Skoda Octavia Tour Owner's Manual page 114

Shifting gears and saving energy
Shifting up early saves on fuel.
– Drive no more than about one length of your vehicle in first gear.
– Always shift up into the next higher gear at approx. 2 000 to 2 500 revs.
An effective way of achieving good fuel economy is to shift up early. You will
consume more fuel if you drive at unnecessarily high revolutions in any given gear.
The  fig. 114 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle in
the relevant gears. Fuel consumption in 1st gear is the highest, while that in 5th or
the 6th gear is the lowest.
Note
Also use the information supplied by the multi-functional indicator*  page 18.
Using the system Safety
Fig. 114 Fuel consumption in litres/100
km. and speed in km/h.
Driving Tips
Avoiding full throttle
Driving more slowly means saving fuel.
Sensitive use of the accelerator will not only significantly reduce fuel consumption
but also positively influence environmental pollution and wear of your vehicle.
You should avoid exploiting the top speed of your vehicle wherever possible. Fuel
consumption, pollutant emissions and vehicle noises increase disproportionally at
high speeds.
The  fig. 115 shows the ratio of fuel consumption to the speed of your vehicle. You
will cut your fuel consumption by half if you only make use three-quarters of the
possible top speed of your vehicle.
Reducing idling
Idling also costs fuel.
It is worthwhile switching off the engine in a traffic jam or when waiting at a level
crossing or at traffic lights with a lengthy red phase. Even after just 30 - 40 seconds
you will have saved more fuel than that is needed when you start the engine up
again.
If an engine is only idling it takes much longer for it to reach its normal operating
temperature. Wear-and-tear and pollutant emissions, though, are particularly high
in the warming-up phase. This is why you should drive off right after starting the
engine. Do avoid high engine revolutions at this time, however.
General Maintenance Breakdown assistance
Driving and the Environment
Fig. 115 Fuel consumption in litres/100
km. and speed in km/h.
Technical Data
113