I am new to this site; have narrowed my new-to-me car search to an '05 - '07 STR, '07-'08 E-Class or '08 Audi A6 S-Line.

My question concerns MPG; does the supercharged 4.2's fuel usage mirror the stnd 4.2 when driven "moderately"? Is S/C similiar to turbocharging as it only kicks in under heavy acceleration or is there constant drag on the engine affecting mileage?

Real-world MPG experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks!!!

 

i attain about 26-27 mpg at 75mph constant. On the highway for over 4 hours without stopping. Around 20-22 around town if im being nice.

And i have done this over and over and get the same results each time.

NOTE: my Mazda 6 V6 gets at the most 24 on the highway and a lackluster 17-19 around town, which still boggles my mind.

 

Those #'s are very impressive given the car's performance capabilities.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

my results are almost identical to phd's #'s

 

My wife drives the STR to work every day with the S disengaged,she is a very moderate driver and it gets the same distance per tank as she used to get with her 01 3litre. When I drive it is a different story.
She usually goes around 350 miles per tank.

 

I assumed mid-teens @ best around town and low '20's on HWY. Seems almost too good to be true given the performance and comfort not to mention the car's relative rarity.

Thanks again.

 

Yeah, its really completely how you drive it.. like I drive mine like its stolen and I get 11.2-13mpg in the city and 17 on the highway.. When I let my mom borrow the STR to drive to north Florida she was averaging 23-26mpg highway. If I paid for my own gas I probably would drive it a lot nicer though, because this thing gets thirsty. On the other hand: my Duster gets about 7mpg in the city, so the STR is practically a hybrid compared to it. Eric

 

Who pays for your gas? Think you can talk them into paying for mine?!!

 

Dont get me wrong, i get on it every now and then..............but when im on the highway, 27mpg is easy to get doing 75 mph. I think there is a thread somewhere around here where 30mpg was attained at one point.

 

I beg everyone's pardon, but I don't understand, y get away from the "real" topic at hand. The question is what kind of car to pick, isn't it? From the list I am amazed that fuel efficiency is being considered so heavily. I don't think so "superchargers/turbos" & fuel efficiency can be talked about in the same sentence.
My $.04 is: Drive (floor) all three. Go with the one that makes you feel like ""
Do let us know...

PS: Pick Audi S. I know I will be crucified by "my people" for this..
________
Mazda B-Series (International) specifications

 

I started the MPG dialogue as I never contemplated owning a supercharged car and was curious as to its effects on mileage; the E-550 Sport & Audi A6 V8 are great cars which I intend to test-drive. The rarity of the STR though, still intrigues...

Thanks for your replies.

 

If you go look at my album, you'll see that I have owned one of each of those. Here's my review:

Mercedes: Great car, awesome mileage but so plain jane. Everybody has one.

Audi: Outstanding traction with Quattro but TERRIBLE reliability. Every time I took it in it cost $3,000. Worst mileage ever.

Jaguar: My mileage on the freeway is excellent - 24 - 27 MPH. In the city not so good because I'm always standing on the gas. I average 18 - 20.

 

The key to getting good mileage from any blown car is to keep the car out of boost.

BTW get a STR...just make sure it has a warranty.

Actually a warranty is clearly necessary for all 3 cars you listed.

 

exactly why i went and looked for mine

 

All three cars (STR, E-Class, A6) are COMPLETELY different. I would expect three completely different people with very different personality types to purchase each car.

That being said, I've driven the Standard 4.2 Jag and I own an STR, as well as driven an E55 AMG Benz. Have not driven an A6 and do not care to. Comparing the E55 to the STR...the STR wins without much of a contest. The E-Class is a very boring car with little personality and blends in very well with everything else on the road. If that is not important to you, then it comes down to the stats and drivability of each. (Dependability of each is fairly comparable and the cost to maintain is arguably similar) The E55 puts out a stiffer ride and in my opinion did not handle as precisely as the STR. The interior creature comforts and overall design of the E55 inside was unappealing to me to say the least. Gas mileage on cars like these really is about as far down on my priority list as anything could be. But I have been pleasantly surprised with high teens mpg's in city driving, and high twenties mgp's on highway trips.

Your asking a biased crowd here though....of course we're going to pick the STR over the A6 or the E-Class.

One thought to consider though....one of the Members at my country club bought a new A6 S and he rarely enjoys being able to take it out for drives because it spends an awful lot of time at the dealership being repaired for all kinds of misc problems. He jokes about loving the car...when it runs. I haven't let him drive my STR yet, but I'm sure he would throw his A6 away if he did.

 

I appreciate all of the input and experiences; I will need to track-down a late model STR and drive it SOON.

BTW, I drove my '71 911 to my office on TUES; keeps me grinning most of the day.

Thanks again.

 

good luck in the search............it took me about 2 months to find 2 of them in my area. I got one of them..............and the other one disappeared awful fast. texasdirect i think has one. EBAY still has a couple on there.