Drive hard or drive gently?

[eetmw]

Assuming you keep to longer journeys where possible is it better to:

Drive your van hard and work the engine I guess keeping it hotter but burning more fuel, I’m told this is good for diesels.

Drive with a soft foot rolling the van along for the best fuel economy, chasing those 40+ mpgs (and less soot as less fuel burnt).

??

These things keep me awake at night ;-)

Cheers

Toby

 

[True Romance]

I drive at 65-70 mph when on motorways. Not sure if you class that has hard or soft driving?

 

[roadtripper]

New to diesel vans but run diesel AWD estates for a long while and this is my experience.

Generally I drive soft and get them into low revs highish torque cruising gearing asap. I also avoid long idling.

You do need to thrash it a bit occasionally but to be honest you probably get enough of that doing motorway joins and junctions.

The XC70 is at 242k and I've had it since 63k so I've probably done something right along the way. Likewise our narrow boat engine is 20 years old but going strong because we avoid "running just to charge" unless an emergency.

No load is your enemy not low load. Hauling around 2 tons of vehicle when moving even gently is not the same as idling in traffic or on the drive to "warm up"

 

[DXX]

Get the oil temperature over 100 deg C every trip.
If you are worried about the EGR it will foul regardless and the more fuel burnt the more carbon is produced.
Without a doubt the biggest running cost is fuel so it makes sense to drive for economy.

 

[archersam]

I drive at 65-70 mph when on motorways. Not sure if you class that has hard or soft driving?

In Europe that’s classed as walking ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Crazymind]

No matter how u drive it, it will break. Enjoy it and drive how you feel that day.

New to diesel vans but run diesel AWD estates for a long while and this is my experience.

Generally I drive soft and get them into low revs highish torque cruising gearing asap. I also avoid long idling.

You do need to thrash it a bit occasionally but to be honest you probably get enough of that doing motorway joins and junctions.

The XC70 is at 242k and I've had it since 63k so I've probably done something right along the way. Likewise our narrow boat engine is 20 years old but going strong because we avoid "running just to charge" unless an emergency.

No load is your enemy not low load. Hauling around 2 tons of vehicle when moving even gently is not the same as idling in traffic or on the drive to "warm up"

You did nothing, Volvo did it for you. On 500k miles on my 1990 Volvo 240 still running strong.

 

[roadtripper]

No matter how u drive it, it will break. Enjoy it and drive how you feel that day.

You did nothing, Volvo did it for you. On 500k miles on my 1990 Volvo 240 still running strong.

Volvo didn't do so well on the other 3 XC70s mind. Our original is ace, the 2 P2 and 1 P3 bought to "take over" from it in time were mechanical or electrical shockers

The old ones are definitely built stronger.

 

[Bargy62]

I drive at 65-70 mph when on motorways. Not sure if you class that has hard or soft driving?

neither it's called sensible driving

 

[Chippie1]

I don't drive it like it’s a sports car but I don’t sit there in the slow lane dwindling along chasing mpg! Life’s to short to be hung up on mpg apologies to whom I offend but just never got it if the lights on fill her up and carry on with life

 

[Texxaco]

I drive it like it’s a golf.

Feels like one and I feel as safe as when I am driving one.

Plus it’s boring sitting at 60mph.

 

[tommy_t6.1]

Mine mostly gets driven pottering about town, but when I get the opportunity I give it some stick. You have to open them up every now and then!

 

[Ali-G]

Cruise set to 65 on the motorway for me, fast enough not to annoy my fellow truckers but not fast enough to get caught up in middle lane Grand Prix.

 

[eetmw]

Mmm all sounds sensible, mine is an ex airline taxi so has done over 235k now, I shall continue to drive like I have posh passengers in the back and keep the oil changes and services regular

cheers

Toby

 

[Jimbob76]

Cruise set to 65 on the motorway for me, fast enough not to annoy my fellow truckers but not fast enough to get caught up in middle lane Grand Prix.

What he said. I've had a plethora of fast hot hatches in the past, the most recent being a 2017 Audi S3 - which wanted to be driven very quickly, all the time (so I obliged). Since getting in the van nearly 2 years ago, it just seems to encourage a more relaxed cruising style of driving - I don't feel the need to drive it like a nutter, even though it's quite capable of being quick (204ps BiTDI DSG T6.1 on a decent suspension set-up, so it can take a corner better than it has the right to given it's size, shape and weight). So, like @Ali-G, I tend to set the adaptive cruise control to 65 on the motorway, and enjoy the journey without feeling like I have to reach the destination as quickly as possible.

This approach has nowt to do with fuel consumption or nursing the engine, just enjoying the drive. It served me well on a recent 15 hour shift in the saddle (in one day) back from France - felt fresh as a daisy at the end of the journey (if a little wired from one too many service station espressos!), whereas an angry 3 hour hack in the S3 would leave me feeling battered.

I still have a GTI red stripe on the front of mine though, as a nod to my hot hatch car 'CV'

 

[dubber36]

Cruise set to 65 on the motorway for me, fast enough not to annoy my fellow truckers but not fast enough to get caught up in middle lane Grand Prix.

I even do that in my 535D.

 

[Lubrown]

Cruise set to 65 on the motorway for me, fast enough not to annoy my fellow truckers but not fast enough to get caught up in middle lane Grand Prix.

I vary depending on traffic but 65-70mph is the norm for me on motorways. Soon catch up with the cars that flew past thirty miles ago and then hit the next snarl up. See them weaving in and out of traffic, burning off as soon as they can and then… meet up with them again in about twenty minutes with them looking all stressed and angry at perceived slow drivers and me just chilling. Life’s too short to be a sweaty angry try hard.