| BrianV |
My MDX (02 w/ 80k miles) gets what I consider really good gas mileage around town. Driving to and from work and around Austin/Round Rock, I get 20MPG. I do make a concerted effort in the MDX to not drive too crazy. This in contrast to my 2007 Infiniti G35 which I get 22mpg driving the same routes. If I make a concerted effort in the G35 I can stretch it to 22.8mpg. The weird thing is, the G35 gets 21.5-22.0 if I drive it hard and only 22.5-23.0 if I baby it, where as with the MDX I can get 20-21 babying it, and I get like 15-16 if I drive it hard. Hence why I baby the MDX around town.
My troubles are on the highway driving at regular speeds of 70-75. I only get 19mpg or so. This is on relatively flat or with minor hills (Austin to Houston). The G35 gets 25-26 driving Austin to Houston and that's at closer to 85 MPH.
Most of my city driving is semi-rural and my average speeds are around 28-30mph (that's total average including stops). When I lived in LA, my averages were 17-19 so it is considerably more rural, however, I'm not getting the 22-24 mpg people are claiming to get on the highway, and I'm driving it like a baby on the road as well, and often alone or with no more than 1 passenger (and no cargo, maybe an overnight bag at the most).
Any comments/advice? |
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| midnightMDX |
| The MDX and g35 are 2 different classes of vehicles, so dont compare them. City driving LA vs Austin is probably a complete difference too. You said your city is mainly semi rural, so there are less stops and less power used. Everyones MPG will differ, because everyones version of city and highway is different. I dont trust the MPG average on the screen, cause mine was 2mpg higher when i computed it myself. Try driving 60 on the highway and see if that helps. The MDX isnt actually aerodynamic. |
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| BrianV |
quote:
Originally posted by midnightMDX
The MDX and g35 are 2 different classes of vehicles, so dont compare them. City driving LA vs Austin is probably a complete difference too. You said your city is mainly semi rural, so there are less stops and less power used. Everyones MPG will differ, because everyones version of city and highway is different. I dont trust the MPG average on the screen, cause mine was 2mpg higher when i computed it myself. Try driving 60 on the highway and see if that helps. The MDX isnt actually aerodynamic.
I find the onscreen guage to be "fairly" accurate and it does appear consistent. For instance, I get more miles on the tanks that yield higher reports.
I know the G35 and MDX are different, I stated it accordingly, and I know the coefficient of drag is like .12 higher on the MDX. However, I read a lot of things on here about people getting great highway mileage, and I assume they're driving faster than I am since in the MDX I feel like I'm one of the slower vehicles on the highway.
Thanks for the input. |
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| midnightMDX |
Have you kept on top of repairs? Tune-up, fluids, properly inflated tires? Now that you are in Austin, ever try resetting the mpg average? For awhile mine was around 17, cause I was doing alot of city driving. After resetting it, the average hovered more around
19-20. When you fill up a full tank, zero the trip meter. Next time you fill up, take the miles on the trip meter divided by gallons you filled up. That will give u mpg and see how that stacks up.
http://acuramdx.org/forums/showthre...15&pagenumber=1 |
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| BrianV |
quote:
Originally posted by midnightMDX
Have you kept on top of repairs? Tune-up, fluids, properly inflated tires? Now that you are in Austin, ever try resetting the mpg average? For awhile mine was around 17, cause I was doing alot of city driving. After resetting it, the average hovered more around
19-20. When you fill up a full tank, zero the trip meter. Next time you fill up, take the miles on the trip meter divided by gallons you filled up. That will give u mpg and see how that stacks up.
http://acuramdx.org/forums/showthre...15&pagenumber=1
Yeah I zero it everytime I fill up actually. It's in good shape, it's still under warranty and about 6 months ago the Acura dealer did a full look over and the only thing they advised was changing the tranny fluid and diff fluid which I had them do.
I'm more than happy with my around town MPG, it just seems it's not as good as others on the highway.
Also, in my earlier post, my comparison with the G35 for around town driving had to do with the mpg discrepency when driving the car hard versus babying it. This is around town where aerodynamics have less of an affect. My only point to make was putting your foot in the MDX appears to have more negative effects than other cars. |
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| midnightMDX |
| Yea, the MDX definitely isnt the best when it comes to MPG. Its a heavy vehicle, takes alot of power to stop and go. As for true highway mileage, I have yet to take it on a long trip and see what she can do. Ever try using the cruise control on that trip from austin to Houston if possible? With traffic in and around chicago you dont get much steady speed, so the highway miles are up and down. You get some open lanes then you get hit a patch of slow cars. You dont try and accelerate around slow cars, you just pass them at the same speed you been driving? Just trying to figure out what your conditions are like. I know you said its mainly flat. |
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| BrianV |
quote:
Originally posted by midnightMDX
Yea, the MDX definitely isnt the best when it comes to MPG. Its a heavy vehicle, takes alot of power to stop and go. As for true highway mileage, I have yet to take it on a long trip and see what she can do. Ever try using the cruise control on that trip from austin to Houston if possible? With traffic in and around chicago you dont get much steady speed, so the highway miles are up and down. You get some open lanes then you get hit a patch of slow cars. You dont try and accelerate around slow cars, you just pass them at the same speed you been driving? Just trying to figure out what your conditions are like. I know you said its mainly flat.
Yeah I use cruise control occasionally, but my g/f always uses it. I find I can actually get better mileage than CC can, especially if it's in a hilly area. There are a few hilly sections between Austin and Houston. However, I did a control test on 50 miles of I-10 that is flat as can be and could only manage just under 20. I'd love if I could get 23mpg on the highway, and I see other posters claiming that. |
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| BrianV |
quote:
Originally posted by midnightMDX
Yea, the MDX definitely isnt the best when it comes to MPG. Its a heavy vehicle, takes alot of power to stop and go. As for true highway mileage, I have yet to take it on a long trip and see what she can do. Ever try using the cruise control on that trip from austin to Houston if possible? With traffic in and around chicago you dont get much steady speed, so the highway miles are up and down. You get some open lanes then you get hit a patch of slow cars. You dont try and accelerate around slow cars, you just pass them at the same speed you been driving? Just trying to figure out what your conditions are like. I know you said its mainly flat.
Also, about the power to stop and go....
I'm really satisfied with my 19-20mpg city for that exact reason. It's just I'd expect better on the highway. All of my previous cars have gotten better mpg on the highway, and that includes less aerodynamic cars like my Explorer, 4Runner, my parents RX330, etc. |
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| normrd |
I think the HWY milage really comes down to aero/drag. On my other car my speed on the hwy doesn't really change my MPG much. However, my last trip from Austin to Houston in the MDX I got aroudn 21 MPG at night crusiing around 70, on my return trip I got 19 on the during the day doing 75-80. I also got caught in a group doing 65 and reset the trip computer and registered 22 at that speed.
Another big factor is how often you have to speed up and slow down. I think with the mdx sitting in 5th gear the rpm's are nice and low and gas milage good, but everytime you need more power and it has to downshift the mpg starts to drop. |
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| BrianV |
quote:
Originally posted by normrd
I think the HWY milage really comes down to aero/drag. On my other car my speed on the hwy doesn't really change my MPG much. However, my last trip from Austin to Houston in the MDX I got aroudn 21 MPG at night crusiing around 70, on my return trip I got 19 on the during the day doing 75-80. I also got caught in a group doing 65 and reset the trip computer and registered 22 at that speed.
Another big factor is how often you have to speed up and slow down. I think with the mdx sitting in 5th gear the rpm's are nice and low and gas milage good, but everytime you need more power and it has to downshift the mpg starts to drop.
Yeah 19 is about consistent with what I get doing 75-80. Also, gas mileage is more affected by throttle position than RPM or so it seems. |
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| midnightMDX |
| normrd - thanks for the feedback. At least now we have something to compare it to. I mean, maybe temp plays a factor in Texas. You said 21mpg at 70. 23mpg can be hit by driving 60. |
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| delavoie |
You guys are doing alot better then i am..
I have a 2003.. and since i have installed my winter tires i'm getting about 14mpg highway. This summer i was getting around 19-20mpg.
That's a big difference.. i cant wait till winters over! |
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| csmeance |
| Check your tire pressure, at 35 you should get good gas mileage and good tire wear along with great stability. Also if the car has more than 30K, seafoam it to get rid of MPG robbing gunk. In my ne w06, I got about 26 MPG on the Highway with the X, and that was with the factory fill oil that results in lower MPG. |
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| midnightMDX |
quote:
Originally posted by csmeance
Check your tire pressure, at 35 you should get good gas mileage and good tire wear along with great stability. Also if the car has more than 30K, seafoam it to get rid of MPG robbing gunk. In my ne w06, I got about 26 MPG on the Highway with the X, and that was with the factory fill oil that results in lower MPG.
How fast did u drive on the highway and for how long? |
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