Comments on: Audi A3 Sportback 1.9 TDI e – national media launch

By: Golfschwein

Golfschwein — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 09:16:00 +0000

He’s just turned 60, No name. Target market bullseye.

By: No Name

No Name — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 08:30:42 +0000

Aurion Golfie – what the blody hells going on

By: Golfschwein

Golfschwein — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:28:32 +0000

Okay, I’m here, I’m here!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, my Golf has the 1.9 engine you apparently despised, but it is among the very best cars I have driven on the open road. There’s plenty of overtaking oomph.

Noise? Not as quiet as the Aurion I’ve been a passenger in all weekend, but well enough suppressed at freeway speeds. Around town is when the diesel noise is a constant companion.

By: alec

alec — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:19:39 +0000

Dont forget, best economy is achieved differently in each car but is essentially a combination of distance travelled vs fuel used. The faster you go, the further you travel. Due to gearing of modern cars allowing engine rpm to be kept low at higher speeds and the diesels ability to produce good torque at low rpm also, the audi would be at its optimum at ‘higher’ (more freeway like) speeds

By: alec

alec — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 01:09:50 +0000

For anyone who doesn’t believe the statement regarding average speed, you might just be very surprised when you check the trip computer of a car so equipped.
In normal 60km/h roads, mixed with stop start traffic & some intersections, the average speek I usually get is about 30-35km/h
However,
Once I mix some freeway driving in with that, I get surprise surprise about 65-70km/h.
Sounds like they were tested real world to me.

By: Cameron

Cameron — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 22:45:14 +0000

The write-up certainly gave me the impression that it was a competition to see who could return the best figures.
There is no doubt it is efficient and can return good figures, but to what degree do you have to “feather” the throttle to achieve it. The control car may not have been driven with “efficiency” in mind, but if its travelling in convoy I can’t see that it would have been driven with any zest.
Sorry, but the jury is still out in my mind.
That said – I’m extremely happy to see development of these vehicles with an efficiency focus.

Diesel-hybrid is the new buzzword. Tomorrow is exciting, just get the technology to market!

By: No Name

No Name — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 15:45:13 +0000

Captain – your missing the point of the challenge to get max fuel economy. I see what you saying but the trial was to achieve the maximum they could. Stop ranting pointlessly old bean.

By: realcars

realcars — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:41:07 +0000

This vehicle makes current hybrid tech look antiquated indeed. Bigger,more powerful,more stylish and a better drive than a Pirus no doubt.

This vehicle is for the true environmentalist.

By: Paul Maric

Paul Maric — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 09:23:05 +0000

Captain Mainwaring:

Yes, except they did measure the fuel economy under “realistic and comparable conditions.”

If you apply the simple mathematics to it, you would realise that it was in fact absolutely realistic and quite an impressive feat.

But, as you say. That’s life, dreams are free.

By: Captain Mainwaring

Captain Mainwaring — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 08:41:13 +0000

Nothing against Audis, in fact I love most of them, but fuel consumption needs to be measured under realistic and comparable conditions. Obviously not everyone subscribes to that.
But that’s life, dreams are free.