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Acura RDX Real World MPG

218 messages,  Last post on Apr 04, 2013 at 7:49 PM

You are in the Acura RDX Forum.

What is this discussion about? Acura RDX, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), SUV

Messages Page 1 of 22

#1 of 218 Acura RDX - Real World MPG by steve_ HOST

Aug 27, 2006 (11:22 am)

Please report on your gas mileage in here. Include details like your city/highway mix, driving style, or anything else you think may help others compare their mpg to yours. Thanks!

#2 of 218 Maryland/DC Mixed Driving by smaslin

Aug 28, 2006 (9:22 am)

Only gone through two tanks of gas but so far I'm getting 19.6 mpg. On both tanks I compared the mpg from the computer to that computed at the pump; both where very close. Best mileage to date was 21.5 mpg during an 80 mile highway loop from MD to VA at 70 mph.
 
Scott
2007 RDX with Technology Package
Nighthawk Black Pearl/Ebony Leather

#3 of 218 Re: Maryland/DC Mixed Driving [smaslin] by scottm123

Aug 30, 2006 (6:29 am)

Replying to: smaslin (Aug 28, 2006 9:22 am)
That's odd.
 
I have an '06 MDX Touring with Nav & RES
I stopped by and gave the RDX a look.
 
Being a smaller engine and a lighter vehicle, I would expect the MPG to be slightly better than the MDX.
 
My drive from MA to IL and back gave me a wonderfull 23 MPG with an average 75 on the highway.
 
How you liking the RDX?
Happy with it so far?
 
I find the seats MUCH more comfortable than those in the MDX.

#4 of 218 12.8MPG on the RDX by alexbharris

Sep 04, 2006 (2:35 pm)

Replying to: smaslin (Aug 28, 2006 9:22 am)
I have driven 800 miles on my RDX and am averaging 12.8 MPG.
 
No technology package, black ext / black int.
 
I am extremely disappointed in the gas mileage. I took it to the dealership and they said that there is nothing wrong with the car, and the the gas mileage will improve after 1500 miles, but I really doubt that. The gas mileage isn't going to move up very significantly after another 700 miles.
 
Obviously there is something wrong with the design of the automobile, i.e. its weight. I drive slightly aggressively, but did so with my Honda V6 EX and got 24.5MPG average. Several other people on this forum have the same problem with their RDXs, i.e. the gas mileage is quite bad.
 
I would advise before buying this car to take the car home and drive it for 100-200 miles and see what kind of mileage you get. My wife and I are extremely disappointed in an otherwise great car and the ADDITIONAL gas costs are going to be somewhere around $2400 (also the car only takes premium gas).
 
Acura brought this design out too soon. There is something wrong which is causing this very low gas mileage.
 
I hope that this helps other people who are considering this car. I'm really sorry that this information was not available to me before purchase, but hopefully it will help someone else.

#5 of 218 Re: 12.8MPG on the RDX [alexbharris] by jrynn

Sep 04, 2006 (2:50 pm)

Replying to: alexbharris (Sep 04, 2006 2:35 pm)
12.8 sounds low. Perhaps something is going on with your particular car.
 
On the other hand, I wouldn't dismiss the dealer out of hand when he says mileage typically improves in Acuras.
 
For the first 2200 miles, my TSX averaged under 25mpg with a best tank of 29.78. Over the next 2800 miles, it averaged OVER 30 mpg in the same kind of highway-heavy driving. And I didn't see tanks over 35mpg until 7,000 and 12,000 miles. In the meantime, there have been more tanks over 33mpg than are worth listing here. (And all that from a car that started out, as I said, averaging under 25mpg off the dealer's lot.)
 
There really was HUGE IMPROVEMENT after the first 2000 miles. Give it some time.

#6 of 218 Re: 12.8MPG on the RDX [alexbharris] by scottm123

Sep 05, 2006 (5:17 am)

Replying to: alexbharris (Sep 04, 2006 2:35 pm)
"I took it to the dealership and they said that there is nothing wrong with the car, and the the gas mileage will improve after 1500 miles."
 
Absolutely not true and I hate when dealers tell people this.
Yes, the car may improve slightly over the next 6 months, but don't necessarily count on it.
This occurs, for some reason, in all cars.
Take the owners on one specific model and ask them what they get for MPG.
Some are right on the money, some fall very short and some owners are lucky enough to get amazing MPGs.
 
Yes, this has a lot to do with driving habits, choice of fuel, tire pressure, phase of the moon's cycle, barometer pressure, monthly cycle, etc.... but there is no reason why your new RDX is getting 12.8 unless you're beatin the hell out of it.... which you shouldn't be doing yet anyway.(Break-in period)

#7 of 218 13.65 MPG by bettyy

Sep 05, 2006 (5:41 am)

My husband and I just got back from a drive to Toronto, total roundtrip drive was 1136 miles, we received 13.65 MPG in our new RDX, using 93 octane.
 
My husband called the dealer and they said that they are telling all RDX owners to wait until 2000 miles before bringing the car in. When asked whether this was a problem unique to this particular car or in general, the general manager circumvented the question.
 
We love the car but really hate the gas mileage. My husband is furious, because he had heard that there were some issues with this car about the gas mileage and Don, our salesman said "I guarantee that you will get at least 19 on the highway". That guarantee doesn't mean much now.
 
We have a new baby and our budget can't really handle the unexpected cost of all this gasoline.

#8 of 218 Re: 13.65 MPG [bettyy] by jrynn

Sep 05, 2006 (11:10 am)

Replying to: bettyy (Sep 05, 2006 5:41 am)
Before you dump all over your salesman -- ESPECIALLY if you had reason to worry about the RDX's mileage "issues" -- take a moment for introspection.
 
How is it that you can afford a $33,000 (non-Tech) or $36,500 (Tech) RDX, but you can't afford gas for it? C'mon, do the math ... If you drive 12,000 miles a year buying $3.00/gallon gas, the difference between 13.65 mpg and 19 mpg is $742. That's a small fraction of the RDX's acquisition cost.
 
And if the cost of gas was REALLY that important to you, why on earth didn't you buy a sedan?
 
A TSX, for instance, would (A) get better than 30 mpg on the highway (saving almost $700 a year compared to a 19 mpg RDX), (B) cost $5,000 to $7,000 less to buy in the first place, and (C) it would have cost less to insure.
 
If you're worried about "unexpected costs," I CAN guarantee you that your new child, not your new car, is going to be the major source. You didn't do yourselves any favors if you REALLY are budgeted so tightly that $700 in gas is going to break the bank for you.

#9 of 218 Re: 13.65 MPG [bettyy] by steve_ HOST

Sep 05, 2006 (11:21 am)

Replying to: bettyy (Sep 05, 2006 5:41 am)
People's experiences vary widely, but my minivan didn't start consistently getting "ok" mileage until around 7,000 miles and the mpg kept improving well beyond 10,000 miles.
 
$700 would just about pay my car insurance for both my vehicles for a year.

#10 of 218 Re: 13.65 MPG [steve_] by scottm123

Sep 05, 2006 (12:18 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Sep 05, 2006 11:21 am)
And forget the cost of the vehicle.
People agree on the cost when they take into account what they are getting for their hard earned money.
 
I drive almost 30,000 miles a year.
I dropped a great amount of money on an MDX cause if I spend that much time in a car, I wanted to treat myself to something nice.
 
That does not mean however, that I wanna drop $50- into the tank every 2.5 days.
 
I got rid of my V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and it's 15.8 MPG and bought the MDX.
My 45 minute MDX test drive gave me a reading of 17.9 MPG.
 
My new '06 MDX is getting anywhere between 20-24.
 
If I was getting 12 in the MDX, I'd be screaming mad too, even though I was able to afford the car itself.

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