silvervett

I never use the A/C till it gets to about 99 to 100 or higher, or if I have a passenger in the car. The heat really does not bother me at all so I always drive with the windows open. I only have a few hundred miles on my car but I was getting around 26 to 27. But things changed last Saturday when I got my puppy. I don't like to leave him alone in the house till he feels more at ease in his new home so I take him with me whereever I go, he is a Boston Terrier and they don't handle the heat real well so I have A/C on even if it is only 90 degrees outside, I didn't do a paper and pencil check but the computer reading is down down to 21 MPG from 26 to 27. I had no idea that the A/C made a big diffrence. I know from past experience with my RX400H the MPGs get better after about 5,000 mile so the question is for most normal people that keep the A/C on and don't ride with the windows open on 90 degree days what is normal MPG on a GS450H with the A/C always on?

dunnojack

well, time to get a prius

lucasb7

Well, I live in a more moderate climate but I always have my AC on in the auto setting. My MPG have not gone below 23 MPG but I haven't really been in that much heat ...

silvervett

That's never going to happen, I never knew there was a that much of a diffrence in MPG with the A/C on. I never kept it off to try to save gas (I thought I may have been using more gas riding with the windows open) , I really enjoy the heat [that is why I moved from NY to SC], I was just shocked to see a big diffrence, as a matter of fact I thought I may even do better with the A/C on and the windows up, so and was wondering if it was normal. I won't be getting a Prius, and there is no way I am going to let my little puppy get too hot from the SC summer heat. I knew that Boston Terriers are very sensitive to the heat before I got him so there is no way I am going to risk my dogs health by keeping the A/C off and the windows open. I got the car on June twenty first and the dealer had it blowing cold air in my face which I turned off immediately so last Saturday was the first time I turned it on was when I got the dog. I keep it set to 75 and the outside temp has been the low 90s and high 90s. One other thing that kind of has me wondering is that I have always heard that the experts say you get better MPG if you have the A/C on with the windows up because modern A/C units use less gas than you would with the windows open because the increased air resistance means worst economy with the added air resistance of driving with the windows open. So I guess my mileage is normal?

Trust me on this keeping the A/C off has nothing to do with saving gas or money, I hate cold air blowing in my face, and I always keep a jacket in my car in the summer so I can put it on when I go into a store with the A/C cranked up too high

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

This is true to a degree, but only on highway speeds where the wind resistance due to open windows degrades the mpg's, not going to be the case doing say 50mph or less....always better to have a/c off in that case

2thfixr

The 450h use the same type of electric A/C system as the Prius, Camry and RX hybrids, no? They use an electric compressor rather than an accessory drive belt so the A/C will run with the engine off. Seems to me that A/C would not affect mileage at all?

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

A/c on probably does cut MPG's a bit but shouldn't that much.
BTW,Boston Terriers a great dogs.
We have two.

lucasb7

Yes all the AC and steering is electric. But it also takes energy out of the battery which in turn allows it to power electric only less frequently. Also when you aren't moving, say waiting for a parking spot for a while, with AC on it really kills the battery and it turns on the engine just to keep it charged.

silvervett

I posted some pictures of my little guy in another thread

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...=1#post3722451

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

Cute little sucker.
I posted a couple of pics of my girls.
I really don't have many pics of the dogs.

Cut-Throat

Gee Robert, I was thinking that if we turned the A/C off of our GS350's and took them out to Nebraska's I-80 and set the cruise to 55 mph - we might get 40 mpg! - That would be with the wind of course!

2thfixr

Pfft, I could do better than that. Give me a big semi and I'll draft for miles!

EyeKutr

iTrader: (5)

Alright guys, you can call it BS but this is what I did today....filled up and hopped on the freeway and set cruise at 66mph.....babied the pedal.....drove to Newport at 5 am to go fishing....MPG down there 37 !!!!! and on the way back it was 93 degrees and more of an uphill to riverside. a/c set at 74, 66 mph....overall trip 110 miles (most hwy), overall MPG 34.4 !!!!! you want pics, I got em.....

Cut-Throat

Yup! - Pretty much my experience also. - Imagine if you set it at 55 mph and on a pretty much level freeway. That's why I said I was convinced that you could get 35 MPG easy on the highway!

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Comparing hybrid and non-hybrid cars re: AC and mpg isn't very meaningful because they're operated and powered so differently.

If it was only a highway cruise comparison then it might be similar. But a hybrid gets better mpg from running either exclusively on electric power or getting a power assist from it to reduce gas use, BUT the hybrid battery pack really can't run the car alone for more than a few miles. Since running the AC drains the batteries, guess what, the batteries have less juice to assist the gas engine and the computer won't let the batteries go flat so the gas engine will run more often with AC on (my guess).

So I think AC will have MORE of an impact on a hybrid than a regular gas car.