Last September, for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz Classic Days in Luxembourg, I drove 2848 km (1780 miles) in 6 days, together with 4 other car members of the Spanish MB Club (250 SL, 220 SEb Cabrio, and two 190 SL). We did the return trip from Luxembourg to Barcelona (1150 km / 719 miles) in one stretch, soft-top down the entire time, of course!
No problems, and I realized the low fuel consumption it could reach when driving on the highway at legal speeds (110-130 km/h / 69-81 mph)... the average consumption of the travel was: 10.8 l/100 km (21.8 mpg), and 1 oil liter per 1000 km (625 miles).
I tend to drive my car on secondary roads and highway at higher speed, and then the fuel consumption is around 13 l/100 km (18.1 mpg).
Just a funny comment from the travel: one of the 190 SL owners noticed the difference in handling between the 190 SL and the Pagoda when he tried to follow me during a twisty stage of the rally (and he is an amateur rally driver of current cars!)... After the experience (and some problems both 190 SL suffered during the travel) he has bought a Pagoda to take part in the 2003 Mercedes-Benz Classic Days, in Salzburg (Austria)!
Regards,
Albert de la Torre Chavalera
Barcelona (Catalunya/Spain)
Feb.'64 230 SL Euro 113042-10-002432