If one wishes to save fuel on hybrid like 450h, there is a need to change on driving habit. Sticker figures are done on best driving conditions on sea level. In real life it is almost impossible to get that numbers. I drive '15 450h as well, Coming down from Bimmer X5, had to relearn the driving. In cold winter I get 9 liter/100km, in the summer like now, I can get upto 6 liter/100km. Any how I don't pay much attention on fuel consumption.

 

That's about 26 mpg, right? That's not bad - much closer to the stated normal mpg. What kind of mileage did your X5 get & what did you change with the way you drive?

 

And the EPA tests use E0 gasoline - which, if you dig far enough into the EPA test description, accounts for as much as 4% improvement* in estimated fuel economy.

When was the last time you filled up with E0 gasoline?!?

* http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ethanol.shtml ("...Ethanol contains about one-third less energy than gasoline. So, vehicles will typically go 3% to 4% fewer miles per gallon on E10 and 4% to 5% fewer on E15 than on 100% gasoline...")

 

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml

Note the amount of time the cars spend idling and under 56 MPH and with the A/C off during the EPA Fuel Mileage Test Schedule - is it any wonder why it's hard to compare your driving with the Gubment's?!?

 

X5 had 3 liter turbo engine with 8 speed tranny. It had 85 liter fuel tank vs. 450h's 65 liter. I filled up almost every week with X5. I fill up every two weeks with 450h.
I coast a lot. By habit I don't use brake that much. Still 2 Bimmers in the family. M3 and 328 iX both with manual gear box.

 

You nailed it dude! There is nothing accurate about how they arrive at their fuel mileage. Even if they hired a high school graduate to drive each model coast to cost & in cities, that would give us a better picture on what to expect vs. the crap they give us now!

 

2010 RX450h: I average 26 mpg lately. When I drive conscious of energy usage I average 30 mpg easily on my daily commute on back roads with little stop-and-go traffic and 20 or so stop lights

 

I must respectfully disagree - in that those test results (over the years) have been accurately reproduced.

The thing is -- Those test parameters/schedules are somewhat 'carved in stone'; and I have a hunch that Toyota/Lexus was/is clever enough to 'Tune' their gear ratios, battery on/off schedules, and all other bits of legal hocus-pocus and watch-my-watch techniques such that their cars get the most out of the test schedules.

When I was in college and when test points were heavily weighted to particular set of questions or essay answers, I always went for the biggest bang for my proverbial buck -- and I suspect that the Lexus engineers are at least as clever as I think I am.

Since you and I use E10 fuel; and since, if we could buy the same E0 fuel that the EPA uses, we'd get some 4% better fuel mileage, - simply divide your MPG by .96 and you'd see what you'd be getting if you could play by the same rules as the EPA/Lexus for estimating your MPG.

Oh, and leave your A/C off for 3/4 of the time (yeah, right! Like we're going to do that!)

 

We don't put many miles on the wife's 2015, but with mainly short trips in town it is currently showing 34.5 after about a quarter of a tank. Highway trips usually it shows around 28-30 with me driving on sport mode, which she never drives in that mode.

 

Your findings are almost identical to mine. I have the 2015 RXh. I'm between 26-28 consistently in city only driving. 32-33 on thruway at 65 mph. That's on E10 Sunoco regular gasoline that is recommended per owners manual. Very happy with mpg and everything else about this excellent automobile. Just a SOLID all around pleaser.

 

Check out this video. I think EPA's testing methods are not as simple as what we were thinking. I guess they improved over time.

 

Your problem is probably twofold, your car remembers its previous owners style and if this is your first hybrid, you have yet to perfect your driving style to match the hybrid benefits.
Slow smooth acceleration - no need to be the first off the line (leave that to the idiots you will catch at the next light)
Pay attention to what is happening ahead - light is turning red let off the gas and coast using only dynamic breaking to stop (will improve you fuel usage and save on a break job) Situation awareness is key to driver and pilot safety alike.
I bought my 2015 RX450h new but it still took time to train it to my pilot style driving. I have 40,000 miles on it averaging 29.1 mpg over those 40,000 on regular gas. During warmer months we get 31+ and in the winter we get about 28 in town. About 30 on the road year round. Its 2015 RX350 EPA mileage numbers are 18 city and 26 highway for a lighter vehicle. Since most of our miles are city, we can fill up less often and travel further than the RX350.

 

I rarely drive my wife's 2015 450h, but got in a a couple days ago, and it is showing 34.7. This is mainly all in our small town and she has a light foot, unlike myself that has to put it in sport mode. Otherwise it feels like a dog to me. Amazing the extra poop it has taking off in sport mode.

 

I agree. There is definitely more "poop" in sport mode. I think it regenerates more in sport mode as well. I don't remember the last time I drove in standard mode. My mpg is about 24.6 after 1 year of ownership (bought it CPO).

 

For my RX450h 8th birthday this August, it gave "ME" a present, a new personal single tank mpg record, actually two in a row. So what changed? I moved. My workplace is right on the north shore of Lake Ontario, literally a 2 minute walk to water's edge so it is always a downhill drive. My previous house was to the east, 30M higher elevation over a distance of about 12km and passed through two small creek valleys, not steep, but it meant several short downhills and several short uphills. I would normally consider 8.0L/100km a very good tank (29.4mpg) and anything less than 8.5 (27.7mpg) decent.

My new residence is now north, 60M higher elevation over a distance of about 14km and mostly gentle downhill south and gentle uphill back home. Traffic is about the same, all moderately busy city driving. Since moving first tank was 7.5L/100km (31.4mpg) and this last one was 7.4 (31.8mpg). Both tanks were regular gas, but the second was Costco, first time I'd ever bothered to fill up from them. The Costco gas was about $0.11CAD cheaper per litre (Hmm, about $0.33USD cheaper per US gal) than other stations, but was my first time filling there because my new route takes me right by one early in the morning when the line was only 1 car deep. Normally during the day the line up is 5 to 7 cars deep at all pump islands and I could never be bothered to wait so long.