Driving Profiles

Tom_91

Active Member
Feb 9, 2015
104
1
St. Albans
Having owned my 1.4 tsi ACT for about 9 months now and done 9000 miles I'm starting to wonder what effect each of the driving profiles have on fuel economy.

In Eco Mode there is a significant loss of power but my tests revealed that the economy is exactly the same as Normal Mode.

Sport Mode delivers a more responsive drive but I don't really notice a drop in MPG over Normal. I'm now considering just driving everywhere in Sport ;)

What are other people's experience and thoughts on this?
 

Doug_m

Active Member
Jun 6, 2014
73
0
NE Scotland
1.8tsi and drive in sport all the time as like you I don't see any difference, just that you make the car less enjoyable to drive.
 

mrbugle

Active Member
Jun 25, 2015
209
0
my first month I sat in eco but now I keep it in sport. I haven't noticed any difference at all.
 

Solo

Active Member
May 30, 2015
52
14
If your driving style is the same regardless of what mode the car is in, e.g. hard and fast, then naturally mpg will be the same. Eco mode doesn't magically use less fuel whilst driving in the same manner. Eco only 'encourages' you to drive more economically by shifting up sooner (DSG) and generally being less responsive - so you're less inclined to floor it everywhere (even though you still can if you want to.)

I tend to leave mine in Eco and just use the shifter to knock it into sport when you need decent acceleration e.g. at busy junctions, then knock it back to Eco. Ideal!
 

Curtly

Active Member
Jun 5, 2015
893
19
Essex
I've done a few checks and feel there's little difference in fuel consumption between the modes but a massive relative change in performance, so I've modified the individual setting and set everything as eco - except the engine, which of course is set in sport :).
 

mrbugle

Active Member
Jun 25, 2015
209
0
The steering is a lot lighter in eco isn't it? I'm sure I notice it firm up when in sport mode.
 

Curtly

Active Member
Jun 5, 2015
893
19
Essex
Sorry I meant normal for the steering as it doesn't have an eco function, only normal and sport.
And yes when it's in sport mode the steering is heavier, however i prefer the feel of the steering in normal mode.
 
Nov 28, 2006
742
0
In my 280 Eco (which is hidden away in the settings) makes the DSG box change up earlier and lets the box 'coast' when you come off the power. That can make quite a difference to the MPG on a motorway. It's bloody annoying though.
 

Stagsfell

Active Member
Feb 16, 2015
143
3
Took me a while to realise that even if you leave mode in say Sport on switch off, it reverts to normal at re-start and you have to reselect Sport even though the mode button is still lit. This is buried in the manual around Page 170/1.

Having said that still find no difference in Sport and normal other than slight increase in steering weight, whereas in Eco it is very unresponsive. So I leave it in normal and am now getting around 43mpg (1.8 TFSI) which I am happy with.
 

scrich7

Active Member
Oct 6, 2013
311
0
Bedford
Took me a while to realise that even if you leave mode in say Sport on switch off, it reverts to normal at re-start and you have to reselect Sport even though the mode button is still lit. This is buried in the manual around Page 170/1.

Having said that still find no difference in Sport and normal other than slight increase in steering weight, whereas in Eco it is very unresponsive. So I leave it in normal and am now getting around 43mpg (1.8 TFSI) which I am happy with.

Can't say that happens with mine, stays in whatever mode I leave it in, no matter how many times I turn it on/off.
 

Stagsfell

Active Member
Feb 16, 2015
143
3
This seems sensible and logical and ties in with what some other users report. However, mine definitely works (or not! ) as I described. My manual states at P.171" ... when the engine is restarted the engine and the gear will not restart in its sportier mode to save fuel. For engine and gear to revert to a sportier mode, select the corresponding driving profile again using the Easy Connect system screen." (Manual dated 11.14).

The earlier version of the manual (15.06.13) posted on this site states at p173 however "The vehicle will start in the mode that was selected at the moment it was switched off."

So it seems the spec and manual have been changed between these dates, which explains the different experiences we seem to have of the driving modes. Would much prefer to have the earlier system - mine is a b****y nuisance!
 

Solo

Active Member
May 30, 2015
52
14
Same as mine. Leave it in Eco, it restarts in Eco. Leave it in normal, it restarts in normal. Leave it in sport, it restarts in normal (engine) but other aspects of sport profile are still engaged. Just need to knock it into sport engine with the stick (DSG) and all aspects of sport profile are back in use. I imagine it would be annoying if you had to select the profile on the screen every time you get in the car.
 

Seastormer

Cupra Leon VZ2 300/CBF1000
Apr 25, 2014
5,007
692
68
Edinburgh (Scotland)
Same as mine. Leave it in Eco, it restarts in Eco. Leave it in normal, it restarts in normal. Leave it in sport, it restarts in normal (engine) but other aspects of sport profile are still engaged. Just need to knock it into sport engine with the stick (DSG) and all aspects of sport profile are back in use. I imagine it would be annoying if you had to select the profile on the screen every time you get in the car.

Yep, the mode stays the same, but the dash will show D instead of S, it's so you don't get the higher revs when you first start up in the morning (if you left it in Cupra etc mode) so once up to 80 oil temp, pull back on gear lever and toggle it back to S and you have full mode again.
 
Last edited:

CyberGene

Active Member
Apr 26, 2008
306
1
Sofia, Bulgaria
I can confirm too that there's no difference in MPG between modes in my opinion. I use the custom mode where engine is on sport, everything else is normal. I don't like the artificially heavy feeling of the steering in sport mode.
 

Deleted member 100924

Guest
Cupra 280 - I leave the throttle set to normal, it picks up ferociously fast. Cupra too noisy and artificial for my taste - operates the Soundaktor speaker bolted to bulkhead - Golf Rs have them too. Didn't notice a difference in consumption - with 900 miles now 40 mpg indicated on steady country runs. I never use Eco which kills the throttle - what's the point of 275 car if you turn the engine down?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Tom_91

Active Member
Feb 9, 2015
104
1
St. Albans
I think the Eco mode is more useful on a DSG box (mines manual). Any DSG owners confirm better MPG in Eco due to earlier gear shifts?
 

Seastormer

Cupra Leon VZ2 300/CBF1000
Apr 25, 2014
5,007
692
68
Edinburgh (Scotland)
I think the Eco mode is more useful on a DSG box (mines manual). Any DSG owners confirm better MPG in Eco due to earlier gear shifts?

Use Eco for family and work use, get over 42 reg and had 47+ a couple of times, but takes some getting used to to get the best out of the rolling stage (taking foot off gas well before you would normally) but as I drive it mostly in Cupra mode when by myself , my overall (from fillup to fillup) is 30 ish while the computer says about 31. Thats 6500 miles in now.
 

Tom_91

Active Member
Feb 9, 2015
104
1
St. Albans
Use Eco for family and work use, get over 42 reg and had 47+ a couple of times, but takes some getting used to to get the best out of the rolling stage (taking foot off gas well before you would normally) but as I drive it mostly in Cupra mode when by myself , my overall (from fillup to fillup) is 30 ish while the computer says about 31. Thats 6500 miles in now.


40+ mpg from a Cupra sounds amazing. My 1.4 tsi act is averaging 36-40 on my 20 mile commute of mixed driving. The urban driving seems to really kill my mpg more than my mk2 2.0 tdi, which surprises me.
 

twitchynik

Active Member
Sep 12, 2006
158
0
Eco engine in both 184 and 280 (both DSG) returns better MPG - mostly down to the coasting.

Eco was ok for the commute and/or if I wasn't bothered (or able to due to a precious cargo....!) in giving it some toe but you did have to roll off the throttle earlier than used to (as mentioned above).

On balance tho I don't see much return in the wallet for the reduction in performance and most importantly enjoyment of driving :)
 
Chris Knott Insurance - Competitive quotes for forum members