What's the catch?

Barks · 1 Apr 2012 at 11:52

So this is Mercedes competing with the 335i.

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/mercedes-benz/c-class/coupe-2011/52204/

What's the catch?

How can a 3498 cc V6 get 40mpg and more impressively cost only £165 a year in tax.

The new 335i is 2979 cc 6 Cylinder 35mpg and £245/year in tax.

I just don't understand how Mercedes can get away with claiming that engine can do 40mpg. There is no way in hell a 3.5 litre V6 does 40mpg in real life, even driven like a grandma.

Barks · 1 Apr 2012 at 11:54

Edit - I didn't realise the automatic 335i actually claims to do 39mpg and is in a lower tax bracket. Still though, you might expect that from a Turbo charged engine but not a NA V6.

Muffin` · 1 Apr 2012 at 11:54

Have you been living under a rock?

Barks · 1 Apr 2012 at 11:54

Apparently so

Simon · 1 Apr 2012 at 11:54

It obviously gets 40Mpg on the NEDC. So the number is possible.

MikeHiow · 1 Apr 2012 at 12:00

Engines get more efficient, but there is more to fuel economy than just the engine.

Aerodynamics, transmission, tyres etc. etc.

All things that are moving forwards all the time.

[TW]Fox · 1 Apr 2012 at 12:03

The catch is you cant buy a used one as nobody will bother. It's just Mercedes catching up with the previous gen 330i from 2007 - that had a combined mpg of about 39 and 272bhp and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds.

Nobody bought it, so it was discontinued in 2010 as a Saloon.

Barks · 1 Apr 2012 at 12:06

[TW]Fox;21594656 said:
The catch is you cant buy a used one as nobody will bother. It's just Mercedes catching up with the previous gen 330i from 2007 - that had a combined mpg of about 39 and 272bhp and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds.

Nobody bought it, so it was discontinued in 2010 as a Saloon.

There certainly seems to be little interest on the internet. There's barely anything in terms of reviews/videos etc.

[TW]Fox · 1 Apr 2012 at 12:12

scott212 said:
There certainly seems to be little interest on the internet. There's barely anything in terms of reviews/videos etc.

Because nobody cares. They don't want to know about petrol engines, they do not want to test drive the petrol engines, they dont want to find out how economical they are. They just want to order the sportiest looking trim with the biggest wheels and a diesel engine, because diesel = mpg and torques.

Barks · 1 Apr 2012 at 12:53

[TW]Fox;21594704 said:
Because nobody cares. They don't want to know about petrol engines, they do not want to test drive the petrol engines, they dont want to find out how economical they are. They just want to order the sportiest looking trim with the biggest wheels and a diesel engine, because diesel = mpg and torques.

I'm assuming why virtually all the new Mercedes cars around my area are diesel cars tarted up to look like AMGs.

rodenal · 1 Apr 2012 at 21:52

More than likely, "AMG" bits are just like m sport bits and pieces now really. You certainly wouldn't miss the sound of pretty much any real amg, awesome noise.

Stringy · 1 Apr 2012 at 22:02

[TW]Fox;21594704 said:
They just want to order the sportiest looking trim with the biggest wheels and a diesel engine, because diesel = mpg and torques.

This makes me

Guy I work with was bragging about buying a new A6 Avant S-Line about this time last year, all sounded thoroughly impressive as he talked about it, looked nice too...shame it was a 2.0 TDi