Itsuki_23

Germans are fighting back on all fronts But this is getting absurd.

http://www.carpages.co.uk/mercedes_b...echo=919709922

1. As you can see, German car magazine Auto Bild shows RX400h's power figures by only pointing out gasoline engine output - 211hp.

2. Real EU fuel consumption factory specs are:

ML320CDI
City: 18.2 MPG
Highway: 29.4 MPG
Average: 24 MPG

RX400h
City: 25.8 MPG
Highway: 30.9 MPG
Average: 29 MPG

Auto Bild : The results showed that while the ML 320 CDI (165 kW/224 hp) returned an average fuel consumption of 31.04 miles per gallon, the hybrid SUV (155 kW/211 hp) averaged 27.69 mpg.

Autobild got better mpg figures form ML320CDI than the Mercedes factory specs and worse mpg figures from RX400h than Lexus factory specs.

3. Acceleration. RX400h and ML320CDI acceleration numbers are very different. Based on acceleration figures these cars shouldn't even be in the same test.

EU 0-100kmh factory figures:
ML320CDI 9.4 sec
RX400h 7.6 sec

Autobild measured:

ML - 9.0 sec
RX - 7.7 sec

See the pattern?

Different magazines in US have measured for RX400h high 6 sec times 0-60mph and European magazines very low 7sec 0-100kmh times. RX400h dynamics are comparable with ML500, not the ML320CDI.

For fun comparison ML500 numbers are:

0-100kmh 6.9sec
City: 12.6 MPG
Highway: 22.6 MPG
Average: 17.5 MPG

Another big German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport had RX400h and ML320CDI in individual ordinary road tests, average MPG results were:

RX400h 23.2 MPG
ML320CDI 18.2 MPG

ClubLexus forum user Horta got the same mpg number from RX400h than Auto Motor und Sport Horta: The second one I constantly was over 22mpg and after the 800 some miles I put on it the average was 23.1mpg. Mind you I hit 100plus mph, drove like a maniac, and NEVER tried to save any fuel. I drove the living heck out of that loaner and still managed 23.1mpg. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=178205


4. Main question is, why Mercedes drove this test in the U.S. ??? ML320CDI is not sold there, and Auto Bild is a German magazine, it has never tested any cars in U.S. Everything became clear when I saw this in Edmunds: Mercedes Plans Mass Diesel Push in U.S. by 2008
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=106165

And another interesting detail: http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto...290.A9232.html
During the Mercedes-Benz news conference, the brand's new boss, Dieter Zetsche, repeatedly referred to a report in the German paper, AutoBild, which found that on an across-the-U.S. test drive, a diesel-powered Mercedes M-Class delivered significantly better mileage than the new hybrid Lexus RX400h.

Maybe I am paranoid, but this Auto Bild test looks like a big promotional event sponsored by Mercedes who is preparing its biggest market for massive diesel introduction/penetration. This whole test is very misleading and misinformative to consumers, and Mercedes is openly using it to adverise its cars.

Any comments?

spwolf

of course, german media is VERY protective of their car brands.

If anything, I think RX400h WON this one. Only 10% bigger consumption under conditions that were set to favor ML, with considerably faster and cleaner car. It is also a lot faster in passing times than ML. They basically never went off highway (their city driving was in Reno for god sakes)...

and p.s. ML320 costs the same as RX400h :-)...

LexFather

The German mags are very anti-Lexus sans the IS. They are very pro-diesal and I don't think quite get the genius of hybrids yet.

To their credit, CAR did pick the new GS 300 over the Benz CLS (both lost to the 530) but it was a U.K mag.