Mpg Fiction Is 300

asharb123 · March 23, 2015

I agree about the M Sport suspension. I had a 330i Sport as a loan car absolute blast for the first part of the day and then a pain in the back for the rest. It was so fidgety on roads that weren't smooth. From what I've driven so far, BMW's of today except for 3 series don't feel as good as the old ones. You were connected to the road and handled as though they were on rails, you could feel the grip through the seat of your pants. My favourite is still the E32 735i which was the first big BMW I drove. I could not believe how agile this was for its size. It felt more nimble than the 3 series.

Having read all the comments, I will try and get hold of an IS300 for longer.

rayaans · March 23, 2015

The adaptive dampers may be something you're interested in as they do make a noticeable difference to the ride.

splatty · March 26, 2015

Well I came from an Audi 2.0T and I used to get about 340 miles from a tank at an average of 28-30mpg depending on time of year. I do a 10 mile commute each day in slow moving traffic, with the occasional motorway run for a meeting.

My IS300h is three weeks old and looks as though it will manage 4 weeks from it's first tank. The average (according to the car ) is 43.8mpg at the minute and whilst I know this isn't accurate, the big point is that it looks like I will get between 525 and 550 miles out of the tank.

So less tax, and about 200 miles more per tank at a cold time of year. I am more than happy.

LexusCT200H · March 26, 2015

It does depend on the way you drive the car. Heres an example, my Toyota Auris (sold yesterday :() 1.3 engine has official lab tested 48 MPG, by the manufacures. However I would get 63 MPG (brim to brim figures) and the computer would show 55 MPG at about 70 MPH on motorway. I'm not entirely sure how I was getting that excellent fuel economy from such a car. I also dont drive slowly, I like to push it to its limits. Either it depends on the driver and how you drive it or the cars one of a kind.

ianb220 · March 26, 2015

I've had my IS300h F Sport for 6 months now and covered 10,000 miles on a variety of journeys including a few long motorway journeys. The best I've had is about 47.5mpg average on a tank full. Usually more like 44 on my regular daily commutes. And that's being careful. I specifically asked what I could expect when i was ordering it and was told 52 to 54 easily.

As it turns out I'm only getting the same as my last diesel car.

I have asked the same question on here about how to get over 50mpg and received various answers about warmer weather, stay out of the "power" band etc. if I wanted to drive slowly to save fuel I'd have bought a slower car.

However, as has been said before, it's pretty good for a 2.5 petrol and is lovely to drive.

Roscobbc · March 27, 2015

The average economy figures of my IS300H are similar to what others have reported here - after 12000 miles I have noticed that there is a 'sweet' spot correlation in terms of speed/type of road/economy - I believe this to be 50 mph maximum.

My Inner city mpg (London) will average about the 42/44 figure. Suburban driving (outer London) will average slightly more, up to 48 mpg, perhaps a little more if keeping speed well down below 50 mph. Motorway trips at 'real' 70 mph (indicated 76 mph) are much the same as inner city, although backing off on gas pedal to indicated 60 mph or so will bring the indicated average economy up over 50 mpg.

I did an experiment today. On a trip back from our works to home (50 miles) today on a fairly clear 'A' road (leading to M25) I set cruise at an indicted 50/60mph on single track road and 70mph on latter part which was dual carriageway. First part of journey, (say 25 miles) on single track road and driving 'leisurely' indicated mpg crept up to 54 mpg and looked to improve had the journey been longer. Went on to dual carriageway at indicated 70mph and had the road been perfectly flat I'm sure the mpg figure just attained would have remained static but as soon as even slight hills were encountered mpg fell and adveraged just under 50mpg. A downward hill would bring it back up again a few mpg. Bottom line was that averge mpg for whole journey was 48 mpg. Had I the patience to have done the journey at, say an indicated 50mph on all sections I'm sure the 'sweet' spot mpg would have been 54/56 mpg.

CT200. Whilst my 300 was 'in' at main dealers several times having audio issues sorted the 'loaner' provided was a CT200. Yes it certainly is an inferior car compared with IS and very 'wooden' in comparison with a poor ride on most roads except motorways where it was more refined and far quieter than on urban roads. Considering the price difference between the least expensive IS version (Executive at £30K list) and the equivalent spec' CT model there is 'no contest' in deciding to pay the small premium for the IS300 with its far greater comfort and performance. Whilst the IS300 does have very good comfort and compliant handling one needs to be 'aware' of the weight and bulk of the vehicle. Whilst I am very satisfied with the overall package it does not have the tactile handling balance of my last vehicle (BMW 120D Sport auto)

ganzoom · March 27, 2015

So my wife has been using the IS last week...Her average mpg is 40!! I took it out yesterday, struggled to get below 50....Maybe I do drive like a pensioner these days(no offence intended) :)

Dustcap · March 27, 2015

Having now owned my F Sport for 3 weeks, am not sure how you guys drive, but I am sitting on the 35mpg.

I am not a slow driver. On motorway I will sit at 85mph as this is the threshold of the speed cameras up the M1 (at least that's my finding).

A road, I don't hang about....

BUT, my last car, Alfa Spider 2.0l would not get about 25mpg. So for me, 35 mpg is great. :)

DC

rayaans · March 27, 2015

Having now owned my F Sport for 3 weeks, am not sure how you guys drive, but I am sitting on the 35mpg.

I am not a slow driver. On motorway I will sit at 85mph as this is the threshold of the speed cameras up the M1 (at least that's my finding).

A road, I don't hang about....

BUT, my last car, Alfa Spider 2.0l would not get about 25mpg. So for me, 35 mpg is great. :)

DC

Do you do alot of small journeys around 2 miles each way?

ganzoom · March 27, 2015

Clearly I'm driving too slowly....may be that's why I'm about to sell my 380bhp BMW for a Nissan Leaf :)

Roscobbc · March 27, 2015

Having now owned my F Sport for 3 weeks, am not sure how you guys drive, but I am sitting on the 35mpg.

I am not a slow driver. On motorway I will sit at 85mph as this is the threshold of the speed cameras up the M1 (at least that's my finding).

A road, I don't hang about....

BUT, my last car, Alfa Spider 2.0l would not get about 25mpg. So for me, 35 mpg is great. :)

DC

The same journey travelled in my earlier posting where I noted 'best' economy figures was done a couple of weeks ago in a 'hurry' at similar speeds to yours - economy dropped to 38 mpg. Bottom line is - whatever the vehicle, if you travel faster then fuel economy reduces - exponentially with some vehicles!

Scoops · March 27, 2015

Going back to the original post, the purposes of the economy figures given for cars isn't to reflect the actual expected fuel consumption of a vehicle (even though the manufacturers use it naughtily) but it is to allow comparison between vehicles which are tested in the same way. I know that is a subtle point but really, complaining about not getting the figures quoted is a bit pointless.

Having said that, as the last poster states, no manufacturer can actually overcome the laws of physics yet so as much as I would like to get the quoted figures, I don't expect it!!

dave1 · March 28, 2015

It does depend on the way you drive the car. Heres an example, my Toyota Auris (sold yesterday :() 1.3 engine has official lab tested 48 MPG, by the manufacures. However I would get 63 MPG (brim to brim figures) and the computer would show 55 MPG at about 70 MPH on motorway. I'm not entirely sure how I was getting that excellent fuel economy from such a car. I also dont drive slowly, I like to push it to its limits. Either it depends on the driver and how you drive it or the cars one of a kind.

My wife owned a Persona 1.8Sri (Mitsubishi 1834cc DOHC engine/drivetrain) from new for 13 years and it regularly returned mid 40's mpg.....even when I drove it. Figures are brim fill figures. A lot depends on how they are driven from new, including acceleration and top speed. We certainly seem to get better figures on the cars we have had from new and we certainly don't hang about.

Zotto · March 28, 2015

The main mistake about driving a Hybrid car to achieve the best fuel spare is to try to keep the EV mode; best mileage is achieved with with pulse & glide technique, and trying to keep the charge of electric Battery at about 6 bars.

Anyway, if you use electric power too much you will need to charge it later with Thermal engine, and this means more fuel wasting.

rayaans · March 28, 2015

The main mistake about driving a Hybrid car to achieve the best fuel spare is to try to keep the EV mode; best mileage is achieved with with pulse & glide technique, and trying to keep the charge of electric battery at about 6 bars.

Anyway, if you use electric power too much you will need to charge it later with Thermal engine, and this means more fuel wasting.

And keeping momentum through turns and down hills to pull you up the other side. Ive found going faster around roundabouts and down hills definitely helps the MPG

Rabbers · March 28, 2015

Contributors to this Forum who, like myself, came to the 300h from a previous-generation 250 have reported a halving

of their fuel consumption and thus an approximate doubling of their tank range. Therefore, while drivers coming to the

300h from a diesel will clearly be less impressed, it still surprises me that they could ever be disappointed unless, of

course, they mistook Lexus' declared consumption figures as having a bearing on reality rather than simply permitting,

as Scoops says, a comparison with other cars from other manufacturers tested with the same parameters, this being

the limit of their usefulness.

In my view individual owners should decide what level of consumption they consider satisfactory and realistic according

to their own driving style and mix and then set themselves the objective of habitually achieving or getting close to it. My

own experience is that, with perseverance and when circumstances permit, you can achieve figures you originally thought

unlikely. Some weeks ago (see Tank Range Targets, started 8 February), I posted the results of a first successful attempt

at not allowing the combined Range and Trip distances after filling up, once reached, to fall below 1000km before the low-

fuel warning light comes on again. Success would mean that you have consumed something like 56 litres (=12.3 gals) at

a rate approaching 18 km/l (=50.8mpg) and still have 10 liters (=2.2 gals) left in the tank. One day I hope to be able to

achieve this as a matter of course, but have so far managed it only three times out of six completed attempts. To my

credit, though, I have not once fallen below 950km, and this is a figure with which I would once have been more than

pleased.

Since I have not changed the driving style I adopted, not always successfully, when I first had the 300h (i.e. try to drive

smoothly, brake gently, think ahead, use cruise control when appropriate etc., etc.), I can only attribute my growing

success at the 1000km game to a reduction of the margins by which I formerly exceeded speed limits. In other words.

having acknowledged that I will never rid myself of the habit of exceeding them whenever I think I can do so with

impunity, I now consciously try not to exaggerate. For example, where I once might have driven at 70kmh+ in a 50kmh

zone, I now aim for 60kmh or thereabouts, and, of course, it is proportionately less of a problem to keep closer to a

90kmh limit where I customarily once did maybe 110kmh+. Both scenarios yield considerable benefits in terms of

overall consumption with the result that, in order not to completely wipe them out by exceeding the 130kmh motorway

limit for significant stretches as I usually did, I now tend to stay within or close to it. In short, while the 1000km game

is certainly motivating me to drive less fast (and maybe a little less dangerously) than before, this does not necessarily

mean that I have taken to driving abnormally or irritatingly slowly, and I am enjoying the 300h as much as I ever did.

Scoops · April 17, 2015

Filled up this morning and reset the trip. Crawled the 42 miles as shown on the clock through variable speed limits and 40 mph average speed section and got the following. Kept it around 65 although it wasn't really possible to go any faster than that due to the traffic!