Audi Q5: Economical and environmentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will give you some tips on how you can help the environment and your pocketbook.
Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not correspond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore accelerating.
- Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating.
If you anticipate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible - for example when you see that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half. Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle.
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at idle.
The idling phase is automatically reduced for vehicles with the Start-Stop-System. It is efficient to switch off the engine in vehicles without the Start-Stop-System when stopped at railroad crossings and long red lights. Turning the engine off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is burned by starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fully when it is running at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are especially high when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still warming up.
Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting. If warning lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in overheating or other damage to the vehicle or other property.
