Lexus RX 400h - MPG-Real World Numbers

golfer7

We have an RX 400H with approximately 1000 miles on it. My wife is the primary driver and has been averaging about 23 mpg doing city/hwy driving. She is a bit of a "lead foot" and doesn't consciously try to maximize the mileage.

We just returned from a 380+ mile trip from the SF Bay Area to Tahoe and back. The trip included about 5-10% city-type driving, and the rest was freeways and mountain roads. I drove and tried to be very conscious of smoothly accelerating & maximizing the opportunities to coast, but I didn't drive at speeds below the flow of traffic. We climbed up over the 8000 foot elevation pass that takes you to Tahoe, including passing vehicles as needed along the way. My combined mileage for the entire trip was 27 MPG per the Nav unit. I was extremely pleased.

One of the other posters very accurately stated that the 400H provides owners with the OPPORTUNITY to get superior gas mileage, but one has to consciously drive the vehicle in a manner that takes advantage of its unique capabilities. Driving it in a "normal" manner, you'll find it to be extremely smooth and VERY powerful. It's 0-60 mph times are very impressive for an SUV, and its passing power is phenomenal.

Overall, we wish that it could be mindlessly driven and would get mileage in the high 20s to low 30s, but it just isn't so. Nevertheless, we don't regret our decision to purchase it.

brent99

I have to disagree with this. My car has the "opportunity" to get DECENT mileage, but certainlly not great mileage. I haven't found as much positive difference between "hard" driving and "normal" driving as indicated here. (Although I did manage to score a 13MPG rating this weekend on what I guess classifies as "hard" driving, although I'd say it was more frequent stop-and-start).

brent99

I took my 18MPG car on the highway this weekend, with some decent results.

Driving mostly free&clear on a 75MPH road, the car rang up nearly 21 MPG outbound. At high speeds, the onboard indicator ran close to 30MPG and only struggled because the battery kept running out on some slightly inclined terrain. Net it seemed to do at least 24 MPG sustained during the highway portion of the drive.

The return trip was more impressive. The car netted 21.5 MPG, better than the outbound trip. What was impressive -- the car sat in traffic for nearly 1.5 hours and GAINED MPG!! Nice...literally the onboard indicator went UP as I inched along a clogged highway. Breaking it down, the car did about 23MPG excluding a couple gallons used very poorly in the city. Maybe others have insight on this, but I'd think the traffic jam would easily have put 98% of gas SUVs below 20MPG.

The onboard indicator, which seems accurate minute-to-minute but seems over 1 MPG optimistic when averaging up mixed driving conditions, predicted 23 MPG on the 21.5 MPG performance for the total inbound trip.

(Regular gas was used, air conditioning on..BTW, I have the AWD version too)

The moral I've gotten is this car does pretty well highway driving, but the idea of it doing better "city driving" with numbers topping 30MPG is a total fantasy of the EPA measuring process. Of course, that it also has the ability to accelerate its 5 ton load with the pop of just about any sports car is somewhat forgiving of this fact. I am also consoling myself with the fact that its emissions friendly and may require less engine and brake maintenance down the road.

art234

I have about 600 miles on my RX400h and with about 10% highway driving, we're still in the 25.3 to 25.5 range of averages, and when I filled the car it was within 1/2mpg of the computer. I must say I remain somewhat impressed.

Karen_S

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mirex

I have now had my 400h for 1 full year.

15,608 miles driven.
597.564 gallons of fuel used for an average of 26.12 mpg.
$1,556.76 total fuel cost at an average of $2.61/gallon.

I live in the Seattle area where the summers are not real hot and the winters not too cool. I have taken 1 trip to South Lake Tahoe, 1 trip to Vancouver BC, and numerous trips to Portland. The rest of my driving is about 85% freeway and 15% city which are short trips (a real mileage killer).

Some observations:

The mpg drops when the temperature drops below 50 degrees fahrenheit as it does when the temperature goes over 80. In the warmer months I can exceed 30 mpg driving to Portland if I keep my speed at 65 or below. The drop off is significant as the speed is increased.

Maximizing coasting increases mpg while hard acceleration dramatically decreases mpg.

I tried a few tanks of premium fuel, but did not notice any measurable change in mpg. Likewise when I switched to synthetic oil.

I have two friends that drive the RX330 and I consistently get about 5 mpg better that they do. That is not enough to pay for the increase in price, but I am using less foreign oil and I like the fact that I meet the California emission standards. I did get some savings with the IRS allowable deduction.

I love my 400h and would not hesitate in buying it again.

helendan

I had to reply to myself because I am no longer disappointed after 1000 miles break in I have been averaging 27.5 and have even hit 28.5 and I live on top of a hill 200 feet up and make lots of short trips. You just have to wait, it gets better as you rack up the miles and there is an art to driving a Hybrid its really common cents. And as far as the Wood I got a after market real wood kit from wooddash.com made exactly for the 400h and it looks like it came that way. Happy 400h driver :shades:

kyxydj

I took delivery on 7/11/06. The vehicle drives great. My mileage is normally between 26.5-28.0 mpg. I do see the mpg improve when I am on the freeway going 65 mph or less. Fuel economy drops off a little over 70. I also see the mpg creep up in stop and go traffic, where I can go 25mph and not have to climb a hill - at that point, the electric motor is in use much more than the gas. I live in an area with lots of hills (San Diego), and in fact, I live in a large canyon area, where we have to go up and down hills to come to and from home. Uphill driving in the RX 400h definitely eats into your mpg. All in all, I am getting about 5 or more mpg in the RX 400h as compared to my 2003 RX 330, which I traded in. That's a nice increase. They say gas will be $4 per gallon by next summer. My RX 400h is ready!

daloosh

Picked up our 400h over the weekend, and for the first 180 miles, we've got 25.2 mpg, which is a great start. Will report back after we rack up some miles on the car!

whatsnu

i have a 2007 400h with 1300 miles. Mileage has been around 24-25 mpg. Certainly not the EPA 27/31! But a whole lot better than my former car, Cadillac Escalade at 13-14 mpg! i do hope the mileage improves with time. The car is great and would highly recommend it!

ravlegend

2007 model approx 500 miles on 60/40 hwy

first 400 miles - 28 mpg at first gas tank (filled early)
last 100 miles - 29.3 mpg so far

lonlin68

I have about 600 miles on 2006 model. So far I'm averaging 27.6 MPG with about 50/50 highway and local trips. My mileage has improved starting at 25.5 MPG to what it is now 27.5 MPG.

I believe this is due to learning how to drive the hybrid more efficiently over time. For example, there are times when you are going on a flat or slightly down hill road that you keep just a small amount of pressure on the petal. Once I was conscience of the hybrid capability, I would coast rather than keep that small amount of pressure. By doing this, you generate more energy rather than use it.

Also, I have noticed that when using the cruise control and again going slightly down hill, the SUV can go 65 MPH on battery power only for some distance. If you weren't paying attention and were driving with your foot on the petal, I would bet that the engine would kick in and you would use some gas rather than just electricity.

I also try to utilize the brake for longer slower stops rather than quicker faster stops. When you think about it, that light isn't going to change for awhile anyway, so why hurry up just to stop.

Has anyone else developed techniques for improved mileage?

aschrott

I drove across the US from the east coast to the west coast in a Lexus 400h. MPG for the trip was less than 24, compared to EPA rating of 29. Based on my discussions with Lexus Customer Service, the company is well aware that the claims for mpg results is no where near any reasonable number close to 29. Combined driving is fair, about 27mpg compared to EPA 31.It is my impression that the company and its dealers, are not being forthright with actual mpg results. Doesn't say much for the Lexus Division of Toyota.

katzjamr

most people are aware that the epa mileage on the sticker is not formulated from real world conditions and few cars will match that number. My lexus salesman went to extra lengths to explain to me what my actual mileage would be and that it would be lower than the epa estimate. Their concern was that toytoa wanted people to be informed and happy with the purchase. As it is i get 25 to 27 mpg, which is ten mpg higher than my previous suv, more power, safety and regardless of mpg you are always regenerating power as u travel and polluting much less. Consumer reports has shown that 95% of all prius owners and 90% of lexus 400h owners would gladly purchase their cars again and they have been reliable.

nigh

I agree most wholeheartedly. I am getting the same milage after one year since purchase. It is a wonderful car in all respects. I would buy it again in a heartbeat!

whatsnu

i now have nearly 2700 miles on 2007 400h. most recent mpg has been 26 and 27 mpg. however, i am very conscious about how i drive (i.e., far more conservative now as i try to improve the mileage---i guess that is a good thing in terms of fuel conservation/consumption).

ravlegend

Just went over the 1000 miles marker.
My 3 previous readings before resetting the milege stats are in the 26ish range.

I did had a chance to drive it the past 2 days covering about 100 miles in 75/25 hwy - got it to 32mpg.

So far so good - actually more than good

kyxydj

As for performance, the RX400h is way ahead of the 330 that I traded in. The RX400h really is more responsive, by quite a bit, than the 330. As for that rattling, I was getting it at 55-60 mph, and I think the Lexus people are onto it. After my 5000 mile check, it is gone. They probably had a software update or something like that. I am getting around 27mpg most of the time. If I really drive it gently, the RX400h will get me 28-29mpg. I live in the San Diego area, and I do have to go up and down a lot of hills, which will affect mpg. So will going over 65-70mph, once you get over 65, the fuel economy starts to taper off, just a little.

kyxydj

As for performance, the RX400h is way ahead of the 330 that I traded in. The RX400h really is more responsive, by quite a bit, than the 330. As for that rattling, I was getting it at 55-60 mph, and I think the Lexus people are onto it. After my 5000 mile check, it is gone. They probably had a software update or something like that. I am getting around 27mpg most of the time. If I really drive it gently, the RX400h will get me 28-29mpg. I live in the San Diego area, and I do have to go up and down a lot of hills, which will affect mpg. So will going over 65-70mph, once you get over 65, the fuel economy starts to taper off, just a little.

richcbt

I haven't owned an RX330 so can't directly compare. But right now my RX400h is in the shop (trying to figure out why it squeaks and rattles so much from the back seat), and I've got a loaned RX350, the new version, which gets 270 hp.

Performance-wise, they're comparable, but different. The 350 has superior low-end torque, so it jumps off the line a little faster. It feels much lighter to steer, and it handles bumps much better.

But, at speed, the 400h is a smoother accelerator. I'm guessing that in a drag race, it would win zero-60, but barely, by coming from behind. Despite the annoying whine on deceleration, it's quieter on acceleration. The new 350 six-cylinder engine seems to my ears to be a noisy [non-permissible content removed].

One thing they've improved markedly since I got my 400h in May of '05, at least in the 350, is visibility from the driver's position. I absolutely hate the 400h in this regard. My RX300 was fine, but I find myself getting more drivers in my blind spot with this vehicle, and nearly changing lanes unsafely, than with any vehicle I've ever owned. I may trade it in just to get rid of this, and I'm going to ask Lexus if they can upgrade the mirrors. I don't know exactly what they've done, but it's improved.

I haven't checked in here in a long time. I was getting in the low 20's on my vehicle and initially rather unhappy. Over approximately the second 5000 miles I had a computer calculated 22.5, which was slightly better. I reconciled myself to that, but recently I've tried using the 91 fuel since prices have eased. It may be coincidental, as I've been doing more highway driving than normal, but for two tanks now I'm up around 25.5. I do feel the engine is more responsive with this fuel, so I may continue to use it.

brent99

We use this car mainly for very short, city trips...use regular gas, and my wife drives it with a lead foot and air conditioning blowing. IE, we're pretty much the worst-case scenario.

Anyway, since the weather cooled down a bit, mileage as reported by the computer is slightly up, now 20 MPG...better than the summer low 18s.

terry92270

It is an established fact that in higher HP engines, Premium will certainly increase your MPG. Many users of these forums have calculated they actually save money on gasoline paying 20-30 cents per gallon more for 91 Octane.

kaperino

Bought my RX400h in May of '05. Initially the mileagge was 26027. My 35,000 mile I am getting between 27-29 mpg. My husband jack rabbits and therefore we get less also threextra weight) I have had as high as 32mpg for a 300 mile period. Live in Atlanta, don't rely on air when it is in the 70's.......Love the car. Performance is great. Looking for a phone provider to finally use the bluetooth any sugestions?

eshapir

I have the Pentagon Federal Credit Union CC and they just announced that cardholders would get 5% cash back instantly on all gasoline purchases. Since I just purchased my car and we've filled up once in 3 weeks I haven't studied how my car handles premium vs. cheap on MPG. I suspect we'll lose a little if we go with cheap gas but I'm not sure if the justification is there to pay more but I digress.

If you assume that premium gas is 20 cents (or 8%) more expensive than the super unleaded, this 5% cash back justifies filling up with premium to achieve the benefits in MPG. Just wondering what the community thinks about this kind of math and if anyone else has similar cash back programs.

Here's the link to the Pen Fed CC --> link

kyxydj

I've had my RX 400h since mid-July. We recently had a week or two of colder weather than normal, and I can verify that the gas engine comes on more frequently when it's in the 50's or lower. And MPG goes down slightly. Now that the temps have returned to the upper 60s and 70s (that's San Diego for ya!), MPG has improved, too. I am getting around 29. Karen S., I have a great Bluetooth connection with my T-Mobile Samsung T-809. However, just about any Bluetooth enabled phone should work. See if you can get a handset that will allow you to load your phone's ENTIRE phonebook into the Lexus phonebook. I had a Motorola RAZR and it only let me add one number at a time. The Samsung T-809 allows me to transfer (via Bluetooth) my entire phonebook, all at once, and that feature is VERY convenient. One note: each time you reload your handset's phonebook into the Lexus, you'll have to reset your "one touch" call keys.

konocar400h

We purchased a 400h about 6 months ago. It is an awesome car. The thing with the gas mileage is that it varies on your style of driving. The first month we drove it like we would a normal car (A bit aggressive, 80 mph on highway) and we returned 24.5 mpg. We weren't that pleased with that, so we decided to look for pointers on how to drive. The best point we got was to accelerate fast to your normal speed, than lift off the gas, which will usually engage the electric motor even at 50 mph, providing outstanding results. We are now averaging 29.5 mpg. (Cruise control on the highway @ 70 mph on the highway helps too)

nigh

We have owned our 400h for a little over a year now. Love it, love it! Since the colder weather here in the DC area, we have noticed a drop in MPG. Also, short trips seem to make the mpg go down, however, we are still averaging about 25.5 mpg. As far a the phone, Verizon Wireless works great (with the Bluetooth) but you cannot load all of your contacts. Seems to me that Lexus could have done a better job which would have included all of the major wireless carriers. Comments, please. Anne in Maryland

samiam_68

As far a the phone, Verizon Wireless works great (with the Bluetooth) but you cannot load all of your contacts. Seems to me that Lexus could have done a better job which would have included all of the major wireless carriers.

This is a current limitation of Verizon, not Lexus. Verizon bluetooth support only allows one contact download at a time. Verizon is "thinking" of opening up the software to multiple transfers, but who knows when that will materialize.

kaperino

Most of teh information on Bluetooth phones for the 400h indicate that all the numbers in your contact list will have to be entered one by one. Of course, I am swithcing carriers from Nextel to Cingular, so I have to enter all my contacts one by one into the phone, so the Samsung T-809 looks good. I will look into the Cingular?Att offering that phone. If anyone out there knows of a great PDA or phone by Cingular that is compatable, let me know........

hilandr05

Yesterday was the first anniversary of owning an RX400h and I took it in for an oil change with over 16,000 miles.
I have been tracking mileage carefully and have an Excel spreadsheet to show both total and by tank mileage. My total mileage is 27.65 MPG. The by tank mileage varies from a low of 22 to a high of 30. The mileage readout in the car is almost always overly optimistic, by as much as 2 MPG. Of course all this data is not statistically significant without a few facts on conditions.
- Primary location is South Florida, so a lot of flat ground
- Air conditioner running almost all the time
- 2 wheel drive
- Regular gas only
- Combination of stop-and-go, regular street, and highway driving
- A lot of driving too fast, 80+ MPH
- Driving conditions around Miami do not encourage slow starts and moderate speeds.

Bottom line is that I know I could do better if I drove slower, started slower, and did not run the A/C ALL the time. But if I just wanted to save gas I would have bought a Prius. I enjoy the comfort, luxury features, and power too much. And I really like driving in the HOV lane!

My biggest concern is future maintenance support and trade-in value. I don't see any advertising by Lexus about the 400h but a deluge of advertising for the other cars. I think that is a very bad sign for us owners.

kyxydj

I actually feel like Lexus doesn't have to advertise the hybrids. They don't need the extra promotion. They are popular enough already. That's probably why you are not seeing a lot of hype on them.

rockville1

For my '07 400h that was purchased in early January, I now have 1,700 miles and mileage is as follows:

1. During the cold month of February, I was averaging about 24 with regular gas. With premium or midgrade I was getting 26.4.

2. Since temps have risen above 60 F, I am now averaging 29.5 with midgrade gas.

I'm very happy with the MPG.

myhybrid

Quick question - do you do most of your driving using the cruise control feature? I had around 22 (at the most) during the colder months, and now that the temp is around 50 I am back up to 25. One thing I have noticed is that the cruise control really makes the difference (aside from the temperature).

kaperino

My 2006 400 h has over 35,000 miles, averages 28 MPG over all with little cruise control. Most driving is around the city, with frequent stops and that decreases the MPG.

avery1

I thought that with a hybrid city mpg is higher because the batteries get charged more.

ravlegend

2 questions related to MPG:

-Mine 2007 manual is recommending premium gasoline (91 octane or above). I've been reading the 2006 suggested regular gas.
Since I assumed they are the same engine - does it matter?

-is there a "master" button to show the overall MPG since new?

Thanks in advance.

kaperino

Bought my 2006 in 2005. Have 35,000 miles. Specs recommended 91 or higher. I used the higher grade ( premium) for a year and switched to middle grade. Just a mile or so difference per gallon. Master button? Not sure of the question. I know of no other display of MPG other than on the trip information screen

holew

By Mid-Range gas I am thinking that you mean 89 octane. If this is correct you would be better off mixing 1/3 87 octane with 2/3 93 octane which results in a 91 octane mix. You will find that this is cheaper then buying 89 octane gas.

I have a 2002 LS430. The owners manual indicates that 91 octane is appropriate. Of course 91 Octane fuel in not available at the pump, at least where I buy fuel here in the Mid-Atlantic. So at every fillup I merely compute the number of gallons needed, divide this by 3 and pump the 87 first and then top it off with 93. While this might sound strange for the owner of a $60k car to do this to save a dollar or two at a fillup, I ask you this. If you saw a dollar one the street would you pick it up? If so this is how I find a dollar in the street at least once or more a week. There is usually a 20 cent difference in 87 and 93 gas. So pumping 5 to 7 gallons of 87 at 20 cent less per gallon equals $1 to $1.40 per tank full.

I think if you read the owners manual for you Lexus RX400h you will find out that 91 octane fuel is recommended.

apg97ss

hello Rockville1
maybe you recall we bought our RX400s on same day, same dealer.
No surprise, but driving styles can make a big difference. My wife likes the feel of G-forces, so she gets about 26. I try to ease into it - I use the visual of not trying to smash marshmallows if they were on gas pedal. whimpy i know, but i get 29+ combo hwy/town. a few times i have tried to really go easy to keep it on electric only as long as possible (and took battery bars down to purple). that experience gave me 32 mph around town. so lesson is, mileage varies by driver, and yes, cold weather did lower mileage.
unscientific, but if i had to peg a 'real world' number under 'normal varied conditions, with avg driver' i would put the rx400 at about 27 mph.
glad you enjoing the RX400.

kaperino

Yes, however attempts to blend in your fuel tank should be carefully planned.

You should not allow the tank to become empty, and then add 50% of lower octane, followed by 50% of higher octane. The fuels may not completely mix immediately, especially if there is a density difference. You may get a slug of low octane that causes severe knock. You should refill when your tank is half full. In general the octane response will be linear for most hydrocarbon and oxygenated fuels e.g. 50:50 of 91 and 95 will give 93.

150mphclub

You can put 87 octane in a Lexus. It will not knock, because the engine computer will retard the spark to prevent it. The worst that will happen is you will suffer a small loss in power and/or fuel economy.

brent99

We're lucky to get 20, but the car is driven locally in an area that seems to force bad mileage (long hills, traffic) and a car its size would be lucky to get 15 with the same workload. It gets about the same mileage as a small-sized Suzuki SUV with about 10x the engine power.

I tried premium one time and the mileage actually went down, so I won't do that again. :-) This is still about a 20% to 30% gain on fuel economy, so its not negligible in my mind. The car will range over 300 miles on a normal size tank of regular fuel.

brent99

If we leave our local area, we can get up to 25 MPG, probably netting somewhere between 22 and 25 for a mix of highway and local driving.

nigh

We just today had our 40000 mile service. We average 26.5 mpg. One has to learn to "feather" the gas pedal. I agree, for a car this size with this load, we are doing very well...

dorenescar

We only have close to 1k, but our current average of mainly city with some daily short highway is 28.5 mpg. We hope this continues. We actually got 29.9 for most of one tank. I find it very easy to 'glide' between stops - this car seems to fly with little to no gas. We have learned the trick another poster suggested, which truly works: get up to maximum speed quickly, then take your foot of the pedal - it gets the best out of your mileage, for sure! :shades:

lansdownemike

At about 1600 miles I get 23 - 24 mpg in a suburban mix. I've tried a variety of techniques, but feathering the gas seems to keep the mileage up. Getting up to speed quickly feels so counterintuitive as the "instantaneous" mpg drops so much, but maybe I'll try that next.

maximafan

rich, I felt the exact same way as you when comparing the driving characteristics of the 400h and the RX350. I have the RX350 and have driven the 400h as a loaner car. The RX350 does feel quicker off the line, but the 400h gets really zippy at higher speeds. A friend that I work with has a 2005 RX330 and I feel that the engine in her car is more quiet than my RX350. I'm also having issues with the annoying rattling coming from the hatch area
(this is the second occurence since August of last year).

As far as the side-view mirrors, I find that pushing the driver's side mirror further out to your left will make it easier to see the car
coming up in the lane beside you. It takes getting used to, but I believe it really helps.
This may involve pushing the mirror out more than you would expect to. Good Luck. I will be calling Lexus today regarding my rattle problem.

maximafan

Hi all! I am driving an '07 RX350. I've had it since August of last year. I drive almost always in the city, with mostly back and forth between my home and downtown, which is about five to six miles one way. I'm averaging between 17 and 18 mpg's. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what an 400h might average mpg-wise with the same kind of driving.

dorenescar

Hi Maximafan, We get between 26-29.5 mpg; city is closer to the 29 mpg figure. With air conditioning, we are down to 27.3 this tank; pretty good for an AWD! Our 400h is one month old.

lxpatel

I just had replaced all four Factor Goodyear Integrity RSA changed to Bridgestone Alenza, original only lasted for 23k, New feels lot better, warrantied for 65K and seems to handle better but i noticed that factory only uses Goodyear RSA or Michelin MXV4 S8. Will New Tires bring down MPG? has any one else tried these tires?