I''m considering buying a 95 C220 for a commuter rig. I do about 95% driving on the highway and need to know the "REAL" world highway MPG.

What are you''all getting ?

I've never driven one of those, so I can't help. I just have a question. Why the link to Benzworld around "driving?"

I have the C230 which is the same engine I think. It matters a lot how you drive. There are ways to get great mileage and there are ways to get lousy mileage. People routinely report getting 31 MPG with the C230. I can get almost 40 in the summer using various techniques such as pulse and glide and averaging around 62 MPH. But that is for pure highway driving. Usually you have a little city driving on each end. You should be able to get 30 unless you drive very fast.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

Copy/Pasted my posting from there and guess it accidently grabbed the underlying URL.

With my '95 C220 I can easily get 33/34 mph on the freeway, though this
is at the optimal mileage speed of 55/60 mph. If you're a leadfoot expect
to get less.

I never got more than 31 in my 97 c230. If you're getting 40, you're measuring wrong. It's just not possible (unless you are running bicycle-width tires and added a 7th gear somewhere) Are you measuring Imperial MPG from Canada?

I can get 34 in my c350, with 7 gears, at no more than 60mph and with the AC off. That motor is turning 1800rpm at 60, and the 203 is far more aerodynamic than the 202. A 5spd 230 is turning 2500, and the 4spd 220 is turning at least 2800.

My answer (from 110k of driving one) is that under optimal conditions, my 97 5spd averaged high 20s with normal driving (70mph, AC) and typically around 23 in the city, with AC, and accelerating with traffic.

A 220 is 2nd-gear start, so that's going to help you some. You might nudge 25 in the city, under LIGHT load. You will be very lucky to crack 30 on the highway, especially on an older car (unless yours is in tip-top shape, new o2 sensors, MAF, filters and oil clean, etc)

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

Is it also impossible to get more than 100 MPG in a Prius? People do it all the time. I can definitely get 40 MPG on the highway under certain conditions. Yes it is US MPG. I have a ScanGuage II which is calibrated and very accurate.

Here is how I do it:

In summer when the air temp is high (>70) the air density is much lower so there is much lower drag. This is why airplanes need longer take off distance in hot weather. So that is the first reason. Next I don't go much faster than 62 average. Next I allow plenty of distance so I NEVER need to touch my brakes. Brakes = dump gas on road. Next I don't use cruise control and I do use pulse and glide on flat areas and down hills. Lots of info about this on the web. It seems counterintuitive but adds quite a bit of MPG. Also I don't use AC and I have the windows up. Lately I can get 40 but just on the highway.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

If this is true, you need to publish a book, and I'll pay for a copy! I've done the things I mentioned in my last post, in addition to only running the AC when stuck idling a a light, or going downhill. What is "pulse-glide?"

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL

Also look up "hypermiling"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiler
I also draft when I can, but not too close. Many pulse and glide references are about hybrids but modern cars shut off fuel on coasting above certain speeds and this is where the benefit comes in. Basically, you save gas by speeding up to 64 and then coasting down to 60, vs cruise control at 62 for example. The basic idea is that there is a fuel "overhead" to the running engine and when you coast with fuel cutoff (happens automatically on modern cars as mentioned) you eliminate this half the time. Lots has been written about this. I don't need to. Also you can apply constant power up hills vs. constant speed. This is where cruise control really hurts mileage: up hills. You will slow down of course.

__________________
1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

I get approx. 30 miles per gallon on the highway at legal speeds from my 1996 220. (regular unleaded)
I've owned the car for 4 years now and it's fuel consumption has been scrupulously monitored from the beginning up till now.

Sorry for hijacking the thread Katmandu; Mike, I found more than I expected once I googled ( I should have known there would be a lot of info on it)

Thanks

__________________
former: 83 300D, 97 C230, 93 400E

current: 08 C300 Luxury , 92 500SL