GL350 Mileage
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MBWorld Fanatic!
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2020 G63, 2021 E450 All-Terrain Wagon
GL350 Mileage
Today, I averaged 15.7 mpg with my GL350 during mixed city/highway driving on a 70 mile trip. Is this normal? Whenever I fill up now, my range is only 400 and something miles, not 600 like it was before. If there is anything wrong, what should I do to fix it???
Thanks in advanced.
Thanks in advanced.
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From: B.C.
GL 320cdi, Chevrolet Avalanchero, GLE 350 (on order)
Lots of stop & go, idling and heavy A/C use can pull your average down substantially. Don't forget it is a distance/consumption equation, so every moment stopped adds consumption without distance. So, even over 70 miles, it might be hard to make up for 10 minutes of idling or stuck in traffic, by the computers reckoning.
Any of this apply?
Any of this apply?
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2010 E350 Coupe, 2010 GL350 Bluetec
Mine is now just over 5000 miles and mostly city. I gave it a test for highway a couple weeks ago on a trip of 65 miles. Reset it when I got on highway and read as soon as I got off. I set the cruise at 65 mph (with Distronic). The reading was just over 30mpg and that included 15 minutes bumper to bumper through the city.
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15 GL550
BTW no, the EPA numbers didn't change. I'm not sure if 2 lb/ft of torque would change the numbers though. 2 lb/ft is what, a .5% increase?
Last edited by 43221B; Jun 22, 2010 at 02:44 PM.
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
Just because an engine CAN make more power [torque] doesn't mean it does in actual use. The fuel to create 100 lb-ft of torque is the same regardless of engine (as long as the engines are the same basic design - pistons, bore, etc and the same order of magnitude in general torque / horsepower peak output). Small differences in rated peak output will have no effect on the fuel consumption at fractional output. There are undoubtedly differences in the 320 vs the 350 efficiency due to different fuel maps because less egr recirculation is necessary on the 350 due to the availability of BluTec fluid to control NOx.
Last edited by Fourdiesel; Jun 22, 2010 at 06:36 PM.
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15 GL550
I agree with you but do you have any insight on the difference between the 2009 320 Bluetec and the 2010 350 Bluetec? I'm sort of sceptical of there being any real difference.
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
I don't have any direct knowledge of the differences. Even the emission requirements differences are minimal. If I had to guess I'd say the difference is 30. 350-320=30!
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2010 GL350
I had that problem with my 2010 GL350. My GL350 was getting about 16 mpg in 30-40 mph driving with range of 5-10 miles and 19-20 mpg on highways. I brought my truck in three times for dianostics but nothing found until CEL came on on my third trip to dealer and they finally diagnosed the faulty adblue pump and had that replaced. That was 2 months ago with 7,000 miles. Now I am closer to 10,000 miles and mpg has been great. Did a round trip from Bay Area to San Luis Obispo averaging 25-26 mpg the whole trip with AC running half the time. In city driving I am getting 22-23 mpg. Check out the previous link: https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ine-light.html
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
2004 RX330, 2008 Scion xB, 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid, 2010 Toyot Prius v ATP
35mpg over an entire 350 mile trip? That has to have been in absolutely ideal conditions. Loaded with four people, two small dogs and all our clothes/etc. for a long weekend, and with crosswinds the whole time, I got around 22mpg average at freeway speeds (I-10 in to about Los Angeles, fairly flat). If you're doing actual calculations (and not relying on the trip computer) that show 35mpg average over an entire 350 mile trip and not just one section or something, I'm very impressed. And a little confused.
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From: San Francisco, CA / Middlebury, CT
600 SWB
Just got back from a 2,900 mile trip back and forth to Disney World from Connecticut. 27.9 mpg averaging 70-75 mph on the freeway, A/C on, and several rain storms on the way back up.
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15 GL550
The diesel is pretty incredible on those long trips. How many miles were you going between fillups?
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From: San Francisco, CA / Middlebury, CT
600 SWB
As few as 300 miles and as many as 500 miles. I was trying to optimize tank fill-ups and the price of fuel. In some cases through VA and NC, I found diesel for as low as $2.699 per gallon (a far cry from $3.519 in CT).
Last edited by dbtk; Jul 14, 2010 at 01:07 PM.
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
2004 RX330, 2008 Scion xB, 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid, 2010 Toyot Prius v ATP
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15 GL550
The diesel runs one gear lower that it needs to at speeds between about 25 and 45 mph. Only when gently accelerating for quite some time will it "learn" to run in a higher gear at those speeds. So, if you want even better mileage, use your right paddle to shift up a gear at speeds below 45. This has been discussed before but I think it is worth repeating for new 350 owners.
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
The diesel runs one gear lower that it needs to at speeds between about 25 and 45 mph. Only when gently accelerating for quite some time will it "learn" to run in a higher gear at those speeds. So, if you want even better mileage, use your right paddle to shift up a gear at speeds below 45. This has been discussed before but I think it is worth repeating for new 350 owners.
I would also like to see the actual gear it is in displayed (where P/N/D show) rather than just the D all the time.
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From: Scottsdale, AZ
2004 RX330, 2008 Scion xB, 2001 Honda Insight Hybrid, 2010 Toyot Prius v ATP
Click once on the left paddle (even by mistake when turning a corner) and you get the LOWSET gear possible rather than the next gear down. On upshift with the right paddle you sometimes get one gear at a time but other times it jumps all the way to drive. I never can tell when this is going to happen.
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: NW corner of CONUS
2008 GL 320 CDI, 2004 VW V10 Touareg TDI
On mine (stock m-b text wheel w/ heat) the switches are rockers but are only momentary contact single throw - ie 'on' or 'off'. Left side for downshift, right side for upshift (but only when all other parameters are satisfied, including pissing me off!
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