[Reese]

Forgive me if these questions has been posted here before.

The Metris transmission program setting defaults to the "C" setting which according to the manual stands for "Comfort". One must make a conscious effort to switch the transmission setting to “E” or “Eco” after starting the engine.

Has anybody here run full tanks on the “E” setting in city driving conditions and compared their fuel mileage to full tanks run on the “C” setting in city driving conditions?

And IF SO, what was your average increase in fuel mileage on the “E” setting?

Thank you.

 

[Reese]

Anybody?

 

[Greenmanedlion]

The Economy setting does not inherently increase fuel economy. It reduces total throttle opening, increases the transmissions propensity to upshift, and decreases its propensity to downshift. Kicking down (depressing that little button under the throttle pedal at the end of its travel) kicks the system out of Economy, which is a safety feature that allows you to immediately access full power in a panic. But if you drive your vehicle at 40% throttle under Comfort, and then switch to Economy and simply push the pedal down further, such that you are still opening the throttle 40%, you will get the same fuel economy.

If you can use the longer-travel-for-the-same-opening feature to drive more conservatively, it will help your fuel economy. I personally leave my car in E all the time, because otherwise I'd be caning the **** out of the engine and accelerating too fast. Flooring the pedal without pressing the kick down switch reduces acceleration substantially versus comfort mode. So how much your personal increase in fuel economy will be varies on how you use the system. It can greatly increase your fuel economy if you are a fast driver and can force yourself to be disciplined enough to not constantly kick it into full power mode.

One way you can increase fuel economy is whenever you are done accelerating, manually tap the upshift paddle. I find that the car does not always put itself in the highest possible gear, even in E mode.

* Reese, less than two hours? Patience, young padawon!

 

[Reese]

Green Mandolin:

I'm going to interpret your 3 paragraphs as a "No" to my first question

* And you spelled "padawan" wrong, master.

 

[Road_Ghost]

I'm sure the differences are neglible. I would imagine ECO is better suited for driving in typically moderate-heavy city traffic.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

Actually, city traffic calls for C more often- you actually need more power in the city to dodge in and out of traffic.

And I disagree, Reese- my answer was "it depends". How can I spell a verbal nonsense word from a dead horse movie series wrong?

 

[Road_Ghost]

Better have 91 in the tank if you are expecting WOT moments during rush hour traffic.

 

[Greenmanedlion]

I never put in less. I need all 208 of the buggers.

 

[rick]

I use E mode most of the time.
C mode only when I merge onto freeways.
Sorry I can't answer your Q.

 

[Metrisguy]

I leave mine in comfort, and only ever use E when traffic is at a standstill. I really don't worry about mpg at all, and usually am doing between 60-80mph. I drive spiritedly just about everywhere, and can still get over 400+ per tank. I also run 93 octane 100% gas that is top tier. A/C is always on, and standard load in back is about 150 to 300lbs. I have never tried E all the time mainly because it drives like it is neutered. Hope that helps!

 

[kosta15auto]

I do weekly ski trips and with two of us down the highway round trip ~70mph I can get it consistently ~27mpg. It's cruising without crazy speeds and/or passings.

 

[Reese]

Yes I don't worry about MPG either as I am retired and I don't really drive that much any more. I do mostly city driving and I am getting around 19.5 MPG always on "C".

But I was just wondering if somebody had done an actual and somewhat scientific comparison between the C & E settings.

 

[gogoKawi]

I use 'E' mode to keep myself in check when I want to go slowly or take my time. I have to consciously mash the pedal just to get moving. This inherently makes the gas consumption in 'E' mode worse. On the highway cruising, 'E' mode works great. This is under the assumption that you don't try to pass anyone and you are maintaining a consistent speed. Otherwise, 'C' mode is the way to go.

 

[carrisr]

Wondering if anyone has any more experience with this in the last year? I do mostly highway/interstate miles with only very rare traffic slowdowns and am curious if it helps mileage. I wouldn't call my driving style aggressive. On that note, is there a way to change the default mode to E? I keep forgetting to manually change it for testing.

 

[1681]

No way to default E. I drive E when on long trips without traffic. The trans is slower to respond on E. I think gas pedal is less sensitive too.

 

[Kevilicious]

Forgive me if these questions has been posted here before.

The Metris transmission program setting defaults to the "C" setting which according to the manual stands for "Comfort". One must make a conscious effort to switch the transmission setting to “E” or “Eco” after starting the engine.

Has anybody here run full tanks on the “E” setting in city driving conditions and compared their fuel mileage to full tanks run on the “C” setting in city driving conditions?

And IF SO, what was your average increase in fuel mileage on the “E” setting?

Thank you.

Hello, I have not run a full tank in "E" mode.

I have a 2016 Metris, and a 2011 Mercedes GLK 350 4Matic. Both have a selector for different driving modes, in the GLK it is "S" versus "E". In both of these Mercedes, the "E" gives a ride that is optimized for comfort, with a feel on the road in general and also during accel and/or decel, that is more smooth. In my own opinion, the "C" mode on the Metris gives a similar feel to the "S" mode on the GLK, in that the ride in this mode is optimized less for comfort and mort for Sport/Performance.

As for the fuel economy, I can not think of a reason that one would not get better economy from that of the "E" mode. I am sort of curious about just how much better the fuel economy is, it a whole tank was run in this way, as compared to the "C" mode on the Metris. I will likely try this one day, just to see. It will be difficult for me to do this, though, because while of course I care about fuel economy, being more efficient, and environmentally friendly, I also really appreciate both modes; comfort when it is called for, and sport/performance when needed. Having both available? - This is what I love about Mercedes...... the ride is awesome, as in enjoyable, even in a large van, of their design and manufacture.

Be safe,

Kevin

 

[icerabbit]

Welcome to the forum @Kevilicious

We almost brought a GLK diesel into the family this spring, but its used condition was less than we had hoped for.

I have had the same observation with E C M S ... Metris is the only one I have driven personally that will not remember its setting from one stop to the next, and indeed or C is more like Sport Or Standard if you don't have Sport.

The E changes the shift pattern and throttle response. If one is a careful and fuel efficient driver, there probably is no fuel savings to be had. If on the other hand one drives with more of a lead foot, it can slow people down from whatever they're used to.

Trying to hold a light foot on the interstate I get about 25mpg in NNE, on local trips of 1 2 3 hours.

It could be that on local trips up to 50 - 55 with some stop and go, that the E may conserve a bit of fuel, but I really think it is all down the brain and the right foot.

 

[Crosshawx]

Sorry for reviving an old thread, just wanted to pitch in my 2 cents. I have an Ultragauge mounted and plugged into my OBDII to monitor my van’s operating parameters as I’m driving. One of the parameters is boost pressure; when the van is in “E” mode, the turbocharger’s boost pressure never exceeds 7 psi. In “C” mode or manual shifting mode, the van will always quickly build full boost (approx. 15psi) above 1500 rpm.

I personally enjoy using “E” mode in the city to reduce the pull from the van’s low-end torque whenever I give it too much throttle coming off the line from a traffic light. Having to modulate the throttle gets annoying in New York City traffic. With “E” mode, the throttle response is significantly dulled.

 

[Serge9898]

Hi Reese,
By the mean time did you actually measure and compare the milage between E and C? I'm interested.
I didn't try a full tank on C. Butif you did, for comparison: I often average a whole trip (300 to 500 miles) at 28-29 mpg on E.
Mixed driving but mostly freeway.
I have a 2017 metris converted as RV, very light foot, around 60 mph on freeway. (I drive at constant foot pressure, not constant speed...)

 

[Serge9898]

Also I found this good enough approximation : 5-10% saving

How much gas do you save in eco mode?


Williamson said data shows, depending on your vehicle, the eco mode may not help you save as much as some automakers claim. “Different auto manufacturers claim 10 to 12 per cent in fuel savings, but the real data shows that it's more like five to six per cent, maybe seven per cent in savings," said Williamson.Jun 23, 2022