Long trip on my 05 RX330 1600+ miles
07-09-08, 11:02 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Long trip on my 05 RX330 1600+ miles
Hi everyone, just got back from a 1600+ miles trip from delaware, to chicago, IL. I have to say i was impressed i was debating about taking my GS or RX, opted for RX cuz of the awd and glad i did cuz it was raining half of the way.
i got decent gas milage but not great, around 25-26 MpG when crusing around 60-60 and staying right on 2000 Rpm, but as soon i go to 65-75 speed the MPG went down to 22.2-23.5 i am guess cuz of the smaller engine. I am sure the new rx350 gets better milage on or around 75 highway. So on every fill up i was able to get 350-365 miles without the gas light coming up ..on the way i was playing tag with a nissan armada , around Ohio and then an SRT 4 on the way back. Man the service area in Ohio are nice! they are clean and big i am use to the NJ turn pike serive area which are quite not clean.
Also got pulled over in indiana cop said i was doing 91, i had cruise set on 76 or 78, speed limit there was 70. i told him that i cant be speeding cuz of the crusie control he saw my radar detector and gave me ticket which said 91 anyway and said fight it in court i was pissed off this was at 4 in the morning. i am going fight that ticket...
I really like Chicago stayed at a downtown holiday inn and i miss the city life since i am back to to my village Delaware ...haha
i got decent gas milage but not great, around 25-26 MpG when crusing around 60-60 and staying right on 2000 Rpm, but as soon i go to 65-75 speed the MPG went down to 22.2-23.5 i am guess cuz of the smaller engine. I am sure the new rx350 gets better milage on or around 75 highway. So on every fill up i was able to get 350-365 miles without the gas light coming up ..on the way i was playing tag with a nissan armada , around Ohio and then an SRT 4 on the way back. Man the service area in Ohio are nice! they are clean and big i am use to the NJ turn pike serive area which are quite not clean.
Also got pulled over in indiana cop said i was doing 91, i had cruise set on 76 or 78, speed limit there was 70. i told him that i cant be speeding cuz of the crusie control he saw my radar detector and gave me ticket which said 91 anyway and said fight it in court i was pissed off this was at 4 in the morning. i am going fight that ticket...
I really like Chicago stayed at a downtown holiday inn and i miss the city life since i am back to to my village Delaware ...haha
07-09-08, 10:38 PM
#3
I just came back from 3000 mi trip from Oregon down CA coast to L.A., Grand Canyon, Zion NP, across NV and eastern OR. Averaged about 23 MPG at speeds between 70-80 MPH, whith a lot of mountain driving and also slow driving in national parks. I have 08 RX350 AWD. (wife's rig, real men don't drive RXs, right?). Very impressed with the car overall.
07-10-08, 07:17 AM
#4
Out of Warranty
Sounds like a great trip - your RX is a superb road-tripper with plenty of cargo capacity for an extended vacation and the smoothness and silence to deliver you well rested to your destination.
Your mileage is pretty normal; I do a bit better with my FWD RX 330, particularly at a bit higher speeds (70-75). You can save a considerable amount of fuel by NOT using the cruise control, particularly where you are going up and down low hills. Your Lexus' cruise control will maintain your speed within a fraction of a mile per hour of the setpoint, even if it has to go to wide-open throttle for several seconds as you start uphill - rather than lose 1 mph. By holding a steady throttle opening through these sections, you avoid dumping all that gas, and you get to make the decision if it's worth losing 4-5 mph for a few extra mpg. Watch your instantaneous fuel consumption instrument for a quick but effective lesson on saving gas.
By the same token, on downhill stretches it is possible to gain a lot of speed. Your cruise control may lift the throttle a bit as you exceed the setpoint, but it won't always hold your speed, particularly on long, gradual slopes. You can easily find yourself traveling at well over the posted limit if you solely rely on your cruise control to keep you out of trouble.
Your mileage is pretty normal; I do a bit better with my FWD RX 330, particularly at a bit higher speeds (70-75). You can save a considerable amount of fuel by NOT using the cruise control, particularly where you are going up and down low hills. Your Lexus' cruise control will maintain your speed within a fraction of a mile per hour of the setpoint, even if it has to go to wide-open throttle for several seconds as you start uphill - rather than lose 1 mph. By holding a steady throttle opening through these sections, you avoid dumping all that gas, and you get to make the decision if it's worth losing 4-5 mph for a few extra mpg. Watch your instantaneous fuel consumption instrument for a quick but effective lesson on saving gas.
By the same token, on downhill stretches it is possible to gain a lot of speed. Your cruise control may lift the throttle a bit as you exceed the setpoint, but it won't always hold your speed, particularly on long, gradual slopes. You can easily find yourself traveling at well over the posted limit if you solely rely on your cruise control to keep you out of trouble.
07-10-08, 12:52 PM
#5
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Just back last night from our Hollywood, FL to Greenwich, CT road trip with my 08 RX350 which started out with 3000 miles on it. Also went to upstate NY, stopped in DC, Asheville, and Atlanta and places in between. With 4 pax and a full trunk, we were getting just under 27 mpg highway going an average of 80mpg.
I did notice it is not good on inclines, as well as an occasional slip in the transmission. After finding this site, I see it is a common problem. I just had my car serviced today and mentioned it to my service advisor who duly noted on the receipt that "car performed normally at this time." How do I address this problem which I have noticed since I got the car?
any ideas?
I did notice it is not good on inclines, as well as an occasional slip in the transmission. After finding this site, I see it is a common problem. I just had my car serviced today and mentioned it to my service advisor who duly noted on the receipt that "car performed normally at this time." How do I address this problem which I have noticed since I got the car?
any ideas?
07-10-08, 11:17 PM
#7
Out of Warranty
Welcome to CL tcosta!
Another great road trip and excellent mileage with that load on board. Your lack of power on inclines is probably due to the transmission not downshifting out of 5th, which is a VERY tall gear (actually 4th gear is a slight overdrive ratio too). If the transmission is not kicking down normally, just tap the gear selector to the left to manually change to 4th - it's a lot smoother than a forced downshift. Eventually, your shift program probably will "learn" this trick, but if you are still not satisfied, I'd bring it up to my service adviser and ask for his input.
Another great road trip and excellent mileage with that load on board. Your lack of power on inclines is probably due to the transmission not downshifting out of 5th, which is a VERY tall gear (actually 4th gear is a slight overdrive ratio too). If the transmission is not kicking down normally, just tap the gear selector to the left to manually change to 4th - it's a lot smoother than a forced downshift. Eventually, your shift program probably will "learn" this trick, but if you are still not satisfied, I'd bring it up to my service adviser and ask for his input.
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07-11-08, 06:29 AM
#8
Moderator
"opted for RX cuz of the awd and glad i did cuz it was raining half of the way"
If you need 4 wheel drive to get through the rain, then maybe your GS is hydroplaning, which usually means you have the wrong tires on it. I see no reason why a GS would not perform very well and very safely on wet roads, absent snow and ice. (cuz it should.)
If you need 4 wheel drive to get through the rain, then maybe your GS is hydroplaning, which usually means you have the wrong tires on it. I see no reason why a GS would not perform very well and very safely on wet roads, absent snow and ice. (cuz it should.)
07-11-08, 07:29 AM
#9
Lexus Champion
Hi everyone, just got back from a 1600+ miles trip from delaware, to chicago, IL. I have to say i was impressed i was debating about taking my GS or RX, opted for RX cuz of the awd and glad i did cuz it was raining half of the way.
i got decent gas milage but not great, around 25-26 MpG when crusing around 60-60 and staying right on 2000 Rpm, but as soon i go to 65-75 speed the MPG went down to 22.2-23.5 i am guess cuz of the smaller engine. I am sure the new rx350 gets better milage on or around 75 highway. So on every fill up i was able to get 350-365 miles without the gas light coming up ..on the way i was playing tag with a nissan armada , around Ohio and then an SRT 4 on the way back. Man the service area in Ohio are nice! they are clean and big i am use to the NJ turn pike serive area which are quite not clean.
Also got pulled over in indiana cop said i was doing 91, i had cruise set on 76 or 78, speed limit there was 70. i told him that i cant be speeding cuz of the crusie control he saw my radar detector and gave me ticket which said 91 anyway and said fight it in court i was pissed off this was at 4 in the morning. i am going fight that ticket...
I really like Chicago stayed at a downtown holiday inn and i miss the city life since i am back to to my village Delaware ...haha
i got decent gas milage but not great, around 25-26 MpG when crusing around 60-60 and staying right on 2000 Rpm, but as soon i go to 65-75 speed the MPG went down to 22.2-23.5 i am guess cuz of the smaller engine. I am sure the new rx350 gets better milage on or around 75 highway. So on every fill up i was able to get 350-365 miles without the gas light coming up ..on the way i was playing tag with a nissan armada , around Ohio and then an SRT 4 on the way back. Man the service area in Ohio are nice! they are clean and big i am use to the NJ turn pike serive area which are quite not clean.
Also got pulled over in indiana cop said i was doing 91, i had cruise set on 76 or 78, speed limit there was 70. i told him that i cant be speeding cuz of the crusie control he saw my radar detector and gave me ticket which said 91 anyway and said fight it in court i was pissed off this was at 4 in the morning. i am going fight that ticket...
I really like Chicago stayed at a downtown holiday inn and i miss the city life since i am back to to my village Delaware ...haha
07-11-08, 01:29 PM
#10
I have posted this before but my wife drove from Pittsburgh, PA to Buffalo a few weeks ago. She set the cruise control at 60 mph and got 28.6 or .7 (don't remember). The calculated, using miles driven divided by gallons, was only 1.3 mpg or so less than the computer calculated of 29.X. On the way back, she set the cruise control at 67 and got about 2 mpg less.
07-11-08, 03:47 PM
#11
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For those of us who live in SoCal with all the traffic and city onramps and off ramps, driving on the freeways here is no picnic and getting over 21-22 MPG ain't too shabby. It's when you drive those long distance road trips at a constant speed where you can get around 25+ MPG.
07-11-08, 07:41 PM
#12
Intermediate
Last month I took my 08 RX350 AWD on it's first road trip. All Interstate from Little Rock -OK City -Wichita Falls,TX and back. Total miles around 1000. Set cruise on 73 and avg 26 MPG for the 1000 miles. I am really happy my RX. Also I try to maintain a 91 octane by alternating 89 and 93 at around the halfway mark on the fuel guage. Tire inflation set at 35 PSI.
07-11-08, 10:53 PM
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On cool days, I get about 28.5-30 mpg coasting at 60 mph. 31-ish if i'm drafting a semi 
. On hot days, roughly 25-27 mpg. Damn ram air intake is so testy. That's why I'm looking for something suitable to do a DIY shield. Unfortunately, the battery gets in the way.
. On hot days, roughly 25-27 mpg. Damn ram air intake is so testy. That's why I'm looking for something suitable to do a DIY shield. Unfortunately, the battery gets in the way.
07-14-08, 11:22 AM
#15
Pole Position
Thread Starter
one thing i have notice that effects the gas mileage other than driving hard is is the the amount of air in the tires.
i had the michelin tires and i changed them with continental, i loved the way these performed on my GS so i got them for RX. The performance extreme contact ones i coundnt be happier. But i use to get around 20 in the city it dropped to 17mpg since changing the tires id idnt understand. I checked the tire pressure it was 30 as recommended by lexus. i drove for couple of weeks and then decided to fill the tires up to 35. my mileage increased to 19-20 in the city. one more thing i try not to do is hit gas hard when taking off from stop.
I also learned that with the cruise control on i get worse gas milage.
i had the michelin tires and i changed them with continental, i loved the way these performed on my GS so i got them for RX. The performance extreme contact ones i coundnt be happier. But i use to get around 20 in the city it dropped to 17mpg since changing the tires id idnt understand. I checked the tire pressure it was 30 as recommended by lexus. i drove for couple of weeks and then decided to fill the tires up to 35. my mileage increased to 19-20 in the city. one more thing i try not to do is hit gas hard when taking off from stop.
I also learned that with the cruise control on i get worse gas milage.