Terrible MPG!

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Old 12-15-2006, 02:05 PM
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Terrible MPG!

I have had my 2007 pearl white Tech RDX for just about 2 months and have put approx. 2,600 miles on it. In the first 1300 miles I averaged 12-12.5 mpg. I brought it back to my dealer, Paragon Acura in Queens, NY and the service manager said to let the engine further "break-in" to 2,500 miles. I am averaging still between 12.5 and 13.1 mpg. With my daily driving I have to fill up my tank evry 3-4 days. Since it is due for servicing, I am bringing the car back again this Monday.

In other forums and published consumer reviews, poor gas mileage seems to be a reocurring issue. One of Acura's main themes for the RDX is the "efficiency of a 4 cylinder with the power of a 6.". My parents are experienceing similiar issues with their 2006 TL. An owner of another TL I know, says she received a notice of a pending class action lawsuit against Acura for this issues with the TL, but since she is not experiencing this, she threw the notice out.

Anyone else experiencing this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Old 12-15-2006, 02:21 PM
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i hate my MPG too.. ever since i got my rdx til now...3555 miles... every tank.. 14.5-14.9 mpg.. i haver saw 15 yet... i mean isnt this car 19/21? its not even close

with my tsx, i have awesome mpg... like 350+ miles a tank
Old 12-15-2006, 02:32 PM
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I had mine for over two month and over 2k miles.
My ave mpg is at about 18.
Old 12-15-2006, 02:38 PM
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17 here. I'm sure I could get 19 (all city) if I took it real easy.
Old 12-15-2006, 02:48 PM
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Over the first 3500 miles, my average on the MID is 19.4mpg, and thats mostly city driving. Over the last 1500 miles my average is 19.8mpg on the MID.
Old 12-15-2006, 02:54 PM
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Originally Posted by Fenris370
I have had my 2007 pearl white Tech RDX for just about 2 months and have put approx. 2,600 miles on it. In the first 1300 miles I averaged 12-12.5 mpg. I brought it back to my dealer, Paragon Acura in Queens, NY and the service manager said to let the engine further "break-in" to 2,500 miles. I am averaging still between 12.5 and 13.1 mpg. With my daily driving I have to fill up my tank evry 3-4 days. Since it is due for servicing, I am bringing the car back again this Monday.

In other forums and published consumer reviews, poor gas mileage seems to be a reocurring issue. One of Acura's main themes for the RDX is the "efficiency of a 4 cylinder with the power of a 6.". My parents are experienceing similiar issues with their 2006 TL. An owner of another TL I know, says she received a notice of a pending class action lawsuit against Acura for this issues with the TL, but since she is not experiencing this, she threw the notice out.

Anyone else experiencing this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I'm getting close to that too (though I've been driving just over a month and put only about 250km on it and just filled up for the first time last week. About 18.5l/100km on the first tank which is about 12.7 mpg.

As for the 17 and 19.8, I am so far away from 12-13l/100km, it's actually scary. What gives?
Old 12-15-2006, 03:11 PM
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If you read my post "Call me Crazy": I think these cars are all over the board on their MPG, I don't think its just the way each of us puts our foot down. I drove the loaner the same way as my own and it gets better MPG.
Old 12-15-2006, 03:14 PM
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Many people are getting very low MPG and reporting it on various forums, and it has given me concern since I started seeing the reports in August. I do think the RDX has potential to give sub-par MPG when driven hard and/or in heavy city driving. In this respect, it seems to be worse than some vehicles. For instance, my Outback XT is rated 19/24, close to the RDX. Even when I do hard city driving, I still have not seen lower than 18mpg or so in the XT. Under similar conditions, it seems like the RDX can drop into the low teens. I have a feeling the RDX's turbo spools quickly enough that boost builds and fuel gets burned, even when you don't call for a lot of power.

The test would be to drive like a granny for one tank of gas (if that's even possible), and see if it makes a difference.

I am a bit worried about the MPG myself, as I do a lot of mountain driving during ski season and it's fairly intense. There are not a lot of gas stations out in the WV mountains, so fillups have to be planned carefully. I already went from 1 fillup needed per round trip to 2 fillups when switching from my old car to the XT. With MPG in the low teens, the RDX would need 3 fillups to make the 520 mile round trip with a margin. That starts to become a hassle.
Old 12-15-2006, 03:22 PM
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It would be interesting to see if my theory holds any water, and I'll start it

My Vin # is around 6800 and I average 15-16 in the city. 21-22 on the Freeway. Overall with 1900 Miles 18.4 (per trip Computer)

My other averages are done by miles/gallons. Which is always about a 1MPG lower than the trip computer.

The loaner around 680 and it averages 17-18.5 in the city. (trip computer only)
Old 12-15-2006, 03:57 PM
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as a prospective buyer, would you guys recommend that i wait? now i'm really worried about mileage. I wanna dump my rx8 because of the very same issues. Though the RDX is the best blend of ulity and sportiness, everything else just doesn't look too appealing to me. From the CX7 to the Rav4.
Old 12-15-2006, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Animagix
as a prospective buyer, would you guys recommend that i wait? now i'm really worried about mileage. I wanna dump my rx8 because of the very same issues. Though the RDX is the best blend of ulity and sportiness, everything else just doesn't look too appealing to me. From the CX7 to the Rav4.
depends how improtant gas is. For me, with about a tank or 2 a month as it is, it's not really a big deal. Don't drive to work, rarely get to drive during the week.

For someone who commutes an hour to work every day, it's likely a bigger deal. Fundamental question is, what else would you get, how much would that save you, and how much better do you like the RDX?

And for the record, LOVE this car. Love driving it. Love sitting in it.
Old 12-15-2006, 04:09 PM
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i put on 1500 miles on my new rdx. i get 23 plus on the highway & around 18 city. if i drive it hard (which is fun), then i average 15. i have tested this with actual gallons & miles & got the same numbers.

i was really worried about the mileage when i got my new rdx because of these horror stories, but don't have any complaints yet. my vin is 7409.
Old 12-15-2006, 04:15 PM
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Yeah, i'm a bit of a weekend warrior myself. I use the bus/trains to get to work during the weekdays so I guess it's not so bad. That's the way I do it now with my currently flawed rotary car.

Any reason why mileage differs so much from owner to owner? Taking into account the drivers are the same and they granny their cars. Could it be the weather, altitude, hills and such? 24 to 12.5 is a big difference.

I know rotary engines hate the cold weather, and mileage dips down to 13mpg and the driving is never spirited.
Old 12-15-2006, 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by jbinnyc
i put on 1500 miles on my new rdx. i get 23 plus on the highway & around 18 city. if i drive it hard (which is fun), then i average 15. i have tested this with actual gallons & miles & got the same numbers.

i was really worried about the mileage when i got my new rdx because of these horror stories, but don't have any complaints yet. my vin is 7409.
Just a thought here... you guys may not want to be posting your actual VIN numbers on a public board. Aside from the last 5 digits, all the other characters are the same. It would be easy for someone to divine your full VIN, possibly get your name from somewhere, and cause trouble.
Old 12-15-2006, 04:44 PM
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Originally Posted by creativeguy
Just a thought here... you guys may not want to be posting your actual VIN numbers on a public board. Aside from the last 5 digits, all the other characters are the same. It would be easy for someone to divine your full VIN, possibly get your name from somewhere, and cause trouble.
Why is that any more dangerous than someone walking up to your car and getting your VIN?
Old 12-15-2006, 05:05 PM
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I've got 3500 miles, i've checked every tank and I get a consistent 19-20 MPG.
I drive mostly country roads, and highway. Not much stop and go. I dont drive like a granny, in fact I love driving this car on the back roads, its so much fun to drive. But if your all worried about gas milage ( and we all should be for our countries sake but aren't), buy a hybrid.
Old 12-15-2006, 05:17 PM
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1600 miles and the current average seems to be 19.8 That is a mixture of highway and city. Still having fun....
Old 12-15-2006, 06:27 PM
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Has anyone noticed that filling the tank stops about 3 gallons short of the amount you can trickle in? Although it will not increase the MPG you can travel much farther on a "full" tank.
Old 12-15-2006, 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by jimmyR
Has anyone noticed that filling the tank stops about 3 gallons short of the amount you can trickle in? Although it will not increase the MPG you can travel much farther on a "full" tank.
That's definitely not something you want to do. The auto shut off pumps are made that way for a reason. You risk fuel spills from overflow if you top it off, and its something that won't happen until you are driving down the road miles from the gas station.
Old 12-15-2006, 07:00 PM
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4500 miles, and 20 mpg at 70% stop/go traffic and 30% highway. Very happy with my mileage.
Old 12-15-2006, 08:21 PM
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1200 miles - 17 to 18 in city. 22 on highway. Close to what was advertised. I can live with it.
Old 12-15-2006, 08:59 PM
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Originally Posted by c_hunter
Under similar conditions, it seems like the RDX can drop into the low teens. I have a feeling the RDX's turbo spools quickly enough that boost builds and fuel gets burned, even when you don't call for a lot of power.
I think this is the case with my mom driving the RDX, her last car was a gutless late 80's volvo which you had to stomp on the gas to get the thing moving at all. With the rdx, if you give it any more than a light pressure the turbo spools, especially starting from a standstill. Personally, I find that coming out of corners, it is very hard to NOT get the turbo going.
Old 12-16-2006, 02:35 AM
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C'mon ! My buddies 2006 Ford F-150 Super Crew with the 5.4L and 1000# more mass gets 14MPG ??

As a comparison - the Wife's Benz C230K gets 18 to 20 without trying. 1.8l with a supercharger and there is no boost gauge like the RDX, but it's set up for low end grunt and you can feel the boost on a lot - but still 18 to 20 MPG no problem...

You guys are making me worried. I could get a full size truck for that kind of MPG...
Old 12-16-2006, 07:01 AM
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After 2 and a half weeks and about 550 miles, I am getting between 18 and 19 mpg. Not bad for a SUC/CUV with mostly suburban driving on local roads and a bit of the highway. Jay
Old 12-16-2006, 07:38 AM
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I'm wondering about this 3 gallons short thing. I ususally take it down to a quarter tank or less, then but in 12-14 gallons. I try to top it off and it doesnt take much more. How can there be room for 3 more gallons.? plus wthe quarter tank that was in there? Doesn't add up. My figures come out to its filling all the way. Although I do know the milage left thing is off by exactly two gallons.
Old 12-16-2006, 10:30 AM
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Could the turbo be very temperature-sensitive?

What are the weather conditions for people getting low mileage?

After a bit over 1000 miles, I've gotten 18+ overall, 20 on my last tank (about 2/3 done). My previous tank was not as good, more like 18/19, but the weather was colder.

I've heard that turbos get a nice power boost when it's colder outside -- I have a vague memory of college thermodynamics to explain it -- but maybe it also draws more gas? Or maybe the heated seats on "high" are a big drain. The Middle Atlantic has been very mild the past week.

Overall I'd love better mpg but the RDX is heavier than what it replaced, has full-time AWD, and an automatic transmission. Losing 5-10 mpg because of all that seems pretty reasonable.
Old 12-16-2006, 10:36 AM
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I'm still wondering why people are trying to top off their gas tanks....

http://www.epa.gov/donttopoff/
Old 12-16-2006, 01:56 PM
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No problems here

My RDX has 500 miles on it and both times I've filled it up it was right at 19 mpg with all city driving. It should probably be a lot less considering my daily commute is only 3 miles.
Old 12-28-2006, 03:54 PM
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Its all how you drive it.

Driving agressively around town can result in 7mpg average for me.

Driving on the highway a lot results in the low 20s.

After 3k miles, my average is about 15mpg.

You bought a powerful car
Old 12-28-2006, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by scott06512
Its all how you drive it.

Driving agressively around town can result in 7mpg average for me.

Driving on the highway a lot results in the low 20s.

After 3k miles, my average is about 15mpg.

You bought a powerful car

Yes and No, I don't consider myself an agressive driver yet I get less MPG than my 1995.5 3.2L V6 Isuzu Rodeo. Also for the first 2500 miles I was getting around 19 MPG. Now, at 3200 miles I'm getting about 16.5 MPG. Not sure what caused the change in MPG. What I do know is I have not changed my driving style.
Old 12-28-2006, 04:36 PM
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My first tank showed 15mpg on the computer and less when I did the math myself. Halfway through the second tank the computer is saying 17mpg, so my hunch is that the dealer saved $5 by giving me a tank of regular gas at the time of purchase. I'll know for sure after a few more tanks.

Interestingly, the "full tank of gas" line item appears on the window sticker as a feature of the car. Therefore, that tank of gas is included in the purchase price. So if the dealer uses regular, he gains another $5 of profit, theoretically. It starts to add up when you get into volume numbers.
Old 12-28-2006, 05:45 PM
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Originally Posted by SolidState
Now, at 3200 miles I'm getting about 16.5 MPG.
Not letting it warm up lately or idling more? I noticed sitting in the driveway playing with the menus and stuff with the motor running can actually take a bite out of my average.

For me the milage is just slightly worse than my 05 Rav4 (avg 18mpg overall), I'll accept that in exchange for the difference in power. The Rav4 prepared me for the disappointing gas milage of 4 cyl suvs.
Old 12-28-2006, 08:24 PM
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one thing i think maybe affecting the MPG...The dual wastegate, causes more boost quicker, and more often. IDK but that might be affecting in some way no? Also I am a pretty aggressive driver, this is my first car with some real power so i excercise that a bit, and I get about 17mpg with that driving, if i take it easy i can get 21mpg city and 24-25mpg highway...but come on, who would really get rid of the fun of driving this machine???
Old 12-29-2006, 01:56 AM
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Originally Posted by sasair
I'm still wondering why people are trying to top off their gas tanks....

http://www.epa.gov/donttopoff/
Thats right, you can do damage to you vehicle be topping off the gas tank.
Old 12-29-2006, 02:06 AM
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Been averaging 19mpg around city and highway. Lately 17-18mpg because of the blizzard and snow storms we've had.

On a 250mile labor day weekend trip out to nebraska. I got an average of 29mpg the whole way!

Old 12-29-2006, 06:22 AM
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Originally Posted by PANG_CO
On a 250mile labor day weekend trip out to nebraska. I got an average of 29mpg the whole way!
Ahhhh..a nice long downhill trip. Gotta love it!
Old 12-29-2006, 01:59 PM
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5300 miles on my RDX, and it just went in for its first service (A1). My mileage is a decent and expected 22 mpg at about 80/20 highway/city split.
Old 12-29-2006, 04:54 PM
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Considering some of the stories here, I was prepared for the worst, but I'm actually quite pleased with my mileage. It has settled at between 22mpg and 23mpg on 89.
Old 12-29-2006, 05:13 PM
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5000 miles consistent 19.5 Mostly country roads and highways
Old 12-30-2006, 02:49 AM
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OK, now I'm back to 20 MPG. I think a lot of the MPG have to do with the brand. With Citco I get about 17.5. With Amaco I get about 20 MPG. I went to Citco the last two -three times because it was convenient, but I usually go to Amaco and this week I went back to Amaco and I'm back to 20MPG. Is it the brand?


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