Turbo'd engine, mileage better driving hard or easy?
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Turbo'd engine, mileage better driving hard or easy?
I already posted this to a newsgroup, thought I would post here too.
I was mentioning to some guys at work that my dad just got a new turbo volvo wagon, 5 cyl. I mentioned that my dad is one of the most conservative drivers on the planet and when he tells me "its got lots of power", he probably has no idea what kind of power he can really make it produce at high RPM. It bugs me because I know I could drive the car to its potential. One of the guys at work, an old timer, says "he won't get good mileage driving it conservatively". He says you really have to drive the turbo engines hard to get good mileage out of them. I know turbos do improve effeciency, but come on, when you are boosting an engine hard you use lots of gas. I have been looking at getting a new Turbo'd subaru lately, and this guys advice goes against all I have read. What do you think? Do you think there is ANY truth to what the old timer said?
Thanks,
--Dan
I was mentioning to some guys at work that my dad just got a new turbo volvo wagon, 5 cyl. I mentioned that my dad is one of the most conservative drivers on the planet and when he tells me "its got lots of power", he probably has no idea what kind of power he can really make it produce at high RPM. It bugs me because I know I could drive the car to its potential. One of the guys at work, an old timer, says "he won't get good mileage driving it conservatively". He says you really have to drive the turbo engines hard to get good mileage out of them. I know turbos do improve effeciency, but come on, when you are boosting an engine hard you use lots of gas. I have been looking at getting a new Turbo'd subaru lately, and this guys advice goes against all I have read. What do you think? Do you think there is ANY truth to what the old timer said?
Thanks,
--Dan
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Nope, The best mileage I have ever gotten is driving back from California to Washington. I had it on CC from N. Cali to S. Wash and averaged almost 30 mpg. I don't think I even got above 5 psi.
When I drive a bit faster mileage goes down. Basically the boost gauge is connected to the gas gauge, the more the boost needle goes up it pulls the gas needle down.
Turbo cars get good mileage because you can make more power but when you don't need the extra power you just have (in the WRX case) a low compression 4 cyl 2L engine.
When I drive a bit faster mileage goes down. Basically the boost gauge is connected to the gas gauge, the more the boost needle goes up it pulls the gas needle down.
Turbo cars get good mileage because you can make more power but when you don't need the extra power you just have (in the WRX case) a low compression 4 cyl 2L engine.
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my 2.0l turbo (talon) gets best gas mileage (30) on the highway at about 80. pretty much cruise along without any boost, and as was mentioned, with no boost you have a low (8:1) compression engine. street wise i get between 22 and 26. my friend with an 04 wrx says hes gets about 24.
-PJ
-PJ
Registered User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,402
From: Bay Area
Car Info: 02 WRX wagon=dead; rollin' in a Craptastic Camry!
Reasonably gentle on the throttle and minimizing boost will yield the best fuel economy.
FWIW, most the Volvo turbos use a low pressure turbo and are tuned for low end torque, similar to the 1.8 turbo motor used in Jetta's and A4's. They have very little lag but don't have near as much up top as a WRX. Volvo does make a high pressure motor (T5&T6 I think) but from the way you described your dad, I doubt he paid extra for it.
FWIW, most the Volvo turbos use a low pressure turbo and are tuned for low end torque, similar to the 1.8 turbo motor used in Jetta's and A4's. They have very little lag but don't have near as much up top as a WRX. Volvo does make a high pressure motor (T5&T6 I think) but from the way you described your dad, I doubt he paid extra for it.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
In my highly modded low 11 sec Talon I used to have I could only manage about 160 on a full tank of 94. That averages out to about 12 mpg. Of course it also dynoed 422 whp on an awd dyno. Excessive boost is the enemy of good gas mileage.
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Originally posted by theworx
Of course it also dynoed 422 whp on an awd dyno. Excessive boost is the enemy of good gas mileage.
Of course it also dynoed 422 whp on an awd dyno. Excessive boost is the enemy of good gas mileage.
Thanks,
--Dan
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 461
From: Cincinnati, OH
Car Info: 04 Java Black Sedan
The negative isn't negative boost. It just means that internal manifold pressure is not exceeding atmospheric pressure. There are 2 ways of looking at it. To achieve good gas mileage in a turbo charged car, either use higher revving with no boost or lower revving with high boost. As a rule of thumb, when you use the two together, high revving and high boost, the engine uses a lot of fuel.
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