What gas mileage are you all getting on your RL. I have my RL for little over a week now. For the first time I have hit 19.7 miles combined city/highway. I was expecting worst but am happy with the mileage I am getting on the RL. For the same routes I was getting 22/23 miles on the 2007 TL AT. FYI, I only have about 400 miles so far. Looks like it might improve a little more as the engine break in.

Thanks for input from all.

MDs1
2008 RL Tech.
Platinum Silver Frost.

 

With the winterized gas we are forced to use here in NE Ohio, I am getting 16-17 mpg even at 22k miles. With the summer blend, I get 19-20 mpg in mixed city-highway driving.

 

As a former TL owner myself, my RL averages 23-24 mpg / tank where my TL averaged 24-25 mpg / tank. My driving is nearly 50 / 50 highway & city combined driving.

I also agree seasonal grade fuel drops the mileage about 1mpg avg. I tend to get less mileage on winter grade fuel (with AC off) than I do with summer grade fuel (and AC on).

Your RL seems on track for new / break in mileage. Keep your tires properly inflated too, that will also impact mileage and ride quality.

 

TampaRL,

I remember your posts few months ago when I had some questions regarding the TL deivetrain vibration. I know you had the same problem with the TL. You convinced me to get the RL and I am thankful to you for your input which made it easy for me to decide on the RL. So far I am very happy with the new ride.

All the best.

MDs1

 

You are welcome MDs1. There are several TL to RL owners here and we share many common observations between the 2 models. The RL truly grows on you and will, each day, better distinguish the two.

I now own my RL as long as I had the TL - 18 months. My TL had 18,750 miles when I traded it, and my RL just hit 17,000 miles today. The RL is as new as the day I drove it home. It feels fresh, tight and impresses me. I have only gown to love it more each drive. The TL waned, especially in the refinement, assembly issues. Yet I still stare at TLs.

When you take your RL in for service, get a TL loaner...it will remind you how different the cars are.

Concerning the vibration, the RL does have a very slight vibration around 1500 rpms (about 35-40 mph), but it is nothing like the TL vibration. I could be the nature of these engine / tranny matings and it is just better quelched in the RL. Or, iy may simply and engine / exhaust 'growl' in the RL and I associate it to the TL vibration.

 

TampaRL,

You are right on with the 1500 RPM drone/slight vibration on the RL. But as you said, it is so minor compared to the TL and it is only in the 35-40 mile range. The TL vibration was in the 15-18K RPM range no matter what gear I was in. Comparing the two car, the TL felt sluggish while the RL lively. The car grows on me each and every day too. Most of all, I enjoy driving the RL every time I take out of the garage while the TL used to make me angry every time I took it out due to the drivetrain vibration and sluggishness. I drive the RL more while the TL used to sit in the garage.

TC

MDs1

 

My RL has about 24K miles on it now and with a 70/30 ratio of city vs. highway I get about 21mpg. Driving habits definitely have an impact on the mileage. If I drove the way I used to with my Audi S4 the mpg range would probably be in the high teens. When you have a car with twin turbo's in a stealth pkg like the Audi it's hard to resist the traffic light rocket take-offs.
The RL has tamed my driving habits even to the point where I wear my seatbelt all the time when I never used to. But then again, I never had a car tell me to "please fasten your seatbelt".

 

I have 7K on my '06 and with 90% city, I get 22mpg. I start-out in 2nd gear 100% of the time and I'm convinced that is why.

Please note that I don't do it for the mileage, but for the better acceleration . First gear is too low for my liking (a stump puller gear) as another member described it before.

 

With just shy of 12K mi. on our RL, we're averaging between 20 and 21 mpg in around town driving. Over the road, running around 70-75mph the average is a pretty steady 29mpg. On a couple of occasions, probably with a tail-wind our average has topped 32mpg.

 

My '06 has about 18 k miles. I drive mostly heavy suburban/city traffic. I average about 17-18 mpg. With only freeway driving, I get about 20-21 mpg. One factor that reduces my gas mileage: I have to drive about 2 miles up a steep hill to get to my home: you can see the average gas mileage plummet when I drive up the hill for the first day or two after I fill the gas tank and reset the avg mpg.

 

I hit 24mpg (mostly highway) this week. That was pretty sweet. Generally average around 21-22. Reading most of the posts here, I'd say I'm doing ok.

 

Averaged 27.3 mpg (average speed 62 mph) on 1,050 mile trip from IN to FL this week. Best ever was 32.6 mpg on trip from IN to PA last summer.

 

That is amazing for city driving. For pure city driving, I am much closer to 15-16. For the DC metro area suburban/freeway driving, I can get 18-19. I can get 28-29 on long freeway mostly trips.

 

From all the posts, it appears that the RL is not bad in terms of gas mileage given the size of the car and engine. My last tank (2nd so far) of gas in the DC matro area averaged about 19.7 miles. I am sure it will get better as the car breaks in. Thanks every one for your input.

Happy RLing.

 

The RL is an extremely relaxed and smooth cruiser, and that is where the efficiency shines. Getting over 30mpg highway at times makes me wonder if there would be any significant benefit of variable cylinder management. I can see the value in the Odyssey, Pilot and MDX as they are liklely less aerodynamic with higher penalties at highway speed.

City driving is where there is the greatest variance in avg mpg. Obviously the RL is a heavy sedan, and will pay penalty for that. But my theory of why reported mpg varies so much between drivers is rooted with the tuning of the tranny / engine / ehaust note. Honda's early press releases on the LEGEND / RL spoke to tuning refinements to deliberatly create smooth, progressive and linear acceleration. Along with Honda's notorious low end torque characteristics, the RL accelerates so smoothly, almost CVT like. This is why, IMHO, a similarly performing Infinity will feel so much more aggressive / powerful. They are tuned to feel throttle tip in, hear engine growl and feel assertive shifting. Even if it is perform 0-60 similarly, it FEELS faster.

The RL does not behave like a 6 second range 0-60mph car. I rarely stomp the throttle, but almost always I leave a traffic light crowd well behind me while feeling I am accelerating conservatively. Perhaps those who senses favor the accleration rush, drive the RL harder in order to obtain the feel they are accustomed to do while realizing how much more aggressively they are driving and the subsequently the efficiency penalty. Then there are, of course, those who just love adrenaline launches and are willing to pay the fuel bill for the joy it delivers. I think those are the 16mpg city drivers. Most of us are 18-19 mpg city drivers.

That's my story.....and I am sticking to it.

 

My commute is stop and go on surface streets. If I only drive that route between fillups, my MPG on the counter hovers at 15mpg. In the morning, when I have the lights timed, I can get 16 or better. The drive home is more painful, and I get about 14.5. Average speed at the end the week is about 25-28 MPH. At least I'm riding in comfort (except the roads are taking their toll).

Rob144

 

(raises hand)
But the winter blend gas still doesn't help. I just finished a week in which I did 60% freeway, 40% city and that tank was 19 mpg.

 

When I said "city", I didn't mean "pure" city. Just not highway. My average speed is 28mph but I'm still getting 22mpg. I still think that starting-out in 2nd gear has a lot to do with it.

 

Gavine,

When you say starting out 2nd gear, do you mean you are manually shifting gear to 2nd when you take off? I am still trying to learn so much about the RL.

MDs1

 

Yes. What he means is that when he comes to a stop, he puts the car in manual, shifts up to 2nd gear (before the light changes) and then starts off in 2nd gear w/the tranny in manual mode.

This will enhance fuel economy - its even listed in the owners manual.

 

Continuing that thought, constantly upshifting and getting the car into 5th at about 35-40 mph helps a lot with the fuel economy. Of course, the one danger is you forget to shift into second, and you wind up really fast in first probably destroying the gains you made in the last 10 minutes of driving. Can you tell I have done that?

 

It enhances fuel economy AND acceleration under normal driving conditions. I wouldn't start-out in 2nd if I were going to race someone but starting-out in 2nd actually accelerates better at 1/4 to 1/2 throttle. Try it and you'll notice what I mean.

I drive in manual mode always so that I can do this. I would love to be able to set the auto mode to start-out in 2nd by default. 1st gear is like a "stump puller" in this car.

By the way, if you don't go from 2nd to 3rd, when you come to a stop, it will stay in 2nd. Once you shift to 3rd though, it will then go back to 1st at the next full stop.

 

I'm right there with you on that one! Crazy how quickly the gains can be negated, and how forgetful you can be that you're in manual-shift mode. At least I know the rev-limiter works.

Rob144

 

Did anyone notice that the '09 RL, with the new larger engine, is listed at 16 city / 22 highway for EPA-rated gas mileage, whereas the current RL is listed at 16 city / 24 highway?

 

Yes, I thought I saw 15 - 22 though.
I'm shopping the 06-07 RL and was already bothered by the mpg, I wouldn't want to go lower.

 

TampaRL, i have a 2008 RL with about 1k miles on it. I get a vibration in the gas pedal...especially when the car has been sitting all night. is that the vibration you are talking about?