I recently purchased an '02 3.5 RL. My gas seems to go so fast. Are RL notorious for bad fuel mileage or is it something I can do or have serviced to get better mileage?

 

Get used to it my friend.......RL guzzles gas like its going out of style, especially if you're not driving on the highway w/ the cruise control!!!

 

Around town, expect 17 or 18 mpg, on the highway 23 to 25 mpg.

 

and that is being VERY generous, Ken....

 

Definetly, but hey.. you're in an RL, who cares right? If you're feeling bad about gas mileage, just wash and wax your car, then stand back, take a look.. and enjoy

 

Yes it is. Thats what I got with a 2002 RL loaner and I seem to get higher than normal MPG figures with my driving.

 

I've noticed that it really drinks if your blazing around the beltway gunning in and out of traffic. If you cruise on the highway and keep it between 65 and 70, that's about the best it gets.

 

Try using RXP. I'm getting a 2.5 mpg increase with combined driving. Current average is 22.5 and appears to be climbing. I don't drive the car hard, though, except on long trips. Cruise control most of the time, too ($180 ticket will buy a lot of gas). Plus, using a lower octane is possible in conjunction with RXP, although I have yet to try it (next fill-up).

James

 

Pardon my ignorance but care to explain what RXP is???

 

It's a gas additive.

www.rxp.com

James

 

My 02 RL is hard on gas. When doing 100% highway, get 22 mpg at 65 mph. City and highway mix is more like 18.5 mpg and that's with keeping the gas pedal on the light side. It's a high revving package and that's why it gets poor gas mileage. The 2nd generation RLs (2005+) apparently get 25 to 28 mpg highway at 65 mph with their 5 gear transmissions. The second generation RLs have about 20% lower rpm at highway speeds than the 1st generation RLs.

 

The new LS with 380 hp and 8 gears kills us on MPG. Seems 4 heavy gears to shift through is the culprit.

 

I know my TL (same transmission) revs around 2200 rpms at 65 mph. A second overdrive gear should knock that down to 1800 or so. Depending on tires, that should bring my highway MPG up to 30 or more. Hell I can do 30 mpg if the wind is right.

 

Imagine how great the LS's hybrid mileage will be. Imagine how much gas we could buy with the price somone spent buying it instead of a RL? I just dont understand a $100k range hybrid.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one. There is no point in buying a hybrid. The batteries alone are far more polluting than the gasoline thats saved. Manufacturing and disposal of batteries is a dirty business.