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We dumped the 2020 RDX SHAWD Tech and it's tinny sounding engine, crap MPG, busy transmission, and noisy jittery ride for an 2020 MDX SHAWD Tech with a 3.5 and consistently average 22 all around and break 26 on the highway running about 80 in comfort. It also doesn't have that confounding abomination of an infotainment system.
Probably a smart move. I average around 28 mpg in my 2016 FWD RDX with the V6 and over 30 on the highway. I was thinking about getting a newer RDX but might have to look into the MDX instead.
Probably a smart move. I average around 28 mpg in my 2016 FWD RDX with the V6 and over 30 on the highway. I was thinking about getting a newer RDX but might have to look into the MDX instead.
This is surprising. Is it normal for the mpg with the V-6 to be so high?
Probably a smart move. I average around 28 mpg in my 2016 FWD RDX with the V6 and over 30 on the highway. I was thinking about getting a newer RDX but might have to look into the MDX instead.
We are very happy with the MDX, it drives with a great balance of agility and comfort.
We should have been more observant during our shopping for the RDX but were rushing, distracted, and let our brand loyalty prevail over research. The 10 speed shifts 7 times to 60 MPH and the top gear isn't deep enough for high speed driving because the 2.0 is gutless at low RPM even with a turbo.
Recent weekend trip to NJ. 2020 SH-AWD A-Spec. I had the pleasure of fighting metro-NYC traffic both ways, which certainly gave the gas mileage a nice hit, but that's life. Most of the speed was 70-75MPH traffic permitting. I can see why people complain about the infotainment system. Of the four times I plugged my phone in, twice I had issues with connectivity to Apple CarPlay. Anything above 75MPH and I saw a noticeable decline in gas mileage. In fact, on the way down, we were way ahead of schedule (thought traffic was going to be worse) so I set the cruise to 72MPH for a good chunk of the trip.
Before this, the car was getting 21.1MPG.
I wish you had reset that MPG when you hit the traffic. You would see 8 to 12 on that display. I drive in NYC traffic all the time. Very light foot.Yours is showing Average MPG not city only.
I get 26-27mpg on highway. It got better after first oil change.
I got 28 to 30 cruising on the highway at 75. Highway is not a issue NYC real city is a big poop.. A flat out lie from Acura.
Lets not get into the EPA of who tested this car. It's was tested on a SAN Francisco Hill rolling down it. It's the only way it can achieve 21 MPG in a city
I get 26-27mpg on highway. It got better after first oil change.
You must be going 50 with a tail wind, downhill.
18000 miles, average 17.xx right outta Acuralink records - so not a snapshot in time. . Mostly suburban and highway mixed driving. Achieved 24 in perfect conditions, once, in 60 degree temps with no A/C, flat road, low speed, premium fuel, no passengers, and only highway.
The dealer service manager, Honda/Acura District Sales Manager, and our salesperson all stated the same MPG we were seeing, particularly on NE winter blend gas.
We also have a Volvo 2.0T with 8 speed that is a freight train of a puller with better economy that makes the Acura 2.0 engine look and feel like a cheap toy.
If I'd known you could Drive the Glen for $30 I might have done that when I was there last summer. Maybe if I go up there again I can do that - and give a SH-AWD perspective.
I bet the SH-AD would be a blast on the corners. I have played around with mine on exit / entrance ramps. You can feel it pull you around. Not that brake crap real torque vectoring. Really a blast. Now if this was a car and low to the ground GOD it would be a dangerous machine. What I mean is being about 9 inches off the ground is kind of scurry blasting around corners at a high speed.
We all know we bought the RDX because we are going to drive it like a NSX around corners. LOL.
EPA doesn't do the tests. Manufactures do the testing and submit results to the EPA.
Manufactures know the exact criteria of the tests and tune their cars to optimize the results which don't really match real world driving. So results, especially with turbo cars, are often higher than drivers see on the road.
Just returned from a 2,000 vacation drive. Went from Louisville, KY across the mountains of West Virginia and on down to the Outer Banks. Average for the entire trip was 25 MPG. I can assure you that in West Virginia on I-64 the MPG was pretty low going 70+ up those mountains. This was balanced out, however, by the 30 MPG we got driving on the flat sea level roads on NC Route 12. I can not complain about the 25 MPG overall average for the trip.
On another note: Yes, the EPA results are done by the manufacturer. They have a very strict driving profile that they must follow. Yes, they can cheat but if (and when as it happens) they get nailed badly by the government which does run spot checks and does examine consumer complaints.
From Road and Track:"The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Justice Department just settled with Hyundai and Kia to the tune of $100 million, the largest Clean Air Act penalty ever assigned. The fine stems from claims that the Korean carmakers sold 1.2 million cars in the U.S. under overly-optimistic fuel economy ratings. The EPA contends that the vehicles sold under the inaccurate fuel mileage ratings contributed more than 5.2 million unaccounted tons of greenhouse gases beyond what the companies estimated.
The settlement also requires Hyundai to spend $50 million to create an independent fuel economy certification group. In addition, the companies will forfeit the carbon credits associated with the unaccounted emissions of the mis-rated vehicles. Those carbon credits, which can be used to offset manufacture of higher-pollution vehicles or sold to other manufacturers, have an estimated market value of over $200 million, according to the EPA."
It depends on what business you're in and how good you are at dealing with the consequences. Wall street banks, big pharma, some of the folks employed by the federal reserve, and many, many others beg to differ--it has paid off handsomely for them.
I've owned a few MDX's with the 3.5 and they were amazing on long trips. Always got over 30 mpg.
Also owned a '19 RDX....different story. Reason....turbo engines do not give you great mileage. OK mileage,
but, when you have your foot in to it compared to the V6....they suck more fuel. Just a fact. I lived it with all the ones
I've owned.
I will also say that all my 3.5 V6's got better mileage the more they were "broke in."
Last edited by Colorado Guy AF Ret.; 11-09-2021 at 12:49 AM.
18000 miles, average 17.xx right outta Acuralink records - so not a snapshot in time. . Mostly suburban and highway mixed driving. Achieved 24 in perfect conditions, once, in 60 degree temps with no A/C, flat road, low speed, premium fuel, no passengers, and only highway.
The dealer service manager, Honda/Acura District Sales Manager, and our salesperson all stated the same MPG we were seeing, particularly on NE winter blend gas.
We also have a Volvo 2.0T with 8 speed that is a freight train of a puller with better economy that makes the Acura 2.0 engine look and feel like a cheap toy.
I love Honda’s V6! Far better engine than their turbo4. But then again, all turbo4s are inferior to me.
With all the complaints about the RDX’s low mpg, I wonder how much the AWD affects those numbers. My RDX is FWD only, has about 6,800 miles and has averaged 28.6 mpg. We consistently see 30 mpg at 74-75 mph. That is about what you’d expect from a 2.0T Accord Touring that carries an extra 350 pounds with slightly worse aerodynamics. Based on my observation, I’m not convinced it is the engine. I wonder how much the SH-AWD is to blame.
EPA doesn't do the tests. Manufactures do the testing and submit results to the EPA.
Manufactures know the exact criteria of the tests and tune their cars to optimize the results which don't really match real world driving. So results, especially with turbo cars, are often higher than drivers see on the road.
I guess you are right but city is supposed to be 21 and I am not getting anywhere close to that.
I wish you had reset that MPG when you hit the traffic. You would see 8 to 12 on that display. I drive in NYC traffic all the time. Very light foot.Yours is showing Average MPG not city only.
Reset it while I was already driving on the highway on my way to the gym today. Snapped this photo right as I got off the highway at the first red light I hit. Speeds varied between 65-72MPH and driving more gingerly that I normally do. When I got home, driving around suburban roads during off-peak hours and 70% highway, also driving more conservatively than I normally do, I checked it again and 24.1MPG.
I have a 2020 Advance SH-AWD and I'm up to a consistent 26-30mpg on my weekly commute. This probably puts me in the top 0.0001%. Stuff:
1) It's literally 90% highway.
2) Speeds are 60-70mph.
3) I can commute off hours.
4) I check manually and fuel economy is within 0.1mpg of the reported.
5) I get to 375-400 miles before the low fuel light comes on.
Other information: I run 87 octane exclusively (either Sunoco or Wawa), 35psi (which I check weekly), comfort mode all the time, I use cruise as much as possible, 42 miles each way + some if I have errands, and I don't try and hypermile (although I did once and got it to 32mpg). The is one on ramp that I let it rip on every day but other than that it's usually loafing at 1800rpm-ish. When I have time off work and I'm going a lot of light ot light driving it drops to about 16-18mpg.
My mood (and traffic) on my morning commute (suburban routes in mild traffic) make a huge difference... I get 17mpg when I'm impatient, and about 24mpg when I'm relaxed.
My best advice if you want good mileage (and are patient) - turn the "sport gauges" to always on (in quotes because they are useless for anything related to actual sport). Then, stay in the purple - dont' let it turn red. I can get to work without boost, aside from the odd hill. I do fall behind fast traffic, but I'm never slow enough to be in the way (and still pass Corollas, Rogues, etc. and the friendly slow drivers piloting them all morning long).
On a rural route (Toronto to Ottawa via 407-115-7) I have managed as high as 33.1 mpg on regular fuel. Speaking of which, I actually seem to do better on regular fuel, though I don't have the number to back that up so take it with a grain of salt.
Dont expect big savings, but maybe if switching from no name oil to this one, perhaps you will see 1/2 MPG more, worth a try....
It was really not a no name brand it was Acura oil, but who knows it might be better. Any improvement is better than none.
Has anyone else noticed that the car will decline in oil life just sitting up in a garage?
What I mean it I do not drive much had a oil change done oil life was at 100 percent the car sat in my garage for 4 week first crank oil life went to 90 percent.
I really don't think oil will degrade that fast just siting in a car. I always do a yearly oil change on my Lexus since it never gets the mileage it's more of a yearly thing.
At this rate I will need 2 oil changes a year on the RDX, which to be honest is kind of stupid.
Midi Man, yes, that whole time degradation thing threw me also. We have a 2019 A-Spec, it only has 10K miles on it and I think we are coming up on oil change number 4. I change oil about 5,000 miles otherwise so was surprised to see the MMI, or whatever it is called, going so low, when it did. I ave never owned a car that did that...so new to me. Now, at least on the Acura, I follow the car countdown even though it seems like I am going through a lot of oil. We also have an older Honda Accord (2003) with a wonderful V6, and we change it annually. It probably accumulates about 4000 mile per year, and sometime this year or by the end of next we will be selling it..only has 80,000 miles on it after 19 years.
It was really not a no name brand it was Acura oil, but who knows it might be better. Any improvement is better than none.
Has anyone else noticed that the car will decline in oil life just sitting up in a garage?
What I mean it I do not drive much had a oil change done oil life was at 100 percent the car sat in my garage for 4 week first crank oil life went to 90 percent.
I really don't think oil will degrade that fast just siting in a car. I always do a yearly oil change on my Lexus since it never gets the mileage it's more of a yearly thing.
At this rate I will need 2 oil changes a year on the RDX, which to be honest is kind of stupid.
Are you sure it was “Acura” branded oil was put? Dont assume because its acura dealer they put “Acura” branded oil.
Acura full syn is a good oil, if thats what they put.
yes, MID will degrade oil like % over time to make sure you change oil once a year regardless of miles. Its by design.
Are you sure it was “Acura” branded oil was put? Dont assume because its acura dealer they put “Acura” branded oil.
Acura full syn is a good oil, if thats what they put.
yes, MID will degrade oil like % over time to make sure you change oil once a year regardless of miles. Its by design.
Yes they used the bottles I was shocked also. Most of the time they use the tanks.
At my degradation rate it will be twice a year.
...
Has anyone else noticed that the car will decline in oil life just sitting up in a garage?
What I mean it I do not drive much had a oil change done oil life was at 100 percent the car sat in my garage for 4 week first crank oil life went to 90 percent.
I really don't think oil will degrade that fast just siting in a car. I always do a yearly oil change on my Lexus since it never gets the mileage it's more of a yearly thing.
At this rate I will need 2 oil changes a year on the RDX, which to be honest is kind of stupid.
On the current (Gen 5) CR-Vs, the MM will count down so even if you never drive the car, (assuming battery is maintained) it will signal an oil change at year. I suspect it is the same for the Gen 3 RDX I no longer have the manual to check.
On the current (Gen 5) CR-Vs, the MM will count down so even if you never drive the car, (assuming battery is maintained) it will signal an oil change at year. I suspect it is the same for the Gen 3 RDX I no longer have the manual to check.
At my rate 10 percent a month will be less than a year. About 9 moths will be 90 percent life.
I get 16-18 in comfort mode around town same as I got in my Tacoma that’s lifted with armor all around and big e rated heavy tires. Same mpg as my rubicon that was all kitted out and on e rated 35’s. Golf R with stage 2 tune with 100lb more hp/tq and driven hard daily got me 22mpg and about 30 highway. I get 16-23/24 in RDX. Even driving easy. Put it in sport mode and drive same as I do in comfort and get 2mpg less. Smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon
I get 16-18 in comfort mode around town same as I got in my Tacoma that’s lifted with armor all around and big e rated heavy tires. Same mpg as my rubicon that was all kitted out and on e rated 35’s. Golf R with stage 2 tune with 100lb more hp/tq and driven hard daily got me 22mpg and about 30 highway. I get 16-23/24 in RDX. Even driving easy. Put it in sport mode and drive same as I do in comfort and get 2mpg less. Smiles per gallon, not miles per gallon
LOL. Yes but rated at 21 city so 16-18 is a long way off.
Those photos of low trip mileage and showing 30 mpg are absolutely meaningless. Drive 30 mph I can get ( show) 40 MPG.
In my case, I'm at 28mpg over the last 5000 miles. 90% highway and keeping it under 70mph and even the SH-AWD Advance can easily hit the EPA number. In the city, on the other hand, I think the EPA number is crap. Mine is closer to 15-16mpg.
In my case, I'm at 28mpg over the last 5000 miles. 90% highway and keeping it under 70mph and even the SH-AWD Advance can easily hit the EPA number. In the city, on the other hand, I think the EPA number is crap. Mine is closer to 15-16mpg.
I am getting the same. I have gotten 30 on the highway at about 70 to 75 MPH. City really disappointing.
I have a loaner 21 RDX since mines in the shop. And one hour on highway home at 72-75mph I got 20.7mpg in comfort mode and 18 in town. But it’s a 4 cyl pushing 4200lbs with me in it and awd all the time. Is 1000lbs heavier than the accord or type R. Which both get 30ish. And about 400lbs more than the tlx which gets 18-25 real world, about the same as RDX. So the awd system costs 8-10mpg with the weight and the system compared to the others. But the 2wd RDX improvement is negligible, so who knows. The 4 cyl stays in a higher rev range at same speeds as the v6. The 6 doesn’t need to work as hard as the 4 at the same speeds and the 4 is almost constantly on boost. Had a Jeep Grand Cherokee as a rental and got 20/22 in town and 26/28 on the highway and is 5-600lbs heavier with me in it. No idea how anyone here gets anything higher than 23. 23.4 was highest I’ve seen.
I have a loaner 21 RDX since mines in the shop. And one hour on highway home at 72-75mph I got 20.7mpg in comfort mode and 18 in town. But it’s a 4 cyl pushing 4200lbs with me in it and awd all the time. Is 1000lbs heavier than the accord or type R. Which both get 30ish. And about 400lbs more than the tlx which gets 18-25 real world, about the same as RDX. So the awd system costs 8-10mpg with the weight and the system compared to the others. But the 2wd RDX improvement is negligible, so who knows. The 4 cyl stays in a higher rev range at same speeds as the v6. The 6 doesn’t need to work as hard as the 4 at the same speeds and the 4 is almost constantly on boost. Had a Jeep Grand Cherokee as a rental and got 20/22 in town and 26/28 on the highway and is 5-600lbs heavier with me in it. No idea how anyone here gets anything higher than 23. 23.4 was highest I’ve seen.
Did you reset the computer when you started your trip? 20 mpg at 75 mph seems low, unless you are driving through mountains or keeping uneven speed. My FWD RDX weighs 3,780 pounds, about 350 pounds more than a 2.0T Accord Touring. In mixed driving I average 27-28 mpg. At 70-75 mph I will get 30-32 mpg on flat road. I suspect the AWD system imposes a significant toll on fuel economy.
Operating on light boost is the PRIMARY reason turbocharged engines SHOULD get superior fuel economy. Light boost greatly eliminates pumping losses on the intake side. In short, there is very little vacuum in the intake manifold under light load. A vacuum is bad for volumetric efficiency. In contrast, a naturally aspirated V6 has very high manifold vacuum under light load, which hurts engine efficiency.
Under light boost, the 2.0T can be fuel efficient. But under moderate or heavy boost, it seems the ECU dumps fuel into the cylinders and the engine becomes a gas hog. This has also been observed and discussed on 2.0T Accord forums. It is not just an RDX problem. It is possible the extra weight and parasitic loss associated with the AWD crosses that boost threshold earlier than in an Accord and to a degree, earlier than in a FWD RDX.
Just saying I get the same mpg in these two pigs as the RDX. Taco is 17 feet long with 3” lift, 33s armor etc and the Rubi has full steel plate, under and front and rear.(old photo with stock rear, but still) 35s and so on. Is basically a lunchbox with a sail for a roof. I didn’t even check the mpg numbers before I bought the RDX because of what I was driving before, just figured would be a decent improvement. Is mind boggling that a grocery getter, gets the same mpg as purpose built rigs.
11-08-2021, 05:45 PM
Fuel mileage
