120D Poor Fuel Economy

[leb777]

Hi,

Recently bought a 120d M Sport Coupe 61 reg. Do quite a bit of town driving but not getting alot more than 30mpg. Is this normal? Not driving like an idiot too.

[shadowface]

Yeah, that is normal, though you have a newer engine with a DPF installed from factory, so should be a bit better than this. During the last two months, I’ve been averaging 26 mpg around town, with little to none motorway driving, and having fun on the slippy bends.

I’d say 30 mpg is decent around town, in the winter. Diesels will always burn more fuel than petrols in the winter, because it’s harder for them to get to the optimal operating temperature when it’s cold. If you do a lot of start/stop driving on a cold engine, it’ll eat a lot.

After 2 years of mostly town driving in my 120D, I regret buying a diesel.