36 MPG with E550!!! WOW!! Is that based on miles driven and gas pumped in the tank? The computer typically shows about 2 MPG better than the actual is.


I have the NA 5.5 L engine and I get 25 MPG (calculated actual value) but I drive 78 - 80 MPH. When I get this the computer in the car says 27 MPG.


Wonder how much it would improve if I drove 65 MPH constantly on a highway...it might get to 27 - 28 MPG perhaps?

 

I think anyway you look at this, for this size of engine with the twin turbos even 28/29 MPG is pretty good mileage. Aren't we suppose to not worry about the fuel and enjoy the car? The twin turbos really do add a lot better fuel economy. I go by the computer readout in the car.


Toban

 

2012+ E550 with Airmatic appears to be even rarer. I had a 2010 E550 with Airmatic and got rid of it in favor of a different vehicle. Mistake. Anyway, as I am watching the market for a 2012/2013 E550 with Airmatic it doesn't seem as if there are many around. Has anyone driven both a 2012 Airmatic and one without back to back? Would I miss Airmatic?

 

I debadged my E550 last week....
I am looking for some evil badge to put on now...lol


I had E350 with no Airmatic a year ago.
Now i am with E550 Airmatic, it is a huge upgrade.

 

I wonder if the Canadian fuel mix is different. I don't think it has as much ethanol.
The best mileage I ever got in my ML was after a fill in Toronto.
I got almost 24MPG on he way back home to Mass.
Easily 4 MPG more than any other tank.

 

You may have purchased ETOH free premium in Canada and an Imperial Gallon is @ 20% more volume than a US Gallon.

 

In Canada, the 'imperial' Gallon contains over 20% more gasoline than in the US. That's why the 36 MPG example from Toban seems so amazing.

ymmv

 

Do you have the suspension adjustment buttons near your comand control knob? Does your car pass gas after you park it? These are common symptoms of airmatic.

 

That's probably it. The imperial gallon vs U.S. gallon. Wonder why MB has MPG in the Canadian car as Canada is a metric country...


Anyway, if the display in the car is based on imperial gallon then the 36 MPG becomes 30.3 MPG and subtracting 1 - 2 MPG from the computer display it will bring it down to 28 - 29 MPG. But this would sound a bit low as I think my NA E550 would be close to this with 65 MPH on highway...?


One way to know what gallon volume the computer in the car is based on is to look at the L/100 km value. From that it is easy to calculate MPG in both gallon volumes.

 

Why stop at E350? Go for E250 or better yet get the E200 badge. Everyone will expect a 9 second sprint to 60. Boy will they be surprised.

 

The passing gas feature is my kids favorite one on the car!

 

^we call that the quief

 

Thanks Tobin. I'll have to try driving a bit slower on a few trips to see how it goes. I don't have any any complaints about mileage either. I didn't but a E550 because I was concerned about gas mileage. I bought it because it was a fun ride. Getting very decent gas mileage was just an unexpected benefit.

 

Not having any ethanol in the gas would also increase mileage a bit as ethanol burns less efficiently than gasoline.

 

I have recently purchased a 2012 E550 Coupe Bi turbo with a AMG package and Panorama Roof !!!! This car is very Rare and Blistering Fast!!! I Love everything about it, except that there is no Manuel Transmission option. I am going to wait till next year and then I will, "RennTech It " !!!! RennTech is 100% MB Accepted !!! Then I'll go Hunt Porsche ' s and Vette's , just to watch them run like Hell to try and get away !!!!



2012 E550 Coupe Bi turbo with AMG package

 

I already did mine.
But mine is a sedan.
So much fun on the road!!!

 

I have actually never seen a E-550 on island, just reading this thread is making me salivate. I have owned 21 vehicles in my life and only three did anything for me, my totaled 59' TR3 from London-neighbor sold it to me, my stolen 66 VW-Bug I converted to a P-256 Cabriolet 12 Volt, 1650 with Bilstein everything and my 78' 280Z (OK Nissan Dealer on Guam sold it to me for 10K cash-wrote check on the spot-he shipped it to Oahu-Hawaii, it dropped jaws and I use to blow 911's away every day (worked at Love Motors-Porsche-Audi Dealer) took 3 months to get every gasket and part needed to BPB her, took her apart on Friday night, used a file and triple beam scale to even it out and slept with her until I relit her on Sunday night and ruled. I am now 30 years older and could only find one well maintained 2011-VIN-880660-E-350 P1-SP under 20K miles at 29K dollars. I joined MB World to make it a sleeper and really enjoy learning about how to accomplish that, but now in my heart I know I will have to go to the East coast with my checkbook in hand and find a E-550 to sleep with, should not have read this thread-it will prove costly-but I cannot take it with me-right. Thanks for the insight and info on the E-550. Little info if I may, I have gotten 29.1 US MPG on 97-Octane without any crap additives on the E-350 at 29 minutes of 65-75 MPH on H-1 in E mode. I can get pure 100 (Used it in my 280Z) but it used to be 4.50 a gallon, now it is 16.00, I mix it 50/50 and the exhaust never got black only nice gray burns with a pink hue type ice forming on my cold to the touch dual manifold. I did this for 4 years with my 99' Acura T/L until a Subaru-WRX landed on me and totaled it, so I figured try it on the E-350, it works gents.

 

is that why we have ethanol in the states? makes perfect sense now

 

Gents, Ethanol has been banned in Hawaii, yes, the state finally figured it out. At 58 cents tax per gallon they had to do something right, go figure. Thanks

 

Articles on the net say the bill passed legislature, but may be vetoed by governor and it ended the tax credit for companies producing ethanol in Hawaii. Another said it ended the mandate for up to 10% ethanol. This doesn't prohibit imported gasoline from having ethanol.
Regardless, isn't there a federal law requiring ethanol in gasoline? As I underestand it, all gasoline sold in continental US must have up to 10% ethanol. Agri-business and ethanol industry wanted 15% but might not happen. Maybe, depends on Iowa and very wealthy ethanol lobby.
In this area of US, ALL gasoline has "up to 10%" ethanol. There are a few stations that sell non-ethanol, but it is generally premium and costs way more than ethanol blend regardless of grade.

 

Have any better pics where we can actually see your car?

 

Perhaps it depends on where you live. I live in NJ and I see at least a dozen E550 4matics a day, so while it isn't your run of the mill daily driver I wouldn't call it rare. One thing you can count on, it won't appreciate in value. Especially given that the resale value of the new "S" class (2014+) isn't doing very well. My dealer is loaded with used, cpo's and new 15's and he'll give you just about 10% off the sticker of a new one either on the lot or ordered. I am curious to see if the S600 is sold in any respectable numbers.
IMO there is no question that the "S" class looks too much like the "C" class cars and it's hurting sales of the "S" class. Time will tell.

 

Ethanol in our gasoline is a complex mess. The original argument was that blending ethanol into gasoline would reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Part of the whole green energy initiative involving biofuels and alternative energy sources. The federal regulation states all gasoline sold domestically must be at least 10 percent ethanol. The ethanol lobby wants that raised to 15 percent. The problem is ethanol is long-term corrosive to the fuel system and various engine parts. Only cars rated E85 can actually run 15 percent ethanol safely. At 15 percent most of our cars would require some expensive upgrades to prevent major engine problems.

Ethanol also adds to the cost at the pump, because ethanol cannot be shipped via the same pipelines as gasoline. It will corrode the pipes and lead to environmental spills all along the pipeline routes. So ethanol has to be shipped via tanker trucks and blended locally into gasoline supplies destined for gas stations. Right now there is a freeze on upping the blending and pumping of it from 10 percent nation-wide up at 15 percent levels exclusively. However, the ethanol lobby is pushing hard to get the freeze lifted and the mandate raised to 15 percent. All this emphasis on ethanol was before the whole horizontal fracking revolution took off and collapsed oil and natural gas prices domestically.

Since Iowa is a big corn producing state and Iowa is a critical swing state for vote in presidential elections, you also have that additional political factor of electorial votes wrapped into the equation. As I said, the rationale for ethanol is a complex mess.

Sorry for the verbose answer to your question.

 

It will be interesting to see if the Department of Energy will let Hawaii do that. That would be the first domino to fall in finally getting rid of ethanol from our gasoline. Keep us informed please.

 

Hi 1guitar,

Where in New Jersey do you live that you see a dozen E550's a day? I'm in Bergen county and I maybe see one or two a month on any of the major roads around here. There are tons of E350's of all types, but not E550's. I actually see a lot more CLS550's and S550's on a regular basis.