We just made a trip from Ohio to Hilton Head SC in our SRX V8 AWD and I reset the avg MPG before we left. On the way down I had the sunroof open all of the way down and when we got there the avg MPG was 16.2. We used about 3/4 of a tank driving around the island for the week.

On the way back the it was either raining or very cloudy so we kept the sunroof shut. My the time I got home the avg MPG was up to 19.3. I realize that there is more drag with the roof open, but the difference is gas mileage is quite a bit.

Soooo? Isn't the Ultraview one of the main reasons you got the SRX in the 1st place?

I wouldn't have gotten it without the Ultraview.

No, it's the performance (great expressway entry capability and handling for such a tall vehicle) and the styling. Also thought it would have Cadillac quality (missed on that one).

I love the Ultraview sunroof and I am not complaining about the gas mileage. I think that 19+ mpg is good for considering I was avg. over 73 MPH. I was just surprized that the sunroof had over a 3 mpg effect in performance.

We just made a trip from Ohio to Hilton Head SC in our SRX V8 AWD and I reset the avg MPG before we left. On the way down I had the sunroof open all of the way down and when we got there the avg MPG was 16.2. We used about 3/4 of a tank driving around the island for the week.

On the way back the it was either raining or very cloudy so we kept the sunroof shut. My the time I got home the avg MPG was up to 19.3. I realize that there is more drag with the roof open, but the difference is gas mileage is quite a bit.

It sounds like you did not reset the average MPG for the trip back, so the mileage differential would have actually been even greater if you had reset? There are other variables. Did you have the climate control on when the sunroof was open? If so the A/C was probably running much more than on your return trip when is was cloudy and raining. What is the elevation change? Is it effectively uphill to SC and downhill on the way back? I think it is hard to compare average MPG’s on routes that are not identical. I personally doubt that the extra wind resistance is 3 MPG, although the faster you go the more impact it would likely have.

Actually I would have expected the additional drag/resistance to have caused a larger difference in the average fuel economy. The bottom line is that it probably cost you about $15 in extra fuel costs to have the roof open (one way)!

And well worth it! ($15)

Now why dont you take the air dam off in front of the sunroof, then you will get drag, lol.