I want to start by saying that I love my 560SEL. I just don't love the 15 mpg. I have done everything in my power to bring up the MPG. It has came up a little, from 12 when I bought her, to 15 now that I have replaced Plugs (w. Bosch Platinum 2), Wires (Bosch), Air Filter, Smog Pump Filter, and cleaned the cap and rotor. I am keeping the car, on that there is no question. I was wondering, though, what do you think of something like a
190E, or 300E for a running around car. Not a especially late model piece, something from the 80's or early 90's. What kind of mileage should I expect? And are they pretty reliable?
Thanks, God Bless,
Dave.

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Currently Driving:
1986 Mercedes Benz 560SEL
1994 Lincoln Town Car
1994 Cadillac Deville
1985 Lincoln Town Car- Retired

The Official Car of a Realtor- Lincoln Town Car
The Official Car of the Successful Independent Insurance Agent- Mercedes Benz S Class

My 420SEL only gets about 16-17 MPG but I figure that's just the price of admission. I might suggest a GM car with the 3800 engine...they tend to be really fuel efficient. I don't have a smaller MB at the moment, but the 93 300E I had never got more than 19-20 MPG anyway. I even had a 98 Cadillac Deville with the 275HP Northstar and it got 21 MPG average, and would do 27 or better on highway trips, so don't limit yourself to small cars.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

re: the 560, it's a big 5.6 L V8 that was designed before fuel economy was a major selling point. 15 mpg is probably close to the best it will give.

300E's should give somewhere in the range of 15-18mpg in the city, and around 18-22 mpg on the highway. Some examples may do better on the highway, I used to get 24, and I think some 5-speed owners have gotten up to 27 or so. Not spectacular, but also not terrible for when they were designed. I've been looking at newer model vehicles lately, and the bump in gas mileage is on average only a 2-4 mpg, despite 25 more years of technology. (although, that does sort of come out to something if you look at it on an annual basis.)

These cars are somewhat reliable - they will last for a long time and there aren't too many things that will leave you catastrophically stranded someplace. But, given their age there will be a lot of things to repair on a regular basis. They are definitely not maintenance-free vehicles.

Anthony

Well, the 94 Caddy that i've got (with northstar) gets about 20 around town and 25-26 on the highway, a little worse with the Lincoln. I was just looking for something smaller, just to have a somewhat easier to manuver car, not to replace anything that I have got. I don't expect any MB to be maintenence free, but just to be a reasonably well built automobile. My dad had a '86 300E, and I rode in it and drove it often. Seemed to be a fine car. The 190 was a option that I was considering because I guess I just wanted a little runabout type Mercedes. In regards to the GM 3.8, I've had 2, good engine, although the later models with the plastic intake make hydrolock a possibility if they ever break (been there, done that ). But good engines, all and all. Really, I like my Mercedes so much that I would rather drive it than either of my other cars, even considering the fact they get better mileage and are newer cars. So, thats why I wanted another MB.
Thanks, and God Bless,
Dave.

__________________
Currently Driving:
1986 Mercedes Benz 560SEL
1994 Lincoln Town Car
1994 Cadillac Deville
1985 Lincoln Town Car- Retired

The Official Car of a Realtor- Lincoln Town Car
The Official Car of the Successful Independent Insurance Agent- Mercedes Benz S Class

My 1993 300E consistently averaged 21.0 mpg when I owned it, and it got as good as 25-26 mpg in all freeway driving going to Las Vegas on more than one ocassion.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Luxury car......5.6 liter engine......complaint about mpg......


[scratches head]

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62 220sb
67 250S
72 280SE 4.5
74 280C
77 300D
82 240D
85 190E 2.3
86 300E RIP 12/28/09
85 300SD
92 300D 2.5
00 E320 Current
Over 1,000,000 miles in Benzes, Since66

....and a whole passel of BMW 2002 and Tii

Hi I am just-n-time, wished to put my two cents in. My wife owns a 420sel and I have spent a great deal of time repairing the mess ups from some time mechanics,but on to the fuel thing,not knowing the type of driver some one is makes fuel economies a hard thing to evaluate,that is the reason for the disclaimer on those window stickers.Miss Debbie just can not start or slow with light pressure so she is around a 15 miler and I am a 19 miler in the same auto. I have just finished the 420 and have had time to run some two hundred and eighty miles and the unit is at the half way mark on the gauge,I realize that the gauge will be slightly off so I cant claim a projected fuel economy of 26mpg but I am pretty sure we will fall into the 20 mpg. but you must also remember that 4.2L takes less fuel than 5.6L it must use more just the nature of the beast though I think you might get more from this unit maybe 17. are you giving local or long distance mileage?
Miss Debbie and I are looking into a 4 cylinder slk and keep our 420 for those long rides.

My '95 E300D gets 30+ highway at 80+ mph.
My '84 280E 5-spd gets 25 highway at 75+ mph.

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- Brian


1989 500SEL Euro
1966 250SE Cabriolet
1958 BMW Isetta 600

The mileage that I quote is mostly in short-distance, 20 to 30 mile local trips. This could be considered city driving, although I average around 60-65 mph during them. I also have another question, related to the same theme. How many gallons of gas does the '86 560SEL hold. Is it the same as the '90 560? My owner's manual came off of ebay, and it was for a '90 model (curiously, all of the other books were in the car, and were correct). The '90 book shows a 23.8 gallon tank, with a 3.3 gallon reserve. Is this the same as the '86 model? I only ask because even when I fill up and the reserve light is on, and I have driven on reserve for a while, it only takes 17 or so gallons to fill up.
Thanks, and God Bless,
Dave.

__________________
Currently Driving:
1986 Mercedes Benz 560SEL
1994 Lincoln Town Car
1994 Cadillac Deville
1985 Lincoln Town Car- Retired

The Official Car of a Realtor- Lincoln Town Car
The Official Car of the Successful Independent Insurance Agent- Mercedes Benz S Class

The most mine has ever taken to fill up was about 18 gallons, and that was after the light had been on for 20+ miles, so I felt I was cutting it MUCH closer than I would have liked.

__________________
2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

I'm nervous about frying fuel pumps so I don't tend to go much below a 1/4 tank as a rule.

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

A later 90's C-class might do pretty well; I notice the official mileage for a 2000 C230 (turboed) is 21/29, and the C280 is 21/27 per Edmund's site, with stated expected prices in the low teen range.

Check this thread: 1995 C 220

and this one: C230 or 240 For Sale? MPG?

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Craig Bethune

'97 SL500, 40th anniversary edition

'04 Olds Bravada (SWMBO's)
'06 Lexus ES330
'89 560SL (sold)


SL--Anything else is just a Mercedes.
(Kudos to whoever said it first)

The fuel tanks are the same capacity across the whole range of 126s.

Cheers

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1988 W126 420 SE

beware of fundamentalists!

Yeah thats what I am thinking.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Well, I am not per se complaining about the mileage. I just wanted to know if that was what is expected , (and have been informed as to the fact that it is)., and now that I know that, its fine. I still am thinking about a smaller MB for some kind of running around car. I like the looks of the 300E, but from what info is available, a 4 cylinder 190 or early C-Class, probably have the best fuel economy available in a gas MB.
Thanks, and God Bless,
Dave.

__________________
Currently Driving:
1986 Mercedes Benz 560SEL
1994 Lincoln Town Car
1994 Cadillac Deville
1985 Lincoln Town Car- Retired

The Official Car of a Realtor- Lincoln Town Car
The Official Car of the Successful Independent Insurance Agent- Mercedes Benz S Class