The Cost of Urea Refills
#1
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The Cost of Urea Refills
Mercedes-Benz GL320 BlueTec--Feeling a bit AdBlue over spending a lot of green
It wasn’t enough that our GL320 is feeling a bit inferior now that Mercedes-Benz changed its name to GL350. (No, the displacement didn’t increase--even the GL320 designation was something of a fib, given the engine was a 3.0-liter.)
Around 16,000 miles, our GL displayed a warning light saying that it was running low on AdBlue. This urea-based additive is necessary to keep the turbodiesel emissions-compliant; it is injected into the exhaust tract to break down smog-producing nitrogen oxide into nitrogen in a catalytic converter.
Normally the AdBlue would have been topped off by the dealer at a regular oil change. But with 80+ cars here each year, and multiple lifts and mechanics, it would be a needless hassle and expense to take every car to the dealer to change the oil. Since we had changed our GL’s oil ourselves, we wound up making a trip to the dealer to get AdBlue added. (We also had to get a shorted-out taillight repaired under warranty, plus get a software update and recall addressed.)
The total bill just for adding AdBlue? A stunning $316.99. We were down to 18% full on the additive at 16,566 miles. It took 7.5 gallons to fill the tank, costing an eye-opening $241.50 for the fluid alone. The labor to add the fluid plus tax accounted for the rest. None of this was covered by the warranty.
There are virtues in buying the diesel GL Class. It’s the least expensive GL, which is a very nice SUV (even if it isn’t reliable in our survey data). And the recorded 19 mpg overall in our tests is pretty good for a three-row SUV -- even if that just rivals a more prosaic minivan’s fuel economy. You also have an impressive 615-mile cruising range. The diesel provides sub-10-second 0-60 mph times and appealing mid-range torque. You could even get a tax break.
But let’s extrapolate the AdBlue budget. At the current rate and cost of consumption, just the AdBlue itself (without the labor, which would probably be included as part of the routine service) would cost $1,457.80 for 100,000 miles of driving. That’s a lot of money, knocking about a third off of your fuel savings vs. buying a GL450 V8. (You can’t buy a gasoline-powered V6 GL).
Our AdBlue consumption might be a bit on the high side. After all, Mercedes says AdBlue consumption will be increased in “more demanding situations e.g. when towing a trailer,” and I did use the GL320 to tow my T@B teardrop for a few hundred miles. (I got about the same mileage and performance towing it with the diesel as I do with my Honda Odyssey.) Our acceleration tests probably also took their toll. But these activities didn’t account for the bulk of the GL’s miles, so our usage probably isn’t that far off.
Maybe it isn’t a surprise that keeping a $67,000 Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel SUV on the road will cost a lot of money. But it just adds to our argument that offering diesels in mostly luxury models here in this market (VW’s TDI is a notable exception) isn’t helping put their best foot forward. It also makes BMW’s offer of free maintenance (including AdBlue) up to 50,000 miles look more enticing.
It wasn’t enough that our GL320 is feeling a bit inferior now that Mercedes-Benz changed its name to GL350. (No, the displacement didn’t increase--even the GL320 designation was something of a fib, given the engine was a 3.0-liter.)
Around 16,000 miles, our GL displayed a warning light saying that it was running low on AdBlue. This urea-based additive is necessary to keep the turbodiesel emissions-compliant; it is injected into the exhaust tract to break down smog-producing nitrogen oxide into nitrogen in a catalytic converter.
Normally the AdBlue would have been topped off by the dealer at a regular oil change. But with 80+ cars here each year, and multiple lifts and mechanics, it would be a needless hassle and expense to take every car to the dealer to change the oil. Since we had changed our GL’s oil ourselves, we wound up making a trip to the dealer to get AdBlue added. (We also had to get a shorted-out taillight repaired under warranty, plus get a software update and recall addressed.)
The total bill just for adding AdBlue? A stunning $316.99. We were down to 18% full on the additive at 16,566 miles. It took 7.5 gallons to fill the tank, costing an eye-opening $241.50 for the fluid alone. The labor to add the fluid plus tax accounted for the rest. None of this was covered by the warranty.
There are virtues in buying the diesel GL Class. It’s the least expensive GL, which is a very nice SUV (even if it isn’t reliable in our survey data). And the recorded 19 mpg overall in our tests is pretty good for a three-row SUV -- even if that just rivals a more prosaic minivan’s fuel economy. You also have an impressive 615-mile cruising range. The diesel provides sub-10-second 0-60 mph times and appealing mid-range torque. You could even get a tax break.
But let’s extrapolate the AdBlue budget. At the current rate and cost of consumption, just the AdBlue itself (without the labor, which would probably be included as part of the routine service) would cost $1,457.80 for 100,000 miles of driving. That’s a lot of money, knocking about a third off of your fuel savings vs. buying a GL450 V8. (You can’t buy a gasoline-powered V6 GL).
Our AdBlue consumption might be a bit on the high side. After all, Mercedes says AdBlue consumption will be increased in “more demanding situations e.g. when towing a trailer,” and I did use the GL320 to tow my T@B teardrop for a few hundred miles. (I got about the same mileage and performance towing it with the diesel as I do with my Honda Odyssey.) Our acceleration tests probably also took their toll. But these activities didn’t account for the bulk of the GL’s miles, so our usage probably isn’t that far off.
Maybe it isn’t a surprise that keeping a $67,000 Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel SUV on the road will cost a lot of money. But it just adds to our argument that offering diesels in mostly luxury models here in this market (VW’s TDI is a notable exception) isn’t helping put their best foot forward. It also makes BMW’s offer of free maintenance (including AdBlue) up to 50,000 miles look more enticing.
#3
Lexus Champion
humm, wouldn't it be cheaper to pay for the oil change then?
or couldn't they just get a bunch of people to **** in the urea tank?
what is urea??
Urea, also called carbamide, is an organic chemical compound which essentially is the waste produced when the body metabolizes protein. It is a compound not only produced by humans but also by many other mammals, as well as amphibians and some fish. Urea was the first natural compound to be synthesized artificially using inorganic compounds— a scientific breakthrough.
Urea was discovered in 1773 by the French chemist Hillaire Rouelle. In 1828, just 55 years after its discovery, it became the first organic compound to be synthetically formulated, this time by a German chemist named Friedrich Wöhler, one of the pioneers of organic chemistry.
or couldn't they just get a bunch of people to **** in the urea tank?
what is urea??
Urea, also called carbamide, is an organic chemical compound which essentially is the waste produced when the body metabolizes protein. It is a compound not only produced by humans but also by many other mammals, as well as amphibians and some fish. Urea was the first natural compound to be synthesized artificially using inorganic compounds— a scientific breakthrough.
Urea was discovered in 1773 by the French chemist Hillaire Rouelle. In 1828, just 55 years after its discovery, it became the first organic compound to be synthetically formulated, this time by a German chemist named Friedrich Wöhler, one of the pioneers of organic chemistry.
Last edited by bagwell; 01-06-10 at 01:22 PM.
#4
Lexus Champion
If my calculations are right, that amounts to about $.02 per mile driven. Doesn't sound like a whole lot of money, but it adds up. Diesel is about $2.90/gallon and getting 19MPG as you stated, that about $.15 a mile. Total cost is about $.17/mile. ($17K in fuel costs for 100K miles)
Compare that to a GL450 which I'm guessing gets around 15MPG in mixed driving, with premium fuel at $3.25, that breaks down to about $.21 mile. ($21K in fuel cost for 100K miles)
After 100,000 miles of driving you're going to save about $4000 in the cost of gas. To me, it seems like you're still coming out ahead if the price of fuel stays the same. If the price of diesel is the same as premium, you're about even.
Compare that to a GL450 which I'm guessing gets around 15MPG in mixed driving, with premium fuel at $3.25, that breaks down to about $.21 mile. ($21K in fuel cost for 100K miles)
After 100,000 miles of driving you're going to save about $4000 in the cost of gas. To me, it seems like you're still coming out ahead if the price of fuel stays the same. If the price of diesel is the same as premium, you're about even.
#6
If my calculations are right, that amounts to about $.02 per mile driven. Doesn't sound like a whole lot of money, but it adds up. Diesel is about $2.90/gallon and getting 19MPG as you stated, that about $.15 a mile. Total cost is about $.17/mile. ($17K in fuel costs for 100K miles)
Compare that to a GL450 which I'm guessing gets around 15MPG in mixed driving, with premium fuel at $3.25, that breaks down to about $.21 mile. ($21K in fuel cost for 100K miles)
After 100,000 miles of driving you're going to save about $4000 in the cost of gas. To me, it seems like you're still coming out ahead if the price of fuel stays the same. If the price of diesel is the same as premium, you're about even.
Compare that to a GL450 which I'm guessing gets around 15MPG in mixed driving, with premium fuel at $3.25, that breaks down to about $.21 mile. ($21K in fuel cost for 100K miles)
After 100,000 miles of driving you're going to save about $4000 in the cost of gas. To me, it seems like you're still coming out ahead if the price of fuel stays the same. If the price of diesel is the same as premium, you're about even.
ML350 is also 4k cheaper than ML320 Bluetec... add this cost of urea, and you will never be able to save money with it.
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#8
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So... again... where is the TRUE savings (other than "green") going with diesel or a hybrid???
With diesel now back to about even with premium, THAT bit of savings didn't even make it 7 months (diesel $0.33 cheaper than premium in July, $0.04 today )
With diesel now back to about even with premium, THAT bit of savings didn't even make it 7 months (diesel $0.33 cheaper than premium in July, $0.04 today )
#10
#12
Lexus Fanatic
This is not just for urea refills. NOTHING for a M-B comes cheap. Never has....probably never will, except when covered by free maintenance.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-06-10 at 07:50 PM.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
You've driven Bluetecs, haven't you, Mike? They may not be magic, but they do a superb job of combining low-end torque, acceleration, fuel-mileage, low-pollution, and easy-start/run characteristics. Yes, there are those pesky urea refills every 10-15K (the smaller TDI's don't need urea), but those are sometimes covered by free maintenance.
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Yes and for those that have actually owned this class of car, nothing comes cheap for BMW, Lexus, Jag (and Mercedes) owners too. No news here. The news is that the urea refill has profit margins above and beyond the high margins of the past maybe.