toy4two

2000 RX300 AWD.

I have been trying almost anything to get my MPG up:

Mobil 1 5W-30 since new
K&N Drop In filter
New Iridium NGK plugs
1 can of BG-44k in the tank
New Cross Terrains in stock size, inflated with Nitrogen
New PCV valve.
Car empty of all junk (except spare tire)

Yet I constantly get 16 MPG.

I am going bonkers trying to get my MPG up closer to 20.

Is there ANYTHING else I can do to get closer to the EPA ratings, does anyone here actually get 20MPG on their AWD RX?

Lexiss_sc430

iTrader: (2)

See your problem is being AWD.. That kills your MPG...

I dont know what else you could do... a lot of times people who put intakes and exhausts on their cars report a few better MPG....

What a lot of Landcruiser (4WD) guys do is drop the front drive shaft and lock the center differential on their trucks and just drive around with the read drive shaft in place (2WD)
that saves gas... but the RX doesn’t have a center differential lock so you couldn’t do that...

Hope that helps

-Tommy

miltonlin

Tires - The Cross Terrains have higher rolling resistance than the OEM Goodyears. Since you have new Cross Terrains (great tires by the way), it would be silly to change the tires just to get a little better mpg. That being said, check that your tires are properly inflated, if not slightly overinflated would give you better gas mileage.

Alignment - car tracking straight?
---------------------------
What mix of city/highway do you do?
My 2000 RX300 gets 22mpg with 90% highway driving gingerly - lead foot will definitely kill the gas mileage.

bob2200

I'd like to ask whether you use the MPG from the car's display or calulate it manually from the odometer and gas pump results. My MPG display results are higher than most others, and I suspect my car's MPG display reads higher than actual (although I haven't bothered to check).

salimshah

What type of terrain?
What sort of trafic you encounter?
Have you checked long distance mpg (cruise set).
All windows up and AC at reasonable setting.

Salim

Lexmex

Changing the differential and transfer case fluids would also help.

hksimpson

Can this be your particular driving style or type of driving you do (city v. highway)?

We have a 1999 AWD and around town it is 18-20 MPG and on trips it is about 24 MPG. This of course is with a woman driving and we have never seen below 17 MPG. If I drive the mileage is lower because I tend to drive harder.

Car is 100% stock with Michelin tires.

H

Lexmex

You know what my little RX has been getting recently with all the mods...12-14 MPG, but of course I am at higher altitude being the major killer.

Tammy

Disconnect your battery ground to reset the MPG indicator and the electronic transmission. You'll need to reset the clock and radio presets.

tcheung87

Ouch! Your RX must be one thirsty beast. I commute here in California and consistently get 19-21 combined, I have been getting 350 miles per tank before filling up.

TunedRX300

Improve aero-dynamic will help highway mpg and reduce wind noise. If you don't use your roof rack, take them off. Considering Lexus sedans never have mud-flaps, you can also take them off.
When it is time to change tires, consider a lighter weight tire. Tires are mounted more than 16" of mount arm from the center of drive axel. TireRack is selling Goodyear Eagle ResponsEdge 235/60/18 that is 23lb per, 7 lbs less than 225/70/16 Michelin CrossTerrain. That is close to 21 lbs-ft for FWD and 42lb-fts when AWD is engaged that one can save during acceleration and braking.

Lex Luthr

Had my 2002 AWD rx300 for a month now and get 20.02 MPG on the screen while driving highway with stops on the LIE going to work...

SteveH

I too have a 99 RX300 and consistently get 16 around the city and just recently I drove my 88 Mercedes 300CE and got 21 for the same driving. I never use the mpg off the display its always been reset the odometer and do the math. So the AWD must be the problem.

Lexmex

I still can't thank you enough for that mudflaps removal idea. I have been feeding that and the roof rack removal to several SUV buddies at my track and they also notice a slight improvement in MPG or KM/L as we have down here.

I remember you had some lightweight rims that must also help. I was looking at some Rota aluminum rims recently in the 16 inch range that were under 14 lbs. a rim.

LiqrSicc

So how accurate is the onscreen AVG MPG? Lately I've been getting 22-24 MPG on mixed highway/city driving with about 100 lbs of cargo. How does the computer calculate it?