Best Merc Diesel for MPG

[kvz2000]

Hi,

I am thinking about getting an older Merc diesel to use to work , can anyone tell me what Merc gives the best MPG , dont include the A series, thanks, my wife has a new CLC 220 cdi sport and we get around 45 mpg with that.

Thanks

Donald.

 

[LTD]

You have to factor in the cost of the vehicle and maintaining it into the grand scheme of things.

Sometimes a cheaper car that uses a little more fuel will be more cost effective in the long run but may cost more to maintain if it needs worked on.

How far is the journey to work ?

 

[A210AMG]

Whats your definition of old....

budget?

Also as above spending more to get a few more MPG may not work out cheapest overall

 

[trapperjohn]

Depends what your "old" is. 270CDI Saloons are very good they will get around 50..

 

[trapperjohn]

Going really old. 190 2.5 manual diesel are very good.

 

[kusanku]

The problem with a 190 diesel is that they did not do one with a turbo in this country, so driving one can be a bit of shock to the system if you are used to modern diesels like the CLC.

Any of the four cylinder cdi engines will give quite good economy, but the six cylinder ones are far nicer to drive. Most people seem to agree that the five cylinder 270cdi represented a good compromise.

 

[kvz2000]

Thanks Guys,

I do about 70 miles a day Mon - Fri === 350 miles a week , at present I have a fantastic wee Clio 1.5 DCI which gives 68mpg and is only£30 tax, I have run it for 3 years and it has done 99k miles but it is starting to cost me on repairs , its only a 53 plate but losing its reliability . My son has a 190D which he runs on veg oil its got 168k on the clock but lovely to drive and is so reliable.

My plan is to sell/swap the clio and get something like a Merc diesel and although I know I will not get as good mpg hopefully I will not have as high repair bills and breakdowns..... Clio is worth between 2000 - 2500 and is in immaculate condition... so the Merc would need to be in that price range...or do you think I should take out finance and get a newer Clio....

Donald.

 

[LTD]

What sort of repair bills are you looking at for the Clio ?

Once sorted, it should run for ages. The Renault diesel engines are pretty good.

You will struggle to get over half the mpg the Clio does so your fuel bill savings (assuming a zero cost change and no change in VED) would be about £ 850 per year in the Clio vs. any car returning 35mpg.

Retaining the Clio is looking like the no-brainer option for me.

 

[timskemp]

All the 4 cylinders get similar MPG for the size of car they're in. The aerodynamics of the E class makes them very economical on the motorway, the lower mass of a C makes it better in town.

I've not had my C for long enough yet but the 3.0 V6 seems about as economical as the 2.7 5 in the E, and it's using less fuel in town.

For fuel economy then a 4 cyl diesel C or C Coupe would be best, but if you're doing a lot of motorway driving then an E is smoother and wouldn't cost more to run.

C/E 220 or C/E250 if buying a newer one.

 

[trapperjohn]

What sort of repair bills are you looking at for the Clio ?

Once sorted, it should run for ages. The Renault diesel engines are pretty good.

You will struggle to get over half the mpg the Clio does so your fuel bill savings (assuming a zero cost change and no change in VED) would be about £ 850 per year in the Clio vs. any car returning 35mpg.

Retaining the Clio is looking like the no-brainer option for me.

What he said.

 

[kvz2000]

LTD, Probably what I thought I would hear, clio has required new heater, 4 wheel bearings,etc etc, has broken down twice in past couple of months, now has warning dash lights on showing ABS problem which I had last year. It is a good wee car and the engine should run for ages yet , I was just hoping a Merc would give me trouble free motoring !!!
Wont be rushing into anything,
Thanks,
Donald.

 

[gIzzE]

clio has required.....
new heater
4 wheel bearings,etc etc
has broken down twice in past couple of months
now has warning dash lights on
showing ABS problem which I had last year.....


It is a good wee car...

Blimey, what goes wrong with the bad ones??!!




I think I would call it a day myself.

 

[LTD]

Donald.

You need a new garage rather than a new car.

 

[timskemp]

Blimey, what goes wrong with the bad ones??!!

Clutches fail, starter motors fail and turbo oil seals or piston rings go causing runaway on the lube and total destruction.

 

[verytalldave]

To just stick to the original question of MPG costs.....
My 2004 W203 C200K (auto/petrol) with 90K miles on the clock, normally returns almost 40mpg on my current daily commute.
Thats 20 miles each way using mainly the A21, M25 and the A13.
That 20 miles normally takes about 45 minutes, so a reasonable little run.
The best I ever achieved was 52MPG on a 60 mile commute between Basingstoke and Orpington - however I normally got mid 40's doing that run.
That's quite an acceptable MPG return in my opinion.

 

[Dand]

The w203 C220CDI isnt to bad i used to manage between 45 to a bit over 50 mpg pending on how i was driving. A local Taxi firm uses w203 200 220CDI's and the last time i spoke to them they were around the 200k mark and had been trouble free.

Like Verytalldave the petrol engines arent to bad either, i managed 43mpg on a 40mile run sticking between 60 and 65 in a 2006 s203 180k.

 

[Sonny Burnett]

LTD, Probably what I thought I would hear, clio has required new heater, 4 wheel bearings,etc etc, has broken down twice in past couple of months, now has warning dash lights on showing ABS problem which I had last year. It is a good wee car and the engine should run for ages yet , I was just hoping a Merc would give me trouble free motoring !!!
Wont be rushing into anything,
Thanks,
Donald.

i have never had a car break down on me.. to be honest that car sounds terrible a w202 c220cdi might do the trick.

a old guy parks his 95 c250 on my street everyday i got talking to him about 2 years ago and he had 213000 miles on the clock and he told me it had never broken down it or clapped out..
i just see him 2 days ago parking up..god knows what mileage it has now..lol
so that must be one hell of a well built car.

 

[kvz2000]

i have never had a car break down on me.. to be honest that car sounds terrible a w202 c220cdi might do the trick.

a old guy parks his 95 c250 on my street everyday i got talking to him about 2 years ago and he had 213000 miles on the clock and he told me it had never broken down it or clapped out..
i just see him 2 days ago parking up..god knows what mileage it has now..lol
so that must be one hell of a well built car.

Thats what I was hoping to hear !! a truely reliable old Merc that will go round the clock a couple of times without any issues. Dont get me wrong my wee Clio has been a very good car but with 100k on it I fear I have had the best of it, I am over 50 and a very thoughtful driver and dont abuse any of my cars, also the garage I use is brilliant and have kept me on the road, but after driving my sons old 190D with 168k miles it was tighter,quieter and a nicer drive , will need to think seriously about my next move...

Cheers for all your comments,

Donald.

 

[Merco]

Don't know if this is any help but my new C-class is doing 46mpg according to the dash and that's after 8/9k on the clock. I'm expecting better when it loosens up a bit more and hoping the old adage of Mercedes engines running forever is true of the new ones. But if the diesel's doing 46mpg off the bat, it bodes well for the future hopefully!

 

[Sp!ke]

Jaymanek has a 190D for sale at the moment.