Enjoyed every kilometre on my Skoda Rapid AT so far: 11,000 km update

I've managed to get a constant fuel efficiency of 12 to 12.5 kmpl in the city whereas on highways, 16 to 18 kmpl is easily achievable on cruise control.

BHPian TheGodfather recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

11000 km update

In the last 11000kms, I think a lot of my notions about car ownership has changed. Be it my presumption that my monthly running will be low or that the expenses can be kept under control even after falling heads over heels in love with a car.

While I had initially estimated that my yearly running will be ~10k kms, it has already been 11k kms in 8 months. And I can delightfully say that I've enjoyed every km done so far.

I have started to feel, with bikes it's like the first teenage love that makes one have butterflies in their stomach and the raging adrenaline of living on one's own terms whereas with cars it's about having a mature relationship that swoops one over on every date.

I remember a statement by Jeremy Clarkson on TopGear:

It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as just a ton and a half, two tons of wires, glass, metal, and rubber, and that’s all they see. People like you or I know we have an unshakable belief that cars are living entities… You can develop a relationship with a car and that’s what non-car people don’t get…

Going forward with the update:

The car is a comfortable cruiser and a mile muncher. I have understood that she absolutely dislikes being in traffic and the natural habitat is cruising on the highways.

The kind of light foot driver that I am, I have never taken her above 2500 rpm and generally have cruised at 90-100kmph @1800-2000 rpm. This goes in line with the good low-end tractability and mid-range of the engine. I've never felt her going out of breath. The AT gearbox however needs some practice for overtakes on a single carriageway road with heavy vehicular traffic.

With the kind of traffic in Pune, I've managed to get a constant average of 12-12.5kmpl in the city which I think is acceptable. On highways, however, 16-18 kmpl is easily achievable on cruise control. The maximum that I have got is 23.5 kmpl on an early morning Pune - Mumbai drive. All these figures are with 95 RON petrol.

Recently I have added a Raspberry Pi-based DIY dongle for making the wired Android Auto wireless based on a thread on the same topic and it's working seamlessly.

Until next time.

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