When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
They probably just have higher average speeds than you... less stop/go, or shorter idle times, or higher top speeds... all of these will bump up the averages.
The biggest question is... how do other people reporting 14,15 and even 19 mpg in city get to those numbers?
Driving in the city can mean many things, one can get less then 10 MPG driving in NY city during rush hour and if that same car is driving thru a city in Texas or Florida, it can get close to 20 MPG. Remember, you are driving a car with 400+ HP that weights over 4000 pounds, it takes a lot of energy to get it moving from stop.
I thought about calculating it using the method you mentioned. But the problem with that is I cannot be sure that my tank is really almost empty when I fill up. I don't know how much gas do I have left when the warning first comes up, and when the range is gone with "fill up now" message.
For example, if there were 2-3 gallons left, that can screw up my calculations.
OP = Original Poster (you, in this case ;-)
It doesn't matter how much gas is left in your tank. Take the miles driven divided by the number of gallons, assuming you fill it up each time.
My trip computer always reads a little high, so I do calculate the MPG directly.
Normally in the city, that's NYC, my mpg also read 11.8. I drive about 20 minutes and around 5 miles one way, on roads which literally have a stop sign or stop light on every block. There are buses, school buses, maintenance truck, garbage truck and pedestrian that like to not look or stand in the middle of the street texting and not move. So my city MPG isn't good. Sometimes looking for parking can eat up almost a quarter of a tank.
I originally thought there was something wrong with my mpg. Did some test on highway and city driving at night and got difference number. I get the advertise mileage in those conditions.
I didn't get a chance to go to the dealership today. But I was looking at MPG on the COMAND (central) screen today on the way to work. My MPG on the screen changed between 9.5 to 24 mpg. But the 'from start' on the IC was still reading 11.8 (which probable was the average.)
The roads on my commute are not as busy as in NYC for sure. But one conclusion that I am making is that the reading on the IC when going slow is not accurate. It calculates pretty well on highway speeds as the speed is more constant.
Will still check with the dealer though. Will ask them to check the air filters too.
It doesn't matter how much gas is left in your tank. Take the miles driven divided by the number of gallons, assuming you fill it up each time.
My trip computer always reads a little high, so I do calculate the MPG directly.
+1, doesn't matter how empty tank was when you filled up. Just be sure to fill up to the click off. Then you should get consistent readings over time. I use the trip meter and reset it with each fill up. Could also used the 'since reset' trip meter if you want.
My trip computer reads high also - between 0.5-1.0 mpg too high.
+1, doesn't matter how empty tank was when you filled up. Just be sure to fill up to the click off. Then you should get consistent readings over time. I use the trip meter and reset it with each fill up. Could also used the 'since reset' trip meter if you want.
My trip computer reads high also - between 0.5-1.0 mpg too high.
Thanks, but my goal was to calculate how much gas it burnt in city as I am happy with the MPG at highway speeds. My "since reset" usually includes both highway and city driving.
My '12 E550 Sedan usually reports 25-27MPG during my mostly highway commute that's half actual highway speeds (65+) and half stop/go and back roads.
During more dedicated highway driving using E I've seen over 30MPG reported by the trip computer. Not sure if this is accurate vs. trip/gallons calculation, but this car impressed me with better mileage than my last awd sedan (Acura RL with more than 100 fewer HP). -1-2 MPG average with 4 Snow Tires and winter fuel blend on this 63k miles, OE tuned beast.
Thanks, but my goal was to calculate how much gas it burnt in city as I am happy with the MPG at highway speeds. My "since reset" usually includes both highway and city driving.
I hear you. Not sure how often you get on the highway, but you could always fill up, then drive for a few days in the city and then top off tank again. Even if it is a few gallons you should get an idea with a manual calculation. Doesn't have to be a whole tank of gas in the city to get an idea.
Thanks, but my goal was to calculate how much gas it burnt in city as I am happy with the MPG at highway speeds. My "since reset" usually includes both highway and city driving.
If it makers you feel any better, I did a test this morning. From a cold start to work, about 5.5 miles and around 12 stop lights, I got the same as you 11.8 MPG.
If it makers you feel any better, I did a test this morning. From a cold start to work, about 5.5 miles and around 12 stop lights, I got the same as you 11.8 MPG.
Thanks for that the G Man. I had the dealer to look at the MPG and the air filter. They said it was within the specs.
If I look at the consumption on the Comand screen (see the picture above) instead of the Since Start on IC, my average in town with an average speed of 13mph is 13.5 mpg.
Not bad for a 9 year old car with 5.5 liter NA engine with 154 000 miles on it driving 79 mph (75 average speed).
The actual MPG normally is 1.5 lower than the car displays driving including 10% - 15% city traffic but this was 100% interstate highway, which allowed me to get that high average speed, and for that I think the actual is only 1.0 MPG or less below what is displayed..
Hand-calculated MPG for my 2012 W212 E550 with 4.7L TT err biturbo (50k mi):
* City mileage with moderate “stop and go” is consistently 20.5-21.5mpg.
* Hwy mileage is 26-28mpg and seems strangely impervious to the speed travelled.
In comparison to my old ride, my 2012 E550 is faster, has awd vs rwd, is 700lbs heavier, gets the same city mileage and better hwy mileage. This is progress!
Im in Florida, stop and go traffic is horrible on gas mileage, like people have said our cars are heavy and it takes some oomph to get them going from a start... do you have the eco button ? my wife tends to leave it on... assuming that's really helpful in stop and go traffic...
The 11.8 does sound suspicious but if you take the same route at the same time every morning... that may be correct, but like others have said check your MPG manually. Fill the tank, reset the trip meter, drive for a week, fill it again and note how many miles you drive and how many gallons you used... say you drove 25 miles and used 2.1 gallons, miles/gallons... you get 11.9mpg
True statements.... cruising at 15mph means your in 3-4 gear maybe... not good for gas mileage
Our City Traffic in Sarasota means us NOT going on the main roads and sitting in traffic, we tend to skirt around the outside and hit less lights, go faster aka higher gears and average around 19-21mpg... these TT V8's have tons of torque down low so you can tap the pedal gently and it accelerates kinda like an old big block car... no need to really nail it like Smaller NA V8's...
Highway mileage is phenomenal for us like people have said 27+ ... we went from Sarasota to Chicago last year. Averaged 27+..... that was cruising at 80-90 plus... even got the ticket
Hope this helps,
Mike
P.S. Don't ask about the AMG gas mileage that will just make you cry... That one is measured in smiles per mile
I get better mpg around 75-80ish mph. So far the best ive seen was 27.1 on freeway. After i replaced engine air filters... before that was getting 26.4ish.
I'm very impressed with the gas mileage as well! Over 8k miles of ownership I'm averaging 22.2 mpg per the computer. I drive 60/40 highway/city split and average 26 - 27 in free moving traffic and about 18 - 20 in heavier stop-and-go traffic.
I've seen as hight as 28.5 over a 30 mile commute, but that's not the norm!
Not bad for a 9 year old car with 5.5 liter NA engine with 154 000 miles on it driving 79 mph (75 average speed).
The actual MPG normally is 1.5 lower than the car displays driving including 10% - 15% city traffic but this was 100% interstate highway, which allowed me to get that high average speed, and for that I think the actual is only 1.0 MPG or less below what is displayed..
All of you guys have never met real stop and go traffic! Easily 8-10mpg city for me hahaha. In more suburban areas probably 12-14mpg city. Only on long distance travels with minimal stops will I ever see 24+ mpg.
I had a stretch of 5000 miles on the odo with mpg at "--.- mpg", probably because it was so terrible
Might also be related to ecu tune + heavier foot...
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
