fsmith

I'm still getting around 30mpg on long highway trips, but still only 25-26mpg in general. It has been pretty cold here. And I am definitely not a gentle driver; I don't get a lot of EV-only miles.

Malibu Flyer

My daily work commute of 15 miles each way, I typically get between 15-30% EV driving. It is "highway" driving mostly....i.e. a four lane road with 10+ traffic lights in a 10 mile stretch and a speed limit of 45 mph. It is often during heavy traffic so there is lots of stop and go. I really like the brake hold feature for this trip.

fsmith

I'll have to try driving with a lighter touch on the gas. But it's so much fun to drive this car more aggressively, I doubt I am ever going to get the best gas mileage from it.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

3rd fill up at 962 miles on the odo and I got 30.6 mpg for the tank. The recent tank was with about 75% highway and 25% local. I am consistantly getting 33-38 mpg in local driving and highway is in the 29-30 mpg range. I have no squeaks or noises other than the previosuly stated minor items which I am not going to do anythnig about in the front suspension. When I do hit it, it seems that the car is traction limited which will likely be resolved when it is not so bloody cold out.

Considering that the regenerative braking takes most of the braking forces, I would imaging that the brake wear will be dramatically better than in the non-hybrid model. I am still very pleased overall. Acura should have only made the Sport Hybrid and not the non-hybrid RLX. I think the reviews would have been better for Acura from a marketing perspective.

neuronbob

Update as of the last fillup on Saturday:





Hey, gotta be the counterpoint.

This is what I get for living in Cleveland. Too cold for this car to get good mileage, for sure.

Malibu Flyer

While your mileage may suffer because of the cold temps in Cleveland, your total cost of gas is still probably lower than mine. I filled up today at an independent cash only station and paid $2.85/gallon for premium. Nice weather has its price -- high gas taxes and special blend fuel [which goes for a premium price]. There is no free lunch but at least there is terrific sushi here.

getakey

I've been working a project in Sacramento. Filled up premium at 2.49/gal
Gas station near my house in SF Bay area, premium is 2.99/gal

Colin

^^ Yup, premium is generally in the $3.07-$3.20 range here in Honolulu. Everyone says there is a glut of oil that it driving down crude prices, why is there a glut? There must be a geo-political reason... are the Saudi's trying to put Russia and US producers out of business?

George Knighton

Sure there is. But the Saud are on our side and refuse to cut production.

We have to watch going too far with this, but at the moment it is helping influence Russia and Iran.

It has cost some jobs in the US...but not very many relative to the good that is being done, in our governments' view.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

I paid $3.15 for premium on the last tank. It has been in the upper 20's to low 30's for quite a while and the 10 day forecast shows the temps to degrade into the mid 20's for the duration. It will be fun to drive in the snow over the weekend as there is a Noreaster for Saturday followed by more snow next week. So far temperature is not affecting mpg.

I prefer to drive more smoothly and after getting into 2nd gear just rolling into the throttle to feel the torque, and the same in 3rd. The car almost feels faster that way, rather than just jumping on the throttle. Try experimenting with it and you will see what I am talking about. It is very cool. I tried the same thing in the MDX and the experience was not even close.

Malibu Flyer

I look forward to hearing about your snow driving experience. I am really curious about how the Sport Hybrid does in slippery winter conditions. If it ever snows in the California mountains, I will be up in the mountains for several ski trips.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Actually I can comment on that because there was so much heavy freezing rain the other day that the run off continues to hit certain streets and freeze again. The local highway crews are salting and chopping up the ice leaving a heavy slush in place (not smart in my opinion). I drove through a section by suprise at about 50 mph as I did not see it until too late. I went through it with hardly a wiggle and it must have been 3-4 inches deep. I would not have expected the car to behave that way, but it hardly moved off the straight line at all. The VSA light came on immediately and I think I saw the HUD show the EV power remove all of the power on the passenger side of the car immediately as that was where the slush was. I think I saw blue on the driver front wheel and green on the driver back wheel to create instant stability. If I was not seeing things that could explain why the car hardly moved off line. Very impressive as I can't say any other AWD system would have done that, much less that fast.

What an incredible car. I feel very lucky.

Zoommer

Agreed and I believe I have experienced similar. So amazed to see how the technology works together and see it visualized....at least I get a grin on my face....OTH the passenger (the missus) just yawns but agrees that the car is really quiet and comfortable and takes my word that it is really safe.

George Knighton

Coming up on 7,000 miles now and mileage has climbed back up to 30.0 flat for a lifetime average.

:-)

fsmith

^^^ The rumor is that George never goes over 55 and only uses his car for short errands when they are all-downhill roundtrips. I only get that mileage on long trips.

neuronbob

I made an appointment at the dealer in the last few days to have my car looked at. All tanks of fuel are 22-23 mpg other than my road trip, which was 26 mpg. I am lucky to get 300 miles out of a tank. The idea of taking it in is to rule out obvious problems like MAF issues, stuck thermostat, missing software upgrade, botched initial prep, or other causing my mileage woes. When owners living in similar weather conditions to me are getting better mileage than me without hypermiling, something is wrong. I asked if a district rep could evaluate the situation if possible, being we are beta testers and all.


I've tried several different brands of fuel, always 93, and no difference.

I've never owned a car that lost 25% of its mixed fuel economy to winter blend fuel (I get 23, should be 29-30). In other cars I've owned, winter blend takes a 1-2 mph hit. My CTS-V, for example, reliably loses 1 mpg with winter blend.

George Knighton

Wow. :-(

I have no problem getting 400 miles, and the power distribution meter has indicated a projected 462 miles on one occasion.

I don't watch it to always see what it says, but that one sticks out in my memory.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

On my last tank, I filled up with 362 miles driven and the range number was 161 left to empty when I got out of the car to gas up. The average mpg for the tank was just under 30 mpg, but was driving mostly in EV mode for the last 8 miles, so that may have pumped up the range at the last second.

neuronbob

Ugh. Thanks for the data points. They'll help when I visit the dealer this week. I am totally satisfied with this car other than the mileage....and the inexplicable lack of that rear power outlet.

Just got my J.D. Powers survey in the mail, too.

woropallo

FYI, here another data point. On my RLX PAWS with 5700 miles I have an averaged of 25.6 mpg, I would expect the SH AWD to do better than the PAWS.

George Knighton

Not many questions about the car, though. They seem mostly interested in who bought the car.

Malibu Flyer

Got mine several weeks ago also. I agree with George, many questions about who we are. Unfortunately their statistics would mean too much since the sample size is so small.

neuronbob

Had a rough call weekend so haven't looked at it yet. Thanks for the head's up.

timmins

I too getting around 22mpg combined as per the vehicle trip comp.
I chuck it to the cold weather, I drive mostly in sport mode and heavy foot.
Still, wouldn't change a thing.

George Knighton

They seemed very interested in where to spend advertising money to be sure we were looking.

neuronbob

I drive only in regular ("eco") mode, using Sport Mode only when it's dry and feel like playing.

My mileage has been remarkably consistent, whether warm or sub-zero. The warmest my car has seen since purchase was a brief run of 60's in December.

I don't want to seem like I'm overly upset about this, but I do want to be sure nothing's going on with my car. I understand that hybrids are much less efficient in cold weather, but my car achieved this mileage even before the cold snaps began.

sooththetruth

I admit that hearing two people have had such bad gas mileage with the Sports Hybrid is disturbing to me, I really hope they find something wrong.

I did drive a Tech Sports Hybrid today, for the first time, while visiting my Father in Miami. I did find it nicer to drive than the Paws, but if I were to be honest, the difference was not worth the money, TO ME, just an opinion, but I can't deny that this thread weighed on my sense of "value".

What surprised me was not how much I liked the SH AWD, but rather how much I liked the PAWS, so that must mean I am not all that discriminating, I guess. I really value a quiet car, and felt the refinement of the RLX (both of them) was good as that of my father's Mercedes E 350. I also drove a BMW 528, an Infiniti Q50, a Lexus I 350, and for me the most refined rides were that of my father's Mercedes, the IS 350, and, best of all, the RLX's. So I then drove the new Genesis, you know, trying to get the value angle from that one and, no way is the refinement there, and the back seat head room didn't cut it for me in the Genesis. (Remember the 4 somes I take turns driving around for golf trips).

My Dad is 82 years old, and he spontaneously mentioned that if he had had a drive in an RLX before the Mercedes, he would have bought one, but NOT the SH AWD, but for the PAWS. ( and he put all these options on the Mercedes that made it cost as much as the sports hybrid). The RLX's were the quietest cars we drove, and the ride was great in both. Again, it's really important that people drive cars for themselves, because I would not be happy with a 528 (no kidding, though, the engine in the 528 is unbelievable, and to be frank, was a more fun engine in my short ride than either RLX. And it wasn't the 535, in case anyone was wondering if I were confused, because the 528 was more comparative on price. The ride of 528 was TOO SPORTY for me to live with, EVEN IN COMFORT MODE.

Oh, I thought that the Acura sales man was gonna have a cow when I went over some uneven pavement, and HEARD THE RLX clunk in the PAWS version, and mentioned that it needed to have the TSB done. No clunk over the same bump with the SH AWD. But right then and there I knew that that clunk was not going to bother me. It was a '15 model, so I am pretty sure that what I heard was much less that reported before, and I barely felt it, just heard it. Tomorrow I am going to try to drive the PAWS again, and I will call the salesman and ask where there is some rough pavement for me to drive over, else it's going to be a no-go....for now. But the fake wood, after driving everything else, it just didn't bother me much.

And the gas mileage being reported by PAWS drivers has been so much better than I expected. The acceleration of the SH AWD was very smooth, and the pavement was dry, and maybe I didn't get my foot into it enough, but it wasn't even as good as that of my past '98 V8 Lexus GS 400 that would always feel as though it was rolling down hill, even when going up steep slopes. And that V8 did 24.5 mpg on the highway (with a lot less safety equipment on board, though).

Gas is cheap now, but part of the Sports Hybrid mystique was the lack of a compromise, so I am back to the unfulfilled promise. I would be mad if I get the gas mileage a neurologist? would get. I don't buy the cold weather is the answer. Neuron Bob is man's man, and won't bitch about the unfulfilled promise of mileage, stating that the performance of the car would be worth it. I wouldn't be able to say that.

timmins

I believe when you compare the comfort, interior room and driving dynamic you will choose the RLX. Even the PAWS drives better than any front wheel it also has cylinder deactivation so most of the time you'll be driving with 3 cylinders. As for the room specially in the back seat you have to go up to the S class in a Mercedes to get anywhere near the RLX. As for power the RLX has 310 hp for the e350's 305 hp. Plus free maintenance and exclusivity the RLX is hard to beat.

timmins

Sooththetruth I should add/should have started with that My milage should not deter you from the hybrid. I do drive hard and love how the car behaves in sport mode so I keep it there.
Food for thought and good luck with whatever you choose.

woropallo

What free maintenance?

woropallo

If you go for the PAWS, negotiate the numbers. I brought my 2015 Advance back in Sept 2014 for 56.7k which included the protection 2 package. FYI, I've seen the advance on Edmund for a true value of 52k. BTW, My car rides really smooth and is super quiet, my wife and mother have comment on how quiet the car is on the road. I do hear a clunk sometimes, only when I go over really rough and choppy pavement but the ride is still smooth.

neuronbob

Wow, it's not often I, a "98-pound weakling" nerd in real life, am called a "man's man". I'll take the compliment, LOL!

I'd be more disappointed in the Sport Hybrid's fuel economy if I hadn't been daily driving two CTS-Vs for six years, with the attendant poor (and expected) fuel economy. Even at 23 mpg, that's almost ten mpg better than the V...and is surprisingly fun to drive. If only Honda had shoehorned in even ONE more gallon to the fuel tank.....

I'll leave you with one more inadvertent comparo: I get the same mileage in my Sport Hybrid as in my S2000, and get about the same number of miles per tank with the S2000 falling short by only 20-30 miles...depending on how many times I see 9 grand rpm.

The Acura free maintenance is in Canada only, not in the USA.

timmins

OK, free maintenance, headlight washers and 360 view ... It's adding up
We have doctor shortage up here, what do you say Dr Bob?

RLX-Sport Hybrid

I have been thinking about your mileage issues and am wondering if there isn't anything wrong with the car per se', but it is simply how you are driving it. Please don't take offense as it is not intended that way. What I mean is, how much of your daily travel is in EV mode? I would imagine that if you are driving mostly at speeds above 58 mph where the 100% EV mode will not happen, then your mileage would be less just for that reason alone. Also, how much of your running time is idling? Long stints of idle even with the motor shutting off would still bring your overall numbers down. Also when you are accelerating, are you getting into it more than just generally keeping up with traffic? I am just trying to figure out if you issue is human factor related, or truly mechanical. If it is the latter, I would wonder if the fuel/air mixture settings are slightly off, or if the timing is somehow slightly off.

Please do not take my comments out of context as they are not intended to be personal in any way. I am just trying to figure out how to think this through before you go to the dealer for an inspection of the engine internals. What do you think about my questions/thoughts?

FYI: Just for perspective, on my current tank, I am averaging 23.9 mpg, however that is with long running at idle sitting in traffic, many jack-rabbit starts and stops, and hard running in the snow and frigid temperatures. I have only gone about 120 miles on the tank so far. For comparison in similiar driving conditions in my MDX this morning I averaged 19.1 mpg over 80 miles of travel.

getakey

wow - I have not averaged less than 24 mpg in my PAWS

RLX-Sport Hybrid

My overall average is still above 28 mpg and every other whole tank (400+ miles per fill up has been 28 mpg or more). I was just giving some perspective that if I am not driving in conditions or mannerisms that promote efficiency that my mileage gets negatively affected too. Thus I was wondering if Bob's mileage issues are not related to his car, but his particular driving habits or driving conditions. I am not saying he is a bad driver. Far from it. I am attempting to come up with a hypothesis on what could be causing his lower mpg.

neuronbob

I am an awful driver. In that I don't hypermile in this car often. Still studying possible causes. Will let you know the result of my root cause analysis.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Ok. That may be all it is and there is nothing wrong with the car at all. Try experimenting with more casual driving styles and see if that helps.

By the way, what the hell is "J/K"?

neuronbob

J/k=Joking. Tried hypermiling for one tank, same result, was painful.

RLX-Sport Hybrid

Confirmed. Thanks for the clarification.

Sounds like a dealer inspection will be needed then. I'm out of ideas to help you.