Mileage Range

[New UX 250 Owner]

Hello out there.  I just purchased a 2021 UX250 AWD.  I bought this car for my wife thinking it would be a commuter car.  This is my first experience with a Lexus as well as a hybrid and I am not experiencing the benefits of high mileage as I had expected.  According to the car's calculations, I am getting roughly 35-36 mph which is expected given I've been mostly highway driving thus far.  However, the math does not seem to work out in terms of a full tanks range.  After fill up and top off, the range has been roughly 370 to 390 miles.  After driving for a quarter's tank worth, the miles traveled plus remaining range miles equals close to the beginning range.  However, after traveling approximately 150 miles, I have a bit more than a half tank left and the range states there is about 150 miles left.  Thinking there is an issue, I took to Dealer Service Department where the Service Writer agreed this does not seem right.  They kept the car for two days and called me to pick up the car and the car is working as it should.  They never addressed the issue of the range and/or gas mileage and said there is nothing wrong.  I don't believe the question is whether the car is operating correctly, I just want to understand why the gas mileage is not what I expected.  We do like the car, but there is something I am missing here.  Any advice?  Oh yeah, the Service Writer did say it may be due to the way I drive, highway driving is less than city driving, and with the accessories the mileage would be different.  I guess to get the mileage I expect I have to drive at less than 30 mph, daytime only, with no radio and air conditioning.  I will also need to always driving downhill with a stiff tailwind.  I want to keep liking the car, but it is getting more and more difficult.

Fyi...One of the salesman's pitch was that the car can make it to Los Angeles on one tank (that's about 350 miles from where we live).  I called him and told him I would bet him $10K, and give him additional odds if I fill it up and he drive there right away.  He wouldn't take the bet and said he was talking about his Camry.  There you go, he's going to tell me he was pumping up his Camry's mileage while selling me this Lexus.  Yeah right.  

Is it possible the electric motor is not contributing as it should?  Hybrid batts?

[Lexus Owners Club]

Hi Barry.....welcome to the Club

Firstly, most fuel mileage claims by manufacturers are vastly outlandish and have been proven to be fixed.
A few years ago pretty much all the major vehicle manufacturers were caught with their pants down when it came to true mileage claims from a tank of fuel.
However, when it comes to the most recent vehicles then there is now a transparency with claimed mileage and economy.
Two things that are inherent with Hybrids is that you are constantly carrying the weight of the batteries no matter how full or empty they are the weight will not change, unlike a tank of fuel.
Also, the Hybrid does need to regenerate so constant freeway driving for example would not lead to topping the batteries unlike driving around town.

Maybe it is worth trying different roads with more bends and stop junctions at a moderate speed to see what difference it makes to the range.
Let us know what you find

[libertas]

So your model is actually UX250H, not UX250?  You have the hybrid, right?  You see an "H" after the 250 on the model and on the car itself on the side of the car the word "hybrid?"

 

If so, this is a timely topic for me.  We have a 5 week old 250H (2021) and the first 3 times I got gas I got 39 MPG.

 

Yesterday it dropped to 35, no change in driving, same type of driving.  I did notice the "eco" was off, so I put it on and what I dont know is if it was on when I was getting 39.

 

So I am waiting to see what happens, I am also wondering what "drive pulse" numbers mean.  I did a whole thread about it here because they are confusing.  If anyone knows please go here 

 

 

[Randy Belkin]

Hi- I bought my UX250H in April this year. I am averaging 41.8 miles per gallon. I drive 90% on highways and I would estimate 30 % of my time in highway  is stop and go traffic (Chicago peak hours😔).

I can’t speak to your driving style, type of traffic u drive in etc, but keep these two things in mind:

1) the range indicator that u see is based of how u drive. I have seen many times the range will go up as u drive. This is simply a mat the car does base n fuel consumption in the last few miles u drove. 

2) That said, gas mileage on this car and any hybrid car for that matter varies based on how u drive. Chicago doesn’t have curvy roads, but the highways do have ups and downs. So, what I do is accelerate on the down hill and let my foot off the gas pedal when I am on uphill as much as possible and accelerate just to keep the car moving at the speed I want. I hear this is called momentum driving, and what it basically means is u use the car’s momentum as much as possible and minimize engine acceleration.  

if after doing all this, ur car gives poor mileage, then I agree that’s is an issue with the vehicle. 
 

hope this helps
 

 

[oilerlord]

After years driving a 2012 Jetta TDI wagon, and a Mercedes B250 electric, I decided to get a UX250h for the best of both worlds.  I've found the Lexus to be a great car, though I'll stipulate that it won't average 50MPG like my diesel used to.  Yes, I know how to hypermile, and squeeze the most miles out of a tank of fuel.  

I am a bit disappointed that I'm averaging around 42MPH in mixed driving, but hey - still good enough.  

 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by oilerlord

[libertas]

I dont get it.  35-36 MPG here for our UX250H.  Sure it is better on the freeway but it appears most others are getting better mileage than I am.

 

 

[RX400h]

4 hours ago, oilerlord said:

After years driving a 2012 Jetta TDI wagon, and a Mercedes B250 electric, I decided to get a UX250h for the best of both worlds.  I've found the Lexus to be a great car, though I'll stipulate that it won't average 50MPG like my diesel used to.  Yes, I know how to hypermile, and squeeze the most miles out of a tank of fuel.  

I am a bit disappointed that I'm averaging around 42MPH in mixed driving, but hey - still good enough.  

 

 

Of course, the mileage for German diesel vehicles was at the expense of very high (polluting) emissions. Once the software was changed so that diesel particulate emissions were legal, fuel mileage took a big hit.

[oilerlord]

18 hours ago, RX400h said:

Of course, the mileage for German diesel vehicles was at the expense of very high (polluting) emissions. Once the software was changed so that diesel particulate emissions were legal, fuel mileage took a big hit.

In terms of "dieselgate", vehicles - Mother Nature didn't know that she was (again) being stripped of her finite natural resources to replace them.  We love flooding the planet with cars don't we?  This makes her sad. 

[libertas]

Yeah, trying to keep the environment alive here also, probably should have gone all electric.  But the charging system worried me, the install, having had some electrical issues at my house in the past.  My brand new house practically, sigh.

 

 

[oilerlord]

Been there, done that with going 100% electric.  A properly installed EVSE will give no issues.  From experience, EV's suck if you live in part of the world that experiences winter.  I'll take my fossil fuel vehicle over an electric car any day of the week October thru March.  Was just hoping the UX would use a bit less of it than it does.