2001 W203 instant MPG

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krisby

Active Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2014
Messages
164
Car
W203 C320
Excuse my ignorance, I only picked up my C320 at lunch time today, seems ok so far, but I will have to sit and play with the display options tonight.

However, on the 30mi drive from the yard, I could not find an instantaneous readout of the mpg, only the average for the current trip and overall average. Is there no way of getting a dynamic mpg readout? I'd like to see what it is doing at 80mph and subsequently when I floor it, as I did notice the mpg climbing towards 25mpg average when cruising, however, flooring to umm, a 3 digit number momentarily, I noticed it dropped to 23.9 almost immediately.
 
Hi and welcome.

In your instrument cluster you can cycle through, (using the steering wheel buttons on the left) to get two readings, consumption since last start and consumption since last re-set.:thumb:

The consumption reading is quick to drop but quite slow to go up!
 
The only thing which is fairly responsive is to look at the range, or mileage to empty figure.
 
alright thanks, so sounds like no instant reading. Seems odd when pretty much every other manufacturer was doing it in 2001.
 
alright thanks, so sounds like no instant reading. Seems odd when pretty much every other manufacturer was doing it in 2001.

An average is, I find, generally more useful.

If you press and hold the trip re-set for a second or two whilst one of the consumption menus are displayed it will give you the reading from that point, not ideal when driving but it will give what you want,
 
more useful overall yes, but I've had instant for so long I've got used to it, glancing down to see what sort of consumption the car is doing at varying speeds was good to know, and as I don't hang about, I would like to be able to see if the car is doing 15mpg or 30mpg at a given time.

I know about the menus, I've been using them, I'm just still not so sure how much worse the C320 is than the S60, I know I averaged 21.3mpg on my commute today, and oddly when the Volvo was poor in slow moving traffic and good at speed, I found this morning my mpg was actually climbing when crawling in traffic at the London end of the M4 this morning, where I would normally see a drop. Obviously its no deal breaker (I already have the car) its just being aware of what the car is doing and I feel like I am missing out.
 
more useful overall yes, but I've had instant for so long I've got used to it, glancing down to see what sort of consumption the car is doing at varying speeds was good to know, and as I don't hang about, I would like to be able to see if the car is doing 15mpg or 30mpg at a given time.

I know about the menus, I've been using them, I'm just still not so sure how much worse the C320 is than the S60, I know I averaged 21.3mpg on my commute today, and oddly when the Volvo was poor in slow moving traffic and good at speed, I found this morning my mpg was actually climbing when crawling in traffic at the London end of the M4 this morning, where I would normally see a drop. Obviously its no deal breaker (I already have the car) its just being aware of what the car is doing and I feel like I am missing out.

What engine and gearbox was in the S60? I average 27mpg on a commute, that is just over 18 miles, the first 5 on winding country roads, some A road, a mile and half of motorway and then built up roads. On a motorway run on cruise at 70mph it gives around 38mpg in light traffic.
 
Ovlov had the 2.5T with a manual (a long ratioed one too, which was nice). It was good on the motorway, easily averaging over 30mpg, I could have probably got mid to high 30s if I drove like other Volvo drivers, but that's not my style.
Being a V6 with auto I'm not expecting the C320 to be better, but I had just hoped I could see where it gulps the most, I'm sure I will get used it, I guess seeing an instant readout helps me get to know the car quicker.
 
I have no idea why people want MPG displayed whilst they are driving. Its the most irritating thing ever in the world. The one for BMW is even more irritating. The "Economy" gauge, omg, that irritated the you know what out of me for years!!!
 
I have no idea why people want MPG displayed whilst they are driving. Its the most irritating thing ever in the world. The one for BMW is even more irritating. The "Economy" gauge, omg, that irritated the you know what out of me for years!!!

Totally agree.

I even hate having the OBC, the ML I am in at the moment hasn't got it and it is so much nicer.
Every tankful is between 28-30mpg, but I don't sit there worrying about the odd journey at 20mpg or the trying to hit 35mpg on a run, I just drive how I want to drive knowing it will be somewhere between 28 and 30mpg by the time the tank is empty.
 
I have no idea why people want MPG displayed whilst they are driving. Its the most irritating thing ever in the world. The one for BMW is even more irritating. The "Economy" gauge, omg, that irritated the you know what out of me for years!!!

I would have said the same thing a fews ago too, but as my last 8 cars have had the feature it is something I have got used to, and I don't know how you can say it is the most irritating thing in the world, heck there are more irritating things on the Merc, let alone the whole world.
As for the BMW economy gauge, I never used that one, I had the High OBD so had the digital readout instead, cos I admit the needle dancing around all over the place was annoying.
 
I would have said the same thing a fews ago too, but as my last 8 cars have had the feature it is something I have got used to, and I don't know how you can say it is the most irritating thing in the world, heck there are more irritating things on the Merc, let alone the whole world.
As for the BMW economy gauge, I never used that one, I had the High OBD so had the digital readout instead, cos I admit the needle dancing around all over the place was annoying.

It is really irritating! :) When I say, "in the World", I say it with Jeremy Clarkson in mind, a slight exaggeration perhaps with a hint of sarcasm. ;)

What is more irritating on the Merc than the MPG thing? I cant find any! lol!

That's what I am talking about, that stupid needle, did my head in! :)

But to be fair, I am really easy to irritate.
 
What is more irritating on the Merc than the MPG thing? I cant find any! lol!

1. reverse mirror dropping too far, I park close to a wall at home that I have to reverse in at an angle avoiding the wife car, so I need to see the back of the car, the wall and the trunk behind it, pointing at the rear wheel does not help me.
2. Good bass but poor sound quality on the stereo.
3. seat cushion too thin
4. rust on the wheel arches

That is after 49 hours of ownership, the missing instant mpg is merely a feature that is not present, I can live without that.

I know I'm being pedantic, but of course I can only but compare to what I am used to (apart from the rust).
 
I would get rid of the car personally !
 
My 1982 Vauxhall had a thin vacuum tube connected from the carb to the instrument panel, into a gauge called 'economy'. Heavy foot caused the needle to go into the red, light throttle was green (I am led to believe.... not that I ever saw it myself :D ). It was promptly replaced with an oil pressure gauge.
 

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