mac911

I've been wanting to go find an E85 fill up station, and put some in!

However, the owners manual says not to switch back and forth too often.

You think I could do this one time, just for the fun of it?

Has anyone else put E85 in the new C-class?

tbenz

go try it and let us know how it works, i`m curious too,

chilledbenz

E85 is for C300 rear wheel drive automatic cars only. Do not put it in any other car.

sou98

There is only 2 stations in Ottawa and one in Chatham, Ontario.
There are more E85 stations in States.
Yes....I believed that for the C300 RWD which I got one.

I heard from a friend of mine that he put one in for his GM truck but did not see any saving in term of Gas mileage. Yes the E85 have lower cost but burn the same amount or more Gas than the regular gasoline. Do this for the environment if you want or needed to. Basically in term of mileage, you won't see anything drastic.

I will let everyone know next time I going down to New York.

amdeutsch

That thing runs on regular. Try this with a car that requires premium and you'll see the results as posted in the W203 forum.

mac911

Ok, I did it. Could only get about 1/2 a tank, but that is what the manual recommends, rather than switching on an empty tank anyway.

I noticed no difference besides the decrease in MPG. It was fun to try though, if it was close to me, I'd probably get it regularly, just cause it's probably good for the world and all. ha-ha.

Also, it was my first trip in the car, about 5 hours of driving total, and it sure was a pleasure. This car is just a dream. Whatever you're doing, twisty roads, flat boring motorway, etc. It's just so enjoyable and peaceful. I love how comfortable the cabin is, with the thermostat, and how much of the outside world sound is filtered out (unless great moonroof is opened), and the great ride of course.

This really is a special car. Glad we all have one to talk about.

Coming home, even with half ethanol, I got about 25 MPG. However, going with gasoline, I got a little over 27 MPG.

tron

hmm... i did read somewhere that because of the chemical makeup of Ethanol fuel, the fuel lines, injectors etc had to be suited to run ethanol fuel. Reason being that Ethanol was corrosive to certain materials usually used in a standard car's fuel system....

Jon935

i may be off base, but my TSX says premium recommended. for the last 33 months i have put regular or the ethonal mix(alot of stations in NJ have it) in my tank, with a few exceptions. the car runs fine, although im sure i could get better gas mileage with premium. i use regular for two reasons, A i lease the car, and i doubt this car is going to blow up within the first 3 years due to putting a slightly lower octane in my tank. and B because i rather save the money. i know everyone says oo if you can afford a nice car, you should be able to afford the gas, well i can afford it, i just dont want to pay it.
when i get my C300 4matic in a few month, i plan on also putting regular in the tank. im curious what everyone thinks.

amdeutsch

Not sure I would put the European Honda Accord on the same level as a MB C but be prepared to duck some more.

Jon935

i am not putting the TSX in the same class as the C class at all. in fact i would think that the Cclass would be even more resilient to using regular then the TSX would be. but either way, i dont think either car would break down in the first 36k miles due to this.

AsianML

If the car recommends regular I don't think premium makes a difference, unless the ECU is programmed for it.

430752

He's right, you can't put the ESpec Honda Accord (aka, Acura TSX or also the JSpec Accord) on the same level as the C Class since the TSX has actual leather, memory seats, puddle lights, etc. handles just about as well (some might say better) and more power to weight ratio, all for about $10K cheaper when comparably equipped as they say!


But we know what you mean.

MBTex

<<<I noticed no difference besides the decrease in MPG. It was fun to try though, if it was close to me, I'd probably get it regularly, just cause it's probably good for the world and all. ha-ha.>>>

With current technology and harvesting equipment, it takes 1.1 gallons of gasoline to produce 1 gallon of ethanol so you aren't saving anything right now.

Maybe in the future though.

MBPup

1.3 is the lowest worst-case number I've seen. It would be much better if farmers used switchgrass, but we'll have to see how quickly that happens, if at all. Of course, supporters use much more optimistic numbers. The truth, I'm sure, is somewhere between. At the other end, if e85 were readily available, then MB could give us a more efficient engine with higher compression. Personally, I plan to use e85 if and when it becomes available here. While the overall efficiency isn't where I'd like it to be at the moment, it will undoubtably improve as more people use it.

But - if like many, you believe the auto industry will eventually go electric, then e85 is at best a stop-gap. Of course, electricity production at the moment in the US is only around 30-35% efficient, so I guess no matter which rout you prefer, there will be inefficiencies as the industries involved adjust.

Got to start somewhere.

kfm999

I had a 2004 TSX before this C300 4matic and the TSX is sporty, very precise steering and has a softer ride, the C feels safer (heavier), but does not "glide" as smoothly like the TSX when down shifting and has a loose steering..

What surprised me was TSX has 5 stars Crash Ratings and the C has 4 stars...

webada

Other than the obvious Octane differences, premium also has fuel cleaner blended which helps to prevent build ups in your fuel system. IMHO, well worth the exra. For those that don't feel any difference between regular gas and premium, you should get your sensitivity tuned :-) I drive a car that's been fed premium all its life, now that its getting old I thought I would save and put in some regular... oh boy do I feel the decrease in acceleration performance, not to mention the mpg.

if you are leasing it, then by all means, put that regular crap in your car.