W203 Gas Mileage?

[FatFatW203]

I Have A 2006 Mercedes Benz C280. . I Was Wondering If I Would Get Better Gas Mileage Driving In Sport Or In Comfort?

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[ncmudbug]

When my wife switched to 'C' mode she got better mileage because 'S' mode starts you in a lower gear so you get a quicker start. Obviously, the starts are not as quick, though.

[FatFatW203]

Yeah, When It's On Comfort It Starts On Second Gear But I Notice It Goes Way To High On RPM's, And It Feels Like There's More Weight On The Transmission. . . On Comfort I Average 16.4 City And 22 Highway, Does That Sound Normal?

[ncmudbug]

22 highway is really low for my wife's C230 (I don't know what the difference is between her motor and yours). Her mileage is not as good as my '05 C230K, but as I say, it's better in 'C' mode.

[Peydidy]

In the rain I drive in C and other times on S. Im sure S uses more gas but I don't think its a huge difference. The gas milage your getting isn't to great though. If I'm on the high way on cruse I usually get close to 32 best I have gotten was 34.3 on a trip to LA and the worst I have gotten is 11 in the city when I has just driving really harshly on it flooring it alot because I was late. Average for me is city 24 high way 32

[FatFatW203]

Well I Know The C230 Are Rearwheel Drive I Have The 4Matic Which Mean It's All Wheel Drive.. Maybe That's The Diffence?

[FatFatW203]

Well Should I Put Higher Octane Gasoline? What Can I Do For It To Run Better?

[Peydidy]

A good way is just practice not going to harshly on the gas, just keep it slow but when your in a area with a lot of stop and go theres not to much of a way around it. Theres an iphone app or maybe a few apps actually that help you get better gas milage by telling you exactly how much you are using at that moment and gives you tips on how to get better MPGs but Im not to sure how great that works. Im sure it being a 4 matic also is effecting it

[MBfinatic]

C230k and a c2804matic are the exact opposite when it comes to mpg.. Have you cleaned your air filters lately?

[J.Christian]

Originally Posted by FatFatW203

Well Should I Put Higher Octane Gasoline? What Can I Do For It To Run Better?

All MBZ call for "premium" as far as I know...

Jamie

[Jkw]

Get a new air-filter and use Premium!
on a daily bases my C203 gets 26mpg and that's a Lot of Stop and Go.
on a long trip it will get 32.


Oh,... Check your tire pressure!

[VVF]

Also you may want to try Techron injector cleaner. I believe I saw an mpg increase of around 1 after using it the first time.

[speed7]

I average 10 - 19 depending on my mood. Always in S mode.. and sometimes M..

Only put it in C mode if I'm in an a downtown like area where I want to hear the engine a bit more and get a slower start.

Not sure if C will get better gas millage and put me to 22 for a long trip. Best I've seen is 21 when going from San Diego to San Jose.


Personally I think its all in how aggressive you are on the throttle.. some people in a VW TDI I think just set a record for most miles per tank. I'm sure how you accelerate and how fast you go are what really matter for your MPG's. Don't slam on it (like me) and don't go 80 on the fwy ( again like me).

So don't be like me and you'll get good MPG's. =)

[FatFatW203]

Maybe That's My Problem; My Air Filter But It Seems Almost Impossible To Check It.. Injector Cleaner? Because I Drive My W203 Like A Baby... I Drove Today 110 Miles And I Only Average 19.4 It's Mostly Highway..

[speed7]

You're about normal. You should be using 91 at least.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bymod..._C-Class.shtml

This site is actually pretty spot on and shows I get about 20.. which is right. Put in premium and you may get up to 24. Also like others said. Check your tires make sure they are inflated to the right pressure. But for a 4matic I think you're about right.

[FatFatW203]

I Usually Had It On Comfort; But Today I Put It On Sport And I Average 24.7

[MBfinatic]

Are you using 92-93 octane? 93 is preferred. Its normal to put a lower octane and get worse gas mileage. Also if you put higher octane it will result in the same effect.

[wodturner]

I have a 04 c230k and took it to Connecticut. I was really happy that the whole trip, 429 miles, I got 29.1 mpg I even had some fun with it going 90 + on the way home. I usually go 75-80 with the cruise on. I just use regular gas and my tires are at 40 lbs. (around there).

c-ya
Bob

[pa-hawk]

For what it's worth my 07 C280 4matic with the 3.0 V-6 averages 26mpg in the summer and 24 in the winter. That is mostly my 86 mile round trip to work which is mostly highway with the cruise set at 75. As far as grade of gas, I use only the 89 mid grade. Before I bought it I asked two dealers about the gas requirements and both admitted to using the mid grade in their loaner cars. I did experiment by using premium exclusively for several months at a time and neither the milage or performance changed at all. I have had cars years ago before all the electronic controls that did get better milage with premium. A couple months ago in a newsletter from the dealer they included an article addressing the fuel grades and clearly stated that most modern higher performance cars would indeed work just fine on a lower octane gas. From my experience, at least with the V-6, the only difference between the mid grade and the premium was an additional .20 in my pocket for more gas.

[LILBENZ230]

I agree with you, pa-hawk.. having ran 87 in my car from time to time.. no difference. It would need to be a pretty extreme scenario to have any real effect. I'd worry more about the additives in the gasoline (i.e. making sure you buy top tier) than the octane rating. I use mostly premium, though, because it simply isn't enough of a savings to do otherwise.

[sammydragon3]

Originally Posted by pa-hawk

For what it's worth my 07 C280 4matic with the 3.0 V-6 averages 26mpg in the summer and 24 in the winter. That is mostly my 86 mile round trip to work which is mostly highway with the cruise set at 75. As far as grade of gas, I use only the 89 mid grade. Before I bought it I asked two dealers about the gas requirements and both admitted to using the mid grade in their loaner cars. I did experiment by using premium exclusively for several months at a time and neither the milage or performance changed at all. I have had cars years ago before all the electronic controls that did get better milage with premium. A couple months ago in a newsletter from the dealer they included an article addressing the fuel grades and clearly stated that most modern higher performance cars would indeed work just fine on a lower octane gas. From my experience, at least with the V-6, the only difference between the mid grade and the premium was an additional .20 in my pocket for more gas.

i have to disagree with u here...when i was totally out of gas i put 87 in and it was putting and wouldnt go past 90 mph

[LILBENZ230]

Then something is wrong with your C230 aside from the driver. Mine will go all the way to 125 on 87 without issue.

[Javvy]

dont go by what the computer is saying, it is just a mathamitical calculation and approximation.....if you want the real MPG try to manually calculate it from full tank to full tank........here is how you should do it.......when you hit the reserve lite (yellow light) go to your preferred gas station and fill her up and set the trip computer to "zero" miles.......now keep driving around till you reach the reserve fuel level again (yellow light on); go to the same gas station and preferably the same pump and fill her up again........now do the following math.....Total miles travelled on your trip computer / total gallons of fuel filled = will give you your real MPG and engine performance...........I do this on every fillup's and moniter it constantly......hope this helps.....I drive a C280-4matic and average around 20-22mpgs mixed driving.........if I hit the highways I average 26-27mpg's and yes I do use techron additive every now and then........and the tire pressue is between 36-38psi all around.......and please use 93octane fuel.........

javvy.......

[LILBENZ230]

Yep, my cars trip computer is perpetually optimistic. Fuelly (see my signature) is keeping an accurate record. Note my car said 28.1-29.2mpg when Fuelly is recording an average of just 27 based on miles traveled and gallons burned.

[mtnman82]

I have an '03 with the 5 speed, and 'S' / 'W' vs. 'S' / 'C'. I believe W and C are the same modes. Also, I keep a log (pen & paper) with date/$amt/gal/odometer/trip meter for every time I fill up and calculate mpg from there. That being said...

It will depend some on driving style, but you should get better gas mileage with the car in 'S' than 'W' or 'C'. 'S' mode will let you coast to the stop signs or while driving without trying to slow the car down. 'W' or 'C' mode tries to grab the car and slow it down, such as not rolling backwards down a hill (vs. 'S' mode lets you roll on down...). Using more gears HELPS with economy, it doesn't hurt it - will help the car stay more in it's 'efficient region' vs. having to mash the gas to get it to go. Remember all the gas saving commercials when the 7-speed tranny came out - the guy catching the drop of gas and putting it back in the tank?

I have checked this on numerous occasions, and I get a couple miles/gallon better when driving around town in 'S' vs. 'W'. I can do almost double that if I think about how far I can really coast before a stop sign/light without pissing other traffic off ('S' vs. 'W').