whats your mpg on RX450h?
02-10-14, 08:11 PM
#511
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Location: Monterey Bay Area, CA
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San Francisco is full of hills, including some steep hills. The combination of hill climbing and short trips is an mpg-killer, in my opinion, even accounting for the mpg you can make up descending the hills.
02-12-14, 11:03 PM
#512
Brand new FWD 2014 RX450h and got a very impressive 29.2 for my first tank of gas. This consisted of mostly highway driving, air-conditioning on at times, NO ECO mode at all, and had it in Sport mode some of the time. I really love my RX.
02-13-14, 09:07 AM
#514
Great numbers ShermanMR2! Better mileage has always been the trademark of the FWD RXh.
02-13-14, 10:47 AM
#516
Congrats.
So what is your secret? Best we can do so far tooling around town is 21.5.
02-13-14, 06:36 PM
#517
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02-13-14, 06:43 PM
#518
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I've never actually been able to put mine in EV mode; the display always says it's not available no matter how slowly I'm going. However, I can see from the "energy" display on the NAV when my RX is either running on the battery or charging it, with the ICE shut down. I keep the car in eco mode, which can be too "laggy" for some drivers. Today I experimented with the shifter's "S" mode, "dropping" the car into virtual 3rd gear to get some extra umph, without having to press as hard on the accelerator. Fun! When I let up the car went back into eco mode.
02-13-14, 06:47 PM
#519
We have noticed the Energy Monitor using the ICE while driving 35-40 mph around the city with Eco-Mode On. Energy seems to flow to the battery only when we are using the brakes.
02-13-14, 07:51 PM
#520
The pursuit of F
Well, I'll let you know how we do in mid-March when we drive from the San Francisco East Bay to Carmel-By-The-Sea. We are already discussing whether we should take the faster US-101, or the more scenic Hwy-1 route (then I get to stop in Half Moon Bay at one of my favorite restaurants).
We have noticed the Energy Monitor using the ICE while driving 35-40 mph around the city with Eco-Mode On. Energy seems to flow to the battery only when we are using the brakes.
We have noticed the Energy Monitor using the ICE while driving 35-40 mph around the city with Eco-Mode On. Energy seems to flow to the battery only when we are using the brakes.
I believe Apotsuser indirectly mentioned the following in a past post, but I want to stress the importance in learning and employing the "pulse and glide" technique for a hybrid. It will require you to drive a hybrid differently than a conventional car. After owning two hybrids, including the RX, driving the car in this way makes a noticeable difference.
Pre-requisite:
1. Engine to reach normal operating temp (usually within 5 mins, more in winter)
2. Flat to minimal grade road you're on (forget this technique if going uphill)
What to do: Accelerate normally until the desired city speed is reached, then momentarily release the accelerator pedal. You will notice the gauge hitting the Charge section and should notice the EV green light going on. Quickly but lightly re-engage the throttle to apply electric power and maintain your speed. Do not exceed throttle input such that ICE engages. You will have to pay special attention at what point this is on the 450 h. On my CT in Eco Mode, I had to stay at or below the mid-point in the Eco section of the power gauge. Here's a familiar pic to help you, applicable to my CT, again not sure what that sweet spot is on the 450h.
With time, employing this technique will be second nature and you will notice greater MPGs since you are using more battery power to propel the vehicle.
Post back once you've tried this. Curious to know your results.
02-14-14, 05:16 PM
#521
Love it! Aptosuser! Just a quick note for the folks here from this newbie - Cflutist is my other half, so I have been following this thread and explaining what you are all talking about. I've even finally read one of the manuals! She has driven the 450h twice now, normally I drive everywhere. We're finally now on our second tank of gas!
With it being a totally new car to us and a new way of driving, it's been an interesting learning experience with her lifetime total of ~30k miles of driving experience giving advice to me with ~1,000k miles of driving. LOL, we're not divorced yet!
So now that I finally got registered, I'll be posting too.
02-14-14, 05:22 PM
#522
@CorradoMR2
Thanks! We gave this a try today on our way to first freeway trip. It does work quite well - I noticed this behavior before but today I tried actively using it. I think it will make a big difference.
We did see the mileage we were expecting finally, but I think it was a combination of things. This technique however is something we can use on the vast majority of our trips (around town).
:-)
Thanks! We gave this a try today on our way to first freeway trip. It does work quite well - I noticed this behavior before but today I tried actively using it. I think it will make a big difference.
We did see the mileage we were expecting finally, but I think it was a combination of things. This technique however is something we can use on the vast majority of our trips (around town).
:-)
02-14-14, 05:26 PM
#523
@CorradoMR2
Thanks! We gave this a try today on our way to first freeway trip. It does work quite well - I noticed this behavior before but today I tried actively using it. I think it will make a big difference.
We did see the mileage we were expecting finally, but I think it was a combination of things. This technique however is something we can use on the vast majority of our trips (around town).
:-)
Thanks! We gave this a try today on our way to first freeway trip. It does work quite well - I noticed this behavior before but today I tried actively using it. I think it will make a big difference.
We did see the mileage we were expecting finally, but I think it was a combination of things. This technique however is something we can use on the vast majority of our trips (around town).
:-)
02-14-14, 05:35 PM
#524
David, you have a great idea like you said about resetting and tracking your city and highway mileage. I am very concerned that there might be other people that are having trouble reporting their mileage correctly because there are a few ways to clear the readings. The one I clear all of the time to start a new reading for the past records is located on the steering wheel. I use it to clear the avg. mph and avg. mpg. There is one for since last refuel and the avg. mpg. These will usually be close to each other as long as the avg. mpg is reset at the time you put it into drive and pull forward after refueling. I kind of could care less that I won't have the avg. mpg for all the mileage that I have to date since I can easily find out the lifetime avg. by just tracking the mileage each time. Plus, if you never perform the reset, then the history will never advance on the past records page. This is a problem that someone had twangster at Lexus Owners Club had because he did not perform the same reset or clear.
So... all this being said, I think owners should read the thread to make sure they do not fall victim to miss-reporting their MPG. If it's not clear enough, then I will elaborate. I'll give a hint. You have to use the enter button on the right side of the steering wheel. It does more than just toggle in case people aren't aware. David, the main reason I thought to mention all of this was because you used the word clear rather than reset since it says clear on the past records screen. I could be wrong, but are you using this method?
......
"There are three "clears", one is in the navigation window. When you use this one it clears all your historical data.
The other two are buried a little deeper. There are in your OLED display. Using the page icon on your steering wheel switch to the average displays. Use the enter "switch" to toggle to the AVERAGE MPG display. Now push and hold the "enter" switch in until the AVERAGE MPG zeros out.
Next use the enter switch to go to the AVERAGE SPEED display. Now push and hold the enter switch in until the AVERAGE SPEED zeros out.
Now the display in the navigation window will start a new day. Using the clear function in the navigation window clears all of your days out of memory."
Thanks,
Patrick
So... all this being said, I think owners should read the thread to make sure they do not fall victim to miss-reporting their MPG. If it's not clear enough, then I will elaborate. I'll give a hint. You have to use the enter button on the right side of the steering wheel. It does more than just toggle in case people aren't aware. David, the main reason I thought to mention all of this was because you used the word clear rather than reset since it says clear on the past records screen. I could be wrong, but are you using this method?
......
"There are three "clears", one is in the navigation window. When you use this one it clears all your historical data.
The other two are buried a little deeper. There are in your OLED display. Using the page icon on your steering wheel switch to the average displays. Use the enter "switch" to toggle to the AVERAGE MPG display. Now push and hold the "enter" switch in until the AVERAGE MPG zeros out.
Next use the enter switch to go to the AVERAGE SPEED display. Now push and hold the enter switch in until the AVERAGE SPEED zeros out.
Now the display in the navigation window will start a new day. Using the clear function in the navigation window clears all of your days out of memory."
Thanks,
Patrick
I'm a bit puzzles however as to why zeroing out these numbers seemed to change it so much. It is almost as if the other nav display averages were from the first mile the car was ever driven.
Anybody have some ideas?
02-14-14, 06:37 PM
#525
The pursuit of F
^^^websailor, Glad you saw the benefits of the Pulse and Glide technique. Don't lose it. Keep at it and you will get the MPG ratings or better from the EPA. With my CT, I averaged just shy of 50 MPG, that's 7 better than the EPA rating.
Yes, from memory, one of the displays (in the NAV I believe) is the average MPG since day 1 the car was rolled off the lot. SirPatrick explained it well. As you get better MPGs, this average will increase over time.
The reason why the MPG now is higher on the one you reset is because it represented your last trip(s) since the reset which you said you tried the pulse and glide technique and overall got better mileage (28 mpg). If you keep this mpg up, then your overall average displayed on the Nav will eventually match your daily average MPGs.
To illustrate this. You mentioned 2 tanks so far = 20 MPG. Now let's say the next two, you drive really efficiently and get 30 MPGs each. Total will be 4 tanks so far. That's [(2 x 20) + (2 x 30)]/4 = 25 MPGs. So your overall NAV average will read 25 MPGs. Say in 2 future additional tanks, same 30 MPGs each, you will see 26.7 MPG, and so on.
As you drive the car more and learn the techniques to extract the most out of the battery/electric motor and get the most MPGs, it will become more and more addictive to try to better your past MPGs. It's really fun. Who said hybrids are boring?
Yes, from memory, one of the displays (in the NAV I believe) is the average MPG since day 1 the car was rolled off the lot. SirPatrick explained it well. As you get better MPGs, this average will increase over time.
The reason why the MPG now is higher on the one you reset is because it represented your last trip(s) since the reset which you said you tried the pulse and glide technique and overall got better mileage (28 mpg). If you keep this mpg up, then your overall average displayed on the Nav will eventually match your daily average MPGs.
To illustrate this. You mentioned 2 tanks so far = 20 MPG. Now let's say the next two, you drive really efficiently and get 30 MPGs each. Total will be 4 tanks so far. That's [(2 x 20) + (2 x 30)]/4 = 25 MPGs. So your overall NAV average will read 25 MPGs. Say in 2 future additional tanks, same 30 MPGs each, you will see 26.7 MPG, and so on.
As you drive the car more and learn the techniques to extract the most out of the battery/electric motor and get the most MPGs, it will become more and more addictive to try to better your past MPGs. It's really fun. Who said hybrids are boring?
Last edited by corradoMR2; 02-14-14 at 06:41 PM.