In LA: 14-15
Open roads: 25

 

01 Auto and I average 30. Best tank 33, worst, 27

 

My wife averages about 26-28

We got 31+ on a long road trip with the CC set between 70 and 85.

Around town it suffers...but then all cars do.

 

Are you pulling my leg, or does tire pressure change mpg's? I run about 32 pounds in my OEM's.

I remember the first tank of gas right after I bought the CL-S. I filled up and calculated the mpg and was SHOCKED. I got 16.5 mpg. Man, I had the pedal to the floor every chance I got that first week. Wow, was I surprised to get that poor mileage. But that changed after I settled down.

 

The most I've ever gotten is 297 miles before the low fuel light came on... and that was with an extra sqiurt or two after the full tank popped on the gas nozzle. I live in SS though, and have never been patient enough to drive a full tank w/ D5. Every time I'm not in SS mode driving around town I feel so sluggish without the instant acceleration that's available when you're always hovering in the 3k RPM range Of course, when my tranny drops out onto the highway next year I'll be singing a different tune...

 

So does driving in SS really strain the transmission that much? B/c I also live in SS most of the time. Is that why all these transmissions are going out? I though it was mostly a bad design.

 

Depending on HOW you use SS, SS does not strain the transmission. IMO, leaving the car in 2nd or 3rd (via SS or D2 or D3) around town (in traffic, etc) will kill your gas mileage, but will save some shifts and cut down on the wear in the clutch packs.

If you're talking about using SS up in the hills – or other locations -- to actually INCREASE the number of 2-3 upshifts and 3-2 downshifts, then you will probably wear the box out sooner than later.

Simple rule: more shifts == more wear. There are other factors that involve quality control issues. Acura pooped in more than a few slushboxes, so it is possible to treat a transmission nicely and have it “fall out of the car”.

If you want to know more, head over to the transmission problems section for a very long read (if you care to).

 

1. No, if you want really bad mileage, just drop the tire pressure to 20 PSI (it will be dangerous as hell ....). The pressure has a dramatic effect on the mileage you get.


2. If you are in really lousy traffic, you can get really bad mileage. You get 0 MPG -- if the car is not a hybrid -- when you are sitting in traffic. When the car is new, and not broken in, the parasitic losses are high and your mileage will suck. And, if you hot foot it, the CLS will really suck down fuel like crazy (well, I don't need to tell you). So, add in new car, lead foot, traffic, and you can get some really bad MPG #s.

-- Finished with the obvious --

 

Living in SS hasn't necessarily proven to cause tranny failures, but I'm sure it can't help the existing situation either. All I know is I enjoy driving the CLS much more using SS than not, and I'm willing to forsake the gas mileage for it. Just wish we'd see those low 1 dollar gas prices again soon....

 

By leaving the RPMs up, via SS, (not shifting), you're actually saving the box.

OTOH, Acura's engineers did studies (Acura gave copies of them to the NHTSA) that showed that 2-3 and 3-2 shifts in a particular pattern caused the clutch packs to overheat and fry themselves. (The 2-3 /3-2 cycle was repeated to make the ATF get very, very hot)

So, if just leave it in gear for better acceleration (letting the engine stay "on cam"), you're doing yourself a favor.

If you want to destroy the box -- per Acura's test -- just find a stretch of road and shift from 2-3 (at/or near redline) and then shift 3-2 and repeat about 100 times.

The final/latest slushbox build, with PCM mods, etc is "supposed" to handle this better by keeping peak temps lower.

YMMV

 

does it matter which gas you use? and where you get it from??

and damn akim those are crazy ass prices for gas

 

280-320 depending on how much traffic my 60 mile round trip commute has each day.