K-A

So I changed my Tranny thing from "S" to "C" for the first time which I recommend to ANYONE who is having the jolty/hard downshifting, etc. experiences with the 7G, as it provides a much smoother and less frantic drive than the "S" mode allows....

....And (maybe) due to it I got 32 MPG on the Highway. I usually get around 28-29 in good conditions when in S mode, but I was shocked by this 32.

Vik888

I drive in "C" most of the time. You could try doing the ECU reset if you're having transmission issues.

You should get better mileage driving in "C" because the car will upshift at a lower RPM.

I average about 2mpg better on a tank of gas when driving in "C" versus "S"

LaicepsYdobon

I've just noticed the exact opposite. I've been driving in C all the time but about two months ago I've switched to S and I've been getting about 2-3mpg better gas mileage. I also noticed that when driving in C I take my foot off the gas the car slows down faster then in S mode. I get more "free roll" while is S and that is why I get better mileage. Weird...

K-A

That's interesting, I'm still not sure which gets better City Mileage, still trying to gauge that.

I actually like the slow down on a roll! I guess I'm so used to it. The "S" mode always pisses me off because it gives you so much free roll, I find myself jamming on the brakes everytime I'm getting close to someone as I assume the car will slow itself down.... With the "C" Mode, it will give a more natural stop on its own. Also, I always get freaked that on the "S" Mode, when I'm slowing down, the computer will decide to do the dreaded SLAM into 1st gear downshift.

gaazmon

Ya, I hate it when you let off the gas quickly and sometimes the thing will just downshift for no reason. Maybe because of the quickness of letting of the gas, the car is anticipating that the driver is getting ready to hit the brakes for an accident

MBNUT1

So what kind of mileage are you getting? I am averaging about 22 mpg half highway half city driving. I drive in C all the time. Never would have imagined S would improve my mileage.

LaicepsYdobon

My daily commute is 13miles from my house to the train station 11 of which is on the highway. 13 miles takes me about 35-45 minutes because of traffic. At one point I sit in traffic for a mile and inch my way ahead until traffic clears up. According to the car I get about 18-20MPG in C mode and 21-23MPG in S mode at the end of my commute each way.

The last time I went skiing I got around 28MPG on the highway. That weekend an entire tank last me 450 miles which was a personal best for me. Also my car's engine just broke in (just past the 10,000 mile mark) and I just got an oil change and I'm not using the A/C in the car all the time. I think all of these are contributing factors.

K-A

Either way, M-B GROSSLY underrated the MPG Ratings on these cars. Doesn't it say they get 23/24 Highway? That's absurdly wrong, I think if anyone's V6 W211 got that something would be major wrong with their car.

erifly

Man some of these mpg claims seem unimaginable to me.. . Best I could get was around 24-25mpg when driving almost 300 straight highway miles(maybe a reach at 25-27 if i drove nearly whole tank on highway at 60 mph..lol). I usually get 19-21mpg on my daily route which is 50/50 highway/city. You guys must be driving like grandpa's .

gaazmon

I think it's the 7 speed which gets the better hwy mpg. Like on avg I get anywhere from 20 - 22 on the streets (which is what I mostly drive). On hwy I get 25 - 27 avg. Mine is the 5 speed as is yours.

jbec.keane

I find that the winter gas sold in NJ from October through April costs me about 10% mileage. On my longish mostly highway commute to work in the summer I usually see more than 30mpg. I average 28+ in the summer and closer to 27 in the winter.

JK

LaicepsYdobon

Its not the gas its the temperature. The colder it is the more fuel your car uses and the same goes for extreme heat. According to Car and Driver the most fuel efficient temperature for your car is between 55 and 70 degrees.

LaicepsYdobon

Traffic does help If I drive 85 on the highway I don't get those mileage numbers. Since my morning commute is in traffic I can rarely go more then 70 miles an hour.

CharlyE500

There is no way any E350 getting 32MPG..... even 7 speed.....
I have the E500 7 speen always in "C" the best milleage is 23MPG
E500 might consume more by the V8 but shouldnt have that much different. (maybe max 5MPG)

For 32MPG it has to be the CDI or Bluetech....... My wife V4 Camry gets 31MPG and Camry weights about 800Lbs less than the E and comes with 15" tires. I believe for the E350 shouldnt be more than 28MPG which already 5MPG better than E500....

Vik888

Actually the new E350 V6 and E550's V8 are very fuel effecient. the 5.5L V8 even won some "green award"

If I can get the E550 to do 26-27mpg highway, surely the 3.5L V6 can do 30-32. Obviously I'm not talking about driving 85mph, but 65mph or so it might be possible.

The new engines and 7spd transmissions are really nice. At 70mph in the E550 I'm still under 2000rpm.

LaicepsYdobon

Try switching to "S" mode you'll get more free roll and don't have to press the pedal all the time. Plus you'll be able to use less revs then an 350. I don't know if you'll be able to break 30MPG but you'll definitely be in the mid to high 20s.

LaicepsYdobon

That's one of the reasons why I can't wait to get into a 7 or 8 speed car. Less revs gives you a quiet and fuel efficient ride. With the E350 at 70mph I am a bit over 2,000rpm.

KidBenz

Wow. The 7 sped sounds nice. I have an E500 4matic so it comes with the 5 speed. The best I've seen my car do is 20.9mpg. I usually get 17mpg but when I drive it hard I almost always get 15mpg.

MBNUT1

I am trust me. I actually like driving the car slowly. It's not exactly a 911. I try to minimize the brake usage. These cars seem to have very little rolling drag, I feel like a have failed if I have to apply the brakes above 20 mph. I never turn on the AC either. I hit 26 + the other day on a 70 mile round trip almost all highway. One time just for the fun of it I hit 30 mpg instantaneous at 55 on a fairly warm day. I think I am doing pretty well for a 4matic.

starcarnut

I've been pleasantly surprised with my 350s mileage. I've averaging 24.8 right now combined city/hwy. If I'm smooth and steady on the freeway I've seen 30 mpg. When I'm in town I have learned to look up the road to see what the traffic or lights are doing and if I see a red light I coast, same in rush hour traffic. I hang back just a little and this allows me to use the brakes less. If you learn to adjust your driving technique you can add a couple of mpg. My wife on the other hand stays on the gas right up to the last moment then gets on the brakes. Drives me nuts.

jbec.keane

I disagree. The gas mileage goes up by 10% right around April 1st and goes back down in October. The change is dramatic while the temperature changes are more gradual.

JK

xr650rguy

On one longer trip, I had 27mpg. I got fuel at the 580 mile mark. I couldn't believe it, either. The fillup was about 21 gallons. Hills and speeding were included in the trip, but overall, I kept it about 70 to 80mph, probably averaging about 70 to 72. No traffic, no city.

I'm sure if I kept it about 65, I could have gotten closer to 30mpg.

My average daily commute, 30 miles some traffic each way, usually nets me about 23mpg (2 miles city, 28 miles highway....20-30 minutes of "slow-n-go traffic".

Oh, my car is an 06 E500 rear wheel drive with Michelin 245/45-17 (non-staggered). I get about 1 to 2mpg less with the OEM 18" staggered wheels.

MBNUT1

Thats surprising in my E350 4matic i am running 2500 @ 70 mph

LaicepsYdobon

This morning it was running at 2,200 ~ 2,300 at 70MPH but it was unusually cold here (55 F). I'll see how much it will be on the way home.

MBNUT1

I wouldn't think the temperature would make any difference. As far as I know we have the same drivetrain. I'm on factory 17's I don't know if you are running 18's and if at the ground the diameter is any different.

As far as I know my lock up converter is locking up. What are you running at 60 mph. Thats about where I am running 2K.

It was interesting I drove a new A4 today with the 2.0T and that ran lower rpms than my E350. Like less than 2k at 60. It seemed to run at speed more easily too. It was much easier to cruise at 70. 29 MPG to boot but it isn't as nice of a car as the E. Not bad all in all probably better car than the C Class.