Coreysimms

I filled up my new ML350 bluetec yesterday. With a good mix of slow city traffic and couple of short highway trips I averaged 24.2 MPG. The cars computer actually said 21.9, so I beat that easily.
After the fill up, I did a 100 mile round trip visit to my brothers house, the Computer is reading 27.3 MPG. It will be awhile before I can calculate actual mileage because fill ups are not going to be that often.

MLee

Congrats on a great vehicle and welcome. Sorry, i dont understand your post. Its not a Hyundai, just enjoy the drive. Fuel economy is only a factor in how far you can go between fills.

Mlee

Coreysimms

I know it's not a Hyundai, but to some of us raising a family, economy is important. If I didn't care about mileage I would've bought an ML550.

14MLBT

That's why I got rid of my 12 ML350 for a 14 BlueTEC. When it was just me and my wife, it was from 12 X5M to 12 Range Rover Sports.... By far its the best SUV with good MPG IMO.

MLee

In Australia the ML is $120,000. A Hyundai is $15000. You cannot possibly be serious about economy. When you get older, you will realize you went thru much of your life unnecessarily trying to justify purchases.
I also enjoy the low fuel consumption of the ML, but for the end result of infrequent fills and the ability to travel all day without having to stop. Not for a false or unwarranted justification based on economy.
It is great, but please put it in its place way way way down the list of much more important attributes and just enjoy.

Ps. Fuel in Aus is $1.57 / litre. My guess is you get it cheaper than that.
Mlee

dgiturbo

Miles will improve with age. Enjoy.

Coreysimms

Maybe if I lived down under I would buy the Hyundai. Here in America I paid about half of what you paid. About the same price as a loaded Ford F150. So apples and oranges I guess. If I could afford to spend $120000 it would probably be an E63 or a C63 Black....yeah!!!!!

Gerry_C

Diesel costs more in California than premium gas. I don't think you will save much more than 3 cents per mile on fuel over a ML350 (figured using mid range estimates of EPA city/highway and diesel being 20 cents more per gallon.) If you drive 10K miles per year, figure MAYBE $300 per year savings in fuel costs. Probably you will save less in fuel costs than the extra money you paid for the diesel on a yearly basis.

Unless you pull a heavy trailer I can not see how a diesel can be justified over a gas on costs alone. But if you ignore the extra crap coming out of the tailpipe you can at least feel a little greener. I'm looking to purchase an ML next year and will probably go with the 550, as the M278 is just plain freaking unreal (at least in my E550 Cabriolet.)

Coreysimms

I know it varies on region, but Diesel is about 8 to 10 cents more a gallon than supreme right now. I found a big diffrence in prices depending on the stations. Much as 30 cents a gallon difference. So I think it will pay for itself in three years. I am getting around 30 mpg on the highway. The most surprising part is that in slow bay area traffic I am getting about 21 mpg.

Gerry_C

I did a quick check of the three major truckstop chains (I have phone apps for the three major chains, handy if driving a motorhome with a 100 gallon tank) and they all show about a 40 cent spread right now in the east bay/central area between super and diesel, so you are doing very good to only pay a dime a gallon more than super.

30 MPG highway is outstanding, much higher than I have seen anyone else report. It is especially good since you are not even broken in yet. I may have to reconsider the 550 with that kind of mileage. I will be pulling a 6000lbs. horse trailer which is why I did not consider the gas 350. That kind on mileage makes the diesel look very tempting.

dgiturbo

When I pull my 6000# RV with the ML, at 50-55MPH highway on flat roads I see 14MPG.

Hills, bumps and headwinds easily make that number drop though.

Also remember mine is older, (2007) the 2014+ have more power and torque so less throttle/fuel is needed to do what I do.

Where I just filled up today, diesel was 3.75 and premium was 3.69.

dgiturbo

By the way, curious to see how the newer ones compare in distance per miles.

In summer 2008, I drove from Woodstock, IL to Lanham, MD for a total of 743 miles on 1 really full tank. Family of 4 in the car, AC on auto as always.

Any W166 driver do better yet?

Coreysimms

743 is damn good. My wife and I are doing a road trip up the northern coast of California. I will have to see how far we can get on a tank.

14MLBT

I drove mine yesterday from 65-75 mph and it varied. Mostly hills and I was doing 30.1 MPG.

Coreysimms

That's really good. I was hoping to put in some highway miles this weekend, but I am a little under the weather.

whattodo

My my14 just turned 2100 miles and last fill up I go 22.5 mpg. This is about 90% city driving and I kind of have a heavy foot.