Hi all, first post. Joined to see if anyone else is having MPG issues with the 2021 ES 300H. I purchased my car in Feb 2021 and consistently got 44-46 MPG until about 2 months ago. Now I can only get 37-38 MPG. My drive style, routine, and distance has not changed. The weather is colder, but I drove it last Feb in similar weather. I have tried different gas stations to see if I had bad gas and I also tried a tank of premium gas for the first time. No change. I called the dealer and he said the ethanol based fuels lower fuel economy in the winter because they sometimes add more ethanol. I live in Northern VA for reference. Welcome any thoughts/suggestions.

 

That's pretty normal. The fuel winter mix does decreases a bit. The cold weather plays a factor too. Are there more cold days in VA this year compare to last? Are you also warming up the vehicle more often in winter months? Now my MPG is around 34-35 in my ES300h. In summer months I get 37-38MPG combine.

 

I agree a seasonal dip like this is completely normal. In addition to all the other factors mentioned, the chemical efficiency of batteries also goes down at low temperatures. All-electric cars lose range in the winter for this reason.

 

My indicated lifetime avg, socal is about 43.5 ish which is likely around 42mpg real world. So given you are in cold weather i wouldn't sweat the results you're getting. you are driving a big heavy boat afterall. Being in the high 30s is unheard of for this class of car typically.

ask any E Class or 5 series owner what they get. lol

 

Ethanol fuel in winter indeed lowers your fuel economy. So does colder outside temps. If I could buy ethanol-free fuel here I would every single time.

Oh, and regarding gas, buy Top Tier gas always, and try to pick a high volume station (like beside a highway or major route). The last thing you want in the long run is poor quality fuel.

 

Yeah, this is normal, and was the same in my previous (non-Lexus) hybrid car too. It really bothered me at first but I can’t do anything about it.

 

I live in NoVA too. My average is 37 mpg. I can see easily tanks around 40 in the summer but in the winter down to 32-33 sometimes especially with the 12 degree mornings we had lately. In addition to hybrid battery efficiency deteriorating in cold I think the car turns on the engine more often to keep heat demand.

Maybe a HV heat pump system similar to electric cars would be more efficient in the future.

 

I think that it is interesting that, if you look on any internet forums where people are discussing hybrid vehicles of any brand, when we get to the dead of winter, you will find numerous threads in which hybrid owners, usually relatively new hybrid owners, are posting threads about the dramatic drop in their fuel economy, and they are concerned that their hybrid vehicle might be "broken".

Fuel economy of all vehicles drops in colder weather, but the drop in fuel economy with hybrid vehicles is even more dramatic than it is with non-hybrid vehicles. There are many reasons why the drop in fuel economy is large with hybrid vehicles, but, by far, the biggest reason is the drop in temperature. Before the car can start using and continue using electric power, the ICE needs to run and warm up. Further, even when the ICE warms up, it will lose its heat more quickly in very cold weather, in which case, it needs to run more frequently to maintain its temperature. All of that causes fuel efficiency to drop dramatically. And this is especially true if you are driving lots of short trips because, by the time the ICE warms up, you are shutting it down. Then, when you start up the car again 20 or 30 minutes later, the process of warming the ICE has to start all over again.

I have a RAV4 hybrid. From about March through November, my average fuel economy runs between about 52 mpg and as much as 60 mpg. During the winter, total fuel economy is in the high 30s or low 40s, but, when the temperature drops below 0 F, I might be lucky if I was even getting 30 mpg. And, yes, like with this forum, the RAV4 hybrid forums are filled with threads from people who mistakenly think that their hybrid vehicle is "broken".

 

Thanks all. This is my second hybrid. The first was a ct200h. The fuel milage was always consistent at 41-42. I appreciate the insight, Saved me a trip to the dealer.

 

I find that the heater and AC contribute alot to my fuel economy.

In winter the engine will start as soon as I start the HVAC. When i turn it off the car runs on EV. Same in summer with AC.

 

Hybrid owners should go and kiss their powertrain right now.

As an ICE, ES 350, owner, I’m getting 16 mpg with ECO mode and every time I see 300h owners discussing their mileage, you guys don’t know how good you have it.

I test drove a 300h before I got the 350 and I intentionally made that decision because I couldn’t handle the switch/jerk between the ICE and electric powertrains.

I’m also destroying my mpg because:
- Using remote start for at least 5 minutes 2-3 times a day
- 3-5 daily city street trips each <2 mile legs (The worst)

A 300h would’ve have likely been great for mileage, but I couldn’t handle the jerk.

 

Hybrid technology has come a long way. I've driven multiple recent model year Lexus and Toyota hybrids, and one of the things that has consistently impressed me is how seamless the transition is when the cars are switching from electric power to ICE power or from ICE power to electric power. Unless I was looking at the power gauges in the car, I wouldn't even be aware of the switch from one power source to the other.

I have no idea about what you think you experienced with what you described as "the jerk", but that would be far from typical for a recent model year Lexus or Toyota hybrid. Any switch from one power source to the other is far less noticeable compared to some of the transmission shifts with the 8 speed transmission on the ICE versions of the same cars.

 

That's funny because I can't stand the constant jerking shifting up and down and when coming to a stop from a conventional transmission. Not to mention the endless engine noise up, down, up, down, up, down. BAH. If it is automatic and has more than about 4 gears (any car any trans), it's garbage in my experience. The hybrid is so much smoother than a transmission it's not even comparable! Not to mention QUIETER! The gas engine shuts off when decelerating, shuts off at red lights, drive thrus, when backing out of the garage, parking spots, you put it in Park it's just silent.

My LS500 has 10 speeds and I hate it. It takes too much time to get ready to go after coming to a stop. I will not miss the trans when I get my new ES300h. I had a 2011 F150 with way too many gears too, I forget 6 speed, 8 speed? It sucked bad too.

I welcome the day that Lexus is hybrid-only and/or PHEV-only on the whole lineup. Toyota is going that way a little bit with the Sienna, Venza, and Sequoia.

 

You should have bit the bullet and got a hybrid. I get 30+ mpg on my ICE ES for my daily commute which is pretty much a straight highway run.

 

For me "the jerk" is when the ICE engine shuts off and turns back on in the 300h.

I see what you're saying about the 8-speed AT transmission but in my test drives I found it so much and imperceptible compared to "the jerk".