JSracer

the trailer is a aluma mc10, weighs about 450, bikes about 1150, so 1500 lbs or thereabouts, It's so comfortable, and smooth and quiet. The adaptive CC is awesome, i use it always including in stop and go construction zones.. the 450 is super smooth vs the 350 using adaptive. I purchased the rx for long runs to arkansas, north carolina, and other fun places. 20mpg isnt terrible, i don't think, with the wind resistance, running 8-9 over posted. I played with going slower, it definitely got better running say 65 in construction 1 lane zones. so it has potential to do better. When i tow 1 bike, it's a tic higher mpg, 21 or 22 ??
i would tow 1 bike with my gmc envoy and it got like 13, so it's definitely a step in the right direction. a few gallons of gas is definitely cheaper than 60k. But i understand you have had your share of issues with the 450 so looking for a replacement has to be on your mind.

debated a enclosed, it would be nice, but i have limited storage options here at the house, and that might have changed my vehicle purchase decision. (with the rx at 3500lbs towing, 1500 recommended brakes. my envoy is 6k? towing and also brakes recommended at 1500lbs.

lexnewbi

Your mileage really depends on how you drive. I can drive very aggressive and get 20MPG. But on my past 2.5 years of owning a 450h, I have been averaging around 30-32 MPG. This is a mix of street and highway. When there is a lot of stop and go traffic on the highway, my mileage goes up. One day traffic was so bad I managed 47.5 MPG.To get good mileage, accelerate slow, coast and run on batteries as much as you can.

One thing I have learned is to ease of the accelerator to turn off the engine and run on battery on the city streets. Is I do not do that, it tends to keep the engine (ICE) running. Basically, I get up to the street speed limit, then release the throttle a little, the engine turns off, and I I re-apply the accelerator just to keep it at the max tick on my HUD slide for battery without turning on the engine. If the car slows down when going up a hill, then I accelerate to turn on the engine, reach speed limit and ease off momentarily to turn it off again.

On long trips at 75-80MPH speed limits, it averages 27-29MPG with two people on board. With four people on board, it averages 26-28MPG at 75MPH. At 55MPH, you get a couple of MPG more. With a Thule box on the top, it drops 2-4MPG. I have not pulled a trailer yet.

1Louder

I published a bunch of tips I used a while back (I think in March), but I think the truth of it is if you don't have the traffic conditions that allow some gentle driving (which is totally understandable), I think mid-20's is what you can expect. I get consistent 30-32, mixed highway and suburban, but I have routes that hit the car it it's sweet spot which I believe is the ability to cruise at 45-55 mph and accelerate at a moderate pace.

I just had a 5 day stretch where I was home but making short errands around town and I was down around 27. I normally get my best mileage being able to cruise at that 45-55 mph which is about 40% of my commute.

I think I'm coming to realize the 450h is pretty prone to being a victim of driving conditions. Under the right conditions, where you can hit that 45-55 mph sweet spot for good stretches of road, you can see over 30. But I think if someones commute involves a lot of stop and go or having to accelerate hard or drive 75+ to be safe on the road, I would absolute expect mid-20's.

As much as I've advocated for gentle and efficient driving habits, I also believe we should only engage in those behaviors when it's safe. And some of the dense traffic we have in some areas (like Seattle, CA, North East), your options are limited and you have to do what's safe.

Maybe take some solace in the fact a non-hybrid would be even worse under those conditions.

Edit: Oh and ECO mode is nothing more than a throttle sensitivity adjustment combined with some AC tweaking to save energy. It mostly just allows more control by relaxing the pedal input/response ratio. Aside from that, it has no other real practical impact on the actual amount of gas the car uses. If traffic does not allow you to drive gentle, ECO mode is of no real value.

wktjr

Fuel makes a difference. My wife gets 32ish on summer and 28ish on winter blend. Same commute.

gadgetman1

I think your 20 mpg while towing is very good! It kinda is what it is. After looking around, I’ve reached the following conclusions:
* Lexus & Toyota overestimates their mpg on most models.
* Ford overestimate their mpg, but underestimated their power. If you stay out of the turbos, you can get good mpg, but cost
too much. Quality is questionable.
* GM underestimates their mpg. Quality is questionable.
* VW/Audi underestimates their mpg. Audi costs too much.
* Pickups in general cost more than they are worth.

I’m going to keep the 450h & keep my fingers crossed that I have worked most of the bugs. I did cancel my SXM subscription on both cars based on poor reception. The Camaro cuts out a little, but nowhere near as much as the Lexus. I’m tired of paying for failed tech that neither corporation will take responsibility for. Lexus blames cell companies & SXM & SXM blames Lexus. Enough!

If I can get near 20 mpg towing & 25 mpg highway, it’s a good day. I know I won’t see what is advertised, but it’s better than other makes in many ways & $60,000 pays for a LOT of fuel!

dbons

To those who are considering the RX 450H for its fuel efficiency save your money. I took delivery on a 2020 back in November and have been very disappointed in the economy which was the major reason i selected that particular model. The vehicle app has rated my driving at a 96. I still get consistently lower then the epa ratings by a significant number. The vehicle is rated for 30mpg city/28 Highway. If i get 23 city and 24 highway i am lucky. This is using premium fuel might I add. This was not a cheap vehicle might I add costing $63,000.

I have spoke to the dealer and was informed that colder climates drastically effect the economy with this hybrid which is something the sales team neglected to mention. Seeing that i live in upstate New York, most of the year is a colder climate for us. Knowing Lexus reputation for building a fine automobile i was expecting the epa fuel rating to be on the conservative side...... not soo much.

Beware! if this vehicle is a consideration for you, because of its attractive fuel ratings...... I would take a pass and keep searching..

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

I mean impact of winter weather on a hybrid's MPG is well established. The gasoline equivalent is getting in the high teens in the same conditions.

wa3cuj

I live in Central Pennsylvania and I have had three 450h's starting in 2010. I have had decent mileage in each. My mileage does drop in the colder months but not like yours. A typical tank in the Winter will be 25-26 mpg of blended driving and around 30 mpg in the warmer months. Have you actually calculated your mileage or are you reporting what your trip computer is showing you? They can be different. Since you are in upstate NY do you run snow tires in the Winter? If so, that will have a significant impact. I also keep the display up that shows my mileage. By doing that, I have learned to be a lot lighter on the accelerator, which have another significant impact. I hope all works out for you.

bgil47

I also received my factory ordered 2020 450h in late november.
When I had about 900 miles on it, I drove it from my house (60 miles from canada) to San Diego and back a few weeks later. This was Jan 1.
From my house to the California border, my hand calculated mpg was 29 -30 mpg, My mid was saying in the high 28 mpg. I was on Interstate 5 and I generally drove 5 over the speed limit. When I was in northern California and running about 75-80, my Mpg went down to about 26-27.

I met the epa fuel rating, and am very happy with this car. I would highly recommend it for someone who wants a great and to my mind efficient SUV.
Overall, it gets about 30% better mileage then the rx 350. Look at fuelly.com and do some comparisons.

gadgetman1

Don’t bank on some of the fuely postings. There are a few that have skewed the average numbers by claiming they got 40+ mpg. That impossible with normal driving with this vehicle. I live in a warmer area & my mileage sits in the mid twenties. I have never seen anywhere near 30 mpg city. All in all, it’s still a lot better than most other SUVs & certainly better than the 350. Toyota stretches their mpg ratings to the very top. It’s rare to find someone getting at or above the EPA MPGs in anything other than a Prius.

1Louder

It may not be the car. Severe winter and winter gas will both drop mpg by quite a bit. Also, based on what I've observed the 450h isn't as efficient in heavy stop and go, or high speed highway. The sweet spot for the car is cruising 40-55 mph (as I've observed anyway). If you don't get many stretches like that in your driving, and you spend more time in those other two categories, 23/24 would not surprise me. But all those things I mentioned should hurt any car's mpg. Did you get posted mpg in your previous car under the same conditions?

I have no trouble getting 30-32 consistently even in winter, but I have a 25 mile commute that plays to the car's strengths. And our winters are comparatively mild.

c3uo

I'll be curious to get your update in a few months. I live up north and took delivery of mine in January and was also very disappointed at first. In the summer I was very happy. It definitely does much better above 40 F then below freezing. Also, short trips or high speed (> 70 MPH) offer no benefit. Stop and go, and speeds below 55 MPH above 40 F I get 5 MPG better than mid winter at 10 F.

rxgs2011

I am currently driving my new 2020 RX450h. It replaced my 2015 RX450h. I also drove a 2010 RX450h for 5 years, so my 10 years of RX450h driving can give you a good idea what to expect with the RX hybrid. From my experience, the driving behavior of the 2010 and 2015 RX450h was almost identical. The only difference I noticed was in the braking. In the 2010 model the anti-lock brakes created a sudden change in breaking if you encountered a bump or man hole cover, that triggered the ABS to engage briefly. What it felt like in the pedal afterwards was that the braking action suddenly dropped to half what it was before encountering the ABS activation. I'm not a mechanic, but if felt like the ABS triggered a reduction in the regenerative braking, maybe turning it off. At that point all the braking was coming from the hydraulic brakes. I found I needed to press harder on the brake pedal to continue to slow down at the same rate as before the ABS engaged. If I released the brake pedal and re-applied the brakes, then the regenerative braking resumed. In the 2015 model RX450h this braking anomaly was gone. The engineers at Toyota apparently fixed that issue. The mileage I got with the 2010 and 2015 RX450h seemed identical. Now that I am driving the 2020 RX450h I have noticed a change in the mileage and the hybrid behavior. It seems the car relies on the traction battery and electric motors more of the time. I can get up to higher speeds before the engine starts, if gently pressing on the accelerator pedal. The engine shuts down earlier and for a longer period of time when not pushing hard up a hill or when slowing down. I notice the engine starts up less when putting the car in reverse. In the 2010 and 2015 cars almost anytime I put the transmission in reverse the engine started, unless the car was really warm or it was summer. Even in the winter now the engine does not start when backing up, unless the car is really cold or the traction battery has a low charge. I have played a game with the car often to see how far I can get on battery only, by accelerating very gradually and not exceeding 45 MPH. I have definitely gotten past 35 MPH without the engine starting. If I'm going downhill I've gotten up to 45 MPH on battery. That never happened with the earlier RX hybrids. I think Lexus engineers changed some programming in the hybrid logic. I like the results. I have been getting just over 32 MPG on my longer trips including some highway driving.
There is a downside to one of the engine/hybrid programming changes. In the 2010 and 2015 RX 450h models you could press the accelerator pedal to the floor and the brake at the same time to get the engine to start while the car was stopped and in "Drive". "Why would you do this?" you ask! Simple. The jerk in the car to your right at the stop light just pulled up in the right lane where there are parked cars on the other side of the intersection. The other car is a Porsche Cayenne and the guy driving it is going to floor it when the light turns green and cut in front of you in the hybrid. But with your foot on the brake and the accelerator at the same time your Petrol engine is already running at idle. Idle because your foot is on the gas and brake at the same time. The car isn't trying to move because it's a hybrid and the wheels don't necessarily try to move when the engine is running. When you let off the brake, the electric traction motor, which has great torque from 0 MPH, gets you flying off the line at the stop light with gusto. No waiting for the gasoline engine to contribute to the push since it's already running too. You're up to speed in no time, far exceeding the Porsche's attempt to butt in front of you. I used that feature a lot, sometimes at merge ramps when I had to get out into traffic fast.
Well, in 2020 the Lexus engineers have decided that if you do put your foot on the Brake and Accelerator pedal when the car is in Drive, it just pops up a message telling you, "You are pressing on the Accelerator and Brake at the same time". The engine doesn't start. Bummer! That was a good trick. You can't do it in the 2020 RX450h unfortunately. I guess that person who got their floor mat stuck under their accelerator pedal in their Prius messed things up for the rest of us hybrid drivers.

barrysl

Yesterday we drove from Jacksonville to Daytona, about 100 miles away. I averaged 26.4 mpg. Normally, I get an average of 27 mpg. I use only 93 octane and on the highway I drive steady 80 mph. I know that IF I drive very very conservatively, and I mean very, I avg 30 around town. But I drive in the sporty S or S+ so I don't expect un-sporty mpg! By the way, on interstate 95 my RX is a Rocket! Alot of fun!

New450hL

New to me...2019 450hL and loving it...faster than I thought when test driving.

just drove from Destin FL to Miami today

topped off gas by click click click before reset all the counters and proceeded. Made it to Turkey Lake turnpike plaza...409 miles with last 2 miles saying “refuel now” (no more miles left range). Did same clicking gas off to the top most full I could get it..15.9 gallons. Seems right “refuel now” = about 1 gallon remaining. So this equate to 25.75mpg but trip computer said 23.0 mpg! So why the huge difference in actual vs the info on the dash? Avg 78mph and not a single stop in the 409 miles.

So why the difference? Definitely happy I am getting more mpgs than computer says I am but it is of interests.

btw...I am using premium 93 gas