Why doesn't my new Opel Astra doesn't achieve the quoted fuel economy figures?

My new Opel Astra 1.7CDTI SE (110) is still heavy on diesel with over 13,000km on the clock. The manufacturer quotes circa 61mpg, whereas I am lucky to get 45mpg. I don't drive very fast and don't have the air conditioning on constantly, I keep the windows up and don't carry heavy loads. The dealer did an emissions check of the car, which it passed with flying colours. Any ideas on this one?

Asked on 10 September 2010 by cc1968

Answered by Honest John

That might be all it does in reality. The EC certification tests take place in perfect lab conditions that can rarely be emulated in real life.

Tags: fuel economy diesels

Similar questions

Should I pick the Honda Civic 2.2 iCDTI or the 1.8 iVTEC?

I've been reading up about the Civic 2.2iCTDI on your website. It looks good, but the 1.8 iVTEC also looks good. I'm just wondering which one's going to end up costing the most to run with circa 20,000...

What do you think about the new generation of diesel engines which use reduced compression ratio to improve fuel consumption?

There is an article in a recent ‘Economist’ magazine on a new generation of diesel engines. These apparently achieve better fuel consumption by reducing the compression ratios, enabling lighter faster...

Can I have the DPF removed from my Volkswagen Golf estate?

A local company has offered to remove the DPF from my Golf estate, reprogram the ECU and leave it looking identical underneath. They claim better mpg and power and, obviously, no blockages caused by short...

Related models