Fuel consumption and distance covered—a good look at the records.

November 16, 2009 -- Filed under Clean Diesel, Economy, Saving money, Technology by Martin Deschenes

If I say less than 5 litres/100 km, you’ll probably think of a hybrid car or a diesel compact. Whatever. When you get down to brass tacks, it’s the person driving the car that makes all the difference when it comes to fuel economy. Human nature being what it is, paying attention to fuel economy can become a game that motivates one to always try to do better. This post is about those who regard manufacturers’ fuel consumption guidelines as a starting point rather that a goal.

The Austrian Gerhard Plattner holds the current record for the best highway fuel economy for a standard passenger car. He recently obtained a record 1,910 km with a Seat Ibiza Ecomotive, reaching an average fuel consumption of 2.34 litres/100 km.

Under the hood of the Seat Ibiza Ecomotive is a small 1.4 litre TDI engine, a 3-cylinder in-line version of the 4-cylinder engine that drivers here have learned to love in the course of the last decade.

The all-time highway record on a single tank for a standard car in any category is 2,248.3 km established in 2002 with a diesel Peugeot 406 by Helen and John Taylor, an Australian couple known for their numerous fuel economy records.

In America, Helen and John made a name for themselves mainly for their Guinness fuel economy record while crossing the lower 48 states in 2009. They travelled 15,300 km and consumed 530 litres for an average consumption of 3.46 litres/100 km. What car were they driving? You will have guessed that it was the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel.

Given the previous record, the new Golf TDI that has just arrived at your Volkswagen dealer promises to deliver outstanding fuel economy as well a great ride. With the Jetta TDI, the Golf TDI is in my opinion in a class on its own when it comes to driving experience.

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