BBLexus

My wife gets18.5 mpg on the trip computer, avg 27.8 mph - 02 RX300with 150,000 miles. I can get 19.5-20 if I drive

sfsilvrspt

Just filled up on the way home this evening: 15 gallons @ 308 miles = 20.5mpg mixed highway/town driving. This is in a 2001 RX300 AWD using Mobil 1 engine oil and 87 octane fuel.

01rxwhite

I have an 01 FWD with 247k miles and original engine and transmission. I typically average 21 to 22 mpg on my 30mi (one way) commute with mixed hwy/city driving. I have gotten 23 to 23.5 mpg just highway before.
It is rare if I get anything below 20mpg. I use 93 octane though and get better mpg and performance. When I use 89 octane, I get a little less mpg, so I tell myself the improved mpg pays for the difference in price per gallon.

thomas1

you are all so lucky, the Gas in California is so crappy that mileage sucks here. Whenever I left the state my mpg would increase at least 3. Best mileage in California was 20. With city driving averaging 16.

Mors

02 RX with 110,000 miles: I get around 18 mpg with mostly city driving. If I drive strictly highway, I can get just over 20. When I first got the car (with 22,000 miles on it), strictly highway got me 23 mpg.
I use at least 88 octane fuel.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Long term average when new in 1999 was 22mpg (even mix of city and highway). Today, 15 years later, its 20. Can't complain, although the pre-2010 RX330/350 got much better.

kennyRX300

I am getting 11.2 MPG but my O2 sensor is mounted with a coat hanger.....

I will post once I replace it what the results are.

hypervish

I've got a little over 100 fill-up's recorded on Fuelly now: http://www.fuelly.com/driver/lexusvishal/rx300

driver1988

The RX doesn't change much. It requires you to manually switch from average to current. 17-19 is normal for RX.

I think it's simply how they made the vehicle. My GS's MPG changes every single minute whereas the RX only change once in a while it seems.

trapreo

We would get better gas milage if the top gear didn't spin the engine 3000rpm at 70mph. My Accord 4 banger has lower top end rpms. Higher top end gear would have made the RX300 one of the best cars ever. Sorry if I offended you by calling it a car.

salimshah

Back in '99 the Hwy speeds were not 75 or even 85 mph.

What you mentioned as a joke is the real reason. The drag on the RX, due to its profile requires more torque to the wheels and with limited gears that was the design compromise.

Salim

MellonC00

18.1 mpg. 70% city.

234K miles

hypervish

MPG is not always terrible at high speeds on the RX though. I've noticed over the years that steady throttle pressure leads to much higher MPG. I just returned from a nearly 2000 mile road trip yesterday night, and on two tanks I averaged 25.7 mpg and 26.0 mpg.

The 25.7 mpg tank was at a steady 68 mph, except for a few construction zones where speeds dropped to about 60-62 mph.

The 26.0 mpg tank was mostly at 68 mph as well, but I did do a few quick pulls up to a certain speed which i won't mention.

I averaged 22.8 mpg over the entire trip (with 228k miles on the car), which is pretty great for a car EPA Highway rated at 21mpg.

You can see all of the fill-ups for this road trip at the link below, as well as all of my other fill-up's.

MellonC00

I should have mentioned that I set my cruise control at 75mph on most highways unless the speed limit is above 65mph. Then, I simply add 10mph above that. In other words, the engine (especially with the AWD) is quite busy. I've never gotten above 22mpg for a full tank even when driven on highways.

salimshah

The drag increases somewhat exponentially with speed.
Dont discount head winds or tail winds ... can impact quite a bit.

Salim