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L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

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L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Sun Dec 20, 2020 5:58 pm

Hi all. I am awaiting delivery of a 2020 AWD L3H3 Transit. Due around the end of January after placing the order in early November.

It's the 130ps engine with a manual gearbox

Anyone have one of these yet that could give me some ideas of real world fuel economy.

The advertising states around 29mpg combined and I think that's on the new measurement system.

I doubt I will achieve that but it would be interesting to see what anyone else is getting.

Thanks for any help.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby hughesyn » Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:50 am

I doubt there are more than a couple of those in the country, so not many people will be able to help you!

H3 kills the fuel economy more than AWD, especially at high speeds.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:15 am

Hi thanks for the reply. Yep there won't be many around but maybe a few.

I would argue the AWD reduces the economy more than even a standard H3 as they put a lower diff ratio in the AWD models (4.10). Which is designed for heavy towing so that you have a lower 1st gear for steeper ground and off road.

Hopefully someone who has one is on here but I may just have to see when I get it.

Thanks.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby hughesyn » Mon Dec 21, 2020 11:44 am

Let us know how you get on.

For some strange reason, you can only order an AWD double cab in van in basic Leader spec.

It's a shame AWD isn't available across the range and no auto option.
If they did an Auto AWD 170 or 185 DCIV Limited I'd go for it.

In the US you can get AWD with 10 speed auto and 310 horse power, with double cab (although strangely they have no option for 4 seat 2nd row).
Always short changed in the UK!
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Mon Dec 21, 2020 12:30 pm

In the UK we can only order AWD in Leader or Trail spec. Manual only. Also only in L2 and L3 length. I really wanted the L4 Transit for the extra space but really need the AWD so had to compromise with L3.

I had to start at Leader spec and add all the extra kit one bit at a time to I got to the spec I needed which is more like somewhere between trend and limited.

If I had started with Trail spec and added the options I needed it would have cost £4k more for stuff I was not bothered about like alloys and special plastic trim, some things I wanted like bulkhead delete can't be had on the trail version!

As you say it seems odd when in the USA they can get all versions in AWD including L4.

I assume they only see a market for AWD versions here with basic spec utilities companies or delivery drivers who don't want to pay for extra toys or safety stuff. Or the outdoors trendy set who want the trail version...which is probably true.

My spec I ordered is in a little blog here. https://challengeadventuresblog.wordpre ... t-ordered/

Hopefully it arrives on time end of Jan as that's the time to sort the back out when work is slack.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby hughesyn » Mon Dec 21, 2020 4:38 pm

ChallengeAdventures wrote:
My spec I ordered is in a little blog here. https://challengeadventuresblog.wordpre ... t-ordered/

Hopefully it arrives on time end of Jan as that's the time to sort the back out when work is slack.


Interesting blog, thanks for posting.

I'm surprised that you are going to do all that work on a leased vehicle.
Don't you have to rip it all out at the end of the lease?

I see you arrange ultras.
I did one of the Threshold ones in 2019 and booked a couple more for next year.
They are good motivation for training. I went from being dead after running 5k to running a (slow) marathon and trail ultra in half a year.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of your finished van project!
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:04 pm

Hey thanks for reading. I am posting on that blog page all my pre delivery ideas and plans.

I explain my reason for leasing in the one before I think.

In short I need a reliable work van that's not needing much maintenance. If I buy one it will cost me more per month to buy and after 5 years I will still have to get rid of it and change it. I do 25k a year so in 5 years it will be old and have too many miles on it to be reliable and not need more serious work done on it. I actually pay less over 5 years leadsing than buying it. With no hassle over selling it at the end. It's also better business wise as I don't have to front up all the vat in one go and just claim regular vat each month.
It does limit my build a bit but I will only need one hole in the floor for my heater exhaust and everything else will just be bolted to the inside framework and easily removed after 5 years. After 5 years most builds with than many miles on them will need a rebuild anyway. It needs to be part camper, part events vehicle and daily driver.

I can't change it to a camper anyway as it's company owned and a commercial vehicle and i need to tow with it etc.

Like most things it's a compromise but I prefer having a new vehicle every 4/5 years and having no worries except basic servicing and maintenance.

I own www.challenge-running.co.uk and have been involved in trail running and ultra distance running for nearly 20 years.

Which if the 4 threshold races did you do? RTTK, RTTT, RTTS or RTTC

Once I get the van I will start videoing the build. But at the moment it's about putting my plans in writing for my own reference and maybe it may help others who are thinking about it.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby hughesyn » Mon Dec 21, 2020 5:45 pm

Fair enough.

I like HP because you can claim all the VAT back straight away, as well as writing off the whole cost for corporation tax in the first year (unlike cars).
My van is 3 years old 45k miles and looks almost new. Mind you, I don't do adventurous stuff with it like you!

I did RTTK last year. Booked RTTT and RTTS for 2021.
I didn't finish RTTK until about 1am, because my ankles swelled up at the end and I had to walk the last 8 miles. Also lots of time wasted sorting out blisters and eating.
Basically I did it at walking pace, despite running / jogging large sections...
Hopefully next year will be a lot easier because I'm not starting from scratch with the training.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby Funkyjazzlover » Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:33 pm

Hi - I've got a 2015 L2H3 AWD. I've only been driving around three weeks – so not a vast amount of time to get a real feel for it – and it's worth bearing in mind it's lugging a rack, light bar and solar panels on top and has been remapped; I'm not getting much more than 20mpg at the moment, both on motorways and more regular driving.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Mon Jan 04, 2021 3:59 pm

Funkyjazzlover wrote:Hi - I've got a 2015 L2H3 AWD. I've only been driving around three weeks – so not a vast amount of time to get a real feel for it – and it's worth bearing in mind it's lugging a rack, light bar and solar panels on top and has been remapped; I'm not getting much more than 20mpg at the moment, both on motorways and more regular driving.


Thanks, Is that the 2.4 or 2,2 engine? 6 speed? hopefully the newer engines do a little better though I am expecting similar to my current pick up truck. 27mpg on a long run and 20 or so around town and 16-18 towing 2t.

Mine will have a rack and some panels on it too.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby Funkyjazzlover » Mon Jan 04, 2021 9:44 pm

ChallengeAdventures wrote:
Funkyjazzlover wrote:Hi - I've got a 2015 L2H3 AWD. I've only been driving around three weeks – so not a vast amount of time to get a real feel for it – and it's worth bearing in mind it's lugging a rack, light bar and solar panels on top and has been remapped; I'm not getting much more than 20mpg at the moment, both on motorways and more regular driving.


Thanks, Is that the 2.4 or 2,2 engine? 6 speed? hopefully the newer engines do a little better though I am expecting similar to my current pick up truck. 27mpg on a long run and 20 or so around town and 16-18 towing 2t.

Mine will have a rack and some panels on it too.


It's a 2.2 6speed, remapped from 130 to around 180bhp. It's also got some fairly chunky rubber on too, which won't help matters. Being totally transparent I'm not sure what the average MPG is covering - whether it's reset every trip or whether I need to do it manually – but I drove back from Newcastle to Suffolk and got 20 on the nose - I slowed down driving from Suffolk back to the Isle of Wight and got 20.1. Locally on the island it's been very similar, but my driving style has changed to try and keep the revs down in line with the eco dash suggestions - and I hit 21mpg the other day!
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Mon Jan 04, 2021 10:36 pm

Funkyjazzlover wrote:
ChallengeAdventures wrote:
Funkyjazzlover wrote:Hi - I've got a 2015 L2H3 AWD. I've only been driving around three weeks – so not a vast amount of time to get a real feel for it – and it's worth bearing in mind it's lugging a rack, light bar and solar panels on top and has been remapped; I'm not getting much more than 20mpg at the moment, both on motorways and more regular driving.


Thanks, Is that the 2.4 or 2,2 engine? 6 speed? hopefully the newer engines do a little better though I am expecting similar to my current pick up truck. 27mpg on a long run and 20 or so around town and 16-18 towing 2t.

Mine will have a rack and some panels on it too.


It's a 2.2 6speed, remapped from 130 to around 180bhp. It's also got some fairly chunky rubber on too, which won't help matters. Being totally transparent I'm not sure what the average MPG is covering - whether it's reset every trip or whether I need to do it manually – but I drove back from Newcastle to Suffolk and got 20 on the nose - I slowed down driving from Suffolk back to the Isle of Wight and got 20.1. Locally on the island it's been very similar, but my driving style has changed to try and keep the revs down in line with the eco dash suggestions - and I hit 21mpg the other day!


Tyres will make a 1-2 mpg difference, you running standard size or bigger? Mud or AT?

remapping always claims extra fuel savings but rarely see and advantage, usually its just extra power and torque that you get but rarely extra fuel. Maybe 5% if you are lucky it will offset the tyres.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby Funkyjazzlover » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:29 pm

ChallengeAdventures wrote:
Funkyjazzlover wrote:
It's a 2.2 6speed, remapped from 130 to around 180bhp. It's also got some fairly chunky rubber on too, which won't help matters. Being totally transparent I'm not sure what the average MPG is covering - whether it's reset every trip or whether I need to do it manually – but I drove back from Newcastle to Suffolk and got 20 on the nose - I slowed down driving from Suffolk back to the Isle of Wight and got 20.1. Locally on the island it's been very similar, but my driving style has changed to try and keep the revs down in line with the eco dash suggestions - and I hit 21mpg the other day!


Tyres will make a 1-2 mpg difference, you running standard size or bigger? Mud or AT?

remapping always claims extra fuel savings but rarely see and advantage, usually its just extra power and torque that you get but rarely extra fuel. Maybe 5% if you are lucky it will offset the tyres.


Tyres are a little bigger and mixed road/offroad, so definitely won't roll as well as something like a Cross Climate (which is what we had on the previous van, one of the reasons was to save fuel). Tyres are Maxxis Bravo 771 AT 255 / 60 on 18" rims.

A quick check shows they're rated an F for fuel efficiency. :lol:
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby ChallengeAdventures » Sat Jan 09, 2021 5:12 pm

Those Maxxis wont be that bad, they are similar to any AT tyre. 112 Load rating is just below the load rating for the rear axle, 113 load rating is the minimum legal rating on the newer vans and I think factory tyres are 121 load rating.

There is only about a 1mpg difference between A and F on fuel ratings.

Those tyres you gave are 7.1% taller than the standard 236/65/16 so that will throw out your mpg readings on the trip computer as the speedo is out by that 7.1%. Even allowing for the 5% the speedo is out from the factory that's still 2% or so out.

Not much but it improves it by .4mpg in the real world!

I will likely be fitting BFG Ko2 in 245/70/16 which are 5.4% bigger than normal and should mean the speedo is fairly accurate though it will still throw the computer off a tiny bit. Its also the smallest size closest to stock size with the right 113 load rating.
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Re: L3H3 AWD 2020 Fuel Economy

Postby Funkyjazzlover » Sat Jan 09, 2021 6:18 pm

ChallengeAdventures wrote:Those Maxxis wont be that bad, they are similar to any AT tyre. 112 Load rating is just below the load rating for the rear axle, 113 load rating is the minimum legal rating on the newer vans and I think factory tyres are 121 load rating.

There is only about a 1mpg difference between A and F on fuel ratings.

Those tyres you gave are 7.1% taller than the standard 236/65/16 so that will throw out your mpg readings on the trip computer as the speedo is out by that 7.1%. Even allowing for the 5% the speedo is out from the factory that's still 2% or so out.

Not much but it improves it by .4mpg in the real world!

I will likely be fitting BFG Ko2 in 245/70/16 which are 5.4% bigger than normal and should mean the speedo is fairly accurate though it will still throw the computer off a tiny bit. Its also the smallest size closest to stock size with the right 113 load rating.


1mpg? To be honest that's far better than I expected. Every day is a school day.

I knew the tyres were taller than OEM but hadn't yet worked out how much by. That all makes sense though - the speedo is almost spot-on when going compared to sat nav at 30mph, so 7.1% would make sense. And I'll take any mpg gain I can get!
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