Modifications for Fuel Economy
Hi everyone! I've had a 3.0L CDI (turbodiesel) Merc for about a month now and I am utterly staggered by the fuel economy (in a good way), considering the 3L V6 engine, auto transmission and curb weight of 1,850kg unloaded. I have always got good fuel economy in all sorts of cars for what they are - I've always tried to drive smoothly and gently, but this Merc really does impress me.
Most of its driving is in dense urban environments with frequent stops for work (basically worst case scenario) and it still achieves ~28-32MPG UK (10.1 - 8.8 L/100km) under these conditions.
This has had me thinking about what I could do to stretch the fuel economy a little further. I'm already planning on having it remapped on a rolling road to tune the engine for lower RPM driving. However I'd like to take it to somewhat of an extreme by covering the sporty-styled wheels and making other mods.
The thermostat already kicks the fan in on warmer days as a fair amount of the day is spent in traffic and the car doesn't feature an engine stop-start system, so I'm reluctant to block off any airflow until Winter comes back around. I'll also try some quiet and efficient tyres at some point in the future, but car tyres are bloody expensive!
I'm going for a longer drive in the countryside today and will see what fuel economy I achieve. I'll run a proper control test before any mods in the future, late at night so traffic is a lesser factor.
I was wondering what other people have done, or considered doing, to get better fuel economy from their cars. I'm not after overall monetary savings, just maximum MPG. I'd be quite happy to spend more on mods then I'd save on my fuel bills. If anyone wants to know what car it is for the airflow, it's a pre-facelift 2011 CLS.
I'll keep this thread updated with mods and their approximate effects on fuel economy.