peabers

Reached the magical 1500km (932mi) mark this week, averaging 19 mpg. So now I can "gradually increase speed".

I seem to be alone on this, but I find the 4Matic to be very surefooted in the snow. The OE Michelin's give pretty good traction, and I felt the ESP kick in once or twice when I get too aggressive with the throttle. Even with several hard stops (on purpose), the ABS did not have to engage.

Maybe I am used to being a featherfoot from driving an RWD car in the winter.

tanktube67

$70.00 to refuel
$4.10 per gallon

melbourne tim

The only reason following this makes it more satisfying later is that after driving in such a frustratingly difficult way, any "normal" driving after the "break in period" would feel like heaven. The same reason people advocate refraining from sex until the wedding night!

C300Man

I filled up my tank with Premium 93 octane and did a test. I do alot of highway driving and cruising at 65-70 mph.

tanktube67

$75.00 to fuel up so we are looking about a $100.00 to fuel up by the end of summer

jstaneff

Try an experiment: drop your speed by 5 mph (60-65) and see what happens.

Another thing I noticed: your outside temp was 77. Here in the Pacific Northwet, we're still in the mid-50s, and the mileage is worse in colder weather. When we did have warmer days (e.g., mid-high 60s) it was easier to get 30+ mpg.

I got 30 yesterday, and am regularly getting about 440+ miles on a tank, but expect that to get better once it's warmer.

drdata

I've noticed the mpg on my C300 increasing as speed increases. On the freeway parts of my commute (49 m each way), as the mph creeps up to about 75 the mpg gets up to 28.4!

Taking a mainly freeway trip this weekend so it will be interesting to see what the mileage does.

Passed the 1000m barrier this AM! Yeah! I get to push the "S" button!

JimPap

Interesting observation.

Here in the southeast, we're getting 100 degree weather already. My usual 200 mile Sunday church trip, I'm getting something like 29.5, where I was getting 30.5ish when the weather was cooler(this is mostly 72 mph). This may have something to do with my gas station adding 10% ethenol where before, it didn't have ethenol.

Unless I'm mistaken, ethenol decreases your fuel mileage.

Another possibility is that I reset my learning computer the week before. Although I'm mostly in 7th gear (auto trans), I can't help but wonder if it richened the mixture as I sense that I've got more power.

With that said, 29.5 on the highway going 72mph isn't bad.

mbrover06

I have almost 3k miles and I'm still only getting 15-16 mpg. Could it be the way I drive (80mph all day long)?

My dealer also told me no break in needed?

JimPap

That seems unusually low. Try backing it down to 70 and see if that helps.

Seems that my dealer said the same, unfortunately, the owners manual disagrees.

mbrover06

I just went out and checked. As of right now, it's getting 19.8 mpg.

That still seems too low compared to what others are getting.

Anyone here drive at an avg. speed of 80 care to elaborate on there mpg?

Untertürkheim

I doubt that difference in speed with drastically affect fuel economy. Mercedes were always especially able to get great fuel economy at higher speeds, with the newer higher gear ratios, this becomes even more true.

These cars (especially the 350s, with even higher gearing) are designed to drive at high speeds at all times, never going under 80 mph.

dalazernet

Actually, after a LONG @$$ day at the office among server crashes or network problems, driving home at 1AM, I tend to drive according to the "recommended break in" procedure just because I'm dead tired.

LOL

rb23lb

at 80, I get about 26-28 mpg

if I cruise at 65-70, I get 31-31.5 mpg

JohnGjolaj1

i got 10k miles on my c350. recently made a trip from nyc to mohegan sun casino. its a 260 mile round trip. averaged about 26-28 with an average speed of 75-85mph.

tanktube67

you are getting good mileage

tanktube67

I also getting 19 to 21

TomGator1

I have been getting much better gas mileage over the past month. The other day, I drove 140 miles (70 miles each way). I was driving on i95 South to the location and varied my speed between 60-70 mph, using mostly the cruise control to vary my speed in 1 mph or 5 mph increments. I got 31.7 mpg on the 1st 70 mile trip. On the way home, the average overall was 29.9 mpg and the return trip was in heavy stop and go traffic heading north with lots up uphill driving. Although I still have fun and push the C350 to its limits occasionally (especially on curvy back roads), with the cost of gas, I have also tried to get better MPG's. Every day, I have regularly been getting 25-30 mpg lately, but I have also incorporated a few hypermiling techniques to get better mileage when I want to. Here are a few of them:

1. Use cruise control as much as possible, even at slow speeds (the C's cruise control can be activated at 20 mph).
2. Shift to neutral when coasting to lights, down hills, at stops. Let the car's momentum work to your advantage. Really helps boost mpg's!
3. Start off slow from stop lights (slow in a C350 will still be faster than most cars!).
4. Leave room between you and the car in front to minimize braking and maximize coasting when they brake or slow down.
5. Watch for slow downs in traffic ahead and try to predict when traffic will stop.
6. Let off the gas and coast or put in neutral when heading towards red lights or stale green lights. Why have your foot on the pedal or the cruise on when you are going to be stopping anyway.
7. Don't use a/c unless needed. Run the a/c on low if needed at highway speeds. I have noticed better mpg using a/c during hwy driving than having all windows open. The drag with open windows seems to use more gas than using a/c.
8. While using a/c, if the inside of the car feels cool, turn off the a/c and hit the recirculate button. The inside of the car will stay cool for several minutes withoug running a/c and you'll notice cold air continues to come out of vents.

Here are my latest readings:
Since Reset:
8370 mi (# of miles since reset - I haven't reset it)
23.0 mpg (avg. mpg)
245.56h (total # of hours:minutes driven)
34 mph (avg mph)

Here are my past posts:
Since Reset:
2330 mi (# of miles since reset - I haven't reset it)
22.7 mpg (avg. mpg)
70:48h (total # of hours:minutes driven)
33 mph (avg mph)

Here's my first "Since Reset" post:
Since Reset:
770 mi (# of miles since reset - I haven't reset it)
21.5 mpg (avg. mpg)
27:24h (total # of hours:minutes driven)
28 mph (avg mph)

JimPap

How can you get 34.5 miles per gallon in a C300?

Drive 55 mph.


Granted, every Tom, Dick and Harry will try to blow you off the road, but if they dropped the top speed limit to 55, we might save enough gas to drop the price of fuel substantially. This was done in the 70s, why not now? Better yet, why aren't the politicians talking about it?

451/443=EW

So many factors to consider guys.

1) what is your weight?
2) how much weight do you travel with in your car?
3) how long are your warm up times?
4) how quick do you excelerate?
5) top speed?
6) wind factors?
7) what gas ?
8) topography of the land? ( some of you live in flat areas vs hilly areas )
9) How long are your commutes?
10) how much city vs highway ?
11) average air temps in your citys?
12) quaility of air in your citys?
13) are you quick to get off the gas at up coming red lights?


Im sure there are even more factors, so keep in mind it could be how and were you drive. Just food for thought.

JimPap

...14. How much time you spend reading MBWorld Forum.

451/443=EW

HAHA true

Untertürkheim

I seriously hope this is a joke, funny how in Germany the average fuel consumption is phenominally lower than in the US, even though large parts of the freeway system have no speed limit. the speed limit is a very communist approach for a country that prides itself on "freedom".

How about letting fuel prices be dictated by the free market, and people decide how much of it they want to burn? I remember reading a study that said that if everyone in the US brought their car for service regularly and checked their tires regularly, fuel consumption would decrease by 30%

melbourne tim

Remember, your current average includes the entire fuel consumption since the start. I think if you reset the meter, you will notice a sudden and dramatic increase, as the average is not "dragger down" by the previous higher consumption. Try it!

keith100

"The same reason people advocate refraining from sex until the wedding night!"

Never risked that Tim - could turn out bloody disappointing

As to the main topic, I've only occasionally checked the computer. I've bought it and it'll consume what it does, Doesn't seem much point in depressing myself if it only does x mpg. I have heard though that the gas computers aren't very accurate, which may explain the different gas experiences on this thread.

Happy 4th to US members, by the way.