Clubsport R8 fuel usage in the real world??

[notorious_benny]

Hey guys, its time to start looking for my next vehicle and I am a bit keen on the Clubsport R8 series 2 sedan with the auto gearbox. I am cross shopping with the FPV F6 with ZF gearbox. (I am niether a Blue or Red man, I just like fast cars)

The HSV's are currently attractive on price and I reckon they look tough, except for the little eyelash lights, and those nostrils on the bonnet are of questionable taste.

Can anyone who is diriving their HSV daily give me an idea of what they are like to live with as a day to day driver. I am interested in just how bad they can be on fuel?

I will be towing a 1500-16000kg ski boat with it regularly and I do a lot of highway kms as well.

My current car is an FG XR6 Turbo manual, I get around 10L/100 on the highway, 15L/100 around town (lots of stop start) and anywhere from 13-20L/100 when pulling the boat......... oh and about 30L/100 when going for a thrash in the hills :) :)

Anyone else doing lots of towing and highway kays with theirs???? Let me know how you like it?

Cheers Benny.

[hRTHSV]

Getting between 9.5 - 10.5 highway depending on the road in our HSV A6wagon, Average speed of 48km/h for a tank running around gives 13 - 13.5L/100 consistantly, towing a 700kg duel axle car trailer over 1000km's, 500km's unladen 12.5L/100 loaded with VS commodore no engine or gearbox probably about 1,500kg's and dragging alot of wind moved the average for the 1,000km's to 15L/100.

That's is a stock HSV wagon with air intake and a mafless tune.

Hope that helps.

[r00lerz]

I drove my auto E2 home from Melbourne yesterday and loved it.

Trip computer is showing a 12.8l per 100km ,not too shabby i thought considering i gave it a bit in places.:thumbsup: overtaking power is awesome.

Was originally looking for LS3 Series 1 but some of the prices were not much less than a demo E2.

[vxberwag]

I have a VE Senator and have averaged 13.7 L/100klm and 54klm/hr for the last 33000 klm. I haven't reset the comp since the day I got it. My mix of driving is approx 50-60% freeway 30% stop start around the suburbs and 10% towing. Be aware VE HSV's are limited to 1600kg towing capacity. Last week towing a friend’s ski boat back from Yarrawonga the instant fuel usage was around the 14-16L/100klm. As I work for Mobil I only run 98 premium fuel.

[notorious_benny]

Thankyou for the reply. They are pretty amazing figures!!

Are they your best figures or a true real world average?? I mean I have got 8L/100kms on a trip if its a nice still day, cool air and a flat road but being more honest I normally get around 10L/100.

What are some of the worse figures you have seen when the odds are against you?? Hot weather, headwinds hills?? For example the worst for me was a trip into headwinds with the boat (at 110kph) where I averaged 22L/100 over a 250km strecth!! Ouch!

Do you guys do your calcs from the trip computer or the bowser?? I have found with my last couple of cars that trip computers tend to be a little optimistic.


vxberwag.... I am aware of the towing limitations on the HSV's. 1600kg is the same as my FG so I have figured out how much gear I can put in the boat before its over the limit. Thankfully my boat is only a 'little' one. I also only ever run 98 octane.

[redvxr8clubby]

Benny, if you are already driving an XR6 turbo, I think the consumption of a HSV will be little different, maybe an XR6 could be a little better around town, otherwise I think there will be little in it. Can't see it being a deal breaker. I know it isn't a 6.2, but my my 5.7 VX II Calais does about 17l/100Km in Sydney peak traffic, and usually less than 10l/ 100Km on the highway (trip from Sydney to Brisbane). My Clubby did about 11l/100 on highway from Sydney down south coast to Bega area and back, and also does about 10l/ 100Km on trip to Brisbane. If fuel is on your mind you could wait until HSV release the gas version, and see how they go.

[Jarhead]

Benny, if you are already driving an XR6 turbo, I think the consumption of a HSV will be little different, maybe an XR6 could be a little better around town, otherwise I think there will be little in it. Can't see it being a deal breaker. I know it isn't a 6.2, but my my 5.7 VX II Calais does about 17l/100Km in Sydney peak traffic, and usually less than 10l/ 100Km on the highway (trip from Sydney to Brisbane). My Clubby did about 11l/100 on highway from Sydney down south coast to Bega area and back, and also does about 10l/ 100Km on trip to Brisbane. If fuel is on your mind you could wait until HSV release the gas version, and see how they go.

I agree. The fuel usage will be negligable when it comes to everything else you need to compare. I for one would seriously consider the F6 with ZF box if you want to stay blue, otherwise go the R8! The sound and looks are worth changing over.

[blackbettyhsv]

my ve clubby was about 12.5 when new now with the new exhaust it normally runs 10 sometimes less but sometimes more

[dlp81]

I dont want to sound negative, but my 08 SSV with 6,000kms on it averages 14.4 litres/100km around town, and I havent taken it on the highway for a good run to find out what it does on the open road.. And its babied around town as my mrs drives it to and from work.. I think mine might need a tune compared to some of the figures some other people are quoting

[blackbettyhsv]

I dont want to sound negative, but my 08 SSV with 6,000kms on it averages 14.4 litres/100km around town, and I havent taken it on the highway for a good run to find out what it does on the open road.. And its babied around town as my mrs drives it to and from work.. I think mine might need a tune compared to some of the figures some other people are quoting

thats about right for around town mate but you should get a good exhaust, get rid of those big mufflers, that would help

[notorious_benny]

Cheers guys, fuel is not the deal breaker, more curious as to what I might expect. (The car will be on a novted lease so I will have a fuel card anyway)

The F6 is very attractive as far as power and torque and the transmission goes, I havnt got around to test driving either yet, so that may indeed be the deal breaker!

But, that V8 sound would be nice to have :)

Any known durability issues with the HSV's? Especially for towing??

[hRTHSV]

Just on the average fuel readout, Our wagon has done 23,000km's, I have checked it tank after tank and checked the kilometres travelled verses the sat nav and the road signs the kms travelled is always 4% lower than what I have travelled and the fuel is 2.5% lower than the bowser, on every refill from the first click off we put 5 litres in and it's consistantly over 2% more on the litres used against what the bowser says regardless of servo.

So our litres/100 is reading 6% high at a minimum, that was taken into account in the numbers I gave you.

We live on the north coast and regularly go west over the Great Dividing range which has always been the worst economy I have ever got, cruise control over 400km's still looking at worst of 10.4l/100. Running up or down the coast on the Pacific highway averages 9.5 - 10L/100.

Tunning it dropped 2L/100 around town.

As far as towing goes I don't think you will have any drama's the A6 has a nice big trans cooler and the motor's don't get hot towing. I towed for 1,000km's and it surprised me just how well it did, no oil usuage, normal temp enough grunt to overtake sunday drivers on overtaking lanes. I'm sure the F6 tows well also.

[smokey777]

i have a cammed ute & average 18-20 litres round town & this is with a average speed of 20klm/h lol. on the highway it does 10 per 100 thats usually with an average of 98-100 for the trip

[mjrandom]

I went from a T6 to the E1 and noticed virtually no difference in fuel usage overall though the LS2 could be thirstier around town but had more sting.

Getting 10s on the highway was easy and 14s to 15s peak hour (Brissy) driving. The E2 is about the same. Don't tow with the Clubbie so no idea about what that will be. Best I have ever done overall was an easy lope to Sydney and for a couple of 100+km stretches dipped into the low 8s. I have heard of others doing better but I am not known for economic driving!!!!

I opted for the E2 over an F6 because I found the F6 too loose in the back end, may be tyres, may be bushes couldn't tell. Also the R8 seats were more comfortable. Otherwise little to pick between them, the Ford price was a bit better but I had a good run out of the E1 and the R8s are easier to drive on the edge so went that way. Happy with my choice. Used to be a big gap between the gearboxes but now nothing worth mentioning. Be interested in what you reckon once you have driven both.

Michael

[Alex(AUS)]

I went from a T6 to the E1 and noticed virtually no difference in fuel usage overall though the LS2 could be thirstier around town but had more sting.

Getting 10s on the highway was easy and 14s to 15s peak hour (Brissy) driving. The E2 is about the same. Don't tow with the Clubbie so no idea about what that will be. Best I have ever done overall was an easy lope to Sydney and for a couple of 100+km stretches dipped into the low 8s. I have heard of others doing better but I am not known for economic driving!!!!

I opted for the E2 over an F6 because I found the F6 too loose in the back end, may be tyres, may be bushes couldn't tell. Also the R8 seats were more comfortable. Otherwise little to pick between them, the Ford price was a bit better but I had a good run out of the E1 and the R8s are easier to drive on the edge so went that way. Happy with my choice. Used to be a big gap between the gearboxes but now nothing worth mentioning. Be interested in what you reckon once you have driven both.

Michael

Well summed up.

Alex

[Vulture]

Results from the E2 Senator (auto) completely stock (so far).
On the open road, which out here is not freeway but country driving involving plenty of hills and overtaking, I get 11.3-11.8L/100 on a good day. Around town 15L/100 but can creep up quite significantly with little effort to 18L/100. My 232/234 cammed GTS LS2 is, surprisingly, not that far behind on the open road at 12L/100 in identical conditions. Around town it is much worse as would be expected (18-25L/100km).

I don't think you'll be getting economy quite as good as the XR6T but should be close enough for it not to be much of an issue.

[Spoolin]

It's fine to give fuel consumption figures, but it means nothing without the average speed at the time.

[tmob]

my E2 R8 manual is sitting on 16.2l/100 average. Average speed is 42km/h. I've only had it for 6 weeks, and it would be fair to say I haven't been driving in the most sedate or economical fashion... have been doing an even mix of highway/city driving

i've noticed when I'm driving alone at 100km/h my instant fuel usage is always 9.3-9.8l/100. the other night I was driving a full car load, so +300kg and usage sat on 9.8-10.1.

I am getting better economy in this car, than i was getting in my BA XR6T (av 19.2l/100). I've never towed anything with the R8, and only towed a few times in the XR6T, so really cant comment there...

I'm pretty impressed with fuel economy in the R8. The hardest part is having a bit of self control. Drive nicely, and you'll get nice figures, or stick the boot in and get your wallet out