2017 Acura RLX Hybrid: MPG and fuel economy

This page collects every fuel-economy figure the EPA publishes for the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid. Below you will find the headline combined, city, and highway MPG, the estimated annual fuel cost at three different driving levels, the tailpipe CO₂ emissions, and a full breakdown of the engine and drivetrain. If you want to know whether this generation got more or less efficient over the years, the year-over-year table further down covers every model year the EPA has rated.

Fuel economy at a glance

These are the EPA's official ratings for the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid. The numbers come from a standardised laboratory test cycle and are the same figures that appear on the window sticker of every new car. Real-world mileage varies with driving style, weather, fuel quality, and how heavily loaded the car is.

Combined MPG is a 55/45 weighted blend of the city and highway test cycles. The EPA uses it as the single number you can compare across the entire dataset, including hybrids and EVs (which use the equivalent MPGe figure).

How the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid compares

The 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid returns 29 combined MPG. Cars in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year average 31.1 MPG, which puts this car behind the class average by about 7%.

The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric at 136 MPG. The bar chart below puts the Acura RLX Hybrid alongside the class best and the class average so you can see the full picture.

For broader context, the average new car of the 2017 model year (across all classes) returns 26 MPG. Larger vehicles pull the all-cars average down, so do not use that figure on its own to judge a small car or a hybrid. The full list of the most efficient cars of the 2017 model year is on its own page.

Annual fuel cost across driving patterns

The headline annual fuel cost the EPA publishes assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year and a fuel mix of 55% city and 45% highway. The dollar figure is calculated using the EPA's current reference price for premium gasoline, which is $4.61/gallon. EPA updates that reference periodically rather than tracking live pump prices, so treat it as a window-sticker estimate rather than today's pump number.

The table below scales the EPA's number to three common driving patterns. The combined MPG and the reference fuel price stay constant, only the annual mileage changes. To get a current-prices estimate, take your local gas price and multiply by 517.2 gallons (the car's annual consumption at the rated MPG).

Year-over-year MPG for the Acura RLX Hybrid

The EPA has rated the Acura RLX Hybrid across 6 model years, from 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid through 2020 Acura RLX Hybrid. The numbers below are the best combined MPG figure the EPA published for each year, which lets you see when the car was at its most efficient and how recent generations stack up.

Combined MPG has stayed in roughly the same range across the run, hovering close to 28 MPG.

Compare against other Midsize Cars for 2017

If you are cross-shopping the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid, the most useful comparison is against the other cars in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year. The list below shows the highest-MPG peers, ranked from most to least efficient. Click any of them to open its full page.

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric leads this group at 136 MPG, 107 MPG ahead of the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid.

Specifications

The 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid runs a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine paired with a automatic (am-s7), sending power through all-wheel drive.

Engine, transmission, and drivetrain together drive most of the variation in fuel economy across trims. A larger engine moves the car with less effort but burns more fuel. A turbo lets a small engine punch above its weight, often without much MPG penalty. All-wheel drive adds traction and weight, and usually costs a couple of MPG compared with two-wheel drive of the same engine.

Vehicle class

Midsize Cars

Engine

3.5L 6-cylinder

Transmission

Automatic (AM-S7)

Drivetrain

All-Wheel Drive

Fuel type

Premium

Annual petroleum use

10.3 barrels per year

Start-stop system

Yes

Common questions about the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid

Quick answers to the questions people most often search for when looking up the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid.

• Is the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid fuel efficient?

  It is in line with the rest of the class. The 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid returns 29 combined MPG, and the average car in the Midsize Cars class for the same model year sits at 31.1 MPG.
• What MPG does the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid get?

  The EPA rates the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid at 29 combined MPG, 29 MPG in city driving, and 30 MPG on the highway. Real-world numbers depend on your driving style, the weather, and how loaded the car is.
• How much does it cost to fuel a 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid per year?

  The EPA estimates an annual fuel cost of $2,400 for the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid. That figure assumes 15,000 miles of driving per year, a 55% city and 45% highway split, and the EPA's published average fuel price for the rated fuel grade.
• Does the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid require premium gas?

  Yes. The EPA lists the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid as requiring premium gasoline. Running it on regular can reduce performance and may affect engine warranties, so it is not a recommended way to save at the pump.
• Has the Acura RLX Hybrid become more fuel efficient over time?

  Combined MPG has stayed close to flat across the run. Both the earliest (2014 Acura RLX Hybrid, 30 MPG) and most recent (2020 Acura RLX Hybrid, 28 MPG) versions sit in the same range.
• How much CO₂ does the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid emit?

  Tailpipe CO₂ emissions are 306 g/mi. Multiplied across a typical year of driving (15,000 miles) that works out to about 4,590 kilograms of CO₂.
• What is the difference between the city and highway MPG of the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid?

  City driving returns 29 MPG and highway driving returns 30 MPG, a gap of 1 MPG. The two figures are close enough that the car will hold its rated efficiency well across most driving patterns.
• What engine is in the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid?

  The 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid has a 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine (EPA description: SIDI; Stop-Start).
• What transmission and drivetrain does the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid have?

  The 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid comes with a automatic (am-s7) transmission and all-wheel drive. All-wheel-drive variants typically read 1 to 3 MPG lower than the front-wheel-drive equivalent of the same engine, since the extra hardware adds weight and parasitic loss.
• How does the 2017 Acura RLX Hybrid compare to the best car in its class?

  The most efficient car in the Midsize Cars class for the 2017 model year is the Hyundai Ioniq Electric at 136 combined MPG. The Acura RLX Hybrid returns 29 MPG, a gap of 107 MPG. If you are comparing on fuel economy alone, the class leader is worth a look.

Source: U.S. EPA fuel economy dataset. Annual fuel cost figures assume 15,000 miles of driving per year and a 55% city, 45% highway split. Real-world mileage varies with driving conditions, vehicle maintenance, fuel quality, and driver behaviour.