[Hat]

This may seem pretty obvious to some but for new year i travelled from yorkshire to uxbridge straight down the M1 for 200 miles. I had the cruise set to 75mph, the road was nice and quiet so apart from the sections that are set to 50mph through roadworks the cruise stayed on pretty much the whole way.

On the way down i put the car in green mode and acheived 48mpg avg (its a cooper s auto). On the trip home i stayed in mid mode the whole way with the same cruise set and yep, you guessed it, acheived 48mpg.

Like i say, pretty obvious that if you're not accelerating it really makes no difference but it does go to show that without the coasting feature available (its not legal in the uk apparently), green mode doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

Thats my excuse anyway

 

[JJH]

This may seem pretty obvious to some but for new year i travelled from yorkshire to uxbridge straight down the M1 for 200 miles. I had the cruise set to 75mph, the road was nice and quiet so apart from the sections that are set to 50mph through roadworks the cruise stayed on pretty much the whole way.

On the way down i put the car in green mode and acheived 48mpg avg (its a cooper s auto). On the trip home i stayed in mid mode the whole way with the same cruise set and yep, you guessed it, acheived 48mpg.

Like i say, pretty obvious that if you're not accelerating it really makes no difference but it does go to show that without the coasting feature available (its not legal in the uk apparently), green mode doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

Thats my excuse anyway

Interesting findings on your car Hat but, on my manual Cooper D, Green mode definitely does make a noticeable difference!

Where you get 48mpg - mine delivers 60+mpg & I'm currently in France and paying the equivalent of around 88 pence per litre!!

As Green mode can be customised, are you sure that you've ticked all the option boxes?

One other point, you said that the 'coasting' function on your automatic gearbox was unavailable due to it not being legal n the UK - really?

My missus has a brand new Audi A3 with this feature and the dashboard display confirms that it is working as designed....

Perhaps the combination of a Cooper S & Auto Gearbox removes the function?

 

[jeremybingham]

Green mode reduces air con consumption and a few other things so I suppose it depends on what's being used and the weather as to what's being saved. Can't see me using green mode tbh. If I'd wanted a slug I'd have bought an aygo!

 

[MAC99]

Agree with Jeremy.
Green mode is just a pointless gimmick in my opinion.

About as useless as the stop start function-I mean what is the point of this unless you are in heavy town traffic?
I find that there are so many vehicles on the road that when traffic lights go red, people just can't seem to drive up and stop - they stop for a while and keep creeping forward all the time! This results in everybody creeping forward gradually and I find as soon as I have stopped and the engine stops, I move up again as the gap has increased to the vehicle in front!
In a long queue this can be significant and can annoy drivers behind you. Why can't people just drive and stop with the handbrake on and gearbox in neutral instead of this constant creeping - it drives me mad!

Another time when you need the stop start is at railway level crossings, which is fine, but this only lasts a couple of minutes and then the engine will start up again! Pointless.

I tend to turn off the function as soon as I get in the car, unless in heavy town traffic when you really do come to a stop, although I question how much this improves fuel consumption? I bet its minimal.

Personally I find that I like driving the car in sports mode as I like the throttle response and the exhaust popping>

Tried green mode several times but always get irritated when it tells me to change gear - I can see the road conditions ahead, the "green mode brain" can't.

Ok rant over, just my personal opinion of course

 

[JJH]

Green mode reduces air con consumption and a few other things so I suppose it depends on what's being used and the weather as to what's being saved. Can't see me using green mode tbh. If I'd wanted a slug I'd have bought an aygo!

I really only use Green mode when on the motorway/dual-carriageway with cruise-control engaged - and the small difference in outright performance is not noticed.

Having said that, the torque of the Cooper D engine makes it possible to enjoy driving the car in Green mode on other roads - but the economy benefit is not great in stop/start traffic.

 

[Hat]

Interesting findings on your car Hat but, on my manual Cooper D, Green mode definitely does make a noticeable difference!

Where you get 48mpg - mine delivers 60+mpg & I'm currently in France and paying the equivalent of around 88 pence per litre!!

As Green mode can be customised, are you sure that you've ticked all the option boxes?

One other point, you said that the 'coasting' function on your automatic gearbox was unavailable due to it not being legal n the UK - really?

My missus has a brand new Audi A3 with this feature and the dashboard display confirms that it is working as designed....

Perhaps the combination of a Cooper S & Auto Gearbox removes the function?

Yep sadly coasting is not available on uk spec cars due to local regulations. The option is there in the green mode settings but cannot be selected

 

[JJH]

Yep sadly coasting is not available on uk spec cars due to local regulations. The option is there in the green mode settings but cannot be selected

I probably should've mentioned that the Audi A3 with coasting function is a UK-supplied car... have you asked your dealer why the option isn't selectable on your car?

 

[uke]

This may seem pretty obvious to some but for new year i travelled from yorkshire to uxbridge straight down the M1 for 200 miles. I had the cruise set to 75mph, the road was nice and quiet so apart from the sections that are set to 50mph through roadworks the cruise stayed on pretty much the whole way.

On the way down i put the car in green mode and acheived 48mpg avg (its a cooper s auto). On the trip home i stayed in mid mode the whole way with the same cruise set and yep, you guessed it, acheived 48mpg.

Like i say, pretty obvious that if you're not accelerating it really makes no difference but it does go to show that without the coasting feature available (its not legal in the uk apparently), green mode doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

Thats my excuse anyway

Not to defend Green Mode (have not driven a single mile using it), but could wind have played a role in the consumption? When you were in Green Mode you might have had a slight headwind that was not present in Mid Mode, leading to decreased mileage.

I find it interesting that there is so little benefit from taking such a huge hit on the character and performance of the car.

 

[lawrothegreat]

Yes I agree uke, there are a number of variables - wind, temperature, even fuel type etc. It would be best to compare the two modes on a flat motorway going in the same direction at the same time. I would assume that green does make a difference, but in the real world it can be difficult to compare fairly. 48mpg is pretty good though! I can get 55mpg in my MCS averaging 60mph on a journey.

 

[Hat]

Yes i have to say im pretty happy with 48mpg at 75mph

 

[uke]

Right now (500 miles on the odo), I'm averaging 29.5 mpg. All my driving is on surface streets (no motorway), in Sport Mode exclusively. That's about the same as I got on my R56 MCS with the JCW tune.

I'll take it. The fun/fuel consumption ratio is acceptable for me.

 

[2 in the family]

I believe green mode is not available when in cruise control.
Anyway apart from the 'green' climate control adjustment when cruising at a set speed the car can't get anymore efficient, surely ?
I use green mode in heavy traffic just to stop my lead foot when I'm fed up in heavy traffic. ( auto box )
I agree that the engine cut can be intrusive in quick start stop traffic and generally disengage it but I think it's works better in the auto compared to the manual. I seems a little quicker to restart.

 

[JJH]

I believe green mode is not available when in cruise control.
Anyway apart from the 'green' climate control adjustment when cruising at a set speed the car can't get anymore efficient, surely ?
I use green mode in heavy traffic just to stop my lead foot when I'm fed up in heavy traffic. ( auto box )
I agree that the engine cut can be intrusive in quick start stop traffic and generally disengage it but I think it's works better in the auto compared to the manual. I seems a little quicker to restart.

Green mode & cruise control definitely DO work together on my manual Cooper D...!!

This is confirmed by the 'miles gained' readout increasing as I drive on the cruise setting & by the word GREEN in the display!!

Why wouldn't BMW want the cruise-control to be as fuel-efficient as possible?

 

[2 in the family]

Green mode & cruise control definitely DO work together on my manual Cooper D...!!

This is confirmed by the 'miles gained' readout increasing as I drive on the cruise setting & by the word GREEN in the display!!

Why wouldn't BMW want the cruise-control to be as fuel-efficient as possible?

Sorry I. was referring to the auto.
And I don't understand your last comment? as I implied that (ref to auto anyway and ignoring additional reduction in climate control) When at a steady speed, the cruise function would be as efficient as it could be.
The green mode effectively short shifts to achieve the majority of increased fuel efficiency when not cruising and in the auto makes it easier to achieve a greater mpg compared to the manual as you have to be so busy with the stick.

 

[JJH]

Sorry I. was referring to the auto.
And I don't understand your last comment? as I implied that (ref to auto anyway and ignoring additional reduction in climate control) When at a steady speed, the cruise function would be as efficient as it could be.
The green mode effectively short shifts to achieve the majority of increased fuel efficiency when not cruising and in the auto makes it easier to achieve a greater mpg compared to the manual as you have to be so busy with the stick.

Green Mode, for sure, reduces the power output on my car (as well as reducing the output of the air-con) and my question was meant to ask why BMW would not allow Green Mode & Cruise-Control to be used in combination?

Just to say that, like most MINI drivers, I much prefer to drive my car in Mid & Sport modes - but Green with Cruise on a motorway is OK & does deliver an economy benefit!

 

[2 in the family]

Green Mode, for sure, reduces the power output on my car (as well as reducing the output of the air-con) and my question was meant to ask why BMW would not allow Green Mode & Cruise-Control to be used in combination?

Just to say that, like most MINI drivers, I much prefer to drive my car in Mid & Sport modes - but Green with Cruise on a motorway is OK & does deliver an economy benefit!

Ok, I believe I am wrong (my defence is a stinking cold at the moment)
but I had confused my self, so here goes.
From the instruction manual green and cruise with auto is not even mentioned, so it is available... so me wrong on that.
But, I was confused by mis remembering that the 'Coast' function is not available in 'cruise' and the irony to that is people have said that 'Coast' is not available in the uk. Which I have yet to have confirmed but I've no resone to doubt it.
Matt

 

[smithyithy]

I never use Green Mode any more and still get decent MPG.

On my motorway daily commute, it's hard to use cruise control because as it's only 2 lanes, there's a lot of lorries and cars making quick lane changes, so most of the time I don't bother setting it.

In which case, unless I'm running late, I'll sit at 70mph - which as you correctly say - makes no difference to MPG if you're at a constant speed.

The reason I keep it in Sport mode is if I need a quick burst of acceleration, the more responsive throttle helps that, and the weightier steering feels nicer at motorway speeds I find.

 

[Pwnography]

Wow, people really get almost 50mpg in their MCS? I thought that the dealer was just exaggerating and figured if it would be below 8L/100km (35mpg) I would be happy

 

[kenl]

Remember, there is a significant difference between a UK mpg figure and a US one. I believe to roughly change from US to Uk mpg you x by 1.2.

 

[subguy658]

After getting past the new-MINI sport mode phase, I tried using green mode extensively to commute back and forth to work (about 40 miles each way on interstate highways). I used the cruise control with it, and didn't see any real benefit on the highway. Out of a tank of fuel, I would se about 1.2 miles of extra range for being in green mode. I imagine the savings would be much higher in the city. In the end, the lack of power to get around truck and such steered me away from using it. I average about 36 mpg commuting to work in my 2014 MCS Hardtop.