Autocar First Drive - Mercedes C180K BlueEfficiency

[cawimmer430]

I certainly get more than the advertised numbers from my 330i and the X5.
With the 330i,I get 25 mpg combined driving, and 33 mpg Hwy.
With the X5 4.8, I average 23 mpg on the HWY, and 14 mpg combined driving. I think it mostly depends on how you drive your car.

All mpg are based on US gallons.

The fuel economy of the 118i has improved drastically close to 16,000 km on the odometer, but it is still nowhere near the claimed BMW figures. And I don't drive aggressively. I drive in a normal and relaxed manor and always watch the road ahead, keep my distance from the guy in front of me and basically drive in a fuel-saving manor.

My guess is it has something to do with the automatic transmission in the car. Automatics tend to use more gas - in all cars except Mercedes' where the automatics use less than the manuals!