Gasoline Mileage On My Trip

[TexasComputerMan]

I have returned home from my second retirement trip. I left Arlington, Texas and went to Vicksburg, Mi, Memphis, Tenn, Williamsburg Va, Richmond Va, Gettysburg Pa, Bangor Maine, Muncie Indiana and then home. With many stops along the way. It was mainly a tour of Civil War battlefields.

My car is 2008 ES350 (Ultra) and I could not be more pleased. Highway comfort was superb and gadolime mileage was stunning. (I did put a set of Michelins on in Tenn, see http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63588 (page #2))

I just wanted to share the gadoline mileage with you all:

DATE GALLONS MILES GPM

8/28/2010.......8.872...243.00...27.39

8/29/2010.......7.388...203.00...27.48

8/30/2010.......8.844...241.00...27.25

8/30/2010.......8.604...246.70...28.67

8/30/2010.......9.284...277.90...29.93

9/01/2010.......8.356...214.00...25.61

9/01/2010.......8.655...280.10...32.36

9/02/2010.......8.419...208.80...24.80

9/03/2010.......7.981...210.10...26.33

9/04/2010.......7.916...210.80...26.63

9/05/2010.......7.925...273.53...34.51

9/06/2010.......8.615...251.50...29.19

9/08/2010.......7.803...205.90...26.39

9/11/2010.......8.676...219.90...25.35

9/11/2010.......8.789...273.00...31.06

9/12/2009.......7.514...230.80...30.72

9/12/2010.......7.699...257.60...33.46

9/13/2010.......9.778...290.20...29.70

9/15/2010.......8.566...247.00...28.83

9/15/2010.......9.023...306.40...33.96

9/16/2010.......5.531...154.60...27.95

9/16/2010.......7.396...201.40...27.23

For a Luxury car like this one, this kind of mileage is just great!

[SW03ES]

It really does get incredible mileage doesn't it?

[pj8708]

Are you sure you weren't pedaling while going down hill on some of these results? .....Seriously, why do you think you were able to get such great mileage such as 33,34,32 mpg.I have never gotten anything close to 30 with a six cylinder Lexus. I am impressed.

Paul

[BoaR]

Err last colum is GPM ????? gallons per minute?? that a typo lol ??

TCM, im in the market for the same year and model... im very curious as to how exactly you are doing your "math" calculations? some doohicky on the car itself telling you all this? or you just pen and paper mathing it?

not claiming you are not getting what you are stating, rather just how you can calculate such high results. because in all honesty that is brilliant milage.

Thanks for posting up the info.

[TexasComputerMan]

Err last colum is GPM ????? gallons per minute?? that a typo lol ??

TCM, im in the market for the same year and model... im very curious as to how exactly you are doing your "math" calculations? some doohicky on the car itself telling you all this? or you just pen and paper mathing it?

not claiming you are not getting what you are stating, rather just how you can calculate such high results. because in all honesty that is brilliant milage.

Thanks for posting up the info.

\

You are correct. That column shoud be MPG (LOL).

The way I calculated these figures was very simple.

The day I started I filled my gasoline tank to full amd zeroed trip meter A.

At 1/2 tank down, I filled up and wrote the miles traveled from Trip meter A on the gasoline receipt and re-zeroed trip meter A.

Then when i stopped for the evening, I used an electronic spreadsheet to calculate the MPG.

Very simple and was able to keep a running total.

While not scientific, It gives a good general idea of what my mileage was. Keep in mind that I stopped a number of times in places like Williamsburg Va.

I used the car in those local area a lot and that lowered my mileage for those tanks full.

I am impressed with this car as a true highway machine and it is running at 1800 rpm at 65 miles per hour. (Just loafing).

[BoaR]

Ok thanks for the info.

I thought MPG was calculated like this (note i live in canada. all KM here. 1 extra math line):

Total KM x 0.625 = miles

Miles / 18.5gal (tank size) = mpg

going by usually people full tank. set the trip meter. run it to empty and then do the math.

so if you are using half a tank then zero'ing that would mean you are diving your trip meter by 9.25 (half a tank) instead of 18.5 (full tank size).

That would give something like

Miles - mpg

243 = 26.27

203 = 21.94

241 = 26.05

246 = 26.59

277 = 29.94

etc etc

no ? regardless it's still excellent MPG one way or another. but the car is rated at something like 27 pure highway with no mixed driving... find it odd that you could be breaking into the mid 30's

and yes, it's a highway cruiser. all ES's are/were. It's exactly where they shine like the gem they are. makes me want this car all the more! need to keep shopping for a newer one lol

[SW03ES]

On the highway with the cruise set at 75, mine gets 31, 32MPG as per the computer readout.

[BoaR]

Ah well thats great!

guess ill be buying one of the newer ES' for sure. with that kind of milage and today's gas prices... brilliant. :)

[pj8708]

On the highway with the cruise set at 75, mine gets 31, 32MPG as per the computer readout.

S.W., Do you use the average mpg or the immediate/real time reading.

Thanks

[spgull]

I got 30.5 mpg from Naples,Fl to Boston calculated the old fashoned way on my 2008 ES.

[pj8708]

I got 30.5 mpg from Naples,Fl to Boston calculated the old fashoned way on my 2008 ES.

That's great! Were you on Interstate and do you remember how fast you traveled?

Paul

[peteanello]

iPhone has a great app for tracking mileage....called gas cubby

I've been using it for 7,954 miles with my '09 ES350.

I've averaged 22.29 mpg.

Max mpg is 26.98

Min is 17.76

Cost per mile 15 cents

The way you get results like 30-33 mpg, is on a long trip, take a freeway exit, fill up and get right back on the freeway. Driving even a few miles on city streets will prevent those high numbers.

[BoaR]

Popping back in here (thanks for the added info btw pete) I had another question...

I dont drive in the states... im seeing dotted around the forum people posting that the highway limits are 75 or something?? why is everyone setting the cruise at 75? seems kinda low lol.

up here in the north all our highways are 100, and ermm usually they dont even give you a second look for setting the cruise at anything below 120.

I'm wondering if thats why you are blowing these numbers outta the water. heh. would make a huge difference we are not all crusing at the same numbers hmm.

[pj8708]

Popping back in here (thanks for the added info btw pete) I had another question...

I dont drive in the states... im seeing dotted around the forum people posting that the highway limits are 75 or something?? why is everyone setting the cruise at 75? seems kinda low lol.

up here in the north all our highways are 100, and ermm usually they dont even give you a second look for setting the cruise at anything below 120.

I'm wondering if thats why you are blowing these numbers outta the water. heh. would make a huge difference we are not all crusing at the same numbers hmm.

Hope I'm not buttung in, but is that 100 Km or Mph?

Paul

[BoaR]

Doh!

lol it's KM up here. Imma guess you use mph down there? I feel like a tard :P

[pj8708]

Doh!

lol it's KM up here. Imma guess you use mph down there? I feel like a tard :P

What a relief! For a minute there I thought they had moved the Autobahn to Canada.

[SW03ES]

I use the average, but I reset it for the trip. Around town my average is 22 or so, which is still incredible considering I got 17 around town in my '03 ES300

[BoaR]

lol Paul... what a mistake eh? (although if you promise not to tell anyone, there are certain stretches of the road in the quebec/ontario border part that are slightly downhill, straight as an arrow and weed-trimmed. meaning you can see for miles with 0 obstructions.... or cops... ive taken the '98 to speeds over 130(mph) and it still felt like smooth butter, hehe what a cruiser! but shhh eh! )

and SW... ermm im not sure what to say... my 98 right now does on average 17.... you're telling me that in 5 years the mpg stayed the same "real world" numbers? urk..thats terrible.

then we see as the OP posted... 5 years later the milage literally doubles and then some?

holy crap.....im gonna avoid anything under those years for sure if the mpg literally was staying the same. not even worth upgrading to next gen bleh. might as well go current gen instead.

[SW03ES]

Well...MPG isn't the sole reason to upgrade. Its a function of gearing, in '02 they went to a 5 speed transmission from the 4 speed, and in '07 they went to a 6 speed. The extra gear improves fuel economy.

The '02 vs the '98 has the 5 speed, but the '02-06 is heavier than the 98 and is pretty underpowered which I think contributes to poor MPG.

I always joked with my dad, my '03 ES and his '04 LS got the same mileage...but he had a V8.

[spgull]

I got 30.5 mpg from Naples,Fl to Boston calculated the old fashoned way on my 2008 ES.

That's great! Were you on Interstate and do you remember how fast you traveled?

Paul

Traveled 90% interstate ...average speed there was 80 mph.

Steve

[pj8708]

I got 30.5 mpg from Naples,Fl to Boston calculated the old fashoned way on my 2008 ES.

That's great! Were you on Interstate and do you remember how fast you traveled?

Paul

Traveled 90% interstate ...average speed there was 80 mph.

Steve

80 miles an hour average you say. So, that means you were going 90' MPH at times as well as 70' some times. You must have gone up I-95, I think everyone drives 90' on that road. LOL Thanks for the info.

Paul

[BoaR]

Eh i guess SW, bunch of deciding factors.

Thing is, although im very happy with the 98 now, and es generally - i can see why i would want to upgrade to the next gen. bells and whistles, better interiour blah blah... but at the same time that mpg has to go up too. and not by a point or two. Look, i can admit that when i lead foot as with any car the mpg suffers drastically. worst on older cars like the 98. and flip side when i take it easy and drive eco like my life depends on it, i can squeek vastly better numbers out of the old car.

If the real world tests show that it tosses a point above what im getting currently... value wise it's really not worth the upgrade. to what end? getting more wood trim ya know? lol

coming full circle to the original topic though, with all this being discussed... you all are generally confirming that upper 30's is readily obtainable with the more current gens... well that is the kinda music im wanting to hear. i get better overall car in the shape of trim, config, quality and the major bonus of huge mpg ratings. I appreciate all the cool info you all posted so far. as it actually is guiding my next purchase decision hehe.

As for the LS, it's a beast in all of it's own. pound for pound what it's packing it's a shining example of just how much car you can get ans still attain more than decent numbers. I actually saw a guy driving the premium '10 600h today. I waved to him as I merged but he kinda snobbed me to be truthfull bleh lol. it's pretty ghetto of him tbh, but i guess if you are dropping over 130k on a car you can do whatever you want meh. and it wasnt even a company/rental, standard owner plate on it sigh.

While im dreaming i might as well wish for my 98 to get 50mpg eh lol

[SW03ES]

Have you driven an 02-06? IMHO its a huge upgrade from the 97-01, fuel economy aside. If fuel economy is one of your primary concerns, this really isn't the right car...

[BoaR]

lol ive driven a 03 yes. Im not wishing to get a magical huge number off a massive heavy long sedan... im a realist hehe. i can see that this isnt a yaris or something. but if im looking overall as i described in my last post, if it's inking out 1mpg more only.. meh... im gonna save a few more pennies and just get a this gen instead.

I know that the upgrade would be good, but the newest gen would be even better ;)

[SW03ES]

But if you look at it from a cost benefit analysis the lower price of the 02-06 is going to outweigh any fuel savings from the better economy of the 350...

If MPG is really important to you, you might want to look at an HS...or the new hybrid Lincoln MKZ