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Lexus ES 350 Real World MPG

tds1tds1 Member Posts: 74
edited September 2014 in Lexus
To the early buyers: What kind of real world MPG are you getting?
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Comments

  • neuroguyneuroguy Member Posts: 34
    In just city driving, the dash read-out on MPG has been telling me between 20 and 21. I consider this pretty darn good considering the city EPA spec is 21:
    ES 350 Specifications
  • cleblanccleblanc Member Posts: 45
    I do mostly highway driving (but a lot of traffic sometimes) and have been getting 28 mpg. So I'm happy with that.
  • dp5dp5 Member Posts: 55
    I'm getting around 20-21.5 mpg average per tank. I do lots of city driving but I do a fair bit of highway driving, too. I have been using premium gasoline. I was expecting/hoping for better mileage. I am usually a pretty sedate driver but I may be enjoying the acceleration too much. I'm sure that will slow down as the newness wears off. What are you guys seeing in mpg?
  • iycrraiycrra Member Posts: 24
    My wife and I alternate the cars. I'm not sure how her driving habbits are. But we live in LA. Traffic is well needless to say...

    City to freeway driving. 65% to 35%. But I'm pleasantly surprised with the MPG. I get avg around 25-26. Better than my old 4-clynd '99 Honda accord.

    Currently I'm using 91 octane. I'm giving it a break-in period of 1,000 miles. After that, I'm going with 89 octane. My salesman said, 89 should be fine.
  • scmanscman Member Posts: 9
    Have had the car less than a week, and on the first tank of gas (from the dealer)the Average MPG (according to the little digital read out) is 24.6 MPG. I drive the freeways in L.A. which are seldom free-flowing.....
  • mldj98mldj98 Member Posts: 378
    This is my first MPG results: using 91 octane

    25 mile one way commute to work
    60/40 city/highway stop and go traffic along with some long stretches of open roadway....45-50 mph along those open stretches.
    AC used more in the afternoon than morning, this is Central Florida.....yesterday 97 degrees, huge humidity!

    Traveled 212.7 miles (using trip reading)
    7.486 gallons = 28.413 mpg
    This is actual mileage.....figured the old fashion way.
    I think my "tank average" reading on the gage cluster was pretty close to reading the same number.
    I only have 300 miles on the odometer.... just bought it last week so this was my full first week of commuting to work....
    If this keeps up....I'm impressed!
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    What does the owner's manual say about recommended fuel for the 2007 ES350?
  • fram_dudefram_dude Member Posts: 7
    owners manual says 91 or higher octane rating. i have driven 170 miles till now...getting 23-24 city, state road (not interstate) combo driving in the boston area. seems good to me.
    anyone with octane ratings please post your experiences with 89. is it ok with 89 any technical info might be good. does mixing or changing fuels...work?
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    I have only a thousand miles on my 2006 but I plan on using mid-grade. A little further down the road I will try premium and see if it makes a difference. I would be interested to hear from other owners and see what their experiences are. From reading Edmunds, a lot of owners are using regular(87).
  • briguy5briguy5 Member Posts: 4
    I live in a Chicago suburb and got 21.7 MPG on my first tank which was 100% city driving.
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Have ~1100 miles on my 350; first tank was premium and all the rest have been regular (87). Getting consistently 25.6 mpg highway/city, but mostly city. I'm pleased.
  • fram_dudefram_dude Member Posts: 7
    i went by the book (91 or higher) and put 93, does not look like its helping much. i have a feeling that the car is behaving a bit different (for worse) than with the initial tank of gas that came with the delivery. i asked the dealer he said they put midgrade when the deliver the cars. i am going back to midgrade after this and see if the car behaves better.
  • rocketdanrocketdan Member Posts: 28
    I just picked up my ES350 and drove from the west coast of FL to the east coast, using a combination of interstates and two-lane roads, with 10% city streets. It was common to be cruising at 70 - 80 MPH, always with the air on. The 191-mile trip back averaged 29.8 mpg using 91 octane. I plan to switch to 89, then 87, which is what I did on my '97 Avalon. That car also called for 91, but I have 148K miles on it with 87 octane and no problems. I don't anticipate a problem with 87 in the ES.
  • sammyssammys Member Posts: 30
    I've always used 89 (mid-grade/plus) in my '04 ES and I plan on doing the same with my new '07 ES. Are people saying that even using 87 (regular) is ok and there is no experience of knocking or other problems?

    I had always thought, perhaps incorrectly, that even if you could use the lower grade fuels you would burn more of it and hence need more frequent fuel stops. I guess this would mean lower mpg, etc. Is this faulty thinking?

    SammyS
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ...Just thought I'd give all you guys and gals a little update on what this incredible engine/transmission combo is capable of.

    I gassed up and immediately got on the highway and drove straight for about 45 miles at a fairly steady 65-70mph with the climate control shut down (it was 68°). When I got off the highway and rolled up to the first light the "tank ave." told me I had done 34.2mpg !!!

    About a mile later after a bit of stop and go traffic it was still reading 33.3!

    The way I figure it, this incredibly efficient power plant, with its VERY healthy 272hp on tap is giving me over 50% better gas mileage than I was getting from my '02 ES 300 (good for only about 23/16mpg in real life driving).

    I'm a bit surprised that the almost incomprehensible efficiancy of this engine doesn't get more press. It's really unbelievable. And, let me tell you, when you need the power and you put your foot into the accelerator, this thing is a rocket ship!

    Heck, the way I figure it I'm still "only" paying the equivalent of about $2.25/gallon.
  • savonsavon Member Posts: 3
    I drove 130 miles on freeway with cruise control on at 68-70 miles per hour with air conditioning on 20-30% of time. "tank ave" was reading 36.9mpg. I took the same road on the way back with air conditioning on 50% of time, "tank ave." 35.2mpg. I filled the tank with 91 octane before I started my trip. It is very impressive for 6 cylinder car. I drive mostly surface streets and during rush hours on freeway in so. calif. my ave. mpg hasn't been better than 22mpg. I have the car for 6 weeks and I am not sure it will hold the same mpg one-two years from now. Any way, I am still impressed with 36.9mpg.
  • rocketdanrocketdan Member Posts: 28
    Right after getting my ES, I drove from the west coast of Fl to the east coast, about 190 miles. The MPG was 29.8 while going 75-80 MPH with the air on continuously. My next tank (89 oct.) is being burned off in rush hour traffic. We have had bad thunderstorms and lots of stop-and-go in commuting. I'm still geting 24.5 MPG. This compares to 22 MPG in the same traffic with my '97 Avalon 3.0 liter 192 Hp engine. I am very pleased. My next tank will be 87 octane, which I always used in the Avalon.
  • hurricane7hurricane7 Member Posts: 6
    Today, I drove on a 400 mile trip at an average speed of 64 mph (with AC full blast 100% of the time) and averaged 33 mpg! I am very impressed with the combination of efficiency, power, and refinement of ES 350 engine.
  • oldman26oldman26 Member Posts: 10
    Just completed a 2845 mile trip to TN. 50% on interstates at 75-80 mph, about 25% on two lane country roads, up and down through hills, and about 25% town driving in moderate traffic. Computer indicated 28.9 mph but when caculated (after writing down gallons used each time) actual mileage was 28.71 mpg which I consider to be excellent.
  • rphwackrphwack Member Posts: 21
    I just completed a trip from NYC to Rochester NY. With 11 bowling balls in the trunk I got 26.9 mpg combined city/hwy. On the way back with just highway driving in the rain I got 32.9 mpg. It's amazing that the car only goes up to 2000 rpm at 70 miles per hour.
  • tdohtdoh Member Posts: 298
    I reckon gearing would have something to do with that (2k rpm at 70 mph)... ;)
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    After 3000 miles my around-town driving is consistently 26 mpg. My first long trip (10 hours at 72 mph cruise control with AC) returned 33 mpg.

    I've found the trip meter takes at least 45 minutes of driving before it will settle down to give a consistent and accurate reading.

    BTW, these mileage figures are based on dividing the number of miles driven by the number of gallons used, not by relying on the car's mpg readings. In my ES350 the car mpg readings are usually within 1 mpg of what I calculate.
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    I've just over 4,000 miles on my ES350 and have run half those miles with 92 octane and half with 87 octane. I've discerned no difference in performance, mileage, nor engine sounds between the two grades of gas.

    This topic is beat to death on all the auto forums and I doubt anyone actually converts from one opinion to another (it's bad - it's good, it's stupid - it's smart) despite all the discussion. This is simply my experience.
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    I've been getting 26 & 33 mpg with the air conditioning on pretty much all the time.

    Now that we've had some cooler weather here in NC, I'm finding my mileage without AC to be 1.5 mpg better.

    87 or 91 octane doesn't make a difference.
  • larrymitlarrymit Member Posts: 80
    Just took my ES on it's first road trip. The last tankful at 70-80 MPH logged 33.6 mpg on the car's readout.
  • normalnormal Member Posts: 19
    I have about 500 miles on my ES 350, virtually no highway miles yet and my cars computer is registering around 16.5 mpg, is anyone else getting a similar reading. I really like the car, but to this point the mileage is not what I expected.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    I'm not a Lexus ES 350 owner, but let me tell you my story. Nearly four years ago I bought an '03 Hyundai Sonata with the puny 2.7L 170 hp. V6 motor. (You have a nearly 100 hp advantage over me.). According to my sales contract, my new car had a paltry 15 miles registered on the odometer (and that was after I put eight miles on the car during a test drive). The EPA rated that engine with its 4-sp A/T at 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway. My first tank netted me 14+ mpg combined. At 500 miles my combined mileage had increased to 17. At 5,000 miles my combined had increased to just under 22. (Please tell me you see a pattern here. ;)) Now at over 22,200 miles, my combined is at just under 25. (urban crawl really skews results - when you're sitting at a red light, you're getting ZERO mpg) On a freeway run to Las Vegas from San Bernardino and back (about 480 miles), held to 70 mph on cruise control, and with A/C blasting away (some like it cold...) I average an honest 30+ mpg. In short, your motor is still running-in no matter what your owner's manual states. Your fuel mileage will improve as the motor's and tranny's sliding parts finish seating against their bearings or other contact parts to their most free-running alignments.
  • normalnormal Member Posts: 19
    Thank you for the response, I really do need to drive this car more, it is a month old and is just at 500 miles. I'm going to St. Louis :)
  • tonyguy2000tonyguy2000 Member Posts: 39
    I drove from Los Angeles to Dallas and got from 31-34 mpg. Very pleased. I drove at speeds from 70-80 with the air on most of the time.
  • sandy_eggosandy_eggo Member Posts: 7
    I just got my ES350 and took it from San Diego to Phoenix and back with highway speeds of 80-90 (mostly cruise control) and a small amount of city driving. Outside temp was 90-100 and MPG averaged 26.
  • tonyguy2000tonyguy2000 Member Posts: 39
    Any wind noise from your driver's side window at those speed?
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    )) "Are people saying that even using 87 (regular) is ok and there is no experience of knocking or other problems? ... I had always thought, perhaps incorrectly, that even if you could use the lower grade fuels you would burn more of it and hence need more frequent fuel stops." ((

    The 3.5L V6 engine used in the '07 Camry is exactly the same engine used in the '06 ES 350. Both "versions" use knock sensor transducers (piezo-electric microphones which pick up the first hints of "knocking/pinging" before human hearing can distinguish such) screwed into the cylinder banks to feed the information to the engine control computer to tailor the ignition advance tuning on the fly. But the EX 350's engine is rated to 4 hp more. Why the difference? The EX 350's recommendation to use 91 pump octane vs. the Camry's recommendation to use 87 pump octane. Next time you're due for a fill-up, pump half a tank of 87 octane regular grade gasoline in. You'll know within several miles whether your engine has any increased tendency to "ping" - it probably won't. But, if your engine does ping (and a few miles will NOT cause engine damage), then pump the remaining tank volume with 91 octane premium gasoline - the combo will net you a tankful of your customarily used 89 octane. No harm, no foul. If, as I suspect, your engine remains as characteristically quiet as previously with mid-grade 89 octane gasoline, it's doubtfull you'll ever miss the extra two horsepower that the mid-grade fuel delivers. Whatever fuel economy difference you note will A) be more theoretical than real, B) be more because of the route you choose than the octane rating you selected, and C) certainly be insufficient to justify the extra dime per gallon at the pump.
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    Yes, that's exactly what we're saying.

    I've noticed no difference whatsoever between 87 & 93 octane fuel after thousands of miles of driving on both. Same power. Same engine sounds. Same gas mileage.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    to the more appropriate general ES 350 discussion.
  • es350sfes350sf Member Posts: 1
    If you look in your owner's manual, it tells you that 91 octane rated unleaded gas is recommneded. However, that same paragraph also tells you that you can use 87 octane gas if 91 is not available. This should give all of us a hint that it can run on either type of gas without any limitations or warranty issues.
  • ray_h1ray_h1 Member Posts: 1,134
    )) "...you can use 87 octane gas if 91 is not available. ... ...it can run on either type of gas without any limitations or warranty issues." ((

    Good information - thanks for sharing. The same displacement engine used in the 2007 Camry V6 models is rated at 4 hp. less on its recommended 87 octane unleaded regular. It follows that operating an ES 350 on 87 octane would likely result in similar hp. to that of the Camry. Realistically, how important is an additional 4 hp when the Camry is already rated at 268 hp.? Or to rephrase, is an additional 4 hp. really worth 20 cents/gallon extra at the pump? That drop from using regular unleaded is only a 1.47% reduction from the 272 hp rating of the ES 350. The detergent additives in gasoline are federally regulated at the same minimum level regardless of octane rating. "Top Tier" gasolines carry a higher minimum level - again equally spec'd per "Top Tier" standards across all octane grades among gasoline brands agrreing to adhere to the "Top Tier" standards and who pay the price of certification for bragging rights.
  • colorfulyearscolorfulyears Member Posts: 11
    Two adults and two children under 11 and a lot of food, water and heavy luggage from San Francisco to Las Vegas: 100% freeway; heat has been on to maintain interior temperature to 65; The car's read out mileage is 30.2 mpg.

    Currently, my 90% city (short stop and go avenues) and 10% highway mileage is 24.6 mpg.
  • ash123ash123 Member Posts: 2
    My new ES350 gives about 23miles/gallon. The driving is mostly on freeway. This is with the mixed driving on the first tank I got it filled from the dealership when bought the car. The display shows 40miles/hr as average speed. So far looks ok. I read on this post folks reporting 27 to 30 miles/gallon with the new car without breaking period of 1000miles.

    I am not sure about the type of the gas filled from dealership, but would think its to be premium. So far not worried about the lower mileage wondering when would I get the improvement. The car has about 350miles on it.

    :cry:
  • jaspalbjaspalb Member Posts: 84
    That's what you get in a mixed driving, 23-24 miles/gallon. 30 m/g is on freeway.
  • dunde71dunde71 Member Posts: 33
    I have 1000 miles on my ES350. I am doing approx 70% highway and 30% city. My avg is 23.5 miles/gallon with 93 octane gas. The tank avg reading is not accurate. It was showing 25. I guess it takes time to adjust itself. On the highway it seems I am getting 31mpg i.e., as per the trip computer. So far I have not gone on a long road trip to get a realistic number.

    It would have been nice if there was an overall avg speed reading. The avg speed gets reset every time you turn the vehicle ON/OFF. In my BMW I had the overall avg speed reading which I would reset every time I fill gas. So if my avg speed was 25 mph then I knew for that gas tank I did more city driving and less highway driving. And if it was 45-50mph then I knew I did more highway driving and it would explain the variation in the avg mpg from tank to tank.
  • dubldocdubldoc Member Posts: 15
    I now have 8k miles on my 350, and drive 60/40 highway/city.
    I'm sorry to say that it's rare anyone passes me on my daily 100 mi roundtrip commute. I get overall 26 mpg driving hard (avg 80-85mph in mountainous freeway),frequently hit 90-100, have been to 125... I dont see much differance with reg vs premium.
  • creamy4lifecreamy4life Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone gone over 400miles in a single tank? Had 350miles on mine when I filled her up and got in 16 gallons. Guess I had 2 gallons left and that would mean I'd go empty when I hit 394 miles doing 22mpg. My 1996 Camry V6 is doing the same mileage as my ES 350. Heard it gets better as I get more miles on it cause I've got less than a thousand miles on the odometer.
  • jaspalbjaspalb Member Posts: 84
    Yes, I have gone 450 miles on a single tank. It was mostly highway driving in somewhat hilly areas. Display showed tank average as 33.5 MPG, better than claimed.
  • 150mphclub150mphclub Member Posts: 316
    Why are you wasting your $$$ on 93 octane? You are running the same engine as the V6 Camry and Avalon, both of which get 31+ highway on 87 octane.
  • tammy10tammy10 Member Posts: 15
    I drive more freeway than city but there's construction on my route, so I am sitting or crawling for at least 30 minutes/15 miles out of 50 every day.

    Otherwise, I'm doing 55-70 mph.

    I live in Florida but seldom use the air.
  • dunde71dunde71 Member Posts: 33
    When I posted that artcle, my vehicle was new and I wanted to get numbers for 93 octane. So I filled up a few tanks with it. Now I am using 89 and I am getting 27mpg mixed driving (70% hwy/30%city) and 31mpg on hwy. I guess the increase in mixed mpg is because it has warmed up now and I have over 3K miles on the car. Back in Feb it was about 0-10 degrees in upstate NY and the car was new.

    Anyway, even if you use 87 or 93, for 18,000 miles a year (10,000 mixed and 8,000 pure hwy i.e., long trips), the difference is only $200 extra in gas. This car is $40K. $200 extra a year isnt going to break anybody's wallet who is buying a $40K car.
  • thy_gallantthy_gallant Member Posts: 14
    Had the car for 3 weeks. For the second tankfill, got 25mpg in 50/50 hwy/city combo driving. I am impressed, for a car this size and power to get this kind of mpg.
  • cyearycyeary Member Posts: 2
    Have had my ES350 '07 for 4 weeks. My first tank was used 30% F wy (LA)/70% City and got 18.5mpg. My second tank has been 100% City - 70 miles so far - and computer says 15.5 mpg average.

    I am not a lead foot so what gives?????

    Needless to say, after reading all the glowing mileage reviews, I am VERY disappointed.
    :mad: :cry: :lemon:
  • prazpraz Member Posts: 163
    I went on three trips in the last two month and the mileage is as follows:

    Phoenix-Grand Canyon-Phoenix(moderate uphill and downhill)-30.5 miles/gallon
    Phoenix-LA-Phoenix(flat road)-31.5miles/gallon
    Phoenix-Las Vegas-Phoenix(lot of uphill and downhill)-29 miles/gallon

    These trips were with frequent stops and avg 80 miles/hr speed and on couple of occasions going above 100 miles/hr to pass another vehicle. Hope this helps.
  • turbobillturbobill Member Posts: 4
    WIth over 6,500 miles on the clock, my 2008 ES 350 has averaged a carefully calculated 26.3 miles per U.S. gallon. The three worst fillups, which included a lot of stop-and-go city driving, averaged 20.7 miles per U.S. gallon and the best three fillups, which were exclusively Interstate driving, averaged 32.6 miles per U.S. gallon.
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