Chicago to Washington, D.C., on One Tank of Diesel
The maximum fuel range you see advertised on TV can be a myth.
Technically, the claimed range is accurate if you squeeze every last drop of fuel from the tank and are able to achieve a sometimes optimistic highway mileage. Doing so can also lead to standing on the side of the road after running out of fuel and discovering how acclimated the local wildlife is to humans.
The diesel-powered 2013 Volkswagen Passat TDI has a massive advertised range of 795 miles, marked by a footnote reading, “Range based on 43 mpg highway EPA estimate and 18.5-gallon fuel tank for 2012 2.0L TDI, manual transmission. Your mileage will vary.” There’s even a humorous ad about two guys learning Spanish on a road trip in the time it takes to run out of fuel in the Passat.
That 795-mile number is big. To give it some perspective, the distance from Chicago to Washington, D.C., is roughly 700 miles. It also happened to be the trip I used to test the Volkswagen Passat TDI’s range.
We know it’s “possible” to exceed the TDI’s range estimates based on a 1,526.6 trip one fuel-friendly couple took in a Passat TDI. However, my plan wasn’t to drive with hypermiling techniques, boost tire pressure above the factory recommendations or alter the car in any way for better mileage. I merged onto the expressway, set the cruise control to 70 mph and was on my merry way.
Letting the cruise control do the work resulted in a stunning 52.5 mpg average over the combined 1,452-mile trip. By the end of each leg, the seemingly endless 18.5-gallon tank wasn’t remotely close to being empty; there was an additional 130 miles of range left after my return trip.
Chicago to DC
Time: 11 hours, 32 minutes
Trip computer mpg: 53.8 mpg
Fill-up calculation: NA from tank spillage
Trip miles: 713.1 miles
Average speed: 62 mph
Outside temp.: 74 degrees
DC to Chicago
Time: 12 hours, 9 minutes
Trip computer mpg: 51.2 mpg
Fill-up calculation: 51.7 mpg
Trip miles: 738.8 miles
Average speed: 61 mph
Outside temp.: 63 degrees
Related
2012 Volkswagen Passat Review
Extreme Commuting: Diesel vs. Hybrid
84 mpg?! Couple Break Mileage Record With Passat TDI
