Lexus GS 450h MPG-Real World Numbers

bmwconvert · January 2007

I have been using premium fuel.
I keep the dash display on the instantaneous mileage and the console display on the minute by minute bar chart. My results are the average of extremes. I have a lot of bars above 40mpg but more bars below 10 or 15mpg, with the average coming as I noted.
My best tank average was 29.1mpg, but that was on a mostly highway roundtrip from NYC to Litchfield County in CT. Pretty good results considering the hilly terrain.
I'm generally pleased with the economy of the car, and love the performance. I think it's a pretty good trade off. No doubt the car has much better economy than an 8 cylinder GS (my guess is a GS430 is around 16-18mpg).
I'm just always surprised when I read of other drivers materially outperforming me! I've seen just a couple of other 450h's in my area, but I haven't spoken to the drivers to know how they're making out and they must not be on this forum.

flid · January 2007

I just turned 7,000 miles today and am averaging 26.2 MPG according to navigation display with only one reset after second tank of gas. I do use premium gas and drive mostly 45 mile per hour and above speed zones on east coast of Florida (flat-no hills). When I am in an urban setting with lots of stop and go and max speeds of 25-35 MPH I get very poor mileage. This morning I filled up the tank prior to getting on interstate for 100 mile trip and averaged just over 28 MPG at just over 70 MPH.

I love the car, enjoy performance when I feel like it, but mostly drive conservatively.

On another note (probably for a different "thread" - is anyone else having trouble with the interface between bluetooth and Palm Treo? I have had two different Treos freeze up while in the car of just after turning the vehicle off and wonder if it is the car/phone interface or coincidence?

bmwconvert · January 2007

I use a Treo 650 on Verizon and it crashes, hangs or operates slowly on a regular basis (once every day or so). Resets always get it back working. I haven't noticed it being associates with use in the car, because the problems happen as often outside of it.
The Treo was difficult to get configured in the GS, but once I got the bluetooth connected it works well. The only thing that doesn't work is the signal strength indicator. I've seen that work properly in the car with my wife's Razr.

eli73 · January 2007

Actual gas mileage(calculated by dividing miles driven since last fillup by gallons pumped) is consistently 1-2 mpg greater than the instrument panel display would indicate. Try it for a few times and see for yourself!

tricky73 · May 2007

I purchased a GS 450h about 3 weeks ago; I have approximately 400 miles on the odometer. This vehicle replaces a LS 460L which I did not like. It suffered with reliability problems and poor dealer support. So far I am quite pleased with the replacement; it has the safety features of the larger car, plus some. The size is much to my liking and feel quite at home behind the wheel.

We live in a small community in Southern California wherein 95% of the intersections are controlled by either 3, or 4-way stops. As best I can recall, we have only 3 traffic lights in the residential area. Mileage to date appears headed for 20-21mpg, since most trips are within our town. For comparison, the 460 got 12-14, a 430 prior to that got about the same, and an '05 330 would record about 15-16 mpg. Considering that the 450 weighs about the same as the 430 I am pleased to see a 40-50% improvement. I have always alternated between 87 and 91 octane fuel in my other cars and have not experienced any pinging although my hearing is not the greatest...my 79th birthday is coming next week.

Perhaps Lexus people were just telling me what I wanted to hear when shopping to trade the 460, but consensus of several personnel was that the 450 is their favorite model among the current designs for my needs. So far I would tend to agree, since I have owned 3 other recent vintage sedans, and actually look forward to driving the 450 every day, even though the trips are not lengthy.

I hope this will encourage others to pickup on this thread and fill in with more of their actual experiences.

bmwconvert · May 2007

Some tips which others may have figured out already:
At a stop light, press down hard on the brake. If you press lightly, the electric motor will drain battery power trying to push the car forward against the brakes. The computer controlled throttle is smart enough to cut off the forward push of the engine if you apply more pressure on the brake pedal.

I've found that a very light touch on the brake when coasting to a stop light is a great way to generate some extra juice for the batteries. If you coast without the brake then apply pressure harder to stop the car, it doesn't appear that you generate as much energy, because the brake pads kick in.

My MPG's are rising from my winter season lows of 20-21 back into the 22-24 range for the same mixed driving.

tricky73 · May 2007

In trying to learn how to create an MP3 CD I must have drained the 12V battery...my fault. Stange things happened...the headlights worked normally but could not get a "Ready" light; dash lights flickered repeatedly. There was also an error message relating to the VGRS (power steering). I called Lexus roadside service and by the time I returned to the car things were back to normal. I probably had the ignition on for 40-45 minutes (on double click) which was too much.

Was really enjoying the CD I created with compressed files...seems to have much the same visual display information that was on the 460 ML re album, artist, etc...great quality! Creating the CD was certainly faster than loading the 460 ML hard drive. I used WMA format rather than MP3 and it worked just fine. Just remember to finalize the disc before ejecting it from your optical drive.

Thanks for the braking tip...this should get it close to the 460 hill holder which I did like as a new feature on that car.

idele · July 2007

I am closing in on 8000 miles. Lifetime mpg is currently 28.1 mpg. Recent tank averages have been above that so it may eventually creep up.

bmwconvert · July 2007

That's impressive. I'd be interested in hearing about where you drive, driving style, mix, etc.
My 2007 450h now has about 15,000 miles on it. I live in the NY metro area and drive a mix of 70/30 around town to highway (little driving in NYC itself though). The number that appears most often for me is 23.8 mpg in the spring, summer and fall, and about 2 mpg lower during the winter. I tend to drive fast, but not aggressively on the accelerator, and go out of my way to recapture battery charge.
My best ever 200+ mile recording was 30.3 mpg, on a roundtrip from my home to the Catskill mountains and back. It was mostly highway driving at 65-75 mph.
I haven't been able to replicate the higher averages that others on this board have been posting. Not sure what else I can do regarding efficiency, and I don't think there's anything wrong with my vehicle. I'm reasonably happy with the results.
In short, love the hybrid powertrain and range between OK to liking the car itself.

idele · July 2007

I do more highway driving and usually take a faster if somewhat longer route if reasonable. I also try to get to about 60mph quickly to get the reduction to cruising gear but not at the price of accelerating uphill. Once it's set it stays until just below 40mph. Weather counts and cold weather mileage is lower as you've noted. Even if you don't change your driving style the gas mileage is still significantly better given the performance. The GS450h uses the GS structure so the battery pack is fitted in the trunk space. The Prius designed ab initio as a hybrid uses space better, I hope that Lexus designs a GS class hybrid directly. However advances in the battery packs are ongoing and I expect the 2009 models will be better.

tricky73 · July 2007

I have just passed the 1000 mile mark and find my mpg is approximately 50% better than the previous LS 4XX models for the same driving route. Also note the 450 weighs about 200-300# more than the LS 430 and the heft is almost identical to the 460L I dumped. Even compared with an '05 ES 330 the hybrid does 30% better. To date I have used 87 octane fuel exclusively with no obvious penalty; I do not demand advertised performance characteristics.

I think my experience is reliable since my driving route and habits do not change over the years.

dulnev · July 2007

I now have over 6,000 miles on the car. The first few months after I bought it were winter months, and I was getting about 23 mpg driving it very hard (about 60% highway/40% suburban). Now I'm getting 25-26.5 mpg in the same mix.

larsb · July 2007

After 12 months, this car review shows 26.6 MPG (US)

The good news is that its met the challenge admirably. Although we originally criticised the car for its cramped boot, I have since found that with careful packing it can take the prams, changing bags and spare clothes that quickly become part and parcel of every journey out with a small child.

And just to prove that you can do your bit for the environment with a large vehicle such as this, the Lexus fuel economy has improved, too. The car regularly returns 32mpg  a real step up from the original 28mpg we recorded when it was new.

The time I have spent on my long daily trip into central London has also given me the opportunity to really get to know some of the GSs hi-tech toys  and the long standard kit tally means there are plenty of them. The reversing camera is brilliant, as is the Bluetooth phone system, although I have to admit to rarely using the voice-activated control for devices such as the stereo or satellite navigation.

tricky73 · August 2007

Anybody else have experience with "short life" from the 12V battery? I apparently left the power switch in the IG-ON position yesterday while I went shopping. Returned in about 40 minutes and tried opening the windows and S/R using the remote...nothing happened. Opened the car and was able to open the roof but the windows would not open and could not get the "Ready" light. Called Lexus Link and they advised some things which did not work and arranged to send a tow truck to help out. Tried it again after 20-30 minutes and it fired up normally. A similar thing happened just after I got the car when I played the radio for 30-45 minutes. It seems mine does not have much staying power...anybody else experience anything like this? How does a battery rejuvinate itself after resting a bit?

PF_Flyer · August 2007

If you are a long-term hybrid owner, our Senior Editor, John O'Dell, would love to hear from you! A short email with your maintenance experiences and concerns would be great. Please send to John at jodell@edmunds.com by close of business Wednesday, August 22, 2007. Be sure and include your Forums username.

idele · August 2007

This forum is so quiet I check it infrequently and I'm late in answering. I have 8700+ miles on my GS450h and my life of car average fuel mileage stands at 28.2 mpg. Given the excellent performance of this car, I'm enormously pleased. I trade every two years and getting another GS450h next year is a strong possibility.

tricky73 · September 2007

I have been driving my 450h for about 4 months and have approximately 1500 miles to date. My only complaint, other than a battery problem reported earlier (may be my fault) is wind noise on the passenger side starting at about 30mph. Has anybody else experienced this, and was the dealer able to fix it?

idele · September 2007

I have just slightly above 9000 miles on my GS450h. I have reached a new high on my lifetime average mpg. It is now 28.3. The tank average mileage is running above that so it could creep up again. A remarkable vehicle!

PF_Flyer · September 2007

Be sure to check out Senior Editor John O'Dell's newest addition to our lineup, the Green Car Advisor for news and commentary on environmental automotive trends and technologies.

Looking forward to all your comments!

tricky73 · September 2007

Do you use regular or premium fuel?

The manual sez premium will give better mileage (performance?) but I don't believe it. I have used regular since it was new but don't get anything close to your numbers. Most of my trips are stop-and-go which gives 21-22. For the occasional freeway trip 28-29 seems tops.

idele · September 2007

I always use premium. I will say after breakin (about 4000 miles) mileage improved. The highway mileage is always better. I just did a 180 mile roundtrip today averaging 30.05 mpg. In the city how you accelerate and how you use coasting makes a difference. I use premium because gasoline is a blend of hydrocarbons each of which have different power capabilities. The higher the octane rating the better the blend. Refining oil produces these hydrocarbons and refiners use the best ones in their top grade. Regular being the lowest grades gets the leftovers.

tricky73 · September 2007

Thanks, that helps. Will change to premium, give it a try, and see if there is a difference. I have owned many new cars in the past and have not noticed any improvement in MPG after "breakin"...does the electrical componentry in the drive system of a hybrid make that much difference?

idele · September 2007

Ambient temperature make a difference. Cold weather reduces mileage. Dealer service always seems to improve mileage. I have an excellent dealer and relations with them are as good as can be; friendly and respectful. The service person I deal with is a GS450h enthusiast which helps a lot. The supremacy of the Toyota/Lexus hybrid system is undoubtedly due to their electronic control system. That's where MB, BMW, GM find it hard to compete. The GS450h has electric steering, which, as a recent article points out, is being adopted by many other car companies. The steering took getting used to but I now regard it as superior. The steering is more precise. Since it's drive by wire you lose the road feel and I had to adjust. But one major advantage is that only one hand is needed for full control, a huge advantage when I'm taking a sharp corner at 40+ mph and leaning. The runflat tires are noisier but the adhesion in cornering is spectacular. There's a lot more than fuel efficiency to the GS450h.

idele · September 2007

With 9500+ miles on my GS450h, my lifetime mpg has reached 28.4 mpg.
I was looking at the run flat tires thread and, since run flat tires are standard on the GS450h, let me add this note. I did pick up a nail a couple of months ago. I could drive, albeit carefully, until I could get to the dealer the next day. The dealer said it was in an unrepairable place. So a new tire was purchased. The plus is that one can continue driving; the minus is the difficulty of repair and the cost of replacements.

tricky73 · September 2007

I have difficulty finding ANY meaningful data on runflats...mine has Bridgestone Z rated which are not listed on their website last time I checked. Just what do these things cost...when I ask, dealers look at me with a blank stare; they can't find data either...Thanks

idele · September 2007

Check the websites of major online retailers like Tire Rack. Inputing the vehicle, tire size and including runflats will give you information on prices and the retailer's ratings.
Based on my experience. I would choose five full tires over four runflats. However, I would choose four runflats over four full tires and one of those temporary spares.

tricky73 · September 2007

Thanks. You just saved me $100/tire (mentally); I was budgeting $400 based on what somebody had told me. I do not have the choice of going backwards; mine has active suspension which means the cubby for the donut is occupied by a second 12v battery.

tricky73 · September 2007

Rereading my warranty booklet, it implies there is a road hazard guarantee for tire replacement within a specified time or tread wear condition. Does this suggest yours were wearing too fast to fall within this category for a free replacement because it was not repairable? Certainly the time specification could not govern...you haven't had the car that long.

idele · September 2007

It was a puncture so not covered. The Lexus dealer checks tire wear and brake wear each 5000 mile maintenance period. My last one was a little earlier than 10000 miles but it was over eight months since the previous one, Since oil deteriorates with time I took that into consideration. Brake wear was excellent, above expectations, and tire wear was a bit below excellent but impressive to my service representative. I follow the Lexus recommendation for motor oil. The dealer offers Mobil 1, too.

tricky73 · October 2007

The November issue really did a number on the 450h. Note the one they tested did not have active stabilization, radar cruise, and was fitted with Dunlop Sport tires which have been maligned by others on this thread. Regardless of what they have reported I still am very high on mine!

Note in spite of their criticism it is still recommend!!

idele · October 2007

Reporters love to malign Toyota/Lexus. Here's an article from 2006 but still valid:
http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/01/news/companies/pluggedin_fortune/index.htm

tricky73 · October 2007

I have tried several tankfulls of premium and cannot see any change in mpg compared to regular.

Two factors are important, perhaps; 90% of my driving is stop-and-go, and I do not hotdog the car...i.e. braking is more important than acceleration. Intend going back to regular and continue monitoring mpg to hopefully add more data to an interesting attribute of the 450h.

To date the machine is flawless and much better suited to my needs than the 460L it replaced. I note my local volume dealer has ~ 40 460s' in inventory and only 1 450h. Does anybody have data on current buyers' model preferences?

Haven't heard/seen a peep re the LS 600h, although I saw one on the dealer showroom with a "sold" sign on the windshield. I am still intrigued with the glowing review in the current Consumers Report about the 460L...that is the anthesis of my experience!

vigorlover · September 2009

I have 6k miles on my GS450h, and the lifetime fuel economy reading is 26.1mpg. I have a city/highway mix of driving, on which my old cars got much less. (1998 Audi A4 2.8 got about 21.5, 1999 Jaguar XK8 convertible just over 20) I felt pretty good about these numbers, given the EPA estimates of 22/25 for the GS450h, until I saw comments here about folks getting 28+. I live in San Jose, California, and always use premium unleaded.

vigorlover · January 2010

I now have 10k miles on my 2009 GS450h. After pushing the lifetime fuel economy to 26.5mpg in October (thanks to a couple of extended trips) I am back down to 26.1mpg. The last several tankfuls have been <26mpg, I wonder if the colder weather is bringing me down a little bit.

vigorlover · May 2010

I just got my 15k mile service on my GS450h at Lexus of Pleasanton (northern California) and I am at 26.2 mpg lifetime according to the computer. Holding pretty steady.

vigorlover · August 2010

I am now at 20k miles on my GS450h and the lifetime readout of fuel economy says 26.4mpg.

john522 · April 2011

I am amazed at the mileage others are getting. I get 16-17mpg driving hard, 21-22 if I baby the car around town. Do you think something is wrong with it?

vigorlover · June 2011

I just got to 30k, and my lifetime readout says 26.4mpg. I am not an aggressive driver (anymore), but I don't think I baby the car. The gas pedal is a bit touchy, you have to be very steady to keep the speed just so. When my girlfriend drives my car she gets lower mileage than I get, and she is fairly jerky on the accelerator, not being used to driving the GS450h. So maybe there is nothing wrong with your car, just different driving styles or conditions.

I do probably 65% or so on the freeway. I know I get much better than the EPA estimate 25 freeway, but it also seems that I may get less than the 22mpg they quote for city driving. All-in-all, I am happy to be getting the mileage I am.

dheller · August 2011

Our 2006 RX350 has averaged 23.4 to 24 ever since we bought it new, slightly less in the summer. I think it is important to point out that 10% ethanol fuel WILL have a negative effect in the real world from mfg mileage claims (at least in our vehicle). Ethanol does not have the energy profile of regular gasoline, so there is a sacrifice in performance. Engines are being tuned better for this, but it is hard to change the thermal efficiency of 10% ethanol in gas.

I did notice that the new models claim that the engine will not start until 30 mph if driven carefully. Our engine normally kicks in at 5-7 mph which I never felt was where it should be - dealer doesn't seem to agree.

Lexus GS 450h MPG-Real World Numbers

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles