Jaspers raised a Query, on another post of mine, re my E320 CDi Estate Car's 0 - 60 MPH time that is on my Banner.

I Quote 7.8 Secs.

M/B UK Quotes - Acceleration 0-62.5 mph (secs) 8.3

I ran mine up using a very PRO piece of Kit, not from the Auto industry, that utilies Solid State accelerometers and a 3 Axis Gyro.
You only have to weigh the Car and input the Total in Kg's immediatly before the test.
When you are ready to go it has to be stationary for 5 seconds before you start.

Whilst I am fairly technical it seemed like magic to me.
Accuracy is better than 1%.

My Kerb Weight was - 1829 Kg including Myself, Passenger, Fuel and Factory Extras.
Less Spare wheel and tools (To partly allow for the passenger who had to work the "Gismo". He would not let me play with it unsupervised)

M/B has about 25% Fuel and Driver Only for tests so this seemed fair.

Mine is an Avantgard Model with lowered Suspension. (Don't know if this would help ??)

Tyres were inflated and checked to standard road use Lbs Sq In.

We set the record point to 96.6 Kph (A whisker over 60 MPH)

The M/B Figure of 62.5 MPH is a rough conversion of their 0 - 100 KPH timing.
62 .5 MPH actually equals = 100.58375 KPH = 8.3 Seconds (Quote - M/B UK Web Site)

This was an average of 6 Runs (3 Each Way to allow for windage)
Max was 7.93 - Min was 7.71. Very low windspeed that day.

The surface we were on was absolutely flat and smooth as a billiard ball.

The Tiptronic Gearbox was left to do it's own thing.

I left the ASR on (We have a factory supplied switch to turn it off in the UK)

I let the revs go to about 2k or so before lifting the brakes, to get the Turbo spun up, and I did a number of practice starts to get the technique right.

This was on my old, 2000 Model, that had done 47k Miles.

I recently did the same with my new, 2002 Model CDi Estate Car (Silver), at 14k Miles and the result was almost identical (Less than 0.1 second) over the same 6 runs on a Zero Windspeed day.

We actually tried 2 runs, on the Old car with the ASR switched off and suffered by almost 0.4 Second.
When we tried ASR = ON and me changing gear, using the Tiptronic, the results were terrible.
I'm sure thay would have been improved with practice but I hardly ever use it in day-to-day motoring.
Shows how good ASR and the Tiptronic Gearbox are.

The interesting point comes when we analysed the data in depth over a drink later.
It showed that up to about 6 - 8 Mph the average rate of accelleration was not brilliant.
But as soon as the Diesel Engine started to bite into the Torque Curve (347 Ft Lbs, More than a M/B V8 500 Engine) and the Turbo was fully Spun-Up it really started to Fly.

In fact I have experienced more ASR indications with this Diesel engine when I first had the Black model, in the wet driving normally (But Robustly), than I ever thought would occur.

Hope this clarifies my 0 - 60 MPH statement.

Regards

Mike

Mike,

These 320 CDI machines sound pretty nice. When you are driving normally, what kind of fuel mileage do you get? I am curious as over here I don't think anyone is marketing a car of this size and performance level that gets 30 plus miles per US Gallon of fuel. Cars typically get mid to low 20's of miles per US gallon or less if they can get out of their own way and do it now and then. Thanks, Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jim,

You asked about MPG.

I regularly get 40 MPG (33 MPG US Gallon) on a trip from my home in Bristol to a fellow Directors base near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire.

About 150 Miles, 90% on Motorway, cruising at a steady 75 - 80 Mph.

Door to door Beziers (Far South of France) to Bristol (UK) was 1071 miles driven coming back from our Holiday last year.
Used the Channel Tunnel to get from mainland Europe to UK.
Just under 29 gallons for trip. Average 37.1 mpg (31 MPG US Gallon).
Average speed for journey was 62.8, including some coffee stops and the Tunnel.

Lots of miles (Hundreds) at 90+ Mph and a Hair-Raising drive around the Paris Peripheque at 90+ in heavy traffic, outside lane, with guys behind flashing their headlight for me to move over.
Bloody Minded French Drivers, could not stand a GB Plate car in front of them. (Blue Area on left Hand Side of Number Plate in Picture says GB. This is how it's done in EEC nowerdays.)

Took just over 17 hours in total.

My normal driving on the urban motorway into Bristol and generally in the Urban area, fighting the traffic, rarely sees me under 30 MPG (25 MPG US Gallon). I do drive robustly by the way.

Mind you with Diesel & Petrol at £3.70 Pounds a Gallon ($4.90c a US Gallon) you need an economic car to live in the UK.
We are the most expensive country in the EEC for Fuel.
Diesel is 25% less in France.

As you can see I have managed to find a car that is not expensive to run, but will blow-off most other vehicles in it's class, and higher, with ease, especially BMW's.
I just hope the owners are well educated enough to know what CDi means but I doubt it.

By the way, in Europe, you find two sets of drivers who have either M/B's or BMW but would NEVER buy the alternate even if tortured.
Almost a relegious thing especially in UK & Germany.
Wonder if it's something genetic.
Does this happen in the States ???


Mike

The technology in today's diesels is just amazing. I can only hope that the U.S. gets higher quality fuel which, in turn, will allow these cars to pass our emissions requirements. The performance and efficiency such as the CDI should cast aside anyone's doubts about diesel being a viable alternative in passenger cars. Until then, I can only wallow in a pool of envy! Take care.

Mike,

All I can say is WOW!.

Yes, we have the gene over here too. There are MB people and BMW people. I think the guys at the car magazines are mostly BMW types as they routinely put MB's down because they think MB's are too cold, without endearing flaws and mostly, expensive.

We will be getting the E320CDI this Fall. I look forward to testing it out as I have driven the E500 and expect the E320CDI will come pretty close. I cannot imagine the E320 gas (or E350 now?) maintaining its sales share here, but you never know. The E300D TurboDiesel I drive is pretty close to the E320 gas car, yet gets 30 mpg in real life and became extinct in two model years.

Thanks for sharing your experience with these machines. Makes us even more eager to get our hands on one here. Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

jaspers,

I have questioned why a machine with a much more low end torque as the 320CDI can't accelerate an E or S Class vehicle as fast or faster than the gas 3.2 liter engine. It may be in the final drive ratio, but that CDI engine should still be capable of outperforming the gas unit of the same displacement. I will eagerly await the tests of the car when it appears over here by Autoweek, Road & Track and Car & Driver. I suspect the marketing department is behind the numbers - have to maintain that gas car market share.... Jim

__________________
Own:
1986 Euro 190E 2.3-16 (291,000 miles),
1998 E300D TurboDiesel, 231,000 miles -purchased with 45,000,
1988 300E 5-speed 252,000 miles,
1983 240D 4-speed, purchased w/136,000, now with 222,000 miles.
2009 ML320CDI Bluetec, 89,000 miles

Owned:
1971 220D (250,000 miles plus, sold to father-in-law),
1975 240D (245,000 miles - died of body rot),
1991 350SD (176,560 miles, weakest Benz I have owned),
1999 C230 Sport (45,400 miles),
1982 240D (321,000 miles, put to sleep)

Jaspers

M/B UK Quote 8.3s 0 - 62.5 for Estate E320 CDi & 7.9s for the Saloon E320CDi (W210 Model)

The new W211 E320 CDi Saloon is 0 - 62.5 in 7.7s. No figure on W211 Estate yet.

HP & Torque can vary from Country to Country due to changes in spec however in Europe now they seem to be the same.

Regards

Mike