On May 3, the husband and wife team of John and Helen Taylor set off on a three-day journey while behind the wheel of a factory-fresh, 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI Clean Diesel. Instead of sight-seeing, the couple had one goal in mind: beat the previous record for longest distance traveled on a single tank of fuel. Set in Europe by a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion diesel, the old record stood at 1,525.6 miles which is impressive, but not enough for the Taylors. Once their trip was complete, their odometer read the truth that the record had been broken and a new one had been set: 1,626.1 miles on single tank of diesel.
“We’re excited to have broken the record for the longest distance driven on one-tank of fuel,” said John Taylor. “The Passat TDI was the perfect car for the trip. It offers plenty of interior and cargo space, yet is frugal enough to help us achieve this record.” Pulled straight off the showroom floor without an inch of modifications, the vehicle to hold the new record is a Chattanooga, Tennessee built award winner. The Taylor’s car of choice was a Passat SE TDI with the six speed manual transmission and to make things for “realistic”, their trip wasn’t accomplished bare bones. Along for the ride was approximately 120 pounds of luggage and driving was done in the mid day hours so that the factor of traffic could be included.
From their starting point in Houston, Texas to their destination in Sterling, Virginia, the Taylors coaxed an average of 84.1 mpg out of their Passat. That feat is especially impressive when the sedan’s size and weight is taken into account and even more so considering the EPA estimates 43 mpg on the highway. “We’re honored that the Taylors chose the 2012 Passat TDI as the vehicle to set this outstanding distance record. Their record shows just how economical the Passat TDI can be in the right hands,” said Rainer Michel, Vice President of Product Strategy for Volkswagen of America.
Source: Volkswagen
