Mpg 220d Se Mm

[Monsterped]

Interested to read the continuing saga of sh*tty fuel economy on an IS220d.

As written up else where I've had 4 sets of injectors, 5th injector twice, numerous remaps, common rail, bleed down valve swapped etc and once completed the car runs much better... however...

Two weeks after the 40K service at Lexus it now has to go back to investigate intermittent rough running, poor throttle response from idle and, you guessed it, cack fuel economy. Since the service I've seen the calculated average (as opposed to the on board computer) drop from a reasonably consistent 42mpg ish to struggling to make 37mpg. No change in driving style. Given the miles I do, it's unacceptable from a cost perspective

More than anything, I'm sick and tired of having a car that only seems to run properly for limited periods, in 42k miles I'd say Ive had only about 13k when I think it has run acceptably. Yes it's a great looking car, it's well built (apart from the dashboard creaks), it's comfortable but boy, does the deisel engine suck...

[Gunther]

It's gone. Slightly sad on Friday, but hey, life does go on.

I didn't buy the BMW for economy really. I do 12000 miles a year, and went to buy a 320i Auto. They are in some demand, and I would have to order a new one only, with options I wanted it would have been £££. So bought nearly new one they had in Groups stocks and good deal.

[Haf]

I couldn't resist the temptation to add my input as I am currently hacked off with my 220D mpg. The annoying thing for me is that i have had 3 services in the last 12-18months and each time the car coms back and gives worse mpg. A couple of years a go i was getting high 40's (50 mile round trip on mostly A roads) then I had a service and started getting mid 40's, then at next service it was low 40's and now after 70k service I am barely getting 40 and its the same route with same driving style. What happened to diesels getting better with age?

Anyway the car's lease is just coming up so I am not going to go with the hassle of complaining to lexus and being without the car so will live with it for next 6 weeks till my A5 turns up.

The main difference i saw between bmw/audi/lexus was that the bmw/audi seem to give close to their advertised mpg with 'normal' driving whereas the 220d gets there with really really careful driving and minimal acceleration/braking.

[GJD]

just add my feedback for what it is worth......

have driven nearly 700 miles in the last 2 days.

1st tank full - got my first ever 600 mile trip on a tank, average 47.5mpg, that included some town and motorway driving in heavy traffic

2nd tank - 120miles, 48.1mpg, mainly motorway

both above I wasn't particularly driving like an old woman, around 75mph on motorways in 6th gear and a fair amount of acceleration when muppets try and be clever when you are on cruise control

about my best ever trip above, so I, for 1, cannot complain at the moment......

[stewiegriffin]

Interested to read the continuing saga of sh*tty fuel economy on an IS220d.

As written up else where I've had 4 sets of injectors, 5th injector twice, numerous remaps, common rail, bleed down valve swapped etc and once completed the car runs much better... however...

Two weeks after the 40K service at Lexus it now has to go back to investigate intermittent rough running, poor throttle response from idle and, you guessed it, cack fuel economy. Since the service I've seen the calculated average (as opposed to the on board computer) drop from a reasonably consistent 42mpg ish to struggling to make 37mpg. No change in driving style. Given the miles I do, it's unacceptable from a cost perspective

More than anything, I'm sick and tired of having a car that only seems to run properly for limited periods, in 42k miles I'd say Ive had only about 13k when I think it has run acceptably. Yes it's a great looking car, it's well built (apart from the dashboard creaks), it's comfortable but boy, does the deisel engine suck...

I agree, this is a saga & seems to be stirring up a bit of ill feeling between the "I get crap mpg" camp & the "we don't - so it must be the way you drive" camp.

I think you sum it up well & I have had exactly the same experience as you, my mpg is 35ish now but dropped from the same 42 mpg which I was happy to accept given the general good points of the car.

It is clear that there is an issue with a lot of IS diesels which, judging by the response I got from the service consultant at the last service & which seemed well used, Lexus are aware of it. They do not seem either able or willing to seriously tackle it. That is my gripe. I don't need a lecture on driving. I don't want to be a hypermiler. I just want to drive "normally" & get reasonable fuel consumption. Then I will be :)

[Gunther]

Well, Interesting.

Today, I have to post here again, not to tell you the the new car is good (may be a little below) as the cars are so different, but to support some peoples that there is something wrong with some of the 220d and on motorway only runs at 70mph it must give more than 50mpg every time. My Lexus had covered 26000 miles, I was 2nd buyer. I bought in June 07, 3000 miles on clock. Car owned before by a lexus garage. MPG was always 38-45mpg, sometimes better and some worse. But. As miles were increasing, it is getting more harder to get same mileages. I don't know if it was my driving style. I don't know. But car had 5th injector and no changes. I don't care too much about economy and mileage, but now I have become a little more interested.

So far I have driven BMW in Auto mode only. I am running in. So I don't hold manually gears into 3500RPM and above to keep engine happy. I have travelled 247 miles today into Aberdeenshire this morning to see my aunt, motorways and A roads and can tell you that the Mileage is showing 56.3mpg on the BMWOBC, which is reading over by 3% on fillup last night. Average at pump was 49.2 mpg on first tank full. I have driven normally and not been easy or hard, but car is giving really 53-4mpg. So, new car, tight engines, bearings, gearbox. BMW say on Extra urban, I can see 55.4mpg, and I can almost already. Not trying hard or avoid braking. In town only I think it will be heavy on diesel because of auto. With 220d, I had to concentrate very very hard to get more than 45mpg. After running in, it might be 55+ mpg with new car. I am now beginning to understand why BMW diesel are everywhere but people with 35mpg may have something bad with their cars.

I hear someplace that new a newer Lexus diesel is coming, anybody drive one yet?

[Monsterped]

I agree, this is a saga & seems to be stirring up a bit of ill feeling between the "I get crap mpg" camp & the "we don't - so it must be the way you drive" camp.

I think you sum it up well & I have had exactly the same experience as you, my mpg is 35ish now but dropped from the same 42 mpg which I was happy to accept given the general good points of the car.

It is clear that there is an issue with a lot of IS diesels which, judging by the response I got from the service consultant at the last service & which seemed well used, Lexus are aware of it. They do not seem either able or willing to seriously tackle it. That is my gripe. I don't need a lecture on driving. I don't want to be a hypermiler. I just want to drive "normally" & get reasonable fuel consumption. Then I will be :)

Well since my last post Lexus have had the car back for diagnostics and found nothing wrong but wanted to change the catalytic converter anyway. 4 days in an IS250SR was bliss, very smooth and cheaper to run than my diesel, go figure!!!

Got the car back, done about 750 miles in a little over a week and the crap consumption is still there - only managing 404 miles for 50 litres of diesel, around 36.5 mpg. Still don't think the initial throttle response is good (or safe for that matter as it's again coughed and spluttered half way across a junction when pulling out - it needs a minimum of 1500-1700 revs to gaurantee a clean get away or it bogs down) and it still won;t pull cleanly below about 18-1900 revs on the motorway.

After a 300 mile round trip on the motorway today (about 4 miles of town either end), the consumption crept up to 43mpg which is better but I was driving like Miss Daisy, very sedately at around 75mph with minimal throttle input where possible. The problem lies in that's a slightly unusual journey as most are on A roads.

The dealer suggests not using 6th gear at all and keeping the revs between 2000 and 2500 to get the best consumption - they claimed 48mpg on a 40 mile test run, lord knows how...

So, you guessed it, it's back to the dealer again....

Whilst a lot on here indicate decent returns on consumption figures, there are obviously plenty that get the opposite, those that do get good mileage think yourselves lucky!!

Also challenged the dealer on publicised figures in the sales brochures etc and low and behold, the IS220 has a new or at least heavily revised engine for 2009 as they're quote 55mpg for the combined mileage and lower emmissions too. Have Lexus finally finished the development on this engine and sorted out the issues? Well I for one will never find out as as soon as I can I'm gonna have an Alfa...!

But hows this then - saw a mate yesterday who's just bought an Alpina D3 Beemer, monster of a car, he gets 44mpg round town and nearly 50mpg at 80-90mph cruising on the motorway.....

MP

[Matus]

AFAIK there is no change in the engine itself, but the final ratio has changed. Standard ratio is now between old sport and nonsport ratio. 6th is as long as the one on 320d, so I think it is usable in UK.