Issues with new car - refund or repair

[shreddies]

Hallo, I bought a used but new to me Skoda Fabia from a main dealer on Wednesday. After 40 miles of driving it had used a quarter of a tank of petrol and the car's computer says it is doing 30mpg. Unfortunately I didn't screen shot the listing, but I know it was advertised at around 50mpg as all the other same models are by that dealer.

After trying to fob me off they have agreed to look at it next week, but I am wondering if I should push for a refund instead. What would you do?

What sort of driving were you doing? City / town or motorway? If it was lots of short drives at 20/30 mph in the freezing cold, with stoping and starting at lights and junctions, that would mean you’d get a lot less for your gallon.

Thanks yes. 30 miles on motorway and then four 2 mile trips in heavy traffic. I get that the cold will have made a difference but I wouldn't expect to use a quarter of a tank of petrol on it.

I don't want to be unreasonable though, so really appreciate your thoughts

I don't want to be unreasonable though, so really appreciate your thoughts. It's just this has never happened to me before

Oh bloody hell. Lots of repeated posts

It won't be 50mpg in all scenarios.

Motorway driving over 60mph would be less, round town, short drives, heating, driving style etc will all affect consumption.

Yep heavy traffic will not be 50mpg, closer to 15/20 in a petrol I’d imagine. If 50mpg is as good as it gets in terms of advertising I’d expect to be nearer 35 average in real terms

Hi @shreddies we've removed the repeated posts - please let us know if it happens again. Thank you.

Are you reading the average MPG or instantaneous? The average will vary slightly but the instantaneous is just that and will read high when accelerating and low when cruising or de-accelerating.
Either way,you need a bit more evidence before rejecting the car for that reason alone.

TBH I have always taken the MPG readings with a pinch of salt (granted they have got better over the years as technology evolved) and have always done what my old Ddad taught me many decades ago.
Every time I fill up I reset the trip and brim the tank, I then divide the amount of fuel used (4.54/L per gal) by the milage and there you go, an instant and reliable reading. Been doing it for so long that I usually do it (mentally as it keeps my old mind active) while stood at the pump, I have an idea of the fuel consumption I am expecting to get so I already know the amount of fuel I am expecting to go into the tank.
My old MG averages 30mpg, our Moho about 32mpg, my car 45mpg and my OH motorcycle also about 45mpg. With these fingers in my head I can tell immediately if we are doing better (or worse) than average.
It is really just a bit of fun and as I say, keeps my mind active.

The advertised MPG is always the best under controlled conditions when tested in a factory - it won’t get that in real life driving. I don’t think you will have any comeback with the dealer at all, they can’t determine how you have been driving it. Was it a brand new car or a used car? If brand new it can take a few thousand miles of driving for the engine to settle in and perform consistently.

Sorry I see it’s used. Either way, I’d expect you to get about 35-38mpg on average from a petrol fabia.

https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg/skoda/fabia-2015 this sire has average real mpg listed as in the high 40s. My town driving has been over the last few days when it's been freezing and in heavy traffic. But I've been driving for years and not seen this before

Honestly OP a quarter of the driving you’ve done in it has been heavy traffic, in the cold, the mpg figures you’ve quoted are not unusual.

The only way you’re going to get an accurate figure is by calculating it brim to brim. There may be nothing wrong with it.