fuel mileage Euro 500SE - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

85drtysthbenz · #1 03-08-2011, 10:09 AM

im currently eyeing a 1985 500SE for sale...just wondering what kind of mileage i can expect...i did a little looking online and it is rated at 13mpg city/15mpg hwy...is this to be expected? i know my 85 300SD is rated at 19/20...and i got much better than that...i was getting around 25/26...just wondering what actual people are getting out of their 500SE

James Redman · #2 03-08-2011, 11:18 AM

My 500E with 2.65 final drive is giving me 18 to 20 mpg as daily driver with little traffic. I have been repairing the car for the last few months so little or no WOT as I am still getting use to the car.

85drtysthbenz · #3 03-08-2011, 11:26 AM

thanks for the reply, James...thats not far from what i was thinking, i figured this one would get around 16/17 with the way i drive, and mostly stop and go

Hatterasguy · #4 03-08-2011, 12:02 PM

An old M117 in a W126? I'd figure 10-12 around town of 91 octane.

Maybe mid teens on the highway.

Remember it was a $100k car when gas cost $1 a gallon, no one gave a crap about how much it burned.

POS · #5 03-08-2011, 03:14 PM

Just finished doing the math on my 1985 500SE (no cats). I got 17.1 mpg out of my last tank, but 70% of that was 80mph on the highway. 17-ish has been my norm for the past few tanks.

jimandsuzy · #6 03-08-2011, 07:50 PM

My 82 euro 500sec gets about 14 hiway, never measured city but it's bad.

JohnM. · #7 03-08-2011, 08:52 PM

The government EPA ratings tend to be all over the board for older Mercedes. I find it VERY interesting that now the Cash for Clunkers program is well over, the 300E is no longer listed as a gas guzzler! This same page stated something like 15mpg combined for any 300E and it was listed as a guzzler! Look now!

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/noframes/5574.shtml

SO MANY E-Classes' ended up in the junkyards through the CFC program. And they had to put that special hardener in the engines so no one could re-use internal engine parts. I wish I could find a cached version of the old EPA page which had grossly exaggerated MPG claims and the Guzzler status. My 300E gets 18-20mpg in town and nearly 25mpg highway!

85drtysthbenz · #8 03-08-2011, 09:30 PM

i think i may have to go take a look at this car...its got 81,000 miles and looks to be in better condition than almost anything else im seeing...im test driving a 98 jeep cherokee sport and a 95 4runner tomorrow...this merc has less miles and costs less money than both of the other two...it is about 100 miles away though...but i guess its worth a look

i just hate to buy another money pit...but these cars are soooo nice

JohnM. · #9 03-08-2011, 09:38 PM

I honestly don't think you can go wrong with a Mercedes that's been maintained and has around/under 100K. If the owner doesn't keep up on things as they happen, so many things go wrong between 130K-200K that can turn a show-room car into the same dump everyone else driving around. That being said, I have seen cars with 80K that looked worse than the average 200K car and vice versa. If its a true cream-puff and the asking price is reasonable I would jump on it. They are getting harder and harder to come by.

85drtysthbenz · #10 03-08-2011, 09:48 PM

i know i should jump, if its in good shape...but its going to be my daily driver...and i know, with my 300SD, i used to just dump money into it...even when it didnt need it, i was always upgrading, restoring, cleaning...im very scared this car will make me do the same thing

124126140 · #11 03-08-2011, 10:39 PM

If it's nice buy it. It's like a discretionary car payment.

panamacolin · #12 03-10-2011, 09:55 AM

I dont mean to hijack anyones thread, but I was wondering what kind of overall issues you can expect from one of these. If it has been well maintained? What are the problem spots on the car?

Thanks!

85drtysthbenz · #13 03-10-2011, 10:12 AM

hijack away, my friend...i would like to know more about these cars as well...the only other merc ive owned was an 85 300sd...i would appreciate some insight into the gasser models....hopefully i will be posting pics of a newly acquired 500SE by saturday

panamacolin · #14 03-10-2011, 10:23 AM

You going to buy the one on Saturday?

85drtysthbenz · #15 03-10-2011, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panamacolin

You going to buy the one on Saturday?

either saturday or sunday...why? do you know which one i speak of?