mtnbenzer

I just completed my third 1,500 mi. road trip since taking delivery the end of October. I now have about 5,500 miles on the car. My travels include the west and southwest where there is a variety of driving environments and most of them fast! I really cannot find a fault with this car. It is a fantastic road car with the adjustable suspension, comfortable seats and plenty of power, even above 5,000 ft. Several of my trips have been 10 hrs. driving with only :30 outside the car for breaks and gas. The keyless start is a convenience blessing. Just wanted to report on this great car - the German engineering and autobahn heritage really come through.

Vik888

I have an 08 E550 (non-4Matic). I love it too. What kind of milage did you record for your trips? I've seen 26-28mpg between 70-85 mph on some 100-200 mile all freeway drives.

MB Fanatic

In my mom's S550 we average on long road trips around 30mpg. For a tank of that size it is a true engineering marvel. Yet the EPA still charges us the lovely gas guzzler tax.

mtnbenzer

Wow, you guys really get the mileage. My onboard computer said I got 22.6 but my measurement of miles/gallons got me 21.5 This is round trip from CO to Phoenix through the reservations and blue roads, not too much interstate. I was between 80-90 much of the time, and on one stretch w/o other cars I was 100-120 mph for awhile so that kind of driving shot my mileage. Was carrying 37 psi in all tires. On a trip to KC from CO on I-70 at about 75-80 and cruise I still didn't get as good as you guys. Maybe it will improve with more mileage.

Untertürkheim

The 4-matic will probably use considerably more fuel, not just because of the 4-matic system, but because it does not have the new 7g-tronic.

mtnbenzer

That's a real good point - I wasn't considering that the others were probably driving the 7 speed. I was getting worried. Thanks for the heads up. I think in normal driving I should get close to 23+ perhaps but no more. The 5 speed, 4-matic and added weight demand a price.

ProV1

uh.. how are u guys measuring your MPG? 08 E550 is rated 22mpg highway, 26-28 going 80mph is wishful thinking imo.

Polar Bear

I typically have always beaten the rated EPA values so to be honest I do not put much consideration in them. For example, I had a 1992 Corvette ZR-1 32-valve V8 6sp back in the day, and managed to get 34.7MPG on a 300 mile trip with the A/C off (didn't need it) and in 6th gear turning very low RPMs, and the power key in Normal mode. I think much of it has to do with how one drives, tire inflation, fuel quality, terrain, etc. How one drives is the biggest factor, however.

It seems that some of the cars that display the "instant" fuel mileage reading can "train" one to drive and save fuel. It can almost become a game to see how well you can do, and if you can see the instant economy you can lift the accelerator ever so slightly to squeeze another MPG or two. After doing this for a while, it becomes second nature to save fuel while driving. I don't know of any Mercedes that offers this "instant" feature, but many other vehicles do including a Ford Explorer I own and several Corvettes I have owned in the past. I can get 21-22MPG from my 5.0L V8 Ford Explorer AWD that is rated at 18 highway and nearly 400 miles per tank.

I think the EPA ratings are based on how they assume "most" people drive, and not the best case scenario.

Vik888

I fill up my tank, reset all my trip computer pages (start, reset, tripmeter). I then drive. When I refuel, I divide the miles by the gallons = miles / gallon.

The new EPA measurements which more truly reflect "real world driving" are really crap for the E550. No idea how they got those highway figures.

The car's onboard computer shows 1mpg more than the car really gets for me.

My trip was on the relatively flat freeways of SoCal. I really was going that fast the whole way because both times it was around 6am or something on a weekend when there is no traffic. So 99.9% was freeway. I live < 1 mile from the freeway.

Also, due to the time, I also assume that even though the AC button is always ON, it never needed to kick in.

rhino89523

Drove the wifes car e320 4matic wagon from Nevada to Ohio and back, straight shot on I-80. Car is a pleasure, I drove 7 over whatever the posted speed was with a few 130 mph blast offs in Nevada and Wyoming. Averaged about 22mpg. I left Cleveland at 3:00pm Wed and pulled in my driveway in Reno at 3:00 am Fri morning, very good time for a drive that far. Car was super comfortable for long trips. I did feel like I was going to get lynched in Wyoming, the oil crew roughnecks (thats what they call themselves) dont seem to like MBZ much. They all had monster American diesels worth way more than I paid for the MBZ. On top of that I was probably the only guy in the gas station that would know how to fix their truck if it broke.

Andrew_Mai

I agree with this whole-heartedly. I drove from El Paso, TX to Denver, CO last September and got 32.0 mpg in an E320 (2003) going a steady 80 mph most of the time. I think 26-28 mpg with the V8 is quite realistic. I'm not sure the EPA takes into account the low CD (drag coefficient) of these cars. It pains me that E550 owners must pay a gas guzzler tax. More government subsidizing of America's big three.

Vik888

There was no gas guzzler tax on 08 E550's, at least in California.

cyclerider

4-Matic E550s have a gas guzzler tax, which is what the original poster drives.

Scambo

In my 04 E500, I drove Austin to Mobile in 10 hrs and got 29.2 MPG going the speed limit as measured by the odometer MPG readings start to finish.

Vik888

My reply about gas guzzler wasn't in reply to the OP, but someone else after that who doesn't 4Matic or not.