General Car Conversation
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,364
Likes: 346
From: Las Vegas
Today's trip to Utah was good. Car performed flawlessly. Set the cruise at 80 going up, 75 coming back, and I averaged 30.5 MPG. This also includes 30 miles of very spirited driving though the Virgin River Gorge and about an hour of running around in St. George. This car is great. First I've had that I actually achieve EPA numbers in.
When I got back to Vegas I noticed the auto start-stop began functioning. It hadn't been operating for the week I'd had the car, which I had chalked up to one of three possible causes:
1) fuel quality. I assume the dealer would have put regular unleaded in. The manual says fuel quality can be an exception to A.S.S. I've now run through the gas the dealer had in it.
2) battery charge. It's been at a dealership for 2 months, good bet the battery wasn't fully charged. Today's drive will have resolved that .
3) prior owner had coded it out.
I'm glad I know that it is working, even if I'll likely leave it disabled. As a 2017 the disable button is a persistent setting which is great.
When I got back to Vegas I noticed the auto start-stop began functioning. It hadn't been operating for the week I'd had the car, which I had chalked up to one of three possible causes:
1) fuel quality. I assume the dealer would have put regular unleaded in. The manual says fuel quality can be an exception to A.S.S. I've now run through the gas the dealer had in it.
2) battery charge. It's been at a dealership for 2 months, good bet the battery wasn't fully charged. Today's drive will have resolved that .
3) prior owner had coded it out.
I'm glad I know that it is working, even if I'll likely leave it disabled. As a 2017 the disable button is a persistent setting which is great.
CL Community Team
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 9,339
Likes: 600
From: IL
This is an easy way to tell if the smaller engine is "enough". When we got our Q7, one of the deciding factors for the supercharged V6 was that it got exactly the same fuel economy as the turbo 4. That told me the 2.0T (which is a great engine in its own right) was working harder than necessary on this platform.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,196
Likes: 1,582
From: FL
This is an easy way to tell if the smaller engine is "enough". When we got our Q7, one of the deciding factors for the supercharged V6 was that it got exactly the same fuel economy as the turbo 4. That told me the 2.0T (which is a great engine in its own right) was working harder than necessary on this platform.
Years ago they made millions of the Chevy Cavaliers with a 4 banger engine.
There were other GM products that used the same engine, such as Buicks.
They were sub 100k mile cars before the engine was completely ragged out and SPENT. Lol
The same exact car with a with V6 didn't have that problem.
My theory is the 4 banger was too weak for the car from the start.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,364
Likes: 346
From: Las Vegas
That's how I see it too.
Years ago they made millions of the Chevy Cavaliers with a 4 banger engine.
There were other GM products that used the same engine, such as Buicks.
They were sub 100k mile cars before the engine was completely ragged out and SPENT. Lol
The same exact car with a with V6 didn't have that problem.
My theory is the 4 banger was too weak for the car from the start.
Years ago they made millions of the Chevy Cavaliers with a 4 banger engine.
There were other GM products that used the same engine, such as Buicks.
They were sub 100k mile cars before the engine was completely ragged out and SPENT. Lol
The same exact car with a with V6 didn't have that problem.
My theory is the 4 banger was too weak for the car from the start.
Seems like having a Cavalier die sooner rather than later would be a mercy.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,524
Likes: 265
From: Illinois
Today's trip to Utah was good. Car performed flawlessly. Set the cruise at 80 going up, 75 coming back, and I averaged 30.5 MPG. This also includes 30 miles of very spirited driving though the Virgin River Gorge and about an hour of running around in St. George. This car is great. First I've had that I actually achieve EPA numbers in.
When I got back to Vegas I noticed the auto start-stop began functioning. It hadn't been operating for the week I'd had the car, which I had chalked up to one of three possible causes:
1) fuel quality. I assume the dealer would have put regular unleaded in. The manual says fuel quality can be an exception to A.S.S. I've now run through the gas the dealer had in it.
2) battery charge. It's been at a dealership for 2 months, good bet the battery wasn't fully charged. Today's drive will have resolved that .
3) prior owner had coded it out.
I'm glad I know that it is working, even if I'll likely leave it disabled. As a 2017 the disable button is a persistent setting which is great.
When I got back to Vegas I noticed the auto start-stop began functioning. It hadn't been operating for the week I'd had the car, which I had chalked up to one of three possible causes:
1) fuel quality. I assume the dealer would have put regular unleaded in. The manual says fuel quality can be an exception to A.S.S. I've now run through the gas the dealer had in it.
2) battery charge. It's been at a dealership for 2 months, good bet the battery wasn't fully charged. Today's drive will have resolved that .
3) prior owner had coded it out.
I'm glad I know that it is working, even if I'll likely leave it disabled. As a 2017 the disable button is a persistent setting which is great.
Last edited by LexBob2; Nov 12, 2023 at 09:21 AM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,212
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
This is an easy way to tell if the smaller engine is "enough". When we got our Q7, one of the deciding factors for the supercharged V6 was that it got exactly the same fuel economy as the turbo 4. That told me the 2.0T (which is a great engine in its own right) was working harder than necessary on this platform.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,096
Likes: 1,740
From: Ohio
Used engine prices too high? Just buy a whole car that has been hit and take its engine instead.....
It comes with extras too, and more work for me! Because I'm just to nice to people I actually agreed to doing this job "twice" since apparently used 3.0S engines are quite pricy.
The plus side is I'm getting paid book time and I beat the hell out of it, calls for 28 hours end to end and I had it out in under 7. Being paid 14 and I also get to strip and sell the car as much as I want and keep the extra.
I've somehow been yet to be screwed over working on an Audi. All have been unusually easy/under time to the point I'm just waiting for a "hellstorm" car to show up
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
This is an easy way to tell if the smaller engine is "enough". When we got our Q7, one of the deciding factors for the supercharged V6 was that it got exactly the same fuel economy as the turbo 4. That told me the 2.0T (which is a great engine in its own right) was working harder than necessary on this platform.
That's another reason V8s can last forever is because they are so under stressed.
You got the S/C and I'm sure you're more than glad you did. I don't blame you.. The S/C will give you the buffer and extra power when you load it down with family and gear also. 2.0t would really start to noticeably strain loaded down and probably deliver worse MPG than yours.
Same thing with GM trucks, the 5.3 and 6.2 mileage difference is a wash. 6.2 needs premium, only downside but will run fine on mid grade.
The whole thing is stupid really..... if you have a huge engine or high performance car or huge truck or SUV, forget about MPG. We all got along just fine before the TV started telling us our cars use too much gas.
Last edited by AJT123; Nov 12, 2023 at 07:11 PM.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,328
Likes: 236
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
That's how I see it too.
Years ago they made millions of the Chevy Cavaliers with a 4 banger engine.
There were other GM products that used the same engine, such as Buicks.
They were sub 100k mile cars before the engine was completely ragged out and SPENT. Lol
The same exact car with a with V6 didn't have that problem.
My theory is the 4 banger was too weak for the car from the start.
Years ago they made millions of the Chevy Cavaliers with a 4 banger engine.
There were other GM products that used the same engine, such as Buicks.
They were sub 100k mile cars before the engine was completely ragged out and SPENT. Lol
The same exact car with a with V6 didn't have that problem.
My theory is the 4 banger was too weak for the car from the start.
The problem with some domestic 4-bangers of years ago was not so much that they were highly-streesed, but that they were just poorly engineered and used questionable materials. Toyota and Honda produced 4-bangers that could go 200-300K.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,212
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
I pretty much meant most V8s in existence other than BMW, lol.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,364
Likes: 346
From: Las Vegas
Oh, BMW just can’t make a V8 period end of story and never could. At least, not ones that don’t turn into garbage at silly low mileage. From the Nikasil (sp?) issues in the beginning to the plastic timing chain guides to the valvetrains that turn into messes, hard pass on any BMW V8.
I pretty much meant most V8s in existence other than BMW, lol.
I pretty much meant most V8s in existence other than BMW, lol.
You now have a 6.2 V8 diesel from an 80's GM truck