I'm wondering why Acura put what I'll term a small gas tank in this vehicle. Gas tank size is only 16 gallons, yet the TLX has a 17.2 gallon tank. Don't SUVs normally have large gas tanks than cars?

 

We have a 2013 RDX and a 2014 TL. The gas tank in the TL holds 18.5 gallons. I have always found it odd that the gas tank in the RDX is several gallons smaller.

Gregg

 

i'm assuming the engineers designed it like this for weight savings.
the RDX is also bigger and heftier than the TLX...

any tips or tricks to keep the vehicles running as efficient as possible is welcomed in my book.

 

Weight saving which (supposedly) means better gas mileage. They look for every little advantage to come up better on the EPA ratings. Also probably space constraints, a bigger tank takes up more space (which of course makes the car bigger and heavier). The tank on my daughter's Kia is only 12 gal. OTOH my F-250 diesel has a 38 gal tank...gotta take out a loan to fill it , altho diesel is cheaper than regular gas around here lately.

I don't consider the RDX a real SUV, frankly. A real SUV is a Suburban or an Expedition. Whatever...

 

Umm..Pretty sure UA6/7 has 17.1 Gallon tank.

 

But you can only fill up to max ~14-15 gallons I think.

 

nice, i forgot about space constraints as this is a smaller CUV.

 

Really enjoyed the 21-gallon tank in our '04 Volvo V70. Nothing to compare to that since...

 

I can tell you, I had formerly a TL-SH-AWD, (2010), which had the bigger tank and has the same mileage as my RDX.

 

Our TL gets way better mileage than our RDX, at least around town. The TL gets about 26 MPG around town, while the RDX gets about 18.

Gregg

 

It always surprises me how quickly I can fill up the RDX because the tank is relatively small.

 

It surprises me, how less I pay whenever I fill it up....

 

The RDX is a weird size.
not a full SUV.....


you know what I'm really diggin?
The Mazda CX-3.

it's smaller than the RDX and prettier.

 

So let's say a gallon of gas weighs approximately 6 lbs, to have the tank size at 18 gallons adds negligible weight.

Tank size should have been at least 17.1 gallons, the same as my UA7.

 

^you're forgetting design and space constraints.

How do you fit an 18 gallon tank in a space that cant fit 18 gallons?

 

They could have easily worked the design to fit an extra 2 gallons.

 

oh yeah?

tell us again why the 2 extra gallons didnt make it into production, mr acura engineer

 

Same reason you can't get ebony interior in the white RDX or power folding mirrors in the States. Some guy...sitting behind a desk...

 

Range for us road warriors is critical. When you drive as much as I do, it is a serious consideration when purchasing. I've been known to log 1,000 miles in a day of driving, so a 300-mile range won't cut it for me. Thank goodness for diesels and big fuel tanks. 800 miles on a tankful is a beautiful thing

The spare tire remains an issue for both cargo and fuel capacity. With ever larger wheels, even space-saver spares take up a lot of space under the cargo floor. Regardless of what the brochure tells you, the trend toward run-flats and sealant repair kits in lieu of spares is more about addressing the space/fuel capacity issue than safety.

 

Yep most likely design and space constraints. Btw, it not the only one with a small tank... the Lexus NX has a 15.9 gal tank.

 

Our '91 Miata was 'supposed' to hold 11.9gal but I never put anywhere near 11 gal in it, even when I was sure it was running on fumes! Gas mileage wasn't all that great, even on the highway, with the funny gearing. You were really pushing it as you approached 275 miles on a tank...I usually tried for no more than 250

Mississippi BIL had a Silverado diesel with a 50 gallon reserve tank!!! Absolutely NO reason for him to own such a monster(back when diesel was $4/gallon)...couldn't get over 13mpg to save his life! Talk about hitting the credit card when he filled up!!! Many places had limits!!

 

at taking out loans just to fill up.

 

I can see how a smaller gas tank can be an issue for some people, but it's never been an issue for us. Furthermore, I'm sure there is some logic as to why it was sized the way it was.

 

After 300 miles I am overdue for a rest stop anyway.

 

Does Acura display a warning sign after a certain amount of continuous driving period? I remember my old Audi would display a 2-hour warning plus increments of every hour after that to remind me to take a break. I thought it was neat.

 

Best comment so far. May be you are a future customer for Tesla as well .