'86 Cabriolet highway gas mileage--what should it be?

I just drove my like-new '86 Cabriolet with 20,000 miles from Florida to Indiana and only got about 26mpg. This is the only longish highway trip I've done with this car that I checked mileage. I was going with the faster of the traffic on the interstate, 75 or a little over, but the gas mileage still seems kind of low. What highway mileage is anyone else getting with an A1 Cabriolet?

Reply to
kokomoNOSPAMkid
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Well that could be normal mpg if it was an automatic!

20,000 miles???? That engine still needs to get broken in some!

Tell us more. Did you drive with the windows down or up? Did you drive with the top down or up? What octane gas did you use? What do you normally get in the city? Did you have extra weight in the vehicle?

Other factors like air pressure in tires, wheel alignment, synthetic oil, even waxing the vehicle could help increase mileage. If you drove slower like 55-65mph, you should have gotten better gas mileage! But who wants to drive their VW that slow? LOL

later, dave Reminder........ Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes. Frieda Norris

Reply to
dave

Manual transmission Windows up Top up A/C on most of the time

87 octane I normally get ~22-24 in the city 185-60x14 tires at 30 psi Light load

Maybe the 75-80 mph is the biggest culprit. Also, the gearing is lowish. I turn ~4000 rpm at 75 mph.

Reply to
kokomoNOSPAMkid

Yeah, my '89 automatic averages around 26 - 28 on the highway. BTW It's for sale:

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Paul aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

Reply to
ThaDriver

My 84 GTI which had a higher (read better for mileage) top gear got

30-32 driving 70 mph. Mileage drops significantly when you go faster than 60. Your car weighs more than the 84 and the gearing alone will kill mileage. The guy I sold the car to gets about 23 mpg. I never ran 87 as the car made too much noise with low octane.

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote:

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

It was broke in about 18 years ago! Cabrio's are a little heavier than there counterpart the car stated out as so MPG may be a few less. 26 isn't bad at all for a 18year old car which may have some crap in the fuel system. from not being driven. With only 20k miles imagine how long a tank of fuel set in the tank?

Reply to
Woodchuck

Reply to
Bruce Baxter

Thanks for the response. I think my power train is, in fact, the same as an '83-'84 GTi, 90hp, 1.8 litre motor and close-ratio gear box. Since your Jetta got much better mileage than I get, it appears that gearing has a large effect on mileage. Did your Jetta have a 1.8 engine, or smaller?

Reply to
kokomoNOSPAMkid

Jim B.

Reply to
jimbehning

I have an 81 cabby with an 89 JH engine with a truck tranny (FN if I remember right, but it has the same ratios). With a GTI fuel system and an AUDI 5000 TB and Headers. I drive a 180 mile commute each day mostly highway miles and I get only about 24 MPG. But, I drive 70-75 MPH and I accelerate rather quickly.

HTH Steve

Reply to
sehaare

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