Anything that will haul bikes and get 30mpg?

Very few topics have so much false information, commonly called bullshit, BS, etc as discussions of "how many MPGs does your vehicle get?"

Usually when I ask to see your data, it's usually duh, I measured a few (partial) tanks, and .....I laugh at diesel owners who bought their $7K diesel option for the "gas mileage towing" yah they pull well, but big torque requires big fuel consumption, simple physics. Smaller motors need to work harder to tow and usually suffer more dramatic mpg/life span losses than a larger motor loafing along.

Buy yourself a little note book to record all your gas consumption (and maintenance) to see your long term averages.
Fits in your console/glove box/door pockets nicely for convenient data logging.

I have recorded every drop of fuel gone thru my van over 123K miles, my car over 68K miles with trip notes - one of these snowy days I'm going to build a spreadsheet for them, graph it and visually see how mountain driving/towing is so much different than flat land cruising, etc

Data tells the truth and it can be surprising

I've seen the TDI come up quite a bit in this thread, but my question is if anyone has tried the feat with a GTI? Golf TDI or GTI is almost assuredly my next vehicle - my biggest loads would be a B12S and a KLX, although more often than not they would be separate.

That sounds awfully cumbersome.

I didn't buy the TDI for towing. It's a daily driver, but it does do well on towing where I live. I only tow a bike when absolutely necessary. All I know is that get 525-550 miles on a fillup of 13-14 gallons every time. That's good enough data for me to know I'm running a fuel economical operation that I enjoy driving.

Revive the thread...

I use my VW TDI's (and IDI's) to tow all the time.
I love my 25 gal tanks in my (4) Passat B4V's ('96 and '97 wagons). 1250 miles between fills . Thus I can drive from Portland, OR to Moab overnight without stopping for food or fuel!

I did 3500 miles this summer towing western mtns with 3 vintage bikes XS650, XT500, and TL250. Dropped to 42mpg from 48.5 lifetime average (several hundred K miles)

My IDI's (pre '96 USA) also drop into low 40's if I have more than one bike in the trailer. (Snowbear HD, so not a 'light' trailer)

So... For GTI... I make GTD's... Get a donor TDI and a NICE GTI and make a 50 mpg GTD, just like the rest of the world enjoys. For TDI swap it can take 30 - 40 hrs to swap the wiring and cluster and engine and tranny.

For IDI (A2 GTD) if takes about 8 hrs to do the swap. and VERY simple. ALL VW Water cooled blocks are a 'drop in' from 1975 - 1999.5. Sometimes the exhaust needs to tweak a bit (when using a TD diesel), but... all parts are factory available. and spares / donors are CHEAP.

I have never spent more than $2000 on a TDI.. my IDI's are often sub $100. I did pay $400 for this one (VW Pickup). It has hauled 2500# but prefers something lighter... like my vintage collection of thumpers.



For HEAVY hauling I have some 1st Gen Cummins 4x4 duallies, then I have to jump up to my Mack (56,000#), then my Kenworth (105,500#). But my TDI's do the lions share of my motorbike transport.

50 mpg since 1976... no dinosaurs required (brew your own fuel)

'09 Mazda B2300 5-spd (Ford Ranger 2.3) will see 36mpg imperial (30mpgUS) travelling 60-65 mph.

Haven't checked the mileage pulling the trailer.

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Just get a truck and ride the bike when it's warm out, that way you're only paying for higher fuel costs in the winter.

It's what I do anyway .

Oh and the new diesels are not worth the trouble due to the new emissions controls on them.

Almost identical to the set up I have.
Just the truck/canopy is 30mpg.
Truck, no canopy on back, 2 bikes in box was around 22 mpg.
Truck with canopy with bike on hitch type bike carrier 27mpg.
Truck with canopy with 2 bikes on 3 place trailer is pretty consistent at 20mpg.

I use an App called Road Trip to record fuel use.
Mileage drops 20% when the wife drives. I don't tell her that, though.

Are you making your calculations with Imperial or US gallons?

Seems to me you must be using US mpg.

edit: I see the same mileage drop whenever my wife drives anything. Closer to 30%.

I see that I posted here back last page earlier last year. I ended up trading the GLK in for a Subaru Crosstrek. Got the manual 5pd so it can be towed behind the motorhome, and it has 1500# towing capacity so will pull my trailer and a bike or two. Car is almost a year old now, love it.

It gets about 33 with passengers at 75 on the freeway. A little better with two at 65, maybe closer to 35. I finally got it out with the trailer and bike on it for a trip and it got 23.

I really doubt you're gonna find anything that will haul motorcycles and get 30mpg. I'm thinking something diesel that gets really good mileage in the first place might get you close. Seems to me a sprinter van will go about 23. Nothing towing a trailer is going to get 30, at least that I'm aware of.

2013 Subaru Crosstrek:




Setup as a 'toad':

Yes. USGs.

Now thats what i'm talkikng about... I like how you can tow in style.

Jetta TDI Sportwagon. Maybe.

Seems to me Audi has some TDI wagons now that might do it as well. I'm thinking mid-20's though, still not getting to 30.

That motorhome I've posted pics on is gas, a 8.1L GM, it gets about 8mpg with the car or bike trailer. Towing a 20' boat it got just under 7. A 75 gallon fuel tank to fill up. Gas was $1.65 a gallon when we bought it. A c-note would pretty much fill it up, now it puts about a third of a tank in. We have almost a hundred grand it it, and it's about twenty grand upside down. They call them 'wheel-estate'. My sis just bought a 45 footer that listed at $585K. They got a 'deal' on it. LOL.

checkin out this thread would be worth some time; Small Car, Small trailer thread

some folks flirting with 40 mpg in there I think


http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=885470&highlight=small+trailer

I like that your MX boots dry as you ride.... nice touch....

:eek1 Can I assume you're not in the US then? As pretty much the only option for a small diesel engine, VW diesels are pricey, at least around my area. I once bought a condition unknown TDI engine from a scrapper for $700 and resold it, still condition unknown, a few months later for $1600. I listed it on craigslist and it was gone within a day, so I probably could have gotten more out of it.

I always wanted to swap a TDI or IDI into a Suzuki Sidekick/Geo Tracker 4x4, but the engine alone can cost 3-4 times a decent rolling chassis!

And the new Ram 1500 is getting a V6 diesel that is suppose to kiss the 30 MPG mark with gentle driving habits.

True, but a base Ram 1500 Tradesman 4x4 6'4" box quad cab (small extended cab) with the diesel and the only other option I selected was the trailer tow group came out to $36,530 (that's after the $2000 in incentives they offer). You might weasel your way down to $34,000 at the dealer if they really want to move units but I doubt there'll be much if any big discounts on the diesels.


So you're looking at $36,530 to 34,000 for a base 4x4 small 4-door truck
The same "Tradesman" but with the double cab/big 4-door (6'4" box, 4x4) comes to $38,490 (after $2500 in incentives).

The diesel isn't an option on the regular cab 1500's. If a few options are wanted add $1000-2500 to the cost of each truck, if not more.


I like the Ram's but they're just too damn expensive with the diesel.

Anybody have any new information, anecdotes or experience
on this thread