeds. The best theoretical fuel consumption is a constant 50 mph on the flat. If you exceed 60 mph in any combustion vehicle, you will use much more fuel. In the dry leave at least a two-second gap. If the lorry in front of you stopped in an emergency, any accident will over compromise the the structural integrity of the A2.
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leewilcox4044
The Audi A2 was for its' time an engineering masterpiece. It sadly seemed too thoughtful and clever for the consumers of the time who didn't queue up to buy them: although it was understandably more expensive than a Ford Fiesta. But your A2 says a lot about what's wrong with cars today. The A2 was more slippery through the air than many slab fronted SUV's, light, efficient and beautifully simple. I love the looks too: hasn't it aged really well!
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The Audi A2 was for its' time an engineering masterpiece. It sadly seemed too thoughtful and clever for the consumers of the time who didn't queue up to buy them: although it was understandably more expensive than a Ford Fiesta. But your A2 says a lot about what's wrong with cars today. The A2 was more slippery through the air than many slab fronted SUV's, light, efficient and beautifully simple. I love the looks too: hasn't it aged really well!
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f. d. robben159
Congrats!
Vorsprung durch Technik! - back in the days.
I had to convert mpg to l/100km first. Most Europeans, or even global citizens, are kind of fluent in English, but very few people use the imperial system. Besides the remnants of it in the UK, only Third World countries like Liberia, the United States, and Myanmar still use this system; -) Displaying metric values for fuel consumption and torque would be helpful.
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Congrats!
Vorsprung durch Technik! - back in the days.
I had to convert mpg to l/100km first. Most Europeans, or even global citizens, are kind of fluent in English, but very few people use the imperial system. Besides the remnants of it in the UK, only Third World countries like Liberia, the United States, and Myanmar still use this system; -) Displaying metric values for fuel consumption and torque would be helpful.
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csjrogerson2377
Impressive. My Mazda 2 skyactiv-D 1. 5l turbo, 1130 kg, is almost as good. Averages 67 mpg but has done 100 mpg in trips to and from my preferred pub. The best I get on long journeys where speed has been limited through reasons beyond my control I have got 90-94 mpg, but looking at the arse of a truck and lugging the engine for 2 hrs bores the tits off me. So I drive at 75mph on the motorway and get 71-74mpg.
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Impressive. My Mazda 2 skyactiv-D 1. 5l turbo, 1130 kg, is almost as good. Averages 67 mpg but has done 100 mpg in trips to and from my preferred pub. The best I get on long journeys where speed has been limited through reasons beyond my control I have got 90-94 mpg, but looking at the arse of a truck and lugging the engine for 2 hrs bores the tits off me. So I drive at 75mph on the motorway and get 71-74mpg.
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timogaleon1630
I wish to correct your factually incorrect video. The clip of birds flying in V formation are not geese but Cranes. I’m sure this mistake must be fundamental to your scientific research, so I’m hoping it was not a deliberate fabrication on your part. Please ensure accuracy in the future. You can fool most people with such mistakes, but not everyone. Have you ever worked for the BBC
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I wish to correct your factually incorrect video. The clip of birds flying in V formation are not geese but Cranes. I’m sure this mistake must be fundamental to your scientific research, so I’m hoping it was not a deliberate fabrication on your part. Please ensure accuracy in the future. You can fool most people with such mistakes, but not everyone. Have you ever worked for the BBC
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SteveM-ly7oy
I've got an A2 1. 4 TDi 75. Maybe I should try this exercise. I don't have a trip computer, though. Ugh. Well done to his car, though. It's got 148000 miles on the clock, and still does 100mpg. Kinda ruins my motivation to buy an electric car. You can buy an A2 TDi, a good one, for less than 3, 000 pounds, with a service history, and it should be ok. Only 35 pounds a year road tax.
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I've got an A2 1. 4 TDi 75. Maybe I should try this exercise. I don't have a trip computer, though. Ugh. Well done to his car, though. It's got 148000 miles on the clock, and still does 100mpg. Kinda ruins my motivation to buy an electric car. You can buy an A2 TDi, a good one, for less than 3, 000 pounds, with a service history, and it should be ok. Only 35 pounds a year road tax.
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robthorpemusic
Yes! The old VAG TDIs are fantastic. I was getting 70mpg out of my 1. 9 TDI. Sadly that was thanks to an overactive dying turbocharger, but now still getting 60mpg on the new one.
Presumably the Audi and VW computers are computing mpg in the same way. I test my first tdi years ago and the mpg was pretty much accurate, but could even be underestimating if your's was.
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Yes! The old VAG TDIs are fantastic. I was getting 70mpg out of my 1. 9 TDI. Sadly that was thanks to an overactive dying turbocharger, but now still getting 60mpg on the new one.
Presumably the Audi and VW computers are computing mpg in the same way. I test my first tdi years ago and the mpg was pretty much accurate, but could even be underestimating if your's was.
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aidan. yt1
Sorry but this is ridiculous. He travelled through towns to make it more of a 'realistic every day' drive, then drove behind a truck for 50 miles Come on now. Most diesels will easily do over 100mpg if sitting behind a big truck at 60mph. Also, he was way too close to the truck to be safe - 2 - 3 seconds is required between vehicles on motorway at least. Poor stuff overall.
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Sorry but this is ridiculous. He travelled through towns to make it more of a 'realistic every day' drive, then drove behind a truck for 50 miles Come on now. Most diesels will easily do over 100mpg if sitting behind a big truck at 60mph. Also, he was way too close to the truck to be safe - 2 - 3 seconds is required between vehicles on motorway at least. Poor stuff overall.
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siraff4461
I feel like we learned a couple of things. Firstly if you want something economical a small car with good aerodynamics and a diesel are good starting points.
Secondly if you keep your eyes out over the next few months you'll see a lot of numpties who have hit the back of lorries trying to copy this but just getting as close as they can instead.
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I feel like we learned a couple of things. Firstly if you want something economical a small car with good aerodynamics and a diesel are good starting points.
Secondly if you keep your eyes out over the next few months you'll see a lot of numpties who have hit the back of lorries trying to copy this but just getting as close as they can instead.
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tonypammen6150
I had an A2 petrol great idea, but build quality not good, the pan roof packed up and Audi wanted to replace the whole glass roof. Rear seats were removable they constantly broke, chewed through coils. Other than that it was a great idea, oh and if you had the air conditioning on articulated lorries were quicker at accelerating.
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I had an A2 petrol great idea, but build quality not good, the pan roof packed up and Audi wanted to replace the whole glass roof. Rear seats were removable they constantly broke, chewed through coils. Other than that it was a great idea, oh and if you had the air conditioning on articulated lorries were quicker at accelerating.
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harryspeakup8452
Surely, given that you have to go back home anyway, you could then have just driven the same route back again with the advantages of 1. being able to fill up at the same pump for the refuel, 2. eliminating any effect of elevation change 3. reducing the effect of any persistent wind direction during the trip
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Surely, given that you have to go back home anyway, you could then have just driven the same route back again with the advantages of 1. being able to fill up at the same pump for the refuel, 2. eliminating any effect of elevation change 3. reducing the effect of any persistent wind direction during the trip
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motorvatorv888
Love to see the A2 on the roads.
It is a great piece of engineering design and always pleasing to see them around me here in Bavaria.
Note your headlining is dying the same death our A4 Avant (RIP) of the same era.
Hope this little beastie keeps you mobile and entertained through 2026 and beyond.
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Love to see the A2 on the roads.
It is a great piece of engineering design and always pleasing to see them around me here in Bavaria.
Note your headlining is dying the same death our A4 Avant (RIP) of the same era.
Hope this little beastie keeps you mobile and entertained through 2026 and beyond.
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McBenjiBoo
I read that starting a car uses around 10-12 seconds worth of fuel at idle. So if your stop/start kicks in and your waiting for less than 12 seconds, then it's actually cost you more fuel.
The best vehicles to slip stream are coaches. As big as a lorry, but not speed limited, so often go more like 60-65mph.
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I read that starting a car uses around 10-12 seconds worth of fuel at idle. So if your stop/start kicks in and your waiting for less than 12 seconds, then it's actually cost you more fuel.
The best vehicles to slip stream are coaches. As big as a lorry, but not speed limited, so often go more like 60-65mph.
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dougal6569
Did I miss the mention of tyre pressure as an important mpg optimisation
When you brake, you are dumping energy as brake heat, so, driving to minimise brake use is an important economy driving idea. Think ahead, conserve your momentum, and don’t waste the kinetic energy that you burned fuel for.
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Did I miss the mention of tyre pressure as an important mpg optimisation
When you brake, you are dumping energy as brake heat, so, driving to minimise brake use is an important economy driving idea. Think ahead, conserve your momentum, and don’t waste the kinetic energy that you burned fuel for.
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flannel2699
According to Jason (Engineering Explained) turning your engine off for 7 SECONDS saves the fuel required to restart the engine so every second more than 7 saves you fuel. Larger engines save more fuel per second but use a correspondingly large amount to restart so it’s 7s across the board.
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According to Jason (Engineering Explained) turning your engine off for 7 SECONDS saves the fuel required to restart the engine so every second more than 7 saves you fuel. Larger engines save more fuel per second but use a correspondingly large amount to restart so it’s 7s across the board.
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andyd3177
I’m not surprised at all that the A2 achieved its goal, those VAG tdi’s of that era were awesome. My dad had a Polo EST ( imported) 1. 2tdi and would often marvel at its frugalness, and then I borrowed it for a day. I got over 90mpg without even trying. I was shocked to say the least.
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I’m not surprised at all that the A2 achieved its goal, those VAG tdi’s of that era were awesome. My dad had a Polo EST ( imported) 1. 2tdi and would often marvel at its frugalness, and then I borrowed it for a day. I got over 90mpg without even trying. I was shocked to say the least.
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