2005 450 Diesel, is 3.6 L/100 km about right for 70% Hwy - 30% City?

[smartme]

I did my first initial test changing gears at 2500 rpm except 6th gear when I go to 3000 rpm and got 3.6 L/100 km.  Is that around the average? 

 

I live in BC so hills everywhere including the Hwy's.   I now started changing gears on the flats at 2000 rpm and am kind of excited to see

if the mpg took a hit or not or maybe bumped it to 3 L/100 km.  Should know by tomorrow.

Edited May 28, 2025 by smartme

[MikeT]

3.6 is great. Lifetime average in my stock smart with 175/195 tires was 3.95 over 250K km.

 

My BRABUS Canada 1 also has 175/195 tires and a Fast Eddy remap and its lifetime is 4.2 over 188K km. It's driven reasonably hard. Can score in the mid 3s if I try.

[smartme]

I have stock tires too.  I have not filled up yet but from what I see with the fuel gauge, shifting at 2000 rpm instead of 2500 rpm that I am actually losing mpg!   4.2 for your Fast Eddy remap seems to be way better than I would have ever expected, wow.

 

I used to have a jetta diesel and got even better mpg by letting it roll on the hills and using the engine as a compressor.  I tried this with the smart car but can't shift back as it displays 0 and have to stop the car to change gears if I let it roll.  Anyway to avoid this as I have a lot of hills around here and could get an extra 30% gas mileage?   My goal just for fun is 100 mpg 😀   BTW, I would love to get my hands on the 2nd generation 451 diesel.  Any chance importing a used one into BC, or is that next to impossible with all the rules?

Edited May 29, 2025 by smartme

[MikeT]

The 451 D to get is the earliest 54 HP version. No particle filter (IIRC) and decent power. So that'd be circa 2014 models and 2029 is the importation date for those models.

 

My car's tires are wider than stock: 175 section on the front and 195 on the rear, versus 145 and 175 respectively. It eats about 0.2 L/100 km according to European FE tests (official). Well worth it IMO.

 

100 MPG is possible but you have to drive like a mobile chicane to do it.

[smartme]

Ok I will look for a 2014 451 D if I can get my hands on one.  Would be a really fun car to work on for a Winter project.

 

Any tips on how to get my car in gear after rolling the hills or is that just not even possible?  My 450 displays 0 in the dash for gear selection after rolling and I have to come back to a full stop to put it back into gear.

Edited May 29, 2025 by smartme

[MikeT]

Better to stay in gear on the overrun, as no fuel is burned....idling down a hill in neutral burns more fuel, though the car may roll a tad farther than if it's in gear. In the end, probably a wash either way and the car will not go back into gear at speed because the layshaft is not spinning and the synchros would burn out, not to mention the clutch disc.

 

I think the 54 HP came out in 2010 actually so they may be importable now.

[smartme]

Makes sense as it's not like the Jetta with a real clutch, thanks.

 

I noticed a few 2010's for sale thanks again.

[smartme]

On 5/28/2025 at 9:11 PM, MikeT said:

3.6 is great. Lifetime average in my stock smart with 175/195 tires was 3.95 over 250K km.

 

My BRABUS Canada 1 also has 175/195 tires and a Fast Eddy remap and its lifetime is 4.2 over 188K km. It's driven reasonably hard. Can score in the mid 3s if I try.

 

I think my 3.6 was bogus as I never got it again.  I calculated it after I filled up my tank that overflowed diesel all over my shoes because the pump did not shut off.  After that I have been getting 3.9 to 4.1.  If I drive it too conservatively it actually burns more fuel for some reason.

[Willys]

My Smart if driven no more than 10kms over the limit and carefully up to speed was steadily at 3.5 
The lowest I have seen it iirc was 2.7 but I do not know how or why.....?????   My best numbers were always when I wasn't watching the scangauge

 

[MikeT]

Lifetime (a touch over 3800 km so far) in the M-B GLC350e 4MATIC has yielded 2.5 L/100 km together with 15.3 kWh/100 km. The main problem in comparing it to a 20 year old smart is the purchase price.

 

The electric cost (70% of our driving has been electric) per 100 km is $3. Now the smart is the gas guzzler!

[Willys]

And the range if you do not live in an urban area, imho. Then add in the extreme cold weather that these electric vehicles seem to work less in. My brother's mustang ev left him sitting in the middle of feb for hours in the wee hours a few times.....he's now back to reliable fosil fuels....lol.
To each their own and yes for city dwellers I agree, the perfect solution for smog and pollution. 

My son has had a tesla now for two models changes, he's hooked, but has to route his driving around fast charging sites and he lives in a city.  They are constantly following the charger app when they come to visit.....again to each their own. 

[MikeT]

We live in a rural area and it's ideal for us. It rarely gets below zero here, and if it does, well there is an engine with 49L of fuel to get you 700+ km.

[smartme]

On 7/28/2025 at 7:40 PM, MikeT said:

Lifetime (a touch over 3800 km so far) in the M-B GLC350e 4MATIC has yielded 2.5 L/100 km together with 15.3 kWh/100 km. The main problem in comparing it to a 20 year old smart is the purchase price.

 

The electric cost (70% of our driving has been electric) per 100 km is $3. Now the smart is the gas guzzler!

 

I'd buy an electric car if Canada would really be serious about the environment and not slap on a 100% tariff on Chinese EV's.  China is now producing commercial sodium ion batteries and in December will mass produce the sodium batteries for their EV's.  We are for sure in the dark ages over here.  

Edited August 4, 2025 by smartme

[smartme]

On 7/27/2025 at 6:37 PM, Willys said:

My Smart if driven no more than 10kms over the limit and carefully up to speed was steadily at 3.5 
The lowest I have seen it iirc was 2.7 but I do not know how or why.....?????   My best numbers were always when I wasn't watching the scangauge

 

 

Most of the roads are not flat in BC.  So many big hills everywhere I drive that I have to be satisfied with my numbers which aren't too bad really.  

 

[smartme]

........

Edited August 4, 2025 by smartme

[Willys]

22 hours ago, smartme said:

 

Most of the roads are not flat in BC.  So many big hills everywhere I drive that I have to be satisfied with my numbers which aren't too bad really.  

 

I'd take those numbers too, if I had the beauty which you drive in.....there is nothing to compare to the mountains of BC, imho.

[smartme]

9 hours ago, Willys said:

I'd take those numbers too, if I had the beauty which you drive in.....there is nothing to compare to the mountains of BC, imho.

 

Moved here from Ontario almost 40 years ago and never left.  Everywhere one drives is a scenic wonderland and very addictive.  It's very uplifting even in the darkest hours of Winter.

Edited August 5, 2025 by smartme

[MikeT]

The 100% tariff on Chinese cars is pandering for the USA, done when Biden was still in power and they were officially friendly. Now that they're not, the tariff should be lowered to something approximating the degree to which they're dumping. If BYD or frankly anyone other than the "big three" would set up a car factory here, so much the better.

[smartme]

You would think that would be the case.  Canada is being known around the world as a hostile country to invest in and it should never be that way.  All this talk about net zero yet nothing has come out of it accept talk.