I've just started commuting in my L322, I had the gearbox flushed, axle and t-box fluids done by Bodsy in Feb this year. She's done just over 96.5k miles. I see plenty of people on here commenting about their 30+ mpg returns.

My commute is about 30 minutes with around 15-20 minutes of that on a motorway at genuinely no more than 70mph. After two weeks I've done 434.8 miles and today she took 80.21L of diesel to the 'click'. That's 24.6mpg. My 2005 TD5 110 Defender did better than that. In fact, over the 12.5k miles I've owned this vehicle the average is 26mpg.

Have I got some sort of problem or is everyone else just posting figures from the dash trip computer (which should frankly be in Parliament given its very limited relationship with reality)? 2012 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE: Buckingham Blue
2005 Defender TD5 110 XS: Cairns Blue - Gone but not forgotten

That is a bit low, can't help why...

Just for info if you have an IID you can trim out the on board computer to make it read accurately.  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

That's about right. Those who claim over 30 are normally low speed, longer haul drivers with time for the engine to warm up (they run quite cool normally). I averaged 31 on a trip up to Yorkshire and back from Bristol. However my 10 mile commute into town (25 mins with 10 mins on motorway) only gives me an avge of 24-25 mpg. The killer is the stop start in town.

Best thing is not to let it worry you. Even getting up to 30 mpg will only save you 5p per mile in fuel cost. simply sit back and revel in the fact that you are cocooned in one of the best cars on the road.

Last edited by Dolphinboy on 25th Nov 2022 5:58pm. Edited 1 time in total

I am trying not to let it get to me, but one of the pieces of "man maths" I did to convince myself to sell my Deafener was that the fuel economy should have been better.
You're right though, while the 110 had more character it didn't have a fuel-burning heater, heated steering wheel and a Harmon Kardon sound system. 2012 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE: Buckingham Blue
2005 Defender TD5 110 XS: Cairns Blue - Gone but not forgotten

bluebottle wrote:

My commute is about 30 minutes with around 15-20 minutes of that on a motorway at genuinely no more than 70mph.

Firstly, I don't think that a properly calculated 26mpg is at all bad. People talking about 30+ are not generally seeing this on a daily basis and are doubtless reading off the dash too. I've had 35mpg on a good run, but I'm generally seeing less than 26 on average.

There are several things which will drag your commuting figure down. Cold starting twice a day will have you below 10 mpg until the engine is warmed up. Any kind of urban driving / stop-start / climbing hills during your pre motorway phase will keep you well below 20 as well. Finally, if you really want to see it improve, keep your motorway speeds to about 60mph.

If 26mpg is a deal breaker, you're definitely in the wrong vehicle.  The older I get, the more I realise that people confuse wrinkles for wisdom

Sounds about right for the type of journey you do. I'm averaging about 33mpg ( calculated from fill vs odometer) but that's mainly long M-way trips under 70mph but it drops significantly if I have to do anything on normal roads. 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

The odometer is set to be 7% optimistic and can be made accurate with a GAP IID tool. What tyres do you have? 2012 TDV8 Vogue (L322)

My TD6 does 24.6 around town and has very low miles on clock less than 70,000 mil so them who say over 30 in short journeys take it with a pinch of salt car weight nearly 3ton

I've got a 4.4 TDV8 and these are the typical MPGs (I drive at the speed limit, plus a few )

Summer
Town: 28mpg
Motorway: 34mpg
Combined: 31mpg

Winter (bear in mind diesels aren't as economical in the winter than as the summer for various reasons for example, rain, wet road surfaces, cold weather, winter diesel mix, lower average traffic speed, increased congestion etc. The 4.4 TDV8 is a considerably larger block than a TD or Defender engine, and takes much longer to warm up)
Town (short journey): 20mpg
Town (moderate journey): 24mpg
Motorway: 30mpg
Combined: 28mpg


I would say your MPG reading sounds about right. The days have been very cold recently and that big lump takes a while to get up to operating temperatures where it's most efficient. You'll need more than a 30 minute journey for the average MPG to start climbing closer to 30mpg.

As mentioned by others, the MPG will tank in start stop traffic, again with a 4.4L block sat idling away going nowhere. 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 SDV8

Last edited by garyRR on 26th Nov 2022 7:51am. Edited 1 time in total

Sounds about right TBH, you can get 35 plus MPG on a long run taking your time, but reality mine has done 24.8 over 7500 miles, including some towing, yours sounds about right if it’s overall mileage.

JayGee wrote:

The odometer is set to be 7% optimistic and can be made accurate with a GAP IID tool. What tyres do you have?

Dolphinboy wrote:

That's about right. Those who claim over 30 are normally low speed, longer haul drivers with time for the engine to warm up (they run quite cool normally). I averaged 31 on a trip up to Yorkshire and back from Bristol. However my 10 mile commute into town (25 mins with 10 mins on motorway) only gives me an avge of 24-25 mpg. The killer is the stop start in town.

Best thing is not to let it worry you. Even getting up to 30 mpg will only save you 5p per mile in fuel cost. simply sit back and revel in the fact that you are cocooned in one of the best cars on the road.

25-28mpg is my average over 105k miles (had mine since new….i reckon it has another 12 years left in it)
20 ish around town. Even in the teens.
30mpg on a long run.

I have never seen the 35s that some members see.
My economy numbers have not changed during the life of the vehicle

My tyres are AT3s

gettingold wrote:

JayGee wrote:

The odometer is set to be 7% optimistic and can be made accurate with a GAP IID tool. What tyres do you have?

How do we do this, for those of us with IID tool?.

Thanks people - I love the car and 26mpg is not a deal-breaker, particularly since it's a 300bhp engine powering a 2.7 tonne vehicle.

I'm pretty sure my tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Zeros. I know Harry Metcalfe sings the praises of the Scorpion Verde - not sure what the difference is? Which are better for mpg - I don't do mud-plugging - the closest I get is my Dad's muddy field in Shropshire maybe a couple of times a year!?

Thanks for the hint with the IID tool, I'll have a play maybe. 2012 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE: Buckingham Blue
2005 Defender TD5 110 XS: Cairns Blue - Gone but not forgotten