Honda Accord Real World MPG

ezshift5

... he has no idea what MPG he gets. He thought it was 20 mpg, but surely it is higher than that! Can anyone enlighten me?

...as the prior enlightenment was "How to" in nature....

and - if I perceive your question as "What MPG?" - here is my V6 trip MPG - - - - Sacramento to Los Angeles - - 34.

...speed, tire pressure, use of cruise control, terrain, weather, driver skill blah blah blah provide credibility for the expression "YMMV"......

..have a nice day(trip)...

ez

user777

for a V6, 34 Highway is pretty darn good.

i'd better start computing my mileage for my '02 I4. I tend to just write the numbers on the pump receipt, but I haven't gone back to figure them all out.

i'm probably in the 32-34 range with 80%Highway, but now need to verify.

hybrid93hatch

I have a 2006 Accord LX sedan (automatic) and averaging 35.? mpg for the 2 tests I have done.

I top the car off completely at each fillup.
I drive 28 miles highway / 1.5 city to work doing 60-65mph on the highway.

Currently 4,4?? miles on the car.

spaceinvader

A rountrip from Texas to Iowa (total milage driven was about 1900) over the July 4th holiday week resulted in average MPG of 31.8. Typical driving was on freeway with cruise control set at 78 to 80 mph. A/C on the entire trip.

Typical city mpg in stop and go traffic is 21 to 22.

A side note - XM radio reception was flawless. I won't buy another car without that feature.

spaceinvader

Last time I checked exceeding the speed limit was not exclusive to Texas. Are you a cop or just prejudice about anything associated with Texas? Several other western states have increased the highway speed limit too. Did you know that? Do you think those state officials are AH's too or just the ones in Texas?

You must really have a strong opinion on people that drive vehicles that average less than 29.3 mpg on the highway, which by the way is the majority of vehicles on the road. If you want to rant on wasted gasoline go to a forum on SUV's or pickups of give those people are hard time. Maybe gas would be cheaper nationwide if you convince that group they are AH's and they decide to trade their SUV or pick up truck for a gas wasting vehicle that gets at least 29.3 mpg on the highway.

mattgg1

I've put about 4000 miles on my 2006 Accord LX SE Auto and have averaged about 31 MPG since day one, with approximately 70% highway driving.

I finally had an opportunity to measure gas mileage during pure highway driving and was pleasantly surprised...

500 mile round trip
75 MPH average (70 MPH-min, 80 MPH-max)
A/C used about 60% of the time
Many miles of mountainous driving (Jellico Mtn. in TN)
Resulted in 36 MPG!

I am very impressed. Based on this, I would expect close to 40 MPG when driving on flat interstates with no A/C.

ezshift5

....I'm also impressed. 4 cylindro, si?

..ez..

thegraduate

Get used to that mileage. I get the same type mileage you do, and average 38MPG on trips with hilly, but definitely not mountainous terrain. I have an EX Auto I-4 (2006 w/8800 miles now). I get about 29-30MPG in mixed driving w/AirCon, and on one trip w/no A/C, got 39.96 MPG at 75MPH average.

thegraduate

An LX-SE would only be a 4-cylinder :shades: .

rickwjenn

Quit passing along dumb [non-permissible content removed] "bench chat" about cars. That is nuts that an engine overbores itself by 1/3 of a liter. It is just plain stupid.

For a 2.4 Liter honda I4, the bore and stroke are 87 X 99 mm respectively. It has to "overbore itself" to 94 mm to get to 2.74 Liters or your 1/3 liter increase.

Do you really think an four cylinders engine bore moves by 7 mm or .275 inch PER CYLINDER during break-in? A few thousandths is normal not a quarter of an inch. BTW the V6 would still take 4 mm or .15 inch per cylinder bore increase to create a 1/3 liter increase...... absolutely stupid.

Do yourself and the rest of us a favor and leave the "dumb car boy" talk at middle school. In high school you would at least be able to calculate the volume of a cylinder.... I won't even ask about college level education.

kcrossley

I just wanted to see what I can expect in terms of fuel efficiency from my new 2006 Accord EX-L I4.

Thanks,
Kelly

robgrave

With my I4 automatic, it's been pretty good so far. 23.7 mpg for the first fillup, 30.5 for the second. Quite a bit more freeway miles with the second tankful, that's the main difference, but then they do say the mpg gets better as the car gets broken in. Only 580 miles on mine, so things could get better, but I'm happy with what I've got up to now.

thegraduate

Things will certainly get better with break-in. My first (and lowest EVER tankful) produced in the neighborhood of 26 MPG (my car is rated 24/34). The few tanks after that were in the upper-20s...now I'm averaging 30 MPG with about a 50/50 mix of suburban driving and busy freeway driving. On trips I've gotten as high as 40MPG in my father's 2005 EX Auto with 50k miles (no A/C on at 75 MPH). The best I've gotten in my 06 EX Auto(with 9,200 miles) was on a trip with heavy A/C use at 75-80 MPH... I got 38 MPG. My average pure-highway mileage is about 37MPG overall.

robgrave

It makes sense that mpg will be better without running AC, but...

Last night I ran smoothly through the heavy heat wave we're in the midst of now, with AC, and then, just out of curiousity, without (windows and sunroof wide open instead.) The first thing I noticed (besides how hot it suddenly got in the cabin) was the sudden drag on the car that the open windows produced. No question, the car works harder with windows open. I'm not sure it makes sense at all to shut off the AC, under such conditions. It's more comfortable with AC, for sure, and it may be more fuel efficient as well.

Robgrave

pat

Edmunds agrees with you: Top 10 Tips for Improving Your Fuel Economy. Check #9.

All of the tips are worth reading.

robgrave

Thank you for the link. It is nice to discover that my observations have been shared by experts!

But now, with respect to the Accord specifically, I would add that monitoring the tachometer helps. The best gas mileage -- I think -- results from keeping RPM under 2000. I suppose tips 4 and 5 are the most relevant to this, but the 2000 RPM rule seems like a good one. And the 4 cylinder Accord, surprisingly enough, is plenty powerful enough to run by that rule -- driving sensibly, that is.

thegraduate

It makes sense that mpg will be better without running AC, but...

Last night I ran smoothly through the heavy heat wave we're in the midst of now, with AC, and then, just out of curiousity, without (windows and sunroof wide open instead.) The first thing I noticed (besides how hot it suddenly got in the cabin) was the sudden drag on the car that the open windows produced. No question, the car works harder with windows open. I'm not sure it makes sense at all to shut off the AC, under such conditions. It's more comfortable with AC, for sure, and it may be more fuel efficient as well.

What you say is most definitely true.

I should have pointed out that I had the fan on, just the A/C disengaged. The fan was on moderately high-speed, but it was only in the 75 degree range outside when I made that trip, so it was quite do-able. Windows and roof were closed. I always run the A/C when the cabin is warm, but at night I do my best to use the sunroof and windows down, because you can't beat a southern summer night!

robgrave

"...at night I do my best to use the sunroof and windows down, because you can't beat a southern summer night!"

I don't suppose the summer nights here in Detroit can compete with yours, but even so, I also prefer the open-air ventilation method (love the sunroof!). But with the heat index at 105, the open-air method fails, miserably. Under such extremes, AC is much better. And the Accord AC is first-rate, without doubt.

Robgrave

thegraduate

But with the heat index at 105, the open-air method fails, miserably. Under such extremes, AC is much better.

Oh boy, can I relate to that!!! I left work today at 3:30 only to find that the drug store thermometer at the corner was reading 102F. Say it with me... "MAX A/C"! haha... Also, one of the best features of this car is the ability to roll down the windows from the key-fob. It's great, I roll them down a good two or three minutes before I head to the car, and when I get there, the interior is "only" 100 degrees inside, instead of a broiling 125F. It allows me to be dialing down the fan speed after only a few minutes.

user777

right. i would think the more laminar, stream-lined or less turbulent (pick the one you wish) the airflow is over and around the vehicle, the less the vehicle's resistance and the better the fuel efficiency.

maybe we should all be folding in our side mirrors.

i remember having a sunroof in my Jetta GLI driving on the mass turnpike very late at night, taking glances up at the stars with little to no light pollution (when i turned my lights off to parking, and my dash illumination level low).

i know dumb.

amazing view though.

then there was the night i saw the most amazing Aurora Borealis show. :shades:

robgrave

"maybe we should all be folding in our side mirrors"

Is this folding action possible with the Accord? I read a review of the car (Cars.com)where it was listed as a feature, but I can't see how it can be done (and the Accord brochures don't mention it.) The mirrors look like they might be foldable, but I gave up trying after a few nudges.

Robgrave

thegraduate

Yes, the mirrors fold on all Accords since at least 1990. You have to push them moderately (they are strong enough to not fold at high speeds, mind you), but shouldn't take a terrible amount of force to fold them. I fold them everytime I take my baby to the car wash (touchless, of course!).

robgrave

Funny that this handy little feature isn't mentioned in the Owner's Manual. I haven't had a chance to try it again, but at least I know now that they are supposed to fold. Thanx.

BTW..."touchless" car wash? Meaning all jet sprays, or some such? I'm not sure I've seen such a service around here, but it sounds like the better way to get a wash.

Robgrave

user777

Touchless I believe means nothing but fluids (water, suds/soap, optional wheel treatment, optional wax, and hot air) hits the car.

Oh, it may take sneaking between two cars and hip-checking your mirror to see it folds in. Yeah, pull it (don't be shy) from the driver's seat towards the open window. As was mentioned, it takes a little force to do it.

If it didn't have this feature, hitting the mirror would take it off. Have you seen many Hondas with broken / dangling mirrors? :shades:

robgrave

"If it didn't have this feature, hitting the mirror would take it off. Have you seen many Hondas with broken / dangling mirrors?"

Good point, actually, something that never crossed my mind. Then again, it's the hit when I'm backing down the drive that concerns me the most (huge leaning Maple tree that always seems to be in the way). I don't expect the folding action will help me there!

Robgrave

user777

I think it rotates in both directions. There's only one way to find out. :shades:

natedeardorff

to anyone who can answer this question:

I have a 97 accord LX 5sp man, (2.2L I4 non vtec) I am wanting to give it some more horsepower so to accelerate faster. Would Cold air intake be a good option? if so, what brand?

thanks

ND

thegraduate

I think it rotates in both directions.

I'm not so sure about that...be VERY cautious trying to find out.

And yes (to an earlier post), touchless car wash means no brushes touch your car (elimnating scratching opportunities), only fluids. It costs more ($5-$8 depending on wash/wax/dry package) but can be worth it when its 97 degrees outside (currently in Birmingham it's 93), or 40 degrees and you don't want to FREEZE your hands!

robgrave

"I think it rotates in both directions. There's only one way to find out."

They fold in rather easily, in fact; the folding back, I didn't try, and won't until someone confirms that they are made to do so. I have my doubts, to tell the truth, but I'm ready to stand corrected.

Still, I can't find any reference to the folding action in the Owner's Manual. Very odd, that.

Robgrave

user777

i've got an '02 I4. i'll try the reverse direction for ya (maybe).

tallman1

This choice always makes me smile because it seems to go back and forth. I suppose every car would be different so there may be no rule of thumb.

This was a topic elsewhere on Edmunds a few months back. Someone then mentioned Myth Busters doing some testing. I actually saw the show rerun a few weeks ago and they proved that windows down in identical SUVs did better than AC with windows up. They were going in the neighborhood of 55 mph on a track. I always thought the windows up with AC on the freeway made sense but maybe not. It would be nice to know for sure.

And I agree with thegrad... I love being able to roll down the windows with the key before I get there. Amazing how much cooler the car is... even in western WA.

ezshift5

...most of us don't miss the high pressure system that permitted those outrageous 100+ day after day temps earlier this summer......

..inspite of big time a/c use, our AV6 6M responded rather well - - IMHO - - and the two tankfuls during that nasty heat wave were 28.2/27.3 (the first includes a 120 mile round trip to Benicia to get out of the heat).........

..great cars.....wonder if the 4-cyl's mileage drop with a/c use reflects the almost undetectible drop of the six!

all the best, ez..

thegraduate

..great cars.....wonder if the 4-cyl's mileage drop with a/c use reflects the almost undetectible drop of the six!

Well, it is evident in my old '96 Accord LX that my mileage is down to around 27MPG lately, when I used to average 28.5-29 MPG. My 2006 EX I-4, however, is still returning numbers around 30 MPG, with basically the same driving routes (I was averaging 30.4 according to my old spreadsheet back in the spring). I have used a/c HARD lately, since it has been in the upper 90s with Heat Indices between 105 and 110 degrees F. Unbearable!

But, great cars indeed, despite the mileage drop in my 2.2L 1996.

kcrossley

What type of driving is this? Highway, city, combo? Also, how many Accords do you own? I thought you had a V6.

thegraduate

My family has three Accords... technically the 1996 is my parents' "second" car, but they go everywhere together, and take my father's 2005 most places, leaving me the choice of old car or new car. My dad has a 2005 EX cloth, I have a 2006 Ex Cloth, and mom's is the 1996 LX.

All of ours are Inline-4s.

The driving I do is typically mixed suburban driving and highway (maybe 40% relaxed highway/20% rush hour/40% suburban & city driving {meaining stop and go}). A good blend of city and highway, which means I'm getting about what the sticker says I should be.

The 1996 is averaging around 27 MPG lately (EPA 23/31). The 2006 averages about 30-31 MPG most of the time (EPA 24/34). Take these numbers with a grain of salt, because I drive very calmly for the average young person (rarely above 3,500 RPM in any car, usually within 10% of the speed limit at all times, etc...). My father drives mostly city/rush hour, and with a much heavier foot, and gets about 23-24 MPG.

kcrossley

How does the FE of the I4 compare with the V6?

thegraduate

Strike 4 points from the Inline-4's mileage and you have V6 mileage.

2.4 liter I-4:
24/34 MPG (Auto), 26/34 Manual

3.0 liter V-6:
20/30 MPG

The V-6 is very efficient for the power it produces, but frankly, so is the Inline 4! There's no bad decision, only hard choices!

kcrossley

How does your I4 perform with a full load (4 pasengers and luggage)?

thegraduate

Well, I haven't had luggage, but I've had 4 big guys who were sized as follows:

Me: 6'4", 180, another at 6'4", 190, yet another 6'4", 325, and one at 6'1", 150. That's plenty heavy (845 pounds). I never felt like I needed more power to accelerate safely, or even to drive normally. I'm sure I had to rev it out a little more, but it wasn't nearly as rough as carrying them in my 1996 130hp LX. Braking power was also quite sufficient, something not true in my 1996. I didn't drive in the mountains, but I did tackle some major highway miles, and always felt confident in how my car handled/braked/accelerated.

Also, notice that all the guys were over 6'; yet they still fit in my car wonderfully. They are all jealous of my car, because it's the only one who can carry the four of us! They have a Prelude, an old 325i, and a Ranger.

fastalt

I just got a new '06 Accord 4 cly...filled up twice and driven mostly in the city....15mpg both times...this is way off the mialeage I see posted in these forums

midnightcowboy

Sinced the forced use of Ethanol is upon us, has anyone noticed a drop in MPG ?

I thought it was becuase of my Kayak roof rack, but after removal of the roof rack it appears my MPG has dropped because of the Ethnalol mix required in gas now.

YMMV,

MidCow

kcrossley

I'm still on my first tank and I'm averaging 28 MPG, which is mainly suburban driving. I'm told fuel efficiency improves after the car is broken in, but 15 MPG sounds awfully low, unless you're stuck in major traffic jams.

midnightcowboy

thegraduate said "I fold them everytime I take my baby to the car wash (touchless, of course!)."


Why ?\

YMMV,

MidCow

fastalt

no Major traffic jams at all...just normal city "stop and go" ..I traded in my 6 cly Nissa which I really liked to get better MPG with a 4cly...this is really not good...I hope it gets better but can't see it going up to the 22-24 i see posted in this forum...

thegraduate

thegraduate said "I fold them everytime I take my baby to the car wash (touchless, of course!)."

For the simple reason that it cleans the bugs off the painted side of the mirrors better when the jets move along the side of the car; if I leave them unfolded, there are no direct soap/water jets to blast off the bugs.

And, because the car wash has a sign reccommending folding in mirrors, if possible.

Haven't been using the car wash lately, I've been treating my cars to a hand-washing to better scrub off the bugs (I live in the south, and we have bugs-a-plenty in the summertime!)

vhreb123

Does anybody here know how to calculate city/highway MPG with calculator?

tallman1

If you are asking how to figure out your gas mileage, you start with a full tank of gas and write down the mileage or reset the trip odometer to zero. On your next fill up, subtract the previous mileage from the current mileage (or just look at the trip odometer) to get the total miles driven. Divide the total miles by the amount of gas you put in the car. That will give you the miles per gallon (mpg).

For example, if I drive 495.2 miles between fill ups and I put in 12.5 gallons of gas, I punch in 495.2, hit the divide key, then punch in 12.5. The answer should be 39.616 mpg.

There really is no easy way to calculate just city or just highway mileage unless you do a certain kind of driving for that whole tank of gas.

Is this what you are looking for??

vhreb123

Is this what you are looking for??

Yes, sort of.......

Thanks for replying

By the way, does the Accord really hold 14 or 17 gallons of gas? I think I am getting mixed up with other midsize cars.

ezshift5

By the way, does the Accord really hold 14 or 17 gallons of gas? I think I am getting mixed up with other midsize cars.

A. My OM indicates 17.1 (AV6 6M)

B. To confuse Honda with 'other midsize cars'...for shame...

C. Methinks mileage calcs would be more satisfying with the 4; but ah, that brilliant accelative surge + the sound of VTEC..............(sounds like I've a 6, right?)

..best, ez..

thegraduate

Hey folks! I just got home (yesterday) from a round trip from Birmingham to Atlanta (about 350 miles). I did well going TO Atlanta, but got stopped for about a half hour total in 5:00PM Rush Hour in Atlanta trying to come home on I-20West. Overall, I got 346 miles on 10.83 gallons of gas, which equates to 32 MPG (31.94 if you are specific).

I figure this is not too bad considering how long I sat in traffic (0-25 MPH for 30 mins), and drove around downtown Atlanta with lots of traffic lights. I had a car full of people (4 of us = about 600 pounds) with A/C blasting. I love this car!!!

P.S. On a slightly-related note, my girlfriend got sick in the front seat of my car, throwing up all over the seat (she missed the carpet, thank goodness)... The seat came perfectly clean, and there is no smell left in the car, only the smell of the resolve carpet cleaner that I cleaned up the mess with. Maybe that "fabric protectant" is worth something after all?

Good news? My gf is feeling better today, and my car smells fine!

thegrad
2006 EX-cloth I-4 5Auto, 9700 miles