MPG - are you respectful of economy?

[Will]

It's interesting how some cars are much more 'sensitive' on how they are driven.

My E320 estate can push high 30s mpg if you take it easy on a run, which surprised me for what is a fairly big car with a V6 petrol engine:

Realistically it's somewhere in the twenties around town/traffic/short journeys, but at least it's losing nothing in depreciation and is probably more reliable than any of the CDIs

If I was doing more miles in it, maybe a diesel would be better, but I think I've got the right car for my needs at the moment

 

[stevieb15]

I've just finished a long drive on motorways from Stevenage to the Dordogne (680 miles, 12hrs door to door including 3 stops and eurostar) with more than a little disrespect for the fuel economy from my 560SEC

I worked out I was getting 22mpg and I only once triggered the soft speed limitor (sat next to me)

If you 'dis' your economy, what do you get ?

This may prove a useful base line and set an expectation for others asking the normal question about how much rather than how little.

If you're getting 22 from that in any circumstances you're doing well, the most I would expect on a long distance run in this country in the SL or the SE would be 28 and 25 respectively

 

[219]

With the 500SEL , not entirely dissimilar to your 560SEC , I get 20+ in normal driving .

On a long motorway run from Ayrshire to Aberdeen and back , most of the way on cruise control at 70 mph , and a little local running around , I achieved 29 mpg having brimmed the tank at both ends .

Only yesterday , I went and collected an LPG kit for the car , now reading instructions and determining the best way to install it on my car .......... will take photographs as job progresses and do a write up . The car won't use any less fuel , but should cost less to run - hopefully .

 

[Borys]

With the 500SEL , not entirely dissimilar to your 560SEC , I get 20+ in normal driving .

On a long motorway run from Ayrshire to Aberdeen and back , most of the way on cruise control at 70 mph , and a little local running around , I achieved 29 mpg having brimmed the tank at both ends .

Only yesterday , I went and collected an LPG kit for the car , now reading instructions and determining the best way to install it on my car .......... will take photographs as job progresses and do a write up . The car won't use any less fuel , but should cost less to run - hopefully .

Great choice!!!
I wasn't sure on converting mine but it was awsome move.
Before was putting 100£ every week driving around town- now do same miles for 57£ !!!!!!!!

 

[JonMad]

I generally average around 22mpg but it'll easily do over 25 on the motorway. I think I've seen over 30 on a gentle run but it could be optimistic hindsight (plus a long stretch of 50mph average speed cameras).

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

My SL gets around 22mpg with her indoors on board , but for some reason fuel consumption increases when there is no passenger

 

[10EDD]

C63: Office commute 15mpg motorway 21mpg hooning 8mpg
Amazed I get that much to be honest

 

[steve333]

I generally average around 22mpg but it'll easily do over 25 on the motorway. I think I've seen over 30 on a gentle run but it could be optimistic hindsight (plus a long stretch of 50mph average speed cameras).

In a years ownership of my cls it has averaged 22.3mpg(i've never reset the trip comp since the day i bought it).Most of my daily runs are early(6.15 am dropping my dearly beloved to work)mostly A roads/dual carriageway & light traffic.I've tried my hardest to see how high i can get the mpg on occasion but have never managed above 27mpg on any journey

 

[Borys]

C63: Office commute 15mpg motorway 21mpg hooning 8mpg
Amazed I get that much to be honest

At least it feels that you have a proper machine.I say if a car does more then 30mpg it's not a car lol

 

[tali]

With the 500SEL , not entirely dissimilar to your 560SEC , I get 20+ in normal driving .

On a long motorway run from Ayrshire to Aberdeen and back , most of the way on cruise control at 70 mph , and a little local running around , I achieved 29 mpg having brimmed the tank at both ends .

Only yesterday , I went and collected an LPG kit for the car , now reading instructions and determining the best way to install it on my car .......... will take photographs as job progresses and do a write up . The car won't use any less fuel , but should cost less to run - hopefully .

It is claimed that LPG is 20% more uneconomical - although that is strictly on mileage and not factoring in cost -which would swing in LPG's favour

 

[380SL]

The wifes 380SL seems to be doing around 18-20 local and pushing 25-26ish on a very steady long run.
My CLK230 is around 25 ish local and +30 on a steady run. I dont really go heavy on the throttle when driving the Mercs, i like to cruise.

 

[Troon]

...collected an LPG kit for the car ... The car won't use any less fuel , but should cost less to run - hopefully .

It is claimed that LPG is 20% more uneconomical - although that is strictly on mileage and not factoring in cost -which would swing in LPG's favour

I ran LPG for about 70k miles on my old Mondeo (1.8 4-pot) and found the magic number to be about 23%, higher than usually quoted. At today's prices, the 31mpg I got on LPG equated to about 55mpg on petrol in cost terms - down from about 72mpg when I had it installed in 2008! Running on petrol, the car got about 41mpg.

If you need to run a valve seat lubricant system like Flashlube, you need to factor the cost of that in as well, plus the petrol it needs to start. Here's a post from a Ford forum I wrote with a bit of cost analysis, although the figures are laughably out of date now.

 

[sheepy67]

i get 15mpg round town and 23 on a run, when i first bought the car, i watched the mpg all the time, now i just enjoy the noise, torque and power and fill her up when she's hungry for some more...I didnt buy an AMG for fuel economy..

 

[Dieselman]

Are the mpg figures people are quoting here from the OBD screen, if so have you calibrated that against brim to brim fills.

don't be surprised if your OBD reading is upto 20% high.

 

[John]

Yah, mine was reporting 20mpg when in fact it was 18mpg.

Lying b'stardo.

 

[Oli]

I'm not really checked much.....um.....not alot?, I agree with Dieselman though, the worst car I owned for MPG was a somewhat knackered Range Rover Classic a few years ago, I'm not sure what that went through faster, oil or petrol!!.

 

[John]

I've checked once.

It's something that shouldn't be done on these cars - but given mine is returning the same real life economy as my previous Saab, but with twice the figures, I am utterly impressed at how good the Merc is, or unimpressed by the Saab.

 

[d w124]

I'm not sure what that went through faster, oil or petrol!!.

I had the same problem with an old 190 2.6 I had but the water kept going to

 

[jaymanek]

My SEC's give me 18-20 and they only really get driven for long 100 miles + drives.

Infact all of my cars give me roughly 20mpg!

 

[johny5_uk]

Not sure if my sums are correct but if I don't drive it like an oap then the mpg dropped by about 2mpg (from 44mpg to 42mpg)
So, over 180 miles I think I lost another possible 14 miles by enjoying the car more.

To be perfectly honest I am happy with this

I guess there isn't much slack in engines nowadays, I mean if I were to go up a hill in the mini I owned 23 years ago and put my foot to the floor, it would use more fuel but not go any quicker (you could hear a change in the engine tone). Whereas now, in the 3 litre v6 diesel "torque master", where you place your foot on the throttle it pretty much uses the fuel efficiently.