320CDI Fuel consumption

[Pynchon]

I've just acquired a used E320CDI w211 Estate. Great car, but I'm puzzled by its fuel consumption.
At a fair cruising speed, say an indicated 83, the fuel consumption is only an indicated 32; my previous car , a W210 E320 Cdi estate, the figure was about 40 mpg. Is this difference realistic?
What should one expect from this car ( its the earlier one with the straight 6)
and, equally important, what might be causing the poor consumption?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[djb]

take a look at......

http://www.spritmonitor.de/en/

if you register the searches are selectable to uk units.

 

[waggers]

I'm averaging anything between 35 to 41 mpg but I'm generally doing trips of around 60 to 80 miles at a time. Smaller journeys and winter time bring it down to around 32 to 37mpg.

 

[nigelstgeorge]

I have just done a 3,011 trip across France and averaged 37.3MPG. On one journey of 21 miles I averaged 51MPG and on another day I did 33 miles and averaged 45 MPG. Over the last 5 days across Provence and up through the mountains surrounding the Adeche we did over 1200 miles and averaged 40 MPG.

This is in a W211 2005 E320CDi estate.

Personally I think this is pretty good and a lovely car for touring with as everything gets dumped in the back.

 

[nigelstgeorge]

sorry should have posted these photos showing MPG obtained.

 

[55palfers]

total miles 29985.00
MPG 39.96

In my 2006 saloon I got this average over 12 months on Sainsbury's diesel

 

[Peter De La Mare]

I find that anything over 70mph really knocks the efficiency on my car.

80+ and it's really poor.

I have the same car, and the best I've achieved was 45mpg whilst driving like Mother Theresa, only slower.

 

[st4]

I find that anything over 70mph really knocks the efficiency on my car.

80+ and it's really poor.

I have the same car, and the best I've achieved was 45mpg whilst driving like Mother Theresa, only slower.

Hmmmm. 80mph in indicated in my 320cdi V6 and we have 40mpg average.

70mph this is say 44mpg. So a greater than 10% increase in speed for a 10% increase in consumption. Fair enough to me.

I can coax 46mpg from my V6 CDi being gentle.

Non sport cars will be better with narrower tyres.

 

[theace]

My 2003 320cdi estate owned from new, now on 126000 regularly beats 40mpg. Just back from The Alps cruising at 80 did 44mpg (with a tail wind). The wind does make a difference as I do this journey regularly and sometimes it drops to 38 into a headwind. Cruising at 60 it is easy to achieve 50. best was 64mpg driving home from Belgium at 50 on my spacesaver spare!! Thats the way to save the climate!!!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

My 2003 320cdi estate owned from new, now on 126000 regularly beats 40mpg. Just back from The Alps cruising at 80 did 44mpg (with a tail wind). The wind does make a difference as I do this journey regularly and sometimes it drops to 38 into a headwind. Cruising at 60 it is easy to achieve 50. best was 64mpg driving home from Belgium at 50 on my spacesaver spare!! Thats the way to save the climate!!!

all you need is another 3 space savers - 100 mpg?

Seriously though, one of the motoring comics did a piece on driving a car (SAAB 93 IIRC) on 4 space savers. It went just as well as would make no difference, compared with the correctly shod car. It would have probably done even better in snow, with the skinny tyres.

 

[47p2]

Just went to Edinburgh and back this morning in the S320 and the fuel consumption was 44.2mpg. Not bad considering it was rush hour when I left Glasgow

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Just went to Edinburgh and back this morning in the S320 and the fuel consumption was 44.2mpg. Not bad considering it was rush hour when I left Glasgow

Spot on - and exactly my experience of an S 220 with around 50,000 miles on it. I think they are a well kept secret and a secret weapon in the fuel economy debate.

Is the W 220 CD figure (0.27 IIRC) better than that of the W 211/212 or the W 221 I wonder?

 

[Peter De La Mare]

Hmmmm. 80mph in indicated in my 320cdi V6 and we have 40mpg average.

70mph this is say 44mpg. So a greater than 10% increase in speed for a 10% increase in consumption. Fair enough to me.

I can coax 46mpg from my V6 CDi being gentle.

Non sport cars will be better with narrower tyres.

My car is an inefficient pig compared to yours. That sucks.

I'd never get out of the 30s driving at 80mph. 35 is more like it.

 

[S.Speed]

Just went to Edinburgh and back this morning in the S320 and the fuel consumption was 44.2mpg. Not bad considering it was rush hour when I left Glasgow

God thats better than mine !!!

 

[S.Speed]

Spot on - and exactly my experience of an S 220 with around 50,000 miles on it. I think they are a well kept secret and a secret weapon in the fuel economy debate.

Is the W 220 CD figure (0.27 IIRC) better than that of the W 211/212 or the W 221 I wonder?

I suspect that the V6 Diesels are greedier on fuel through trying to meet the ever more stringent emissions criteria..

 

[47p2]

Bollocks to the emissions, I want mpg

 

[S.Speed]

Bollocks to the emissions, I want mpg

Haha.. Nice one John...
Its quite ironic that in trying to be so called green they are using more fuel..
A case in point is the 2 - 5mpg LESS when fitted with a DPF !!!

Bye the way I have just been looking at the photos of that lovely old Rover of yours.. The paint looks like its 5 mm thick !!!
I loved the smell of the leather...
Its criminal that modern cars seem to have engineered out that gorgeous smell.

 

[47p2]

If we were living in a green environment life wouldn't be worth living

Don't go telling everyone about the smell of the interior Simon, I'll be getting visitors every weekend if they know

 

[st4]

Yes emissions tech does hinder the MPG and power. The V6 has more of this than the I6 engine, although the OPs should do better than 35mpg @ indicated 80mph.

Try running millers fuel additive, decent branded fuel etc.

Alex, 0.27cd is a lot better than a 211. 0.27 is about as good as it gets for a car, I think the E coupe (207) is 0.25 or something and thats the most areodynamic car in the world.

Both Johns car, and Alex's old car would appear to be marginally more efficient than my car and Simons.

Although I have steamrollers for tyres which won't help matters.

 

[Developer]

Although I have steamrollers for tyres which won't help matters.

3 steamrollers and 1 fluffy marshmallow surely Steve?