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2019 qx50 mpg

15K views 30 replies 16 participants last post by  Radar700 
#1 ·
What is your MPG so far. I have 400 miles on my QX50 and is averaging 21 MPG. This is lot less than what Infinity claims 24/30. So far all miles are city driven.
Is there a break-in period for this SUV? Of course I am using premium fuel with 93 Octane.
 
#4 ·
SO I've only had my QX50 Essential for about a week. This is my third Infiniti, having previously had 2 M37x's. While I am impressed in many ways, so far I'm very unimpressed with the gas mileage. I had expected something around 25 mpg in combined driving as they promote, but I'm seeing around 20. I'm surprised others are not commenting a lot on this, or is my experience, and that of you other 3 commenters so far, really unique? Hard to believe.
 
#8 ·
Updating my earlier post now that I've had 500 more miles on the car.....I see I can easily get low-mid 20's mpg on local driving and 30 mpg on the highway if I'm conservative with my driving. However, go up the slightest hill, or accelerate or drive at higher speeds (like 70 mph or more), and the numbers certainly take a hit. In general, real world I'm seeing about 21-22 mpg locally and 27-28 on the highway. Not what they promised, but not bad imo, so I'm content with it.
 
#9 ·
2019 qx50 gas mileage

After reading all the responses, remember that Canadian (imperial) gallons are 20% larger than American gallons. I live in Canada and get 9 litres per 100 kilometers, or 31 mpg per imperial gallon (or approx. 25mpg per American gallon) Mostly highway driving in standard mode. I don't have an explanation for mileage in the 21mpg range, unless the sport mode is being used a fair amount.

Hope this helps.
 
#10 ·
QX50 gas mileage

I just spoke to my salesman yesterday about this! He said you have to run premium gas, have to drive at posted speed limit, told me to turn off the engine brake and it will get better.
I was also informed the the ECO mode should be used under 50mph. On the highway the ECO mode will use more gas since it shuts off half the cylinders and the vehicle will struggle to keep speed. Run in standard mode. This DID NOT come from anyone at Infiniti. My old Q50 would shut the ECO mode if you used the cruise control.
 
#11 ·
Ummm, Twam911....well, where to start. Of course you have to use premium gas as recommended for the vehicle, driving the speed limit is irrelevant to mileage although driving at slow speeds (local or highway speed) gets better mileage than driving at higher speeds, and well, I'm not sure what an "engine brake" is if not the brake pedal, but I imaging it is a good idea to not have it on when driving.












And yes, Eco mode should give better mileage at any speed (above or below 50, I think) as it is intended to do, but at a sacrifice in performance. In any case, as I reported above, I get around 21 locally and high twenties or more on the highways IF I drive conservatively and am on flat roads. Anything else hits my mileage numbers....fast acceleration, going up hills, using sport mode.
 
#12 ·
I bought the QX50 about a month ago and took my first highway trip this past weekend and I am greatly disappointed in the mpg. I drove about 230 miles of which 90% of the trip was highway and I only got 23mpg with an average speed of 75mph. I had the tranny is standard mode the whole time. I don't even want to talk about the worthless ECO mode.



Guys, do we have an issue here? Are we being sold smoke and mirrors?
 
#14 ·
I get around 20 mpg per my tracking on Fuelly, about 60/40 city/hwy. So far off of the EPA estimates - considerably more off than any other vehicle I've owned. What's worse is the tiny 16 gallon gas tank, which makes it feel like I'm filling up constantly. I don't drive many miles, about 1k/month.

Consumer Reports had an article a couple months back about how the 2019 QX50 was a severe outlier in the EPA vs. real world discrepancy.

From the article:
"That’s why it’s so striking to have a 4-mpg difference between CR’s results and Infiniti’s stated mileage values, Fisher says, adding that CR hasn’t seen as large a discrepancy in several years."

I feel duped. Nissan/Infiniti needs to be sued and owners/lessees compensated for the difference. Hyundai had to do this in the past.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Better Than You Think!

Like most of you, I have complained about the mpg of my new 2019 QX50 Essential Sensory being so far off from the promiseof the EPA’s 24/30, combined 26 mpg ratings. The Consumer Report study some of you cite says those numbers are inflated by 15%, using their track simulations test process. But what should I expect to get in the real world? Some facts:

What is the EPA test? Their web site says:

“The "city" program is designed to replicate an urban rush-hour driving experience in which the vehicle is started with the engine cold and is driven in stop-and-go traffic with frequent idling. The car or truck is driven for 11 miles and makes 23 stops over the course of 31 minutes, with an average speed of 20 mph and a top speed of 56mph. The "highway" program, on the other hand, is created to emulate rural and interstate freeway driving with a warmed-up engine, making no stops(both of which ensure maximum fuel economy). The vehicle is driven for 10 milesover a period of 12.5 minutes with an average speed of 48 mph and a top speedof 60 mph. Both fuel economy tests are performed with the vehicle's airconditioning and other accessories turned off.” It further says the combined rating is the weighted average of 55% cityand 45% highway.

I must say that my “city” driving is not that slow/stop and go, so the typical 22 mpg I get is maybe not so comparable (although it is far far better than the CR report’s 15 mpg measurement!!) A better test for me is my recent extended highway trip. I went 250 miles with cruise control on 65 mph in one direction, and then returned doing 75 mph in the other. The trip included going over a 3000 ft mountain and foothills, so not a flat ride for about a third of the trip. And the air conditioner was on. On the first leg I got 29.8 mpg, and on the return I got 26.1, as measure by the car. When I did the actual calculation, it was actually 7-9% lower (another disappointment, but that’s another story) at 28mpg (9% below the predicted 30) and 25 (17% below 30).

BUT…

I then researched the effect of speed on mpg. I found several studies saying that versus driving at 50 mph (the EPA’s test speed), driving at 60 mph decreases mpg by 3-7%, 65 decreases it by 8-15%, 70 by 17-24%, 75 by 23-34%, and 80 by 28-42%. A lot. My experience was at the low end of or below those ranges.

Then I compared the QX50 EPA ratings to those of 6 competitors: Audi Q5, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLC300, Lexus NX300 and BMW X3. All had ratings a good 8-12% worse than the QX50, and presumably they too actually perform a least a bit below their ratings (CR says so, too). And of course they should be similarly impacted by driving speed. But my actually performance was about what their ratings are even though I was driving a lot faster!

My conclusion is that the QX50 indeed delivering on the EPA mpg ratings promise when you include the impact of speed, and it is doing at least a bit better than its competition. Now if I could just get myself to drive as slowly as those EPA tests!! Meanwhile, I will quit complaining now.
 
#19 ·
Like most of you, I have complained about the mpg of my new 2019 QX50 Essential Sensory being so far off from the promiseof the EPA’s 24/30, combined 26 mpg ratings. The Consumer Report study some of you cite says those numbers are inflated by 15%, using their track simulations test process. But what should I expect to get in the real world? Some facts:

What is the EPA test? Their web site says:

“The "city" program is designed to replicate an urban rush-hour driving experience in which the vehicle is started with the engine cold and is driven in stop-and-go traffic with frequent idling. The car or truck is driven for 11 miles and makes 23 stops over the course of 31 minutes, with an average speed of 20 mph and a top speed of 56mph. The "highway" program, on the other hand, is created to emulate rural and interstate freeway driving with a warmed-up engine, making no stops(both of which ensure maximum fuel economy). The vehicle is driven for 10 milesover a period of 12.5 minutes with an average speed of 48 mph and a top speedof 60 mph. Both fuel economy tests are performed with the vehicle's airconditioning and other accessories turned off.” It further says the combined rating is the weighted average of 55% cityand 45% highway.

I must say that my “city” driving is not that slow/stop and go, so the typical 22 mpg I get is maybe not so comparable (although it is far far better than the CR report’s 15 mpg measurement!!) A better test for me is my recent extended highway trip. I went 250 miles with cruise control on 65 mph in one direction, and then returned doing 75 mph in the other. The trip included going over a 3000 ft mountain and foothills, so not a flat ride for about a third of the trip. And the air conditioner was on. On the first leg I got 29.8 mpg, and on the return I got 26.1, as measure by the car. When I did the actual calculation, it was actually 7-9% lower (another disappointment, but that’s another story) at 28mpg (9% below the predicted 30) and 25 (17% below 30).

BUT…

I then researched the effect of speed on mpg. I found several studies saying that versus driving at 50 mph (the EPA’s test speed), driving at 60 mph decreases mpg by 3-7%, 65 decreases it by 8-15%, 70 by 17-24%, 75 by 23-34%, and 80 by 28-42%. A lot. My experience was at the low end of or below those ranges.

Then I compared the QX50 EPA ratings to those of 6 competitors: Audi Q5, Acura RDX, Volvo XC60, Mercedes GLC300, Lexus NX300 and BMW X3. All had ratings a good 8-12% worse than the QX50, and presumably they too actually perform a least a bit below their ratings (CR says so, too). And of course they should be similarly impacted by driving speed. But my actually performance was about what their ratings are even though I was driving a lot faster!

My conclusion is that the QX50 indeed delivering on the EPA mpg ratings promise when you include the impact of speed, and it is doing at least a bit better than its competition. Now if I could just get myself to drive as slowly as those EPA tests!! Meanwhile, I will quit complaining now.

You work for Nissan/Infiniti right? JK....:)
 
#24 ·
Updating my "Better Than You Think" post, I found a MotorTrend web site that attempts to measure real world MPG for many models. https://www.motortrend.com/real-mpg/ It shows the QX50 getting 21 mpg city, and 29.7 hwy, vs 24 and 30 per the EPA. So yes, again, it is getting less than the EPA prediction at the city end and very close at hwy conditions. Of the competitors I listed in my previous email, only the Acura RDX and Volvo XC60 are rated for 2019. Both get close to their EPA ratings for city driving and a bit better on the hwy numbers. HOWEVER, the actual performance of both is slightly lower than the QX50 at city speeds, and about the same at hwy speeds (ok, RDX is a little lower at hwy speed and XC60 slightly better). So I again conclude that while the QX50 doesn't meet its EPA predictions, it is generally about as good or better than its competition.
 
#25 ·
2019 QX50 and I’ve found that I get the MPG that the manufacturer stated. Since I’ve purchased the car, I’ve driven 15,000 miles. I average 26.5-26.8 mpg and I definitely don’t drive like a grandma. Always over the speed limit, always passing people and going 90+ on the freeways and still get what the manufacturer stated. It took awhile to get use to the car but I believe I learned how to drive the vehicle as it was designed, which I’ll admit is a bit of a learning curve.

All I can say is a vehicle with variable gearing, variable compression engine and varying levels of turbo all mixed together, you have to drive as variable as the car is designed. Leave your dash on the Variable Compression screen and you can learn how the car behaves at different levels of compression and boost.
 
#26 ·
Hi all,
For what it's worth (data point, maybe) my 2016 QX50 mileage is HIGHLY dependent upon how I drive it. I have never owned a vehicle that is so true to "your city mileage may be lower".
When I go on road trips, I can pull 28 mpg. Granted, I live in TX and the roads tend to be long, flat and straight. When I drive around town, on trips long enough to at least warm up the engine, I get 18 mpg.
"Average Fuel Economy" for me runs around 21-22 mpg, give my mix of driving.
 
#27 ·
Good afternoon all ! I am a new member and just picked up my 2019 QX50 yesterday morning. It has 20,000kms. on it or around 12,00 miles. Yes I am in Canada. LOL. So my fuel economy readout said 26.5 on it. Now I found you can go to another screen which shows the driving/mileage history of the vehicle. Well to my surprise, the average mileage for the whole year was 20 ish at best. So...... I sure hope the dealership isn't resetting them and driving the cars a few blocks to recalibrate the readout and then stop the vehicle when it reaches 26.5 and put it back on the lot. Interesting perspective, I think. Let's all face the facts, how many of us have bought a vehicle and had it deliver the exact mileage or better than the manufacturer had advertised ? Well....maybe if it was a 69 Roadrunner with a Hemi !!! I will fill my tank soon and do my own calculations and report back. But I must say for only having it for two days, the fuel needle is dropping like Biden's popularity !! Enjoy the great weather and the weekend !
 
#28 ·
I believe they do a sort of factory reset when prepping a car for sale. I’m sure it’s mostly to wipe out old owners settings like their stored addresses, etc. Mine was around 22mpg when I first got the car and now it’s slowly climbed to 26.3-26.5 mpg. One thing that’s interesting is that a full tank when the car was new would read approx 420 miles and now when I fill up, it says about 375 even though my MPG has risen over time.
 
#29 ·
Yes......that is odd for sure. I reset my mpg and it looks like it has come back to around 26 mpg but I still feel that the gauge moves a bit every time I drive it. I know that sounds silly because of course it moves, but a little more than I would think it should for a vehicle getting 26 mpg. As stated earlier, I will fill the tank and do my own calculations and report back. Enjoy the rest of the weekend !!
 
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