jlkdoh

Bought the '14 MDX in Nov with a big plus being the increased fuel efficiency over the '13s still on the lot. My wife is the primary driver and her 20mile commute is 90% highway. Admittedly she has a pretty heavy foot and isn't great about warming the engine up. We have also had our share of cold weather in this New England winter. All reasons for less than ideal mpg. I started tracking her mpg and have averaged 17mpg over three tanks. I am seeing that some of you are getting ~30mpg.

I am wondering if I should go check some high demand setting that may be engaged? We aren't towing anything and we don't have a roof rack.

Thoughts? Wait until spring and then worry about it?

Thanks.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

90% highway tells us nothing.

please include the average MPH along with the average MPG found in the on board computer.
as MPG correlates with the MPH.

jlkdoh

Good point, thanks.

Per MDX:
Avg 19.3 mpg
30 mph
And total 3103 miles driven.

Am using a 3rd party app to track all car costs and it calculates mpg based on odometer and fuel amount. It claims 18.3 mpg but only started tracking on that ~1200 miles ago.

hadokenuh

FWD or SHAWD? If it's a SHAWD, 20mpg sounds ok for cold weather with winter blend.

People are getting 30mpg on extended freeway trips. I don't think it's possible for short/average trips. My FWD is getting 25.2mpg at 33MPH average for the last 6K miles.

unr1

Here's edmund's test

http://www.edmunds.com/acura/mdx/201...-december.html

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Looking at your numbers, 30 mph is pretty low for 90% freeway so I think you will most likely see your fuel economy numbers skew towards the city rating as opposed to the highway. On top of that, you should check you tire pressures to make sure that they are set at the recommended rating since the lower temperatures will cause them to get low and can increase fuel usage. Additionally, the winter blend tends to eat into the fuel economy as well.

Combine all that with your wife's heavy foot and I think your numbers may not be too far from what should be expected, all things considered.

weather

jlkdoh...I think you/others have already highlighted many of the factors that is contributing to the fuel consumption you are getting:

1. Heavy foot (i.e. brisk acceleration)
2. Cold weather
3. Winter blend
4. Average speed isn't all that high which implies that its closer to city.

5. ...and a factor which I don't think has been listed yet but your engine is still new and not giving the optimal fuel efficiency. In all my new vehicles, I noticed an improvement after about 8000 km (5000 miles).

So once the nicer weather returns (and less idling), the summer blend returns, the mini skirts return(oups...side thought, my bad)....engine breaks in, you will see some improvement. You may want to coax your wife to be a bit more friendly with the throttle too Keep us posted....

jlkdoh

Very much appreciative of the great input. SH-AWD and blended fuel are two things that didn't come to mind. I will certainly update after a few more thousand miles and 40 degree warmer days.

No chance on coaxing the misses to slow down. It is not that my wife enjoys / needs to speed, she just refuses to wake one second earlier than absolutely necessary.

RL06tech

Last thing always running on sport mode also sucks more gas

Majofo

yeah, wait til things dry out and measure on a good tank of gas. Also make sure your tire pressure is optimum, using 92+ octane (tier 1 preferably), and pegged at 60 mph. You should see ~25 mpg at least. It sounds like your wife's 90% highway is in stop and go traffic.. or sliding on the ice.

Nothing to worry about. Also, +30 mpg is a stretch (a short one)

Pens Fan

Try filling up with Shell gasoline-I have had much better mileage using Shell than lower tier brands such as Hess.

lindros2

As people have said on other forums, winter gas has a higher ethanol content.

The MDX appears to be much more sensitive to this - our gas mileage plummeted over the winter (from ~24-25 to ~18-19).

In hindsight, it makes sense. I believe the gas we filled up with in Florida was better, but I'm not certain if they have a different blend than Georgia. Could be placebo/sugar pill...

doug_999

Guys
Just got back from purchasing our car and driving 5 hours home. Averaged 20.1MPG at about 70mph.

A LOT worse than I was expecting. I watched the instant fuel gauge and would have expected it to be 25+ but never got near there.

The issue is the 6-speed auto. I took the car down to 55-60 and there I was 25+ mpg. But as you increase speed over that (speed limit was 70 for most of my drive), the 6-speed auto has nowhere to go and your RPMs just get higher and higher (we were over 2K at 70ish). There goes the fuel economy.

In short, I believe Acura has overstated the fuel economy on this model. But maybe they are just playing the game from the government standpoint. Either way, 27MPG is not ever going to happen on our new MDX.

(I should note that I can get into the mid-low 20s on my X6 and that's with a 4.4L V8, but also an 8 speed auto and yes, winter blend fuel)

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^it has nothing to do with the 6 spd AT. you are still breaking in the engine, there is winter blend in the fuel tank, and you have no idea what octane fuel the dealer has filled your tank with. instant MPGs means nothing. get a few more tankfuls to ultimately get an idea of your MPGs.

i have the 5spd in my archaic 2G, i get well over the EPA estimates for HWY MPGs (20 MPG). i've consistently gotten 23-24 MPG, averaging 67 mph (per MID), on variable terrain (from 400 to 600 mi road trips at a time). my brother has had the 5AT 2G with similar numbers, and currently has the 6spd 2G, again producing similar numbers.

the only difference in the engines is the new engines are DI with VCM which should only help the fuel economy. how it affects the EPA vs real life estimates like the 2G...time will tell. EPA estimates are set at 55 or 65 mph for hwy speed, i believe.


http://www.caranddriver.com/features...-mpg-estimates

doug_999

I disagree. The 3.5L engine with the 6-speed auto is not getting what it is supposed to. Just finished reading about the Honda Odyssey in the tribune where their only complaint was also with the mileage. I don't disagree that it will get better, but I'm about 25% below where I should be and we aren't going to see that amount corrected by gas, breaking in, or anything else. I personally was hoping that the cylinder deactivation is not on for the first X miles - but I can't find anything on that. Ultimately my test by taking the car below 60mph showed that I got about 5-6 more MPG - much much closer to the rating and thus why I believe the 6 speed auto is to blame.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^how do you explain my above normal MPGs on my MDX?

doug-check this out:

http://www.mdxers.org/forums/94-new-...s-mileage.html

weather

doug_999....As TLtrigirl stated, I think you should give it a little bit of time to break in. Its also a fact that 70mph will never give you the fuel ratings as advertized on windows. These figures are based on ~100km/h (or ~60mph)....We all know that exceeding these values will yield lower than expected fuel ratings.

I would hope that you didn't buy the MDX solely for the fuel consumption....I also think that you can pretty much look at ANY vehicles (and brand) and you can find people not happy with their consumptions and blaming car manufacturers for misleading the public. You should use these advertized number roughly as a guide but not as gospel.

I have an AWD RDX which is yielding an average of 8.8-9.3l/100km which is rural driving in the fall and spring and about 8-8.5 in the summer. I have gotten it as low at 7.2l/100km on a 200 km trip....Give it time it will get a little better

beach109

Remember too, in winter, you are dealing with extra idling and winter blend fuel.

This summer I drove a new 2014 MDX AWD Tech for a 26 mile highway trip home, and cleared the trip meters. Left with 24 miles. 60-70mph varying the whole way, I pulled into destination with 31.4mpg.

This winter driving the same vehicles, I can get to mid 20's or a bit more, but it isn't as easy in the cold and with the winter blend. Even my current ILX small car 2.0L doesn't do as well in the winter.

weather

^^^ Good point....

Here is another one.....We wear more clothes so adding weight to the vehicle (lol) J/K

jlkdoh

An update after taking our first real road trip this past week, 762 miles each way. One gas stop each way, 2 Border crossings each way with minimal waits, and a few puppy pee breaks. Outbound: 54mph avg and 25.9mpg. Return: avg 56mph and 27.2mpg.

Both considerable improvements over the daily commute but I am not holding my breath for 30mpg with the SH-AWD.

doug_999

Just looked at the gas mileage on the last two tanks and it was 19.x and 20.1. That was a mix of highway and stop and go. Prior to this (with all stop and go) she was at 17.x.

So yes, also getting better - but not there yet. I am however positive that the engine will not run in 3 cyl mode for the first 1,000 miles or so. Positive only because we can now see 25MPG on the highway when before 20 was the max.

RL06tech

Avg mph 30, means a lot of idling ergo low mpg.

tejano

Concur all the above points, and, glad to see you're getting improvement more toward expectations. With my G2 MDX, I find there to be significantly improved MPG in driving 55-60 MPH vs. 70-75 MPH. At the lower highway speeds, I regularly top 25 MPG when there's no head/cross wind and am mindful of having a light foot. Thanks to all for the reminder about fuel tiers per company.

Steve-H

Just came home from a 1149 mile trip from Albuquerque NM to Vail CO...and back. Most of the miles were highway but on narrow back road one lane per direction highways so there were many times when I pushed the MDX to pass cars going up long hills at elevations typically 8000 ft and higher, going from 65 mph to 80 mph and then back to cruising at 70 mph. Crossed the Continental Divide at least a dozen times in Colorado on day trips, climbing to over 10,000 ft most times. In other words, this was NOT one speed highway driving on level ground at sea level. Two passengers plus luggage in a 2014 MDX Technology with AWD.

The computer suggested I averaged 28 mpg, and my detail calculation from a full tank to a full tank at the end said 27.54 mpg. The computer got the mileage right, something I didn't expect. In my 2004 AWD MDX I would have gotten about 20 mpg on such a hard drive in the mountains, so the 2014 got about 40% better mileage!

By the way, the car was a dream on its first long road trip. I was concerned the smaller lighter front seats compared to the 2004 MDX wouldn't be comfortable for 7 hrs of driving in one day…but they were great. The level of quiet even at 75 mph with crosswinds was very good, the cruise control holds the speed rock solid, and the stereo was a real pleasure. I loved my 2004 MDX for 10 years partly because it was so great on long road trips, but this 2014 takes the road trip experience to a whole new level.

Acurafan86

I noticed when a friend accidentally put regular gasoline in my MDX that the fuel consumption increased dramatically. When the tank was empty and I went back to premium, it was obtaining its regular numbers. I always put in Premium and definitely don't have a lead foot. What octane do you use?

Steve-H

I only put 91 into my tank. I've heard the explanations about how you can put lesser octane into the tank..but I don't believe any of it.

I didn't spend $50k on a great car in order to save a few bucks on things like lower octane gas and stretching out maintenance. My 2004 MDX never, and I mean never gave me problems for 10 years. I'd still drive it except I got the itch for the 2014. Maybe I'll keep this 2014 for 10 years…if I treat it right then I expect it will treat me right.

hondu

I doubt running the lower octane had anything to do with improving your gas mileage. It only decreased the performance of your engine. I would recommend only running 91 octane in your engine.

RL06tech

If you want to be close to the EPA estimate never drive over 65mph and don't stomp the gas pedal around town. At that speed you will meet or exceed the rating consistently. Its as easy as that. At constant 80 MPH on the highway I get around 24 MPG. The difference in mileage at highway speeds is enormous the faster you go. That was the reason for the good 'ol (and stupid) 55 speed limit. BTW, octane has minimal effect on mileage and only marginal effect on power unless the cars ECU is wrecked. Which way the wind was blowing probably has a much greater effect on fuel efficiency that octane ever will. That's why "my buddy" told me stories are useless.

marleybarr

Driving a 2014MDX w/ SH-AWD -last fill on 87 regular experienced 23 mpg in city driving -manually figured with no noticeable difference in performance over 91 premium. Keeping the IDS on "sport" and the gear shift in "D". One mechanic's opinion is that regular is fresher gas (who knows how many gallons of regular are sold vs premium on any given day.)

hondu

Your engine is smart. It knows what kind of gas you use. You could probably never tell the decrease in engine performance unless you take it to the track (maybe not even then). However, after using 87 octane for 50-60,000 miles you might be able to tell a difference.

marleybarr

5.13.14--Filled up last night on 87 regular--manually tabulated 22.96 mpg all city stop and go driving.Have never bested this figure using Premium.Appears to be matching or exceeding the listed MPG figures for SH-AWD. Dash computer mpg figure is pretty close, maybe 1~2 mpg off either + or - manual calculation. I'm noticing absolutely no difference in performance or acceleration using regular fuel, but of course this is a daily driver, not a racing vehicle.

jlkdoh

We all should do what we are comfortable with. We have tested 87, 89, and 91 octane and saw insignificant differences wrt mileage. On the other hand, I am happy to pay $0.35 per gallon more for 91 and not concern myself with engine knock, etc. $5 a fill-up difference.

hondu

From the owner's manual.

"Use of lower octane gasoline can cause occasional metallic knocking noise in the engine and will result in decreased engine performance."

Like I said, you might not be able to tell the difference, but your engine does. It probably costs you a few HP, but your butt dyno will never be able to notice. Long term use though, it could cause issues.

http://www.whatcouldbegreener.com/14...will-cost-you/

renato oliveira

bobby2478

after several highway trips in my 19 MDX the other thing to consider is how flat the highways in your area are. Around me, when it was pretty flat and I was going 65-70 mph my MPG was hovering around 27-29 mpg. If you were going 60-65 mph on flat highway I could see 30 mpg. Once I hit a stretch that's pretty hilly, constant up and down for 80 miles I saw mpg drop down to about 24 mpg. When it's flat it can deactivate half the cylinders and rpm's are below 2k which is where i got best fuel economy. Once it had to activate all cylinders and drop down a gear to get up the hill i saw rpm's go above 2k and fuel economy dropped.

So if your car is constantly dropping down and accelerating just to get up hills that will definitely impact fuel economy, something I never considered but definitely makes a difference. To other's points driving in winter in general also results in lower fuel economy pretty much across the board no matter what you're driving. Now that temps are warming up to spring weather you should see an increase in MPG as well.

The only other thing is when you use Active Cruise Control on the highway I see this eats up fuel economy because it's constantly accelerating and slowing down. I turned this off and went to old-school "Cruise mode" by holding down the ACC follow button on the steering wheel for a few seconds. So if you are using ACC you can expect fuel economy to suffer. If using standard cruise mode or no cruise control that's best for maximizing fuel economy because you have more control over when throttle is applied.

Someoneatacura

Few basics for obtaining the best fuel economy

1.) Always use the recommended fuel Octane rating. The Lower the Octane, the less power the engine will make for a given amount of fuel. Therefore, the engine will need to use more fuel to achieve the same speed.

2.) Always make sure your tires are inflated to the pressure listed on your door jamb. If you want to increase your mileage further, you can add another 3-4psi to that rating (my RDX requires 34, I run 37-38). Keep an eye on tire wear, if the middle starts wearing out faster than the edges, reduce the pressure.

3.) Make sure your cars wheels are properly aligned. Pretty self explanatory, if you're dragging a wheel with excessive toe you're going to a.) kill that tire, and b.) use much more gas.

4.) Don't carry excessive cargo/cargo racks unless needed. A lot of people load their trunk up with 50-100lbs of crap they don't actually need for their daily trips. All you're doing it reducing your fuel economy, and eating into interior space.

5.) Don't drive like an jerk. Smooth easy acceleration, smooth easy stops. Practice proper speed maintenance, don't tailgate (the more you have to brake suddenly, the more you'll have to re-accelerate). Driving habits is the biggest contributor to bad fuel economy, followed by tire inflation and wheel alignment.

If you don't believe me, I drive around 60kms each day for work in a 2012 RDX (70% highway, 30% city) and in the summer I am at the EPA highway rating with my combined 70% HWY/30% City mileage. If I am driving straight highway (I went to Oregon and back from BC a few years ago with 4 people, with cruise enabled) and I did around 26.5 MPG (8.8L/100).