silberrosa

The numbers are in and better than I thought. +3/+6 (+18%/+25%) mpg city/highway on the E350W. Puts this car in BlueTEC territory. Well done MB.

MY12 E350W 20/30 vs MY11 E350W 17/24
MY12 E350W4 19/28 vs MY11 E350W4 16/24
MY12 E550W4 16/26 vs MY11 E550W4 15/23
MY12 E63W 16/24 +0 GGT vs MY11 E63W 13/20 +1.700 GGT

Tomshark

What is the source of those numbers please?

ImInPA

I doubt the numbers are correct. There is simply no way that the DI gas engines will produce mileage like the Bluetec. Loking at the Euro numbers, I do not think the US version is going to be that much better, and, the euro numbers are no where near the diesel numbers.

MB-JIM

If you check the MBUSA site, the fuel economy for the 2012 E350 cgi is
18 City 25 Highway

aeggroup

No way gasoline engine will be as good as diesel in terms of fuel usage.
Even my diesel GL uses much less per mile than E class in a city. Highway driving - forget it. The most I could do in E was 24-25 mpg and GL easy makes 28mpg. I can imagine what E Bluetec does on a highway.

ImInPA

With 23K miles on the clock my E350 Bluetec is regularly getting about 42 mpg on the hwy.

listerone

I recently did a 600 mile road trip that was about 95% highway and 5% "other"...including suburban,stop & go,and bumper-to-bumper city driving and I got 41.1mpg on the computer and 36.4mpg using a fill up-to-fill up calculation.And much of the highway driving was the hilly terrain of New Hampshire and Vermont.This leads me to suspect that on flat terrain at a steady 65mph a reading of 38mpg could easily be achieved.And once I get some miles on the clock (I'm at 6K now) I could do even better (my BMW's mileage improved noticeably after about 20K miles).

Tomshark

Just curious and off topic, but what are you doing regarding the AdBlue?
are you putting it in yourself and at what cost? or are you having MB do it?

aeggroup

AddBlue cost about $11 in Walmart :

http://www.walmart.com/ip/BLUEDEF-Di...5-gal/16933407

It's easy to do by yourself - almost the same as to add windshield fluid, but if a person is extra lazy/rich - MB dealership will be happy to charge triple price for that service )

K-A

Those numbers aren't right. The MPG numbers for the new 3.5L are much lower than anticipated, only about 1-2 MPG better than the old 3.5L, according to official numbers.

ImInPA

I dropped my carr off this morning to have a door ding repaired at my dealership (thats another story). They provided me an E350 4Matic as a loaner. On my morning commute, in my Blutec, my mpg door-to-door is usually 36-38 mpg for the commute. In the E350 4Matic, I was at 25.7 mpg over my same route this morning. There is no way the gassers will approach the diesels for mpg. On another note, the steering is noticably heavier in the E350 gasser than in my Bluetec. This is the first gasoline engined W212 I have driven. The loaner is a Luxury model and the ride is wonderful. I find the passig power of the Bluetec is vastly superior to the gasoline engine on the highway The BLuetec just passes effortlessly and seldom has to kick down a gear. The Gasoline engined E350 kicks down a gear often to pass in our hilly terrain.

aeggroup

This is not because of Gasoline model or Diesel. Your Bluetec is RWD car and you got 4Matic loaner. RWD gasser would have the same steering.
I drove both models and preffer RWD steering. It feels faster and sportier.

YYZ-E55

2011/12 diesel: parameter steering
2011 gas: direct steering
2012 gas: steer control (electrohydraulic)

listerone

About a year ago Consumer Reports Magazine wrote on their website that an M-B dealership charged them something like $250 to refill the DEF tank of a Bluetec they were testing.Anyone who can change a lightbulb can easily refill the tank (in about 15 minutes) and anyone who can find a VW dealership can buy it for about $5/gallon.....about $30 for a 6 gallon tank.

Decboy

I'm not too concern about the fuel economy for these new engines. If one were really concern, hybrid would be the way to go. I'm more concern on the reliability of these new engines. It's the first time MB has gone the DI (V6) and Turbo (V8) route for US models.

Looking at all the troubles BMW had with their DI Turbo engines. I had an 08 BMW 535i and had problems with the fuel pump due to the DI Turbo design. Some say it's the gas we use here in the States who knows...I read even the new F10 N55 engines are having the same issues.

I wish MB stayed with their NA engines, it separated them from BMW and gave a smooth ride. Very impressed with the AMG NA supercharged engines. I guess with fuel economy being the new paradigm shift for most auto makers, it was just time before MB jumped on the band wagon.

listerone

That's one of the neat little things I've noticed about both my diesels...their ability to climb pretty noticable grades...at 65-70mph in top gear and without breaking a sweat.We're seriously considering a road trip to Denver soon and if we do we're gonna make it a point to hit the Eisenhower Tunnel (just west of Denver) which is 11,000 feet above sea level.*That* should be fun...and very revealing to boot.

listerone

If reliability is your concern then go diesel.It's not a coincidence that cross country trucks and locomotives are powered by diesels!

ImInPA

Could you elaborate a bit on the differences. I understand the electrohydraulic, but, I am unfamiliar with the paramter and direct steering.

That said, I do agree that the steering on the Bluetec feels much lighter and maybe a touch quicker. Maybe a bit more isolated too.

YYZ-E55

Both are speed-sensitive, however, the direct-steer system adds a variable rack ratio. Parameter does not have this feature. For whatever reason (variant reduction? complexity? packaging? I'm not sure), direct-steer was/is not available for the BlueTECs.

Daimler's description:
Direct-Steer consists of two components: speed-sensitive power steering and a steering ratio that varies with the steering angle. The high level of power assistance during parking, for conveniently low steering forces, is reduced as speed increases. This contributes to excellent straight-line stability at higher speeds. A notable feature of the steering rack is the variable spacing of the teeth, which are closer together in the central section than they are at the extremes. As a result, the ratio of the steering gear varies with the steering angle. The indirect ratio in the central section contributes to excellent straight-line stability at high speeds. From a steering-wheel angle of just 5 degrees, the ratio increases and the steering has a noticeably more direct response. This results in a reduction of up to 25 percent in the number of steering-wheel turns from lock to lock.

The Direct-Steer system increases the fun factor when negotiating tight corners, simplifies parking and manoeuvring and reinforces safety during straight-ahead running at high speeds.



This is incorrect. The steering system is the same for 2WD and 4WD gas models; any differences you may or may not perceive are due to 4MATIC, not the steering system itself. If you care to verify, the code for direct-steer is 211.

ImInPA

YYZ, Thanks. I do remember now reading about the variable rate Vs. non Variable rate some time back I did not know the official names till now. Thank you for clrearing that up for me. I learn a lot from you smart cookies here.

Arrie

How is below for a gas mileage? 2011 E350 gasoline.

MBNUT1

The 4 matic is what made the steering heavier not the fact that it was a gasser.

MBNUT1

It's ok nothing remarkable. People used to report 30 mpg highway mileage with the E350 W211 RWD's

ImInPA

Tom, yes I add the DEF myself. It is simple. About as complex as adding windshield washer fluid. I was told that as long as I kept the tank topped off, the chances of crystalization were minimal. When I took my car in for the 20K service (the first one where they drain the tank) they simply noted on the service ticket that AdBlue tank was full. It could be because of my driving style, but, I have only used about 9 gallons in 23K miles. I am paying about $5 a gallon.

ImInPA

Actually if you read YYZ's explanation above, it is completely different steering systems in my Bluetec and the gassers. It is very noticable. In the two days I have had the loaner, I am really liking the direct steering. I can see no reason why MB put a different system in the Bluetec. No I am curious to see how mine feels when I get back into it. I am sure it will be great!!!