Focus Zetec auto fuel consumption

[sbrodka]

Greetings !
Just bought a brand new Focus Zetec auto. I am on a third tank of petrol and on average my Zetec uses (so far) 14 l per 100km in Sydney driving. On a country drive yesterday (Sydney-Richmond-Bells-Katoomba-Penrith-Strathfield) it used 10.8 l per 100 km. I think it is excessive. What do you think ? Thanks, Steven

[pertuan]

I have tha LX manual and I get 11L/100 in pure city driving. I think its cause its a brand new engine ans needs to be run in. I think it shou;d drop with age and the engine losens up.

[Forest Bear]

I got auto LS Zetec also. 7800Ks on the odo. It does 10 to 11L/100km in city driving. I had 6.8L/100 on a 60-70k journey cruising the Nepean Freeway.

[WASP]

Our Zetec is not what I would call great. Around 10lts/per 100 on average or about 450km per tank. We have only done 4800kms in it however and it has not gone on any decent driving trips so I'm giving it more time.

[murcod]

Anyone else got fuel economy figures?

Unless you guys have very heavy right feet around town those figures are shocking!? Even the Crumbledoor wagons at work average 12.5 l /100km around town (going by the computer) and that's mostly hard driving and short trips..... When I drive the traction control is OFF and the trans is straight into PWR mode!

[amlohac]

i get about 450kms around town, but i have a very very very heavy foot. My car has done 80,000kms also

[Mil]

This is what I posted a short while ago.

3 tanks in about to fill up the 4th

I get between 7.8 and 8.5 per 100

Thats Sydney driving as well

I have filled up at about 560km and filled up 46 litres for a full tank.
After filling up the tank I always reset the relevent computer settings eg avg speed, distance etc

Also forgot to mention, it's an 06 LX manual

the car has 2040 Km's on it.

Last tank (4th) I filled up but I forgot to take the stats down. So far the car is showing 8.8 avg fuel usuage , 214 km so far on the tank, fuel gauge is not half way and the range to go is reporting 434km.

Pretty much what I have been getting for the other tanks.

Hope this helps.

[sbrodka]

Guys,
Thank you for your responses so far. No, I do not have a "heavy foot" at all. The car is brand new and for a few thousand kilometers I need to take it easy... I noticed today that trip computer shows 15.1 l per 100km when the car is stationary, but in "drive mode" (at the traffic lights for example). I do not think it is normal, the car is going for a check up to a dealer on Tuesday... Steven

[Barraturbine]

My mums auto LS zetec is averaging 8.5 all the time and a little better on th HWY

[kcbworth]

My LX is averaging 9.5 at after 1500kms. Seems to do about 11 around town, and low 8's on highway. Usually get about 520 or so out of tank.

[Martyvan]

Originally Posted by sbrodka

Guys,
Thank you for your responses so far. No, I do not have a "heavy foot" at all. The car is brand new and for a few thousand kilometers I need to take it easy... I noticed today that trip computer shows 15.1 l per 100km when the car is stationary, but in "drive mode" (at the traffic lights for example). I do not think it is normal, the car is going for a check up to a dealer on Tuesday... Steven

Did you measure your fills off the pump? or off the trip computer? That may explain a difference.... If you go to the same servo, same pump, and fill to the first click, that would assist in getting accurate measurements. As a side note, my 2002 corolla is an auto, it was ADR'ed to 7.8L/100 in the city. in the 75,000km i have driven in it, averaging country, city everything. it is averaging 9.58L/100km. (Im nerdy and keep detailed logs of all fuel usage for all my cars) No slander for owning a Toyota either please ;)

My LR Focus Zetec is averaging around 10.8 since i have had it, I was expecting a little better, but Im driving mostly city driving, and have been having quite a bit of fun.

[Eddie Van Halen]

I've got a new Zetec with just over 2,500 k's done and I'm averaging between 9.1 to 9.3 litres per 100 k's.

Getting close to 600 k's from a tank of Premium Unleaded (Don't know if that's really making a difference).

Mate tells me that once it's run-in and done around 6, 7 thoudand k's the economy should improve.

Al.

[owens]

wow guys. I've got 15000 on my car and when it's time to fill it up it's often done over 630k's averaging about 7.3 -7.5L per 100. On a hwy trip it's sometimes down to 5.8.

[pertuan]

I think with these figures, its important to take into account what kind of driving is being done. My 11L/100k is from driving daily from Coogee to Sydney city which is only about 8km in constant stop/start traffic. The car never gets a continual run for more than say 2 minutes before coming to another set of lights.

You guys who are getting 7-9L/100k might be going through highways which would allow for some efficency in the engine. Am I right in assuming this?

[Teki04]

Originally Posted by pertuan

I think with these figures, its important to take into account what kind of driving is being done. My 11L/100k is from driving daily from Coogee to Sydney city which is only about 8km in constant stop/start traffic. The car never gets a continual run for more than say 2 minutes before coming to another set of lights.

You guys who are getting 7-9L/100k might be going through highways which would allow for some efficency in the engine. Am I right in assuming this?

Yes - you use considerably more fuel around the city.

Although a different car (but very economical 2.0L with 8.1L/100kms on the fuel sticker - not sure what Focus is???), my L/100kms can vary by about 4L in the city!

The inner west is full of speed humps, speed traps, lights and traffic. Here I usually average about 12L/100kms. As soon as I drive further West towards Earlwood, Bankstown and occasionally further west, the consumption reduces to 9.3L/100kms as the speed on the road is 60km/h or 70km/h without many traffic light stops.

So yea, I dunno if the Tripcomputer on the Focus allows such a thing, but maybe those quoting fuel consumption should also quote the average speed? (If the Focus does this)

[pertuan]

Good idea. The focus DOES have average speed. So a combination of both figures would make for a better comparison. Last I checked my average speed was 19km/h. Hmm... I'm sure I do more on my pushbike. :P

[kcbworth]

Avg speed 41km/h, avg fuel 9.3L/100km. Yes theres a fair bit of highway driving in there, but i live in one of the middle brisbane suburbs so theres plenty of stop start around here.

[Mick K.]

My 2LR 2.0 Zetec has averaged 8.5l/100km over the past 15000 kms - mix of cuising, stop start city and some spirited driving.

MK

[Smoke Pursuit]

Yeh had the same concern and still not happy, i took the LS away with 4000 kms on it on Thursday and got the average down to 7 litres per hundred, got home yesturday and got in the BA II XLS for another 400 kms and it averaged 8.7. Around town our Focus averages 14, worse then the Ford at around 12.

All i can say is dont buy a Focus if you want to save petrol, because you may aswell buy a BF Falcon...
:(

[kcbworth]

Originally Posted by ShockWaveXR6na

All i can say is dont buy a Focus if you want to save petrol, because you may aswell buy a BF Falcon...
:(

i'm surprised to hear you say this... the focus that we've been driving has been outperforming friends corollas, astras, and civics and is much better than all the falcon drivers that i know. are you using premium?

05 LX manual, Heavy lead foot will not do worse than 9.5 to 10 in Sydney driving. I mean flat off the line, shift light come on, shift to 2nd and accel until 80 limit.

I did a trip to Canberra and back, 400km round trip then 260 more k's city driving, 5 adults, everyones luggage, was able to got over 660km before the DTE hit 0 (then you have an extra 30kms still). Trip computer stated a very close 7.2 L/100kms. The average fuel used is even lower when cruising at 110-115 ~6.6l/100ks, but I couldn't go that fast during the day due to double demerits and P-Plates, cruising at 100 uses about 7.8l/100ks. Driving in the dark helped average fuel consumption ;). This is because there is more torque avaliable about 3000rpm = less throttle application.

This is expecially to those who have bad fuel economy, how did you run the car in? My car didn't go over 4500 in the first 500kms but I always had the engine always varying, and did about 4 national park runs. Also what fuel are you using. The Focus is designed to run on 95 octane fuel, and when 91 Octane is used, it just chews through it..

[b2tf]

Interesting to see that this is the case on the new model also. I am less than happy at how much fuel my LR Auto uses, but unfortunately it's part and parcel of owning a crappily-geared auto i guess. I'm used to it, but agree with Shockwave - a BA gets better economy than I do.

Still kills my parents AU though, that thing is a pig on fuel.

Oh yeah people, the fuel gauge is not linear. When its at 1/2, you have 3/5ths. Say the guage is this

e|-----|-----|-----|-----|1/1

and I did 660km, each bar should represent 165km.

e|..330km..|.230km.|100km|1/1

Its more like this. See how it lines up against the other guage

[Teki04]

Do Focus trip computers not show the litres since last fuel? and also kms...?

[kcbworth]

Shows number of km and avg fuel since you last reset trip computer, so it can if you want.

Originally Posted by Teki04

Do Focus trip computers not show the litres since last fuel? and also kms...?

LS only cycles between:

---------
Trip KM/Ambient temp
Odo
---------
DTE
---------
Ave Fuel consumption
---------
Average KM/h
---------
Ambient temp to .5+/-
---------
Setup (warning chimes on/off, metric vs imperial)

[Zetec20]

I average 12.2L per 100km, average speed of 43kmh, and get around 380ks before the fuel light comes on, just driving around wollongong, i also have 0 points left on my license lol

[owens]

I just filled up this morning, had an average speed of 43 km/hr as well and average fuel of 7.3/100. You guys must have lead feet!

[sbrodka]

Guys,
My Zetec was checked by the dealer with the conclusion "no fault found".
Their computer did not reveal any problems and I was told that my car is still too new to work at its optimal. So in the meantime (while waiting for more kilometers on the odometer) I am experiencing 13.2l/100 km driving in Sydney North-West suburbs. Decided to try 98 octane (used 95 before), maybe it will run better (more economical). Thanks again for all your responses. Steven