kyo7878

my 450h fwd have gotten 29-30 mpg consistently since purchase. i also noticed a slight increase after passing 7k mark~right now i'm getting 31-32. i have never experienced any difference in mpg# between summer & winter..winter down here is probably not cold enough to make a difference =)

RXSF

the hills are the real killer for me in SF. you cant use any of the hybrid system unless you are just barely creeping up the hill.

johnpapa

Am I missing something here? You speak of ECO mode, are we talking about just keeping the needle in the ECO range when you speak of ECO mode, or is there some switch I'm not aware of?

billy44bo

there is a ECO mode on the 450h you get to it through the switch on the wheel next to the enter button. Get the books out and have a nice 5 hour read on what all this car can and will do for you.

RXSF

Yeah so you press the menu button on the steering wheel next to the enter switch on the right hand side. Scroll down till you see Eco mode and activate it

kitlz

There will be another light on the dash permanently on if it's in eco mode. The other light, the one that goes on and off depending on your driving, is separate. To enable/disable eco mode, press the folder button on steering wheel once, eco mode is the first setting. Depress the toggle button on the right to select on or off. Just realize the heat will not work as well with eco mode on.

My gas mileage has been suffering with this cold snap in the tri-state area. I also have a short commute and hills which doesn't help. But I'm not complaining. At its worst, it's still better than my 330 ever got. Give it some more time and wait until the weather warms up a little. It does get better the more miles you drive.

Evitzee

I don't quite get the issue here. Hybrid owners paid a hefty premium over a gas RX, so economy ($$) can't be the real issue. If lowest bottom line cost was the issue why not buy the RX gas model; you'll never recoup your total cost with the hybrid. Just wonderin' why people are worried about their mpg.

billy44bo

When you see the cost / gas savings yes you would have to drive a lot of miles to get that money back but I have never seen one that also includes the add resale value that the hybrid has over the gas. And the biggest thing is how much fun it is to drive when you press down hard on the gas and go flying down the road. However this all started when the owner of an 400h got a new 450h and did not like what he saw within the first 100 miles of driving the new car over what his old car was like.

johnpapa

It has nothing to do with the Cost Benefit Analysis. I bought a car that they said would do X. And I expect it to do X. If it did not go into reverse I would take it back and say "It doesn't go in reverse".
Her is an update. Thanks to billy4bo, RXFS, and kltiz, I found the eco mode. Just did a 9 mile test loop 4 times. Twice in one direction and twice in the other direction to eliminate the effect of hills. Total 36 miles. Started in my driveway, ended in my driveway. The vehicle has only 240 miles on it. Outside temp here in the Adirondack Mountains is 18f. No wind. In eco mode I am happy to report an average of 30.6, with very normal "speed limit" driving. I'm keeping the car. This forum is great. Thanks to all.

billy44bo

glad you found it you need to read all the BOOKS that came with the car and in time you will forget all about your old 400h and how much you do like this 450h. READ READ READ glad you have 18f weather and not me 55f here right now and will be up in the lower 70's on Thursday.

JimH2

Getting good MPG was one of the reasons I purchased the RX 450h after having an Acura MDX that got 16-17 MPG in-town. Based on both city and highway MPG, I figured the break-even cost between a new MDX and the Lexus hybrid was ~ 80,000 miles at $ 3.50 - $ 4.00/gallon cost. I also expect the hybrid's value to retain itself better over time as the average cost of gas will likely rise over time. I also just feel better driving a non gas-guzzling vehicle for the next 8 + years even if I do not break-even with the price difference.

afpj

Without having to search the LExus website, what does eco mode do on a 450h? We have 350 so just curious...typical engineer sorry.

RXSF

I think it reduces the effectiveness of the pedal, lowers the effectiveness of the aircon/heat all to enhance mpg

afpj

To go from low 20's to 30.6 as per the OP, that's serious economizing. I thought maybe the floor would drop out so you can use your feet.

kitlz

LMAO! Lexus could call it the Fred Flintstone option.

Eco mode retards the gas pedal so it takes more effort to accelerate. There is a noticeable difference when it's off. I'm keeping mine on for the time being.