I saw this written up in the NY Times. Apparently the EPA is now listing fuel economy data on used vehicles dating back to 1984. It's an attempt to provide 'official' and 'standardized' data on fuel mileage for the used car market. So, if you're a seller, you can look up the vehicle and print an official-looking EPA certificate of fuel economy.

I looked up my 85 wagon. 19 city / 23 highway / 21 combined. Seriously? Seems a bit low in my experience. Nonetheless, perhaps now we'll see fewer 240D / 300D sellers claiming "40 MPG!"

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-1985 300TD - 324k mi on chassis. MB "Tauschaggregat" 617 motor + 4-speed conversion
Alaska Roadtrip 2009
-2002 E320 Wagon - 197k mi
-1998 E320 Wagon - 310k mi - retired

Nothing like the real life data from here. 23-25mpg is the standard range here.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

My LOW combined has been 27 mpg on my '87 300D. My worst has been 25 and best has been 31 and change. I think a 5 speed auto overdrive would be good for 3-5 mpg more. Dropping 400 to 600 rpm at 65mph would have to do something. The site is accurate for my '06 Silverado 4wd though.

Sounds about right for a W123 wagon. My driving is 90% rural and I get a consistent 24 mpg in my '82.

I drive with a lead foot in my '85 wagon and I always get 21. Now, I just fixed my wastegate hose today. Let's see if that changes anything...

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'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

The Punsihment Agency rated the stillborn Mahindra PU at 19/21. I wonder what that's all about, as the importer claimed 30 MPG. They could have a hidden agenda with their low diesel ratings.

My 123 wagon averaged 24mpg, and ranged from 19-28mpg. So 21 isn't too far. I'd bump it up to 23mpg probably. But it give about as good an idea as it does for newer cars.

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I'm averaging 27 mpg in my 83 300DT running VO. Getting consistent 500 to 510 miles before the reserve light comes on.

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Seems they rate the 560sec at 13mpg. -CTH

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- cth350@gmail.com
http://www.111lakeside.com/

That is exactly the mileage I get. My ALDA is tweaked for power. Turned until it smoked and backed off until it just didn't. Curiously my wife's 84SD
has always returned better mileage than the TD, even though it's bigger and heavier. We get close to the same in town but she gets 26-28 on trips to my 23.

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85 300TD FED-Daily
84 300SD-Wife's
86 XJS-Sunday
66 GMC-Work- Given to my stepson
83 BMW Airhead- Given to my stepson

Sounds about right for lead foot driving.

I made it down to 19 mpg once.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

Their findings seem to work much better than the old ones. That is not too far off. I do not have the wagon. But, I have seen as low as 21 and as high as 28. Normal driving usually returns 24 to 25 if I keep the speeds 75 MPH and below. I tend to drive it pretty hard since the car is so slow in the first place.

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AJ

1985 300D (SOLD)

Yeah I was just looking at those recently ... the new ratings for my 87 are 22/27, averaging 24. It's funny, the old, "inaccurate" ratings for this car were almost perfectly in line with my data: 25-30, averaging 27. In the winter when if I'm doing a lot of city driving, I drop down to about 25. In the summer on the highway I've gotten as high as almost 33.
Sadly I think the newer ratings are premised on this: Most Americans drive like complete @^^holes, rendering sensible ratings useless.

That said, nothing beats the Consumer Reports review of my 2005 Liberty CRD: 11 mpg. Wait, what are "return lines"?

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

300SDL is 19/21 . I would like to find the driver that could get my 300SDL's to burn a gallon in 21 miles. That would be a hell of a ride. I get 25 every time I check it and I never spare the oil.

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1986 300 SDL - rolling parts car and test bed.
1987 300 SDL - semi daily driver.
1977 U1000 Unimog
2007 Ram 2500 6.7l