joubit

Hello guys,

I'm new to this forum. I bought my 04 TL about 6 months ago. I've learned to love the car, though the frequent trips to the gas stations were devouring my pocket. With 114k miles on it, the car guzzles fuel like an elephant sucking water into its trunk. I keep getting 13-15 mpg in city and 22-24 on highway. That is terrible, compared to any SUV. I've done some costly maintenance, like changing timing belt, spark plugs, transmission fluid, tires, etc...; and all these render no dramatic improvement.The V-Power from Shell gas station is eating me up. I spend about $120 a week to fill up...

What's discouraging is that most TL owners complain about the same thing, which probably indicates that nothing can be done about it. Why did Acura design such a high fuel consumption vehicle?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

because racecar.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

-wants high horse powered v6.
-Wants Prius gas mileage.

Hows that saying go?!?

Buy a cake and eat it?
No, that cant be it.

make a cake and eat a slice!?!?!?!?!
no.

oh, you cant have your cake and eat it too.

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

The more stopping and going you do the worse. The faster you go on the highway, the worse. And hauling ass from red lights won't help either.

The TL does just fine for it's class. I don't understand why people buy a car and then bitch about the gas, isn't that one of the main things you look for?

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

I regularly get 24 MPG (as per the MID) in my '08 TL-S. I came from a 28 MPG Accord V6. Not THAT big a deal.

You bought a car with a higher performance engine that needs premium fuel. You're not going to see a dramatic improvement in gas mileage.

Tips to gain SOME mileage back: Roll up your windows. Use less A/C. Fill up tire pressure to at least 35psi. Check air filter. Accelerate like you're towing 15,000lbs. Try to time lights (i.e. don't roll up on a light, apply brakes somewhat hard, come to a stop, and accelerate hard). Lose weight. Wax car.

Tehvine

I just fill it up when it goes empty. If the gas mileage of this car was going to make or break me, I would have bought something else. If this car is making you broke filling it up, sell it and buy a motorcycle or older VW diesel.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the car weighs as much as an SUV.
500lbs shy of two tons.

as cars get heavier, you'll pay at the pump.

joubit

Well, your saying is irrelevant. Are you implying that every vehicle in TL's class guzzles fuel as the TL does?

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

Sell TL

Buy Prius

Please?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

yes. these cars are heavy.
the G35/G37 has a thirstier engine, therefore will guzzle MORE.

this car is 3500lbs.
1.75 tonnes.
it takes a lot for her to get up and go.
So, if you're doing ALL city, your gas mileage will suffer.

as others have said, JUMP on the freeway and watch your mileage SOAR!

BeezleTL85

Uh oh


Lexus ES is 19/27
Infiniti G35 is 17/25
BMW 3 series is 17/28 in some cases 15/25

Not sure why your complaining since it does pretty good. I can go 80+ on cruise control an average 30+. If I drive like a grandma I'll average 27-32mpg a tank.


Buy a civic, drive like a grandma or eat justns cake.


Pick 1, but only 1

Will Y.

Take a look at your driving habits and environment, because that is low MPG for normal driving with a 3G TL.
Squeeze the gas and anticipate traffic flow --> 18+ MPG in city streets.

Also, clear your MID MPG and start fresh.

Welcome to AZ.


The 3G TL was more efficient than just about every 250+ HP 6-cylinder car in 2004 when it came out.
Many of us are glad we don't have VQ (Infiniti and Nissan V6)-type mileage.

turbo_oxide

i must be of the minority, my gas mileage is fine. I drive four 5 mile trips a day in the city and get about 19 MPG in the TL-S. When I go on the highway, i get substantially more. i get about 250 miles before the light comes up (so ~4 gallons in reserve).

13-15 city / 22-24 highway sounds a bit low... it should be closer to 18 / 26 as rated, but as with everything, driving habits will differ from people to people and maybe you overlooked something that is negatively affecting your mileage.

But if you're not happy with 18 / 26, then perhaps more research should have been done before purchasing the car and should have considered a 4-cylinder that doesn't require premium fuel...

joubit

I haven't been resetting my MID; that could be the cause of such low mpg. Thanks for your feedback, man.

ez12a

you need to stop driving 75+ mph and start doing 65-70 if you want to break 30 mpg highway.

and the TL gets relatively GOOD mileage. My dad's smaller E46 325i gets worse mileage and has a lot less power.

I was commuting every day for a few months and was always >= 24 mpg. By the time the meter reached a half tank i was around 220 miles.

case in point:


OP, you're doing it wrong. I chose the TL because of it's ability to get great mileage and have power on tap if needed. I honestly have no problem driving 65 and cruising as long as i'm not in a rush. Some cars even at 65 cant even break 30 (is300)

joubit

When I saw that TL, I couldn't care less about any other vehicle. The moment I saw it, I knew that's the car I wanted. I love Acura TLs, and I doubt anyone dislikes such a beautiful design, but I just haven't been able to reconcile myself to the fact that a car as such will consume more fuel. I overlooked that notion when I was buying the TL. Thanks for your feedback.

BeezleTL85

Tru Dat Yo!

I drove the wifes G last week for a few days on my 150+ daily round trip to work and it was no bueno. Not a huge difference but just enough to make me love my tl a weeee bit more.

BeezleTL85

Fixed

I can get 30-32 on my drives doing 80-85. No A/C though.

CLtotheTL32

iTrader: (3)

Another MPG thread?

Like justinspace has mentioned, the TL weighs quite a bit. From a stop, the car uses a lot of gas to get it moving.

You may want to remove some weight from the car if you can or be easy on the gas when moving from a stop. Try to keep a constant speed and coast whenever you can.

Also, don't rely on the MID to give an accurate reading. When you get gas next, do the math on a piece of paper to see what you actually got on that tank. My MID has been off by as much as 2 MPG.

joubit

Goodness! 35 mpg is nice.

IamaTL

I get 29mpg highway 80-ac. The car has great mileage for a v6. Long trips over 400mi I get 32 average

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

i have no complaints on the MPGs of my TL. i'm right within the EPA standards. you want a heavy car that gets thirsty...try the MDX on for size. i got almost 23 MPG with an avg speed of 62 mph. this is the type of MPGs i would be getting in the TL with a roof rack and two bikes.

OP reset your MID's trip computer at the next fill up and let us know what your car is doing then.

sixsixfour

since you bought your car 6 months ago, do you have all service records? scheduled maintenance plays a part, especially in older cars.

i personally average about 21 or so in city driving and about 27-29 highway. im with everyone when they say lots of stop and go driving hurt the MPG. one time i was running errands all day in and out of town and i saw my needle go down from full to just above half. its a heavy car and accelerating up to speed every time uses more fuel. its normal for every car but heavier cars will feel that effect more.

but once you get some open road and maintain a constant speed, it is not unusual for you to get 30MPG.driving habits and the condition of the vehicle affect fuel economy, beyond that, physics take over.

94eg!

I get 28-29mpg with mixed 50/50 driving.

I get 30-31mpg with mostly freeway @ 70mph max.

These are full tank averages verified by the MID and by calculations. Could be your driving style, could be something with the car. I do see a lot of people on here with terrible mpgs so I think driving style and/or conditions are prime suspect.

wajo22

I've read many threads about mpg, and you're one of the fraction that claims a 21 mpg in city. I do a lot of city driving, and the highest I came to was 17 mpg. I live in Massachusetts, a place fraught with unnecessary traffic lights. I know it might have a lot to do with that poor mpg I'm getting.

Many people recommend Seafoam, but I'm afraid to put that junk in my car. But it seems to have worked for many people. Perhaps, Joubit should consider it.

Acura-OC

I get 15MPG with 20MPH in city.

NIGHTEHAWK

I also have no complaints on my TL, at first when I would jackrabbit from stoplights I would fill up once a week, now I drive slow and smooth, last fill up was 8/27, got to fill it up today since I drove hard these past few days. Average MPG is between 19-23 city and 27-35 hwy, depends on how I drive.

joubit

21 miles is indeed impressive. I wish i could get to that.

Wajo22, I read lots of posts about seafoam, too. I'm thinking about it. Like you, I'm scared to screw it my engine. I think I might start putting some redline s1, as others recommend on many threads.

Undying Dreams

iTrader: (3)

It all depends. People say city just because it's off the highway. I get like 20 in the "city/rural" driving that I do. I used to get 24 but that was with different tires.

mr_raja

OP, if you had gas consumption in your mind, you made the wrong choice. I cant think of any luxury sports tuned car, weighing over 3500 lbs, that will give you 30+ mpg in city. Unless its some sort of hybrid. Perhaps, you should try TSX. Or better yet, Lexus CT200h.

Besides, my previous 3rd gen used to give me around 31 - 32 mpg on highway. Went to NJ from MD and then came back, with 3 passengers and refueled only twice through out the trip. Not too bad if you ask me. And no, I do not drive like a grandma or a grandpa.

sixsixfour

most of the city streets in my area are quite long in between lights, and on average are 50mph zones. if i drive through a lot of slower 40mph zones my mpg drops significantly, especially if there are a lot of lights.

Ive never put seafoam in my car. just regular oil changes and the like. i do keep my tires closer to max inflation range if anything.

wajo22

Why is Seafoam so popular? Is it that good? So far, Everyone I know, young and old, seafoams their car. That thing hardly stays on the shelf.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

snake oil!
they think its doing something.....but not really!

wajo22

Would you say the same for REDLINE S1 injection cleaner? I need a treatment for my car. I also heard good things about Chevron.

sixsixfour

I put STP fuel injector cleaner once a month at least.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^this is normal. and these are the types of numbers people should post rather than percentages of "city" b/c...

^^of what he said. when avg 25 mph, i get 18 mpg in my TL and 17 mpg in my MDX. this is my definition of 60/40 (city/hwy).

some people's city will yield them a <20mph avg= stop and go at every block in a metro downtown area and get crappy MPGs. other people's city could avg 30-35 mph and they get 21-22 like sixsixfour. city mileage/MPGs are all relative.

Healingduck

The worst I have ever gotten driving all city when I just went to college and back was 17mpg on a tank. And I was driving like an idiot. When I drive like a normal person, I average 20mpg. For a while with just city driving I averaged 19mpg. But I'm fine with that. If I wanted Civic MPG, I would've gotten a Civic.

Don't know what to tell you OP. With gas prices, mpg is definitely something you should look into on your next car purchase if it means a lot to you. I can't imagine why you wouldn't look into that anyway... Especially if you will be using it as a DD.

Krack3r

I didn't take the time to read everyone's post as normal. My 2 cents is if your complaining about your TLs fuel milages your most likely an Obama supporter and a Prius is for you

ZOMGVTEK

If you want city MPG, get a Prius. The TL is quite the efficient car, it just needs to do quite a bit of work to get you up to speed. Don't stop, and it gets the MPG's. It's not hard to get 40 MPG or higher, just go 40-50 and never stop.

I get 10-20 MPG city, depending on traffic, and temp. Generally about 34-36 highway, at 60 or so.

TerpNation

you notice any improvemens with this?