Just took a 450 mile trip with the 300d and clocked 25mpg. Conditions were pretty windy (oklahoma) and I was travelling at around 75-80mph most of the way. Is 25mpg a little low or fairly normal?

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Its on the low side, but with winter blend diesel coming on line you wont see the best mileage. I just got back from a 400 mile trip and only got 26 mpg which is my worst yet with this car. My best was 31 and typical is 27-28.

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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

It's low, even for 80mph and a windy day, but not terribly low. I'd expect around 27 for that drive and 70 without wind closer to 30.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I thought you fellows could routinely get over 30 mpg on the highway (70 or less......??).

The SDL's can get 30 on a good day routinely get 28-29 (no a/c.......no winter fuel).

I only got over 30 1 time. I have a limited experience though, only having the car 6 weeks. I also put 4 gallons of Biodiesel in for each fillup, which knocks the mileage down a bit. In 6 tanks, 28, 31, 27, 28, 28, 26. I do drive it like i stole it though.

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1959 Gravely LI, 1963 Gravely L8, 1973 Gravely C12
1982 380SL
1978 450 SEL 6.9 euro restoration at 63% and climbing
1987 300 D
2005 CDI European Delivery
2006 CDI Handed down to daughter
2007 GL CDI. Wifes

Sounds a little low for highway mileage, but if you're running winter fuel, maybe not. I've definitely had tanks come in at 25 or lower in the city on winter fuel ... usually on the highway I got at least 27 (been ages since I've run this thing on the open road ... ugh). Usually highway trips I did get 30+, even in winter. But I wouldn't panic after one trip especially this time of year. Could have also been a "short tank," if you're like me and you don't top off.

Winter fuel is a bummer ... obviously my station just made the switch. I got 435 miles two tanks ago, and just turned in about 390 on the last one. All the same driving.

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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)

Unfortunately Brian, I have never driven any of my '87s purely highway. My experience involves driving 12miles each way, combined / highway 75-80mph, and getting upper 20s. I've done as well as 30 in the summer on a tank. One of these days I have to get the car out and drive real highway and just see how well it does, ... damn tankful lasts so long that I never get a pure highway tank.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

My driving on my 300SDL has been 75% highway since I bought the car. Mileage has never hit over 26, averages at 23, and has had a low of 20.5 mpg. I keep careful records, that's for the lifetime of the car.

Same before as after ALDA removal, essentially.

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~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Sounds exactly right to me. I owned an '87 wagon for many years. The mileage drops off quickly with speed. And a headwind in this part of the country can take 3MPG off your trip average.

I only got 30 one time. Loafing along on an easy 70MPH highway - never faster, with no a/c, and I'm guessing maybe a tailwind. It'll just barely touch 30MPG under those conditions. Figure 27-28 is typical, with 25 if you drive above the speedlimit, into headwinds, or have the a/c cranked on full.

My leadfoot brother holds the record low for that car. Four bicycles on the roof rack, 80MPH into a headwind, and the a/c cranking on a hot day. We got 19MPG on a 300 mile road trip! I didn't know it was possible for the 603 to burn fuel that fast. Must have been into the boost the entire time.

- JimY

25 mpg is about the worst I'd expect a 300D to get puttering around town, in the worst of New England winter weather, on heavily blended fuel.

In my experience, at a steady 70 mph on winter fuel, expect 28 - 29 mpg on the open road, and maybe a mpg less in mixed driving. But that's in an SDL. A 300D should get a few mpg's better, IMHO.

I'm getting 27 mpg in my 300SDL, right now in mixed (60 hw/40 cty) driving. I'm very pleased.

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)