MPG on your Countryman

[paul_BRG]

Another marmite countryman owner here in that I love the car and it does what it is expected to do space and driving wise and offers a great package in but I absolutely hate the MPG.

We swapped it for a cooper S clubman and the advertised MPG swayed the move as it is used for a reasonable daily commute. When we did the maths the cost saving softened the cost to swap by some margin.

Now I like all posters here do not expect to get the advertised figures but I also am at best achieving 43 mpg, even on a steady 200 motorway run with cruise on at 70mph with the trips all reset prior to the journey.

Car been into dealer for a full check and as expected no faults found and initial call from service advisor suggest we should be pleased. After calming the red rag to bull moment the centre called back and the service manager could not dispute the discrepancy between the advertised figures and real life. Now our car has tipped over 30k miles so should be run in nicely and he agreed all tests on injectors, fuel pump and similar were absolutely spot on.

He has offered to take this up with Mini UK on out behalf as I clearly stated the car was purchased on the strength of the MPG when doing the value for money exercise and that is blown out of the water. He currently is making all the right noises and agrees with the argument and assures me at this early stage to do whatever he can to put it right.

Mini will have no peace from me until they sort this as simple fact is the figures are hugely misleading. I get better MPG from my 3 litre A4 on a run!

This is a crying shame as the car is the most practical and useful mini yet for us and unless they can magic the MPG to much nearer the published figures it will probably have to go.

I do not want this to happen and will fight tooth and nail with all possible resources to get this matter sorted.

[fishyweb]

Please keep us posted on the outcome of this!

[paul_BRG]

Will do!

[bmwr606]

just turned over 9,000 miles on my us spec 03/2012 build 2012 cms all4

overall mileage since new is 28.8 miles per us gallon (50/50 city highway)

highest single tank 41.9 mpg (all highway at 55 mph)

lowest single tank 18.1 mpg (but it was a fun tank!)

if i am calculating correctly, 28.8 us mpg would be about 36 imperial mpg (imperial gallon = 1.25 us gallon)

scott

car is stock except for hot side muffler delete and milltek downpipe back exhaust, no tune applied (yet!)

scott

[RobbieA]

While satisfied with my own fuel consumption (more or less) I have sympathy with the point being made as to the divergence between actual and quoted mpg. The diesel seems to perform slightly better, pro-rata, than the petrol but there is still a gap and like others, I did not experience this difference with my previous Audi's.

I have a Cooper SD All 4 manual, purchased new in October 2011 which has now covered 15k. My driving is either rural towns and country lanes or motorway.

Driving with care and within speed limits, anticipating the road ahead and a light right foot I can achieve 46 mpg running around and 54 mpg on motorways. This falls to 42 mpg and 48 mpg when I drive with enthusiasm. Not too bad compared with many others who have posted.

The reality for me is that I have no expectation of BMW holding their hands up and doing anything. I have also had several problems with the car and it has been off the road for 28 days over 8 separate visits to my dealer who has done everything possible to resolve all these issues. However, much as I love the car I am not sure that I would buy another one.

[paul_BRG]

HI I also dont expect to BMW/Mini to freely admit the published figures are miles apart but the dealer is doing everything they can to support my issue so keen to try and see what happens. I think the underlying message is people feel hard done to by the figures and as you stated other brands I have owned have regularly achieved published figures.

Currently the dealer has been requested by Mini UK that I do a real world test to confirm the computer readings again to add more meat to the argument. The service manager is in absolute agreement with me in that while the published figures would always be difficult to achieve the discrepancy is too high. He is also currently driving the demo fleet has also tried himself to drive to the published figures and cant get anywhere close despite hardly accelerating. He also agrees that to try and achive the figures makes the car virtually undriveable in which the way is was bought for!

Currently we have the SD All 4 and even on a clear motorwar cruise controlled journey we hit 44mpg which is someway short of what I hoped for. Yes its a 4 wheel drive reasonable sized car but we were hoping for mid fifties - I could live with 10% below stated figures.

What has also recently got my attention is the recent efficiencey rating offered to tyres and this could also be a contributing factor.

What softens the disappointment is the support from the dealership and that at least they are on side.

WIll be back with updates when I have calclulated the real world MPG ( which I suspect is going to be close to what the computer states) and the next response offered from Mini.

[Angib]

Quote: Originally Posted by paul_BRG (original)

......even on a clear motorwar cruise controlled journey we hit 44mpg which is someway short of what I hoped for.

But you don't even quote what speed you had the cruise control set at, which is hugely important to the mpg you get. Every 5mph difference in cruising speed is nearly as much difference in mpg.

And, yet again, the Euro fuel economy test does not include motorway-speed driving.

[greenlanddock]

Thanks, bmwr606, very interesting indeed. I am getting slightly lower figures on my mcs all4. That said I am driving like I stole it

In all honesty, this is the most annoying and useless topic on this forum. Folks should really grow up and get real. Yeah, may be you other car delivered better mpg, which quite frankly I am not buying (next they will say it printed money for them). I know from my mate his Kuga does about 30mpg despite 42mpg claimed by Ford, yet he drives like a granny compared to me. There are a few other examples I could give you, all from the people I know personally not from some paid for typist in China. Asking your local MP to do something about your car's mileage is just ridiculous. They care more about claiming expenses for their toilet paper rolls more than you mate. And if your MINI dealer tells you they will stand up to BMW for you, they are either retarded and shooting themselves in the foot, or bull******** you, whichever you like more. What a drag.

[bmwr606]

this thread got me thinking, i went and looked at the window sticker from my car, it lists the "official" mpgs

they are 25 city, 28 combined and 31 highway

i have seen 25 city, but only if i keep the rpms low and throttle very light ... but thats not realistic, 21-22 all city is more like it

highway is VERY speed dependant

my single best tank was 411 miles on 9.8 us gallons, 41.9 mpg, all at 55 mph on cruise, i literally filled the tank next to the on ramp and again next to the off ramp, i have never seen that kind of mpg since

at 65-70 mph, i typically see 32-34 mpg

at 80 mph that drops to 24-25 mpg

the countryman is very sensitive to wind, one day i was driving west at 70-75 mph and seeing 38 mpg on the OBD display, i knew i had a tailwind, i reversed direction to the east just for fun, mpg at 70-75 dropped to 21 mpg!

my overall mpg since new being 28.8 is .8 over the claimed 28 combined figure so i have nothing to complain about

my previous vehicle (i still have it), a 1997 gmc sonoma pickup truck 4x4 v6 5-speed, has averaged 17.5 mpg since new over 289,000 miles, it was rated at 17 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, no combined stated

i typically see 20 mpg highway and 15 mpg city

scott

[steeve]

I urge all those people in the UK who are dissatisfied with their actual fuel consumption compared to Mini published figures to write to the VCA. They are interested and have noted a higher number of issues with these cars.

So please contact them
Vehicle Type Approval and ISO Certification through VCA worldwide

[The Nun]

Its says the Urban tests are done in a laboratory under a temperature controlled conditions, thats hardly reality is it?
No wonder the figures are no where near when we get the car on the actual road.
The folk who come up with the testing procedure need to get their act together and do some proper on the road under all weather condition tests to arrive at a proper real life average and only publish those figures.

[paul_BRG]

Quote: Originally Posted by Angib (original)

But you don't even quote what speed you had the cruise control set at, which is hugely important to the mpg you get. Every 5mph difference in cruising speed is nearly as much difference in mpg.

And, yet again, the Euro fuel economy test does not include motorway-speed driving.

Cruised at 70mph as per GPS speed which was approx 74 in car speedo terms. I would expect that these speeds should return better than 43 ish mpg. Afterall I would have thought this should be nearer urban figures. I do not expect to get the 60.1 at all but the gap is just too great. No other car I have owned has had such a difference in what MPG i achieve against advertised figures so assume that all manufacturers use the same tests which is ultimately why I am disappointed.

[paul_BRG]

Quote: Originally Posted by steeve (original)

I urge all those people in the UK who are dissatisfied with their actual fuel consumption compared to Mini published figures to write to the VCA. They are interested and have noted a higher number of issues with these cars.

So please contact them
Vehicle Type Approval and ISO Certification through VCA worldwide

I will but want to exhaust the dealer support that I am getting but this is useful information thanks.

[fishyweb]

Quote: Originally Posted by fishyweb (original)

I'm so hacked off with being unable to get better than 75% of my Countryman's figures that I wrote to my MP. He wrote to BMW on my behalf, but they basically fobbed him off. He has now recommended that I take this up with the OFT, which I have done, and am awaiting their response.

The OFT have referred my case on to the Dept for Transport. They said:

Quote:

For your information, the Department for Transport (DfT) has policy responsibility for fuel consumption figures. We believe for this reason that the DfT would be best placed to consider your specific concerns on this issue. I would therefore be grateful if you would confirm by email that you have no objection to our referring the issues you have raised to the DfT for consideration.

I'm happy that they have done that, but I have also replied to ask that they still consider the question "Should manufacturers be allowed to deceive consumers by using the "unmeaningful" figures as marketing tools?" which, I suspect, still would come under OFT's remit.

[Zipy]

My 2011 Countryman S, w/auto trans., now has 22K miles since new and consistently averages 26-27MPG city driving and 30-31 on the highway. I'm usually the first across most intersections; but, don't drive too aggressively in general. On the highway, I use cruise control; usually set around 10MPH over posted speed and try not to over ride it.