cyrusthegreat

I know that the RDX requires 91 octane and above gas but does anyone know if there is a huge difference between 90 octane and 91???will it be ok if I use 90 octane?

MMike1981

find this hard to believe unless ur flooring it every SINGLE time.

ive hammered my truck more than the next guy ive never seen my mpg dip under 13. i mean, EVER. and i work in a city, and am all over the place all day long, traffic, sun-heat, cold etc.

u may wana get ur car checked out if its truley showingthat mpg and its ACCURATE as well.

mav238

Turbocharged engines are high compression engines, and thus will operate optimally using > 91 octane gas.

with 90 octane gas, you will see reduced engine performance and in the long run cause engine problems.

RDX22

Since I've got the car (trip B calculator) I've been getting 13.4 mpg. So far have driven 250 miles.

I've already filled once with Mobil 93 Oct and reset trip A when I did. I'm getting 13.5 on trip A. My driving is mostly stop and go with a mix of highway.

Someone PLEASE tell me this gets better as the car breaks in! I read that gas mileage was bad before I bought the car but I didnt think it'd be this BAD.

oh and I AM NOT flooring the car. I am pressing on the gas the lightest way possible (trying not to use the Turbo) - just to see what type of mileage I can get.

MMike1981

1. ur breaking in the car
2. ur doing city driving stop/go which is absolute worst situation for any kind of decent mileage.

13.4 sounds about right, especially with that low mileage and city driving. depending on how much stop there is in comparison to the go.....expect to hover around the 14-16mpg for city. some short highway trips wont improve the number too much.

it is what it is.

phoward_15

RDX22....that's very common with what I found. I now have 500+ miles on my car and started off at 11.2mpg. But I'm now up to 16.1mpgs. I'm all city driving. Maybe once a week I get on the highway. It'll get better. I'm hoping to get up to 18mpg in the city.

I take a trip to my parents in upstate NY from Boston about once a year. I'll be doing that drive in the summer and I'll be curious to see what kind of mileage I'll get then. The longest drive I've had in my car so far is about 50 minutes from Boston to Manchester, NH and some of that was rush-hour traffic as well.

RDX22

Yeah but does it gradually get better as the car breaks in????
The do advertise 17mpg for city driving. Averaging 13.4 is pretty far off in my opinion. I'm willing to accept this as the break in period but would like to know from all whether this has gotten better as you go on....

CustomX

I've got around 2600 miles, and it does get better. I started off around 17 mpg, now i'm around 20 mpg. This is 60% highway 40% city. If I did all highway, I bet I could probably get around 23. Average speed on highway is 60-65.

MMike1981

ahhh another case of window sticker belief....ya gotta read that fine print next to the black numbers my man.

it will get somewhat better, of course, but.......you may want to set yourself up for some dissapointment in the long run. gotta remember, to get this truck going, 4,000 lbs of it, sitting in traffic at stop lights, stop/go, that turbo is working almost all the time from light to light, break to gas...to get this thing moving, if u really want to pinch off the gas, you could prob drive thru a city without much turbo boost, but also increase your chances of getting hit/rear ended/causing an accident cuz you are just going to slow and against the grain of moving traffic!!!! lol

highest highway AVG numbers this board has seen has been in 23mpg. The RDX in maybe some extreme rare cases may break the 24 barrier, of course speed and the driver alllll make the difference in these numbers, as well as what exact highway ur on, temp, conditions and so on, a completely flat country highway is alot different than driving thru the Mass Pike and so forth. such as the case with city driving. if you are looking for that black number AVG for city....probably not gonna happen, just putting that out there....a 17-19+ for city is wishfull thinking.

my city driving (NYC, Boston, and Providence) just does not see over 15mpg.

patmryan

I just passed 7K miles and I had been averaging 19 mpg driving around the city. I just returned from a weekend trip to Ithaca NY from Baltimore (about 5hrs each way), and I got an astounding 25.4 mpg. This was at highway speeds of 70 mph plus and through the mountains of north central PA and NY.

In previousl trips, I was getting a little over 20. Don't know if it took that long to break the engine in or what.

I'll be interested to see if my city mileage improves as well.

MMike1981

heres the thing with people quoting city mileage..........if you have just been on a highway or have mixed driving, and your MPG is JACKED......it will reduce down but wont be TRUE city MPG and wont accurately reflect it. i think this is where some discrepencies come into play. just if you resent your mpg in the city, it will be veryyy low, so you have to factor in some varience like 10 or 11 is somewhat higher, and 19 is lower.

you need to reset your trip from the highway and then see whats going on. if you were at 24 and come down to 19mpg in a city, that is NOT the city mpg.

patmryan....im not saying this was you, i was just stating in general.

RDX22

Your explanation of moving a 4000 lb vehicle stop and go is unwarranted. EPA estimates of approx 17 mpg takes that into account already don't you think? The car was tested at that number plain and simple and is quoted as the estimated city mpg. Now I do understand that is not written in stone and that this totally depends on the characteristics of the driver and terrain etc.

Like i said I'm happy if it gets better....but if they advertise 17mpg city and I am only getting 13.5 at best then there is a problem. Estimates are one thing, to be off 3-4 mpg in a market like this where gas prices are surging...it's not right. A difference of 3-4 mpg means quite a bit to some....look at the Toyota Rav4. One of their strong pts is the gas mileage...and they advertise about 3-4 mpg (21/27) better. And that is with their V6 as well. Believe it or not that is a difference maker to some.

Not trying to turn this into a Rav4 vs RDX thread. I like the RDX. I was just curious to see if mpg consistently sucks from beginning to end. But it sounds like it'll get better.

MMike1981

no it doesnt take it into account....its a very ROUGH estimate which is why they are required to include the language in smaller print of WHAT TO EXPECT. they arent OFF...the variance is on the window sticker. if 17 was THE number...they woudlnt need to add anything else, dont you think?

MMike1981

this topic is beat to all hell....people buy the car and then OMG! i just dont understand it.

RDX22

Calm down. You're the one beating it to all hell.


All I asked was whether it gets better.

And I've gotten those answers from two other members...thanks to them...

MMike1981

if you were sold on the big black number, thats your fault. either investigate more, or read the fine print. but the bitchin n moaning is just stupid. the acura is a turbo, the rav is not, there is your difference.

your gripe went from should you expect better....to being aggrevated over what the sticker told you to expect and how you think its wrong compared to what your are getting as of now. it happens.

mav238

My RDX started off at ~ 17 mpg, and now with 80% city driving, I'm getting ~ 20 mpg (@12,000 miles).

There are a number of reasons why your consumption could be so low,

too much idling of the engine
extremely congested stop/go city driving
driving on mountainous snow covered roads
extreme use of the turbo (which you claim you did not)
checked your engine oil level lately?
Checked your coolant level lately?

RDX22

Thanks for the input on your experience.

I have checked those levels.
Coolant appeared to be at the low mark today (checked before starting the car).

bialkoni

RDX22, it will get a little better, I get about 17 mpg when it is city driving, was worse until i was at about 3000 miles, taking off without the turbo kicking in does take a little bit getting use to if you are trying to up the mileage, feels like your a snail taking off from the light.
I am lucky I drive about 7 miles to and from work and if I am in hurry and kick in the turbo, i do notice a big difference in the city mpg

acurardx

Do you mean 11.8 litres per 100 kms That's roughly what my odometer (Canadian version of course) shows for average gas mileage after 40,000 kms (mix of highway and city driving WITHOUT pressing hard on turbo all the time).


Otherwise, like other said, you should send you RDX to dealer to check.

mathew7673

I just got mine and I have been driving around the city and some on the Highway. I got 375 miles on the tank that is about 22 mpg. Of course that is not getting into the turbo just yet but it is not that bad
Mat

Tomcat999

I get around 22 combined- That's using the Turbo probably a bit too much. Also I'm not in brutal stop & go driving either Remember this- Whenever you turn on the ventilation system- the A/C compressor will usually kick on too. Unless I need it for defrost/defog or recirc- I hit the A/C button to turn it off. It's off 95% of the time when not in A/C season. This saves demand from the engine and will help fuel economy. You can still use the fan/heat as normal- you will just never get air any cooler than the outside temp. Also- don't leave it on recurc- or you'll not be getting fresh air.
Tom

phoward_15

Great points. I also think if you have the "Auto" feature on that will suck up some gas as well. I pretty much do the same as you and only use A/C when needed but most of the time I have regular air coming in. Most of my driving is city and I don't use the turbo that much. As I said before I'm only at 500 miles and have about 16.5mpg so far. So not bad.

Have to take my baby into the shop next week. Last Monday (which was one week from the day I picked it up) I saw this woman try to get into a parking spot between my car and someone elses and the stupid #^@*@ completely scrathed the entire left side of my rear bumper. Only $350 of damage but still. I just couldn't believe she kept on going forward. I saw it happen and was like "nooooooooo" as if it was in slow motion.

Tomcat999

Your milage will certainly get better. I'm at 11000kms (7,000 miles) and I am at about 22 mpg as I said. I'm going for a highway run on business in a few days- so I'll get a good highway reading. I love the power but must exercise constraint. Sorry about your little mishap. I have been lucky as of yet- but around here- stupid and irresponsible drivers are the norm and you have to be really on the ball. I have seen the exact thing happen more than once and it drives me #@*&% crazy.

mav238

I typically keep the coolant level at just below the max level. The turbocharged engine runs really hot, and it would be advisable to keep a jug of the Honda pre-mixed coolant handy, and keep the level at "max" level.

mvwood

hasn't really gotten better for me. We've had the car since October or November 06. We don't drive too much, so we have about 8,000km on it, but in total we are getting about 17.5 litres per 100km (about where you are), and on tanks now I usually see it at 16 and change (16.4, where it is on this tank, is 14.3mpg).

Expected it to get better too, but it hasn't. And I certainly do not drive like a crazy person, though I admit, since the numbers suck anyways I stopped trying to get really low numbers a long time ago. Mentioned it to the service people and they saw nothing wrong.

And I should add this is 95+% city driving, most of that in some pretty decent congestion.

HenryFL

I love and hate my RDX

Love it when I am driving, Hate it at the pump!

However, when you guys complain of city MPG -put it in perspective. A corolla that gets 30/37 will get about 23 in stop and go traffic.I know, I have one.

So if you get 15mpg in such a situation, its only about 8-10 mpg less than a compact.

My corolla gets 31/34 and my RDX 21/23 -about 10mpg+ less per gallon on average.

NBP 07 RDX

So I've been tracking my actual mileage over the past 2 months: I'm at 6200 miles on the odometer, and do mostly stop-and-go driving.

At the worst, I got 12.5 mpg - but that was the first week I owned the RDX, 100% city, and I confess to pushing it harder than I normally do. The absolute best was 16 mpg, with about 65% city driving. On average, I get 15 mpg - with about 75% city driving, which isn't all that terrible considering what other drivers have reported under similar conditions - plus the vehicle weight/AWD/turbo. No doubt a long highway trip would produce results in the low 20's...I just rarely take such trips.

Obviously, I notice a significant fuel efficiency decrease with more frequent use of the A/C (dreading the coming summer months), and with a more aggressive driving style - which is sometimes a necessity here in (friendly) Los Angeles.

Of course, what these mpg posts don't mention is the overall driving experience - which for me is still exceptional, despite the lower mileage. This is my second Acura ('02 RSX Type-S), and I have to say I expected a drop off in mpg before I purchased the vehicle. And it's still competitive with others in its class (small SUV). I drove the CR-V (nice looking, but lacking in performance) and the BMW M3 (a solid choice for an additional $8K, but the engine lag at low speeds was a concern). I also didn't like the looks of the RAV-4 (no offense), and just couldn't see myself bumping around town in a Ford Edge.

For the money, I think the RDX was the right choice for me. Would I appreciate better mileage? Of course. Would I give up the overall driving experience, comfort, control, and style of my RDX for better mileage? Not a chance.

It’s simply too much fun to drive.

cwepruk

City 18-19 mpg, Highway 22-23.

I am happy with the city mileage, though I would like 1-2 extra mpg on the highway (to get 22-23, A/C is not used and that is at about 75 mph).

MMike1981

i dunno how u guys get 18-19 in "city" driving, that number seems so foreign to me but congrats to you

Patronus

I think this discussion needs more measurements. People's driving patterns are so different. What I call city many may call mixed, what others call highway may actually be two-lanes with stoplights.

So, I propose that we start posting the average speed from the trip computer along with the trip computer's mileage reading. Yes, I know it is not dead accurate, but it may actually be a better comparison than people's mis-calculations, variation on gas pump click-off points, etc.

My mileage can be directly compared to the average speed. If my average speed is in the mid-20's mph, I can count on about 18 mpg. If it is in the mid-30's mph, I get about 20-21.

Thoughts?

cwepruk

12.4L/100 KM has happened a few times in decent weather city driving, maybe 20% freeway in there.

Right now, it's closer to 16 mpg since it's been cold out (record cold) and bumper to bumper from icy roads and my foot has been a bit heavier.

Fishbulb

Yeah, you guys out west are getting some pretty bad weather.

With the warmer temps out east, I'm seeing 10.6 L/100 on mostly highway driving, on the usual diet of 89 midgrade. I'm quite pleased.

mav238

I am getting mostly 12.5L per 100 km, 95% city driving and 5% freeway driving.

I wouldn't use 89 octane gas as a long term use, unless it happens that you ran out of gas and 89 octane is all they had. Your turbocharged i-VTEC engine is tuned to run on 91 octane for operational efficiency and durability.

On my old 2003 SAAB 9-3 turbocharged engine, I ran 89 octane gas for the longest time, and it really took a toll on the engine, both performance wise and how it ran. The engine after 1 year continuous diet on the 89 octane gas, was never the same again. I tried to put it back on 91 octane diet, but the damage was already done.

Unless you intend to be content with the reduced performance of the engine, and not worry about future impact on the engine, then 89 octane gas would be fine I guess. JMHO.

mav238

Here is some info from auto articles on fuel economy...
http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/auto...ZpbmctZnVlbA--

"Premium or Regular?

Lower octane costs less, but should you use it? Most modern cars that call for premium fuel can run on regular gasoline without knocking or any long-term penalty. Technically, this makes the car less efficient, but not to a degree that negates the cost savings from the cheaper fuel grade. NOTE: This is true of cars for which premium is recommended, not required. If in doubt, look for terms such as "for best performance" and "recommended" as opposed to "only" or "required." If your car has a turbocharger or supercharger, you probably should stick with premium fuel[U]. Of course, if your car calls for regular gasoline, there's no reason to run it on anything higher in octane. "

mathew7673

I dont know how much of a lead foot all you seem to have, but I am averaging about 19 in the city and 22.5 on the highway. I also live in the mountains so I bet the milage would be better on flatter terain.

G&V

I just completed a 700km trip through (at times) "hilly" terrain and averaged 9.8L/100kms. That's about 24mpg over approx. 430 miles.

mav238

That's mainly "freeway" type driving, with little stop and go, I assume?

MMike1981

avg speed for the tank really counts towards these claims of city/highway....

G&V

Yes, very little stop and go, but I'm talking about a 90km/h, 2 lane, HWY for the most part. So definitely with it's share of slowdowns and pedal to the floor passing (well, not quite pedal to the floor). Granted I was going for economy on this trip, but I would keep up a steady 112km/h and would let it slide to 100-105 on the steep uphills.