caf

I have my ML350 Diesel delivery scheduled for tomorrow. I'm well on board with the advantages of diesel powerplants, but when I returned yesterday after a week out of town I noticed that gas prices had dropped again, but diesel had not.

Regular gas: $3.09. Diesel: $4.09. Painful. Even compared to premium, it's an 80 cents per gallon difference. I'm going to stick with the diesel, but I'm not sure I'd order one today. That's an extra $20 per fill up.

Waykool plantz

Ordered mine yesterday...hope to see diesel parity reduced

GregW / Oregon

I may change my order to gas yet. It's crazy compared to other countries.

dcjwlee

Here is my calculation

ML350 - 17/22 mpg
ML350 BLUETEC - 20/27 mpg

Assume an average of 19.5/23.5 mpg and 24 gallons to fill up. Gas prices at an 80 cent difference.

ML350 - 468 miles per tank at $3.20 a gallon ($76.80)
ML 350 BLUETEC - 564 miles per tank at $4 a gallon ($96)

ML350 - 6.09 miles per dollar
ML350 BLUETEC - 5.88 miles per dollar.

ML350 - $2463 to drive 15,000 miles per year
ML350 BLUETEC - $2551 to drive 15,000 miles per year

A total difference of $88 over the course of the year. Double the difference between premium and diesel and you are still looking at under $200 a year.

Either way, you will be paying a greater premium for the powerplant itself than the fuel you put in it.

Go pick up a credit card that gives you discounts on fuel if you don't have one and boom.... difference negated.

Just make sure cash/credit is the same price!!!!

listerone

For all you new-comers to diesel...particularly *Mercedes* diesels....you must keep a couple of very important points in mind:

1) One cannot use the price of *Regular* as a reference point for fuel prices.Unless I'm mistaken there's not a single Mercedes currently sold in the US that doesn't *require* (as opposed to "recommend") Premium so that should be your reference point.

2) Although fuel prices are affected at least partially by local/regional considerations (as opposed to national/international ones) my experience is that diesel prices are higher in the winter because of the demand for home heating oil.

In *my* neck of the woods Diesel,today,is about 20 cents/gal higher than Premium (something like 7%) and given that my Bluetec's EPA rating is 37% better than the V-6 gas E Class I figure that I'm still *way* ahead of the game.

Also,my experience is that in warmer weather months Diesel tends to be between Mid Grade and Premium...which is even better.

listerone

My experience with my Bluetec clearly indicates that the EPA Highway rating is noticeably conservative.It's rated at 33mpg and I easily get 38mpg at 68mph.

Can't speak for the accuracy of the gas engine models however.

dcjwlee

Listerone, I was just using the numbers I found on MBUSA. Those are some great numbers though...

caf

You obviously have a much smaller differential than we do in the Midwest. Is that because your gasoline prices are higher, or diesel prices are lower?

Yesterday, for us:
Regular gas $3.06
Premium (BP) $3.30
Diesel: $4.09

YYZ-E55

Don't forget that the resale value on your BlueTEC will be better than the gas equivalent...

listerone

I read just the other day that diesel prices have been impacted by the huge demand for diesel that currently exists in the Dakotas (and elsewhere?) because of the oil boom there....fueling numerous pieces of equipment,IIRC.If I read the report correctly and it was accurate then one can suspect that prices in the Midwest are being impacted more than in other parts of the country.

Addendum:just found this link to a recent news story which addresses the issue of current diesel supply
http://journalstar.com/business/loca...2ef03f5b4.html

caf

Thanks. I think that helps explain what's going on.

In the meantime, I just went by Shell this afternoon-- $2.99/gal ! That's the first sub- $3 price I've seen in quite a while.

Jim Brady

I plan on towing and 455 lbs ft of torque makes it a no brainer for the bluetec.