[Vwdiesel] VW diesel fuel economy

[William J Toensing]

My first diesel car was a 1979 Rabbit LX 2 door 5 speed bought new with European (Paris) delivery. Only once do I ever recall getting over 40 MPG which was once in Europe when I got 42 MPG (3.785 liters equals one US gallon). After getting it back to Calif. I had air conditioning & an extra fuel tank installed & never saw 40 MPG again. In France at the time diesel was running $2 a gallon with gas $3.75 & in Switzerland $2.75 a gallon, same as gas then. Never bought gas in Germany as my wife at that time was French & she literally got sick in Germany after leaving before we were there one day. On the Autobahn I found out why Germans didn't like diesels since the Rabbit was flat out  at 80 MPH & had to stay in the right lane.
My second diesel was a 1983 Nissan/Datsun Sentra 2 door with 4 speed & air conditioning, also bought new. The only Sentra diesel then sold in Calif. then & possibly the USA. I am one of those MPG fanatics & would keep track of my MPG from tank to tank. I drove that Sentra 50,000 miles when I then bought a Mazda 626 diesel. I kept track of every gallon & my overall average for over the 50,000 miles I drove it was 42 MPG & this was mostly in the LA area as was the Rabbit! As I recall, the Mazda once got over 40 MPG before I installed an extra 18 gallon fuel tank. Then it was usually 32 to 37 MPG. However, I could drive the Mazda from LA to Mpls., Minn. with one fill up in eastern Wyo., where diesel was the cheapest, & still drive around Mpls a week before filling up for the return trip.