Does lowering affect MPG?

[Andyman]

Just considering lowering my new girl and a question popped up….. does it decrease mpg

 

[Gavinda]

Never noticed any difference when I lowered mine, but it is a remapped TSI so it's not something I pay too much attention to!

 

[Ozi]

Wouldn’t think lowering makes any difference. But if you put wider tyres in, that probably will

 

[DXX]

If there is less cross sectional area under the van more air will need to pass over or around the van which is a greater distance than going under.
So IMO more drag and increased fuel consumption.

 

[Skyliner33]

If there is less cross sectional area under the van more air will need to pass over or around the van which is a greater distance than going under.
So IMO more drag and increased fuel economy.

I bet it's too negligible to measure either way.

 

[The Bear78]

Potentially... as there is less frontal area it may well improve mpg
@DXX is right in that the reduced under van area will force the air to drag its way around other parts of the van. However, there must be a point where this would start to have an effect and who knows at what height that would be. Considering how much parasitic drag the underside of the van must produce (beyond the minimal covered areas) it might take a big drop to produce a noticeable change.

 

[BognorMotors]

It shouldn’t do, no. And certainly not noticed it before.

 

[Johnno]

No of course not, a transporter is brick aerodynamically - lowered or standard.

 

[RedUn]

Lowering technically increases mpg from an aero perspective, although the van isn't too bad underneath its quite flat.

One thing you might consider is how little you have to slow down for corners compared to oem, there's a definate fuel saving there... But its probably cancelled out by the tyre wear

 

[Scruffy]

Just to note, all the original Bluemotion VW's were lowered slightly, compared to standard models, including the short lived T5.1 version.

 

[dubber36]

I remember reading when Bluemotion was first a thing, that the cars were lowered to improve handling, allowing more momentum to be carried through corners, therefore less need for slowing then accelerating. This was in VW Driver mag, so may have been Neil Birkett's opinion rather than fact.

 

[Scruffy]

What I do know is mine is lowered by 40mm, and never does less than 40mpg these days. A 140 DSG (remapped to 187) with 127k on the clock. Well run in I think is the phrase.

 

[CRS Performance]

Lowering a car or van makes it more aerodynamic and this should help fuel consumption . Lowering too far can throw the wheel alignment out to a point it cant be adjusted to normal levels , and this will drastically increase fuel consumption as you are dragging the tyres across the road . Silly drop vans IE Solow , Bluebird etc etc 100 to 130 mm will see constant toe chances on the front and rear wheels as you drive this causes drag = More fuel