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Hello Everybody,

My wife just picked up a used 2.0 New Beetle (Model Year 2000). Its a 5 speed gasser. Fueleconomy.gov shows the Highway mileage to be 31mpg (corrected to 28). Seems kinda low for a 4 cylinder engine; although the Beetle is not the most aerodynamic car in the world (0.39 cd).

Anyone have any tips on getting better Highway gas mileage out of these Beetles?

Thanks

Pump up tires to max sidewall -

If it doesn't have a MFD - get a scanguage.


the VW engines are very, very sensitive to pedal pressure - you'd be amazed how efficient they can be - be soft with the pedal going up hills.

I have an Audi A3 which has a very similar engine to yours (2.0L turbo). It's rated at 32mpg highway (corrected to 28) but I've been getting around 40mpg on my commute which is mostly highway.

The main things I am doing are:
- tires at 45psi (max sidewall is 51psi)
- stay under 60mph
- use cruise control as much as possible

You are correct - VW/Audi's really sip fuel at low speeds

driving under 60 in high gear makes a huge difference - If I drive 55 on HWY with a little bit of DWL - I easily break 40 MPG. My best on a 100 mile trip was 46 MPG.

Pulse and glide really helps, and you get to go faster than 55 mph at about the same mpg. For example, my car has the 2.5 L 5-cylinder engine. It's absolutely abysmal for fuel economy. But even a pulse and glide from 75-65 gets about 41 mpg on flat roads.

Try adding an aftermarket spoiler to the bottom of the rear window. Read this EVWorld Story (http://www.evworld.com/article.cfm?storyid=911) for how it improved the .Cd of the Beetle from a stock 0.38 to an amazing 0.30! Was good for 5mpg on the Beetle in the article.

Saw some spoilers on Ebay for under $100. Might want to give that a try!

You should start by reading the article “Beating the EPA” (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510). Make sure you air your tires up to the maximum pressure indicated on the tire’s sidewall. Also, consider purchasing a ScanGaugeII (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=103426). It is an invaluable source of information and will quickly pay for itself in fuel savings.

However, please be careful as hypermiling is addictive. :)