Today my LS460L celebrates its 18 month anniversary with just ober 18K miles. I have been reading with some envy and some disbelief the 30 mpg results of some of the other members have reported. During my 18 months, my average mileage has been 18.5 mpg. Mostly city and short highway driving, with the typical SF Bay Area hills. So this weekend I got my chance to experiment. I was about 30 miles from home and needing a fill up. The freeway was nearby and pretty flat for the first 20 + miles to my home. Not much traffic, so I put on cruise control at 65 MPH and drove home. I have do admit that 65 mph is probably 10-15 mph slower than I normally drive. Anyway, bottom line was that for the 20 flat miles, I got just about 30 mpg!! When the freeway changed nearer home to have more hills, then the mileage dropped, so the total trip averaged 27.6 mpg. SO if you are out in the wide open plains where the roads a flat, I can see getting30 mpg regularly. Next time I'll bump it up to 70 or 75 and see what I get.

 

Congrats on your 18 month anniversary! Time sure flies.

Your mpg reports sound more reasonable to my observations of LS driving here in CA, which is a mix of city and highway. I too am a bit in awe of the 30 mpg reported by our friends whose driving style and/or conditions must be different. It's very interesting to see how that can be achieved experimentally.

Oh and for those wondering, "YMMV" = "Your Mileage May Vary" -- forgot about the acronym so I looked it up.

 

I love that acronym; it has "broad" applications...

 

I think you guys in "Colleyfornia" (per Arnold) also need to take into account that you have "designer" gasoline mixtures there that cut into your mileage to some extent.

Get outside your republic and buy some untampered-with gas, hit the highway, and you too will see 30mpg and over.





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I have also attained 30+ mpg on two separate trips from Houston to Scottsdale under two very differenet weather conditions. Yes, I did drive for a extended period over the speed limits in west Texas which is 75 MPH..... rolling hills and all. BTW I did not knowingly break the law; it just happend while I was doing my darnest to be a safe driver by keeping up with the flow of traffic.

 

On my last trip to Vegas last weekend I got an astonishing 25MPG on my LS600hL. This is the best I have done. Since it's only rated for 22MPG highway, getting 25MPG is great. I usually average 19-20 for in-town traffic driving.

 

I truly believe that the higher elevation in west TX and westward increases the gas mileage. I remember years ago my wife and I took a trip from the Midwest down towards Amarillo and westward and I remember telling my wife that we were getting amazing gas mileage.

 

Could very well be but I have gotten similar MPG on a trip from Houston to Jacksonville (FL) and back.

I have another opportunity coming up in June to track the MPG when we take our annual trek visiting retired kin folks along the way going thru the southern states up to the Poconos Mtns and end up in DC.

 

You should get the best mileage at sea level (or below, as in a desert that's below sea level), since the air is more dense and can deliver a more oxygen-rich mixture to the engine.

As altitude increases, the air thins and less oxygen is available per cubic foot. That tends to make the engine run richer (in spite of corrections made by the engine management system), and it therefore runs less efficiently.

That being the case, you will tend to get the best gas mileage at low altitudes and lower mileage at higher altitudes. One thing that helps in wide open areas like West Texas is that you can maintain a steady speed and have fewer instances of slowing and speeding up.

Sorry to be a schoolmarm, but I thought I'd clarify this.

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I understand and appreciate your clarification, but for some reason, my experience has been the opposite.