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Lexus RX 400h - MPG-Real World Numbers
Share with others your RX 400h MPG here.
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Does anyone else have figures they can share.
Thanks.
see the after about 35 miles average is about 26 mpg.
This may be premature 120 miles, mixed city/highway. 25.5 to 26.0
Better with longer drive times, watched it go from 25.2 on short runs of 4 - 6 miles
to over 26. .2 with longer drive even on highway. Car is two days old.
L
Questions:
Does the MPG increase when the battery is fully charged?
- It appears to on the Energy screen. More green arrows.
It seems like a strange questions, but is it possible that you can get better MPG if you accelerate and decelerate quickly in the city? If not, is there an optimal braking technique to increase the charge in the battery?
I drove one for the first time today and got 32mpg on a 30 mile commute.
2/3 highway, 1/3 city driving.
77 degrees and muggy.
Not bad.
The longer drive certainly helps offset the warm up period.
1. For my first tank of gas I babied the cr*p out of it and got almost 29 average for the whole tank. (DON'T BROWSE THIS MESSAGE AND STOP HERE!!) That was keeping the highway top speed to 65mph and using a feather touch on the gas pedal. My trips around town took me all over the Baltimore beltway from one side of town (Elkridge) to the other (Carney). Not very much 'city' driving at all, though some instances where traffic on the beltway really slowed down. Keep in mind that was April...and the temperatures were still on the cool side, so no air conditioner was in use.
2. Second tank I babied it still, but on the highway I tended to go up towards 70 mph top speed and did an occassional sprint past people on the highways (man it's TRULY got pickup in that regard). Average mpg for me dropped down to about 27-28.
3. Began to drive more aggressively over the next few tanks and the weather began heating up (so the air conditioner now is running full time) and my average has dropped to about 25-26.
Important Things to Note:
Read up on the EPA how they do their testing for mpg estimates..
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml
It's imperative to note that...
1. They test on level roads...NO hills!!! (that affects both city and highway without a doubt)
2. Their city driving was based on an average speed of 20mph (The 400h excels at that speed and frequently runs long jaunts just on battery alone (Depending on how light you press on the accelerator). So that's how the 400h obtained a city average of 31.
3. The highway testing never exceeds 60 mph. (Seems to jive with what I was seeing when I was babying my highway driving speed around 65)
Conclusion
It's all in how you drive it, the speeds you drive, and the terrain. Is it worth babying the cr*p out of it just to get near 29 average mpg? I can't say for sure. Is it much more enjoyable to throttle it every now and then and pass someone easily that thinks you don't stand a chance? Of course! I can't vouch for the RX-330 and what I'd be getting in MY daily drives with one of them. I can only speak of what I observe with my 400h. I wish I had just one week to drive the 330 and do a comparison.
Email me if you have any comments or questions.
link title
Currently my 400h is getting checked out because my front brakes squeal like banshees when I apply them while backing out of my garage in the morning. I mean they are LOUD squeals! :P
Cheap Gas - don't do it, use one of the major brands that have detergent gasoline. Texaco, Shell, Exxon/Mobil, Chevron.
You will pay for that cheaper gas later on, and the engine needs to stay clean to be efficient. I have found that Toyota's in particular need the cleaning fuels, and for a hybrid, having the engine at top efficiency is important, expecially since the engine stops and starts so frequently in traffic.
The first two tanks were premium and the last 87 octane and I have not noticed any difference in mileage or performance.
In a couple of weeks I will be leaving on a 2,000 mile road trip that will take me from sea level to a high of 7,500 feet. I generally set my cruise control for the posted speed limit so I will be cruising at 60-70 mph with short higher speeds while passing. I will report back after the trip.
However, so far, it is about 26 mpg in flat, hot Florida, with very short city trips with A/C running. I expect better in more favorable circumstances.
I will soon be leaving on a 2,000 mile road trip which should give me a better idea of the highway mpg. I will be driving at sea level, over mountain passes as high as 7,000 feet and speed limits from 55-70 mph.
I will report back with my findings. I will be writing down the navigation system's mpg as well as dividing the miles driven divided my the gallons used. I plan to reset the navigation system at each fill up.
What to do, what to do? I don't want to be told if I can afford to buy 400h I should be able to buy gas at any price. This is what friends tell me.
If you are driving the same way that you drove your RX300 and not getting a good improvement in mileage, I believe you have a legitimate complaint. This being your 3rd Lexus in 6 years I would think they would listen to your complaints and try to resolve the problem. I disagree with the notion that the only way to get good mileage with a hybrid is to drive like an old lady. If you are of a mind to do that, it is not a bad thing. Yours is a good comparison in the fact that you are going from the non-hybrid to the hybrid version of a vehicle. If it does not improve your mileage by at least 25% I would consider the vehicle a failure. If you bought it to have a V6 that performs like a V8 then I suppose you should be happy. Maybe they will trade the RX400h for a 2005 RX330 and give you the 10 grand difference back. If they want to keep you as a Lexus customer that would be the way to do it.
If you drive the 400 like the 330, you are not going to get very good mileage. The HSD offers the opportunity for somewhat better mileage if one is very careful when driving, to get the most MPG out of the system. Otherwise, that ICE kicks in and what you get is better acceleration and performance, but not very good MPG. If you want better MPG, take a look at the techniques used by the "hypermilers" who get such great MPG from the small hybrids.
If you don't want to drive the "high MPG" way, that is fine. Just enjoy your higher performance vehicle!
I think if you "drive" the same way with your hybrid as you did with your gas car, you should see an improvement and i agree that if you don't, that's a failure in some sence. There's nothing wrong with 'maximizing' your MPG by applying some of these hybrid driving techniques, but you shouldn't have to solely rely on them to see gains in fuel economy. (this is not to say if you redline your gas car and redline your hybrid car, you should still see an improvement)
pdpapa was getting 18/19 mpg with his rx330- that sounds like "normal" driving to me. If he was a lead foot, I would suspect that number would be much lower. So I really think the dealer who sold him the car should figure out if there's something wrong with the car, or just something "wrong" with the way he drives. (let him drive a demo rx400h for a couple of days and see what kind of mileage he gets on another car)
Yes, absolutely. My CR-V went from 18 MPG (OK, I was really flooring it) to 22 MPG in town. The highway mileage hasn't varied.
I agree that even with normal driving you will get better mileage with a hybrid - that same driving style with a 330 would probably net him aroung 18 MPG. So 23 MPG is a good 30% or so (forgive the math) improvement. But lots of people buy the hybrid SUV thinking it will give the mileage of the smaller Prius. This will not happen, and it is grossly unfair to compare a heavy SUV hybrid MPG with a lighter, aerodynamic car such as the Prius.
He may not have complained if he was getting 23 MPG from the RX400h. He is getting 19.8 MPG only a mile or two per gallon better than his RX300. You should be able to drive the two exactly the same and the hybrid should get significantly better mileage. If not it is less than a good upgrade. Not worth the big bucks.
Thanks so much for the advice of trading in at Lexus dealer to save tax money. We traded 330 in at near $34k, and ended up paying only $900+ in taxes. CarMax offered $32k while we would have to pay $2.5k in taxes. Folks, that's a $6k swing.
Love the quick passing capability of it!!!!
Disappointed in the phonebơk download capability of my i605 phone which sends only one phone number at a time, after a series of button pushes. Tedious!
BTW, the shuttle launch was postponed.
The following are some of the parameters that I used in how I drove on this trip:
I decided to drive my 400h just like I drove my RX300 on several past trips over the same route. I generally set my cruise control at the posted speed limits when road conditions and traffic permit. I used 87 octane gasoline (Chevron, Shell, Union 76, or Texaco). I fueled up when needed, or when a major change in terrain was about to occur. I will report the mileage in two ways (actual calculated mpg/navigation system mpg).
On July 1, my wife and I headed south on I-405 from Bellevue, Washington. We both had two pieces of luggage and two carry on bags that would all be allowed as carry on luggage for airline travel. It was a cool morning as we picked up I-5 south at Renton and I had the A/C off. The road to the I-205 cutoff just north of Vancouver, Washington is relatively flat with some gentle rolling terrain. The traffic was light so I had the cruise control set a 60 mph until we reached Olympia where I raised it to 70 mph. By the time I reached Tacoma my mpg read 28.4. When I raised my cruise control to 70 mph my mpg read 28.6. When I reached the I-205 bypass, my mileage had dropped to 27.6. When I rejoined I-5 with my cruise control set at 60 mph, my mpg had increased to 28.3.The highway the rest of the way to Salem, Oregon was flat and level with a 65 mph speed limit. For this leg I turned the A/C on. We stopped for lunch in Salem with the mpg reading 28.5. We continued on and when we reached Roseburg we began elevation changes from sea level to 450 feet through gentle rolling terrain. At this point I stopped for gas after 363.2 miles on this 1st tank. The mpg was 27.06/28.20.
We continued on for 15 miles to Canyonville, Oregon where we stopped for the night. We left Canyonville at 6:30 AM on July 2nd. This leg took us over foothills that reached 900 plus feet and then over the Siskiyou pass at 4,310 feet and then down in to California, climbing again to Weed, California at an elevation of 3,466 feet where we stopped for gas. Coming up the pass I encountered slow moving trucks (45 mph) in the two left lanes. The car effortlessly accelerated to 70 plus mph which was noticeably quicker than in my RX300. This leg of the trip, with the A/C off, was for 145.2 miles with the mpg reading 25.04/25.20.
We continued south on I-5 until we picked up Highway 89 east bound just south of Mt. Shasta. The drive from there (89 to 44 to 36) to Susanville, California (119 miles) is one of my favorites with elevation changes from 4,500 to 5,500 feet. South of Susanville we drove on Highway 395 through Reno, Nevada which has an elevation of 4,490 feet. The terrain and altitude did not seem to have any effect on the performance of the car. The outside temperature had passed 80 degrees and I once again turned on the A/C. South of Carson City we turned west on highway 50 for the climb over Spooner Summit at 7,146 feet and then down to the beautiful Lake Tahoe (6,260 feet) where we stayed until July 6th. On July 5th we took a side trip to Gardnerville, Nevada which took us over another 7,500 foot pass. I filled up the tank here after 324.0 miles and a mpg reading of 28.19/28.20. Considering the elevation changes, I was a little surprised at the mpg.
We once again returned to Lake Tahoe for one more night before heading for Novato, California on July 6th. With A/C on we headed west on Highway 50 over Echo Summit (elevation 7,382 feet). From there it was back down to sea level at Sacramento and then on to Novato over mostly level terrain. Just east of Placerville my mpg reached 31.4 and peaked several miles later at 35.2. We stopped overnight at Novato where we picked up my father-in-law for the trip back home. This added one additional passenger and one more piece of luggage to the gross vehicle weight. Since he can't take air-conditioning (one makes accommodations for 88 year old father-in-laws), we traveled the rest of the way without the A/C running. We stopped for lunch in Redding, California with the temperature at 97 degrees; not a pleasant driving experience inside of the car. I fulled up here after 393.5 miles (14.99 gallons) with a mpg of 26.25/28.10.
We continued on to Roseburg where we stopped for the night. This leg took us past Lake Shasta, then up to Mt. Shasta, and again over the Siskiyou mountain pass. I decided to fuel up here and get my car washed. My mpg was 25.98/25.80.
The next day we had a leisurely drive into Gresham. Oregon where we spent a couple of days visiting our granddaughter. After a few in town miles I filled the tank with a mpg of 27.1/28.3.
The final 195 miles back home took just under three hours. I fueled up in Bellevue with the final leg giving me 28.41/29.80.
The total trip was 1,954 miles and used 72.429 gallons of gas. My average mpg for the trip was 26.98/27.66. The total miles on my odometer now reached 3,030.
I loved my 2003 RX300, but my 400h is quieter, has more power, gets better mileage (4-5 mpg highway), and is a lot of fun to drive. I like the firmer steering and noticed no pull either left or right throughout the trip. The mark Levinson audio system performed admirably as we listened to a 15 CD audio book, CDs from classical to soft rock, my ipod mini, and Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation" on tape. The navigation system is improved with several new screens and the rear seat cup holder and storage compartment was appreciated.
To quote Willie Nelson, we "Can't Wait To Get On The Road Again."
The driving profile is mostly suburban driving with some interstate travel. AC is on maintaining 76 degrees in 80 to 99 degree weather.
First 5 minutes of fuel consumption is always low ranging form about 7mpg to about 16-18 mpg. Second 5 minute interval is usually 20-22 mpg. Subsequent 5 minute intervals usually 22-24 mpg.
Aside from this fuel consumption performance I love the car. It is an engineers dream. Can't wait to transfer my old plates to the 440h. These plates sum up the 400h performance. "ZIPPIN."
My 400h is 900miles and averages 28.5mpg (since last fill-up) in mix driving plus AC on at 81F in 95F weather. I bet it would be far better than 29mpg in more ideal weather.
Your experience about the car lurched forward when your foot on the brake is not consistent with the program in the car computer and the basic design of the hybrid system.
Fact 1: Continuously variable Xmission does not lurches forward like a regular auto-Xmission when its badly tuned engine turns on in this fashion.
Fact 2: when your foot is on the brake, engine does not start up, unless you depleted your battery. And even if it is on, it would not have been coupled with the xmission.
Fact 3: "Lurch:ing" is caused by unexpected torque created when engine start-up occurs inefficiently through sudden high rev, typically experienced in a badly tuned regular combustion engine. The Hybrid system's combustion engine (ICE) is a far better engine than a regular combustion engine because the control computer knows the exact position of every piston in the engine by knowing the exact angle of the crank shaft, to 0.1degree or better (out of a full 360degree revolution). Such position sensing accuracy is a requirement for an ICE to mate with hybrid system, partly TO PREVENT UNEXPECTED TORQUE that can damage the continuouly variable xmission, partly to have the ICE start up in an efficient and precise manner to limit pollution.
Must have been a bad dream.
Not sure where you got your "facts" from, but according to Lexus the engine can start at any point in time when the cars needs it, even when your foot is on the break. In my case the battery was @ 6 bars. Lexus customer service reports that when the AC is running, the added torque to run the secondary alternator motor can cause this lurch. Although your theories may be correct, they are not coconsistentith what Lexus reports. Do you want to trade cars?
I just completed a road trip that included crossing 4 mountain passes in excess of 7000 feet as well as fairly level stretches at sea level to 400 feet and I averaged 26.9 mpg. On a recent run from Portland to Seattle I got 28.5 mpg. I haven't had occasion to run mainly city driving, but am confident that the EPA highway mileage of 27 mpg is low for my 400h.
Around my home I generally drive 90% highway and 10% city and have been consistently been avenging between 27-28.5 mpg using 87 octane fuel. I met another 400h owner who says he gets approximately 2 mpg better when he used 92 octane. I haven't tried that test yet. I generally run with the AC in the auto mode.
There are two stages to the 400h breaks. When pressing hard on the brakes the graphic should not show any transfer of power either to or from the battery.
I have previously owned two RX300s and this car is far superior in performance and mileage.