Honda Fit Real World MPG

bobw3

If you go to this webpage, you'll see that the Fit has the best MPG in the "small station wagon" category. That's sort of how I look at the Fit, as a small station wagon, or 4dr hatch if you like. It's much more versatile than either the Civic or Corolla, but yes either of those two will probably get a little better MPG. For me though, the Civic and Corolla were just too cramped inside as compared to the Fit, regardless of what the specs might say. I think the high roof and 4dr hatch configuration makes it seem more roomy.

On the other hand, if MPG is the primary concern for you, then go with the Civic Hybrid, Yaris, or Corolla...but you won't get the 21CuFt of trunk space nor the magic seats, which my wife loves for long trips.

http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2007.pdf

b4wrn

Thank you for the web page on fuel economy. If you go to page 18 it shows the mileage for E85 automobiles. With the price of E85 @ $2.20 and gasoline @ $2.65 & premium @ $2.85, the cost to run a E85 automobile seems to always be higher dollar costs. This is because the lower MPG of the E85 vehicle.

shamydoo

I have a FIT AT with a little over 5000 miles on it and I'm still getting about 26 miles per gallon combined city and highway driving. My friend has a 2006 civic SI and received a letter in the mail stating that there has been a class action lawsuit against Honda for inaccurate odometers for all models 2000 to 2006 cars. The FIT was the only 2007 model mentioned. The odometers are off about 3-5% and honda has agreed to extend warranties for these cars. I'm wonder if this is why I may be getting bad fuel economy out of my FIT? I'm planning on doing a test the next time I'm on the highway to see if there is a difference in mileage. I know this isn't the most accurate but its the only method I have available.

bobw3

Actually from what I've read for the class action suit, if your car was affected, then you're actually driving less miles that stated on the odometer; therefore, your real MPG would be even worse that you're currently calculating.

For example, if your odometer is reading 5% high, then when the odometer shows you've driven 300 miles, you've actually only driven 285 miles (5% of 300 = 15 and 300-15=285). So if you were calculating that it took 10 gallons to drive 300 miles, you'd calculate 30mpg, but if in reality you were only driving 285 miles (assuming your odometer was 5% off), then your real MPG would only be 28.5mpg. So it would be even worse.

If you're planning on doing a long highway trip, try keeping the speed under 70mph on cruise for a couple of hundred miles and calculate your mpg based on that to see what you get.

jkandell

The owner's manual recommends shifting at 15, 27, 39 and 53 mph. The first two feel right, but I've been getting nervous watching and hearing the rpm's rise above 3000 as the speed approaches 39. So instead of what's recommended, I've been shifting into fourth gear low, at around 35 mph. I don't hear any lugging. Anyone else doing this?

fitluver

I'm interested in the fact that you keep your tires at 40 PSI. A friend recently told me if I pumped my tires up a bit, I'd get better gas mileage.

How does this affect the tires? I'm wondering if other drivers on the Forum do the same.

With my current non-Fit, I noticed my mileage dropped from about 32-33 to 28-29. I pumped up the low tire and it was back the next week to 32-33.

kipk

Raising tire pressure can/will help increase mileage.
However a good thing can be overdone.

The more pressure in the tire, the less tire tread is actually touching the ground and the harder the tire is.
A really over inflated tire will ride on the middle treads of the tire. Therefore, there are less tread to support the weight of the car and they will wear more than the outside treads.

The over inflated tire can/will result in less control of the vehicle in emergency breaking and cornering, because there is less tire patch on the ground to grip the road.
It will also tend to be nosier as well as rougher riding, as it is multiplying the effects of road irregularies.

I like running about 2# over the recommended pressure posted on the door.

For hauling extra passengers, say on a trip, another 2# in the rear tires.

I figure the Hondas of the world want to be able to advertise and actually obtain the best mileage possible while also dealing with safe handling. A good part of that handling comes from the tires and the pressure in them.

Surely Honda did some research on this subject, in order to achieve the best possible combination of safe handling and fuel mileage

Kip

suzecruise

Thanks for the information.

evped

So far, first three tanks have averaged about 30 mpg. This includes warming the car up and all were short trips around town in cold weather. Very pleased.

shamydoo

I did some research on the odometer inaccuracy lawsuit. My understanding is that the odometers are overstating the mileage of the vehicles. This would definitely have an effect on the gas mileage calculations. If the odometer is 3-5% fast than you would have better fuel economy then beleived. Here is my source http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1163194119145 for the information. I still plan on doing a highway run to make a comparison.

kipk

If the 5% "FAST" odometer showed the car had traveled 100 miles, and it used 4 gal of gas, the MPG would calculate 25 mpg.

However in reality the car only traveled 95 miles so the real mpg is 23.75 mpg. This is less than believed.

Good news is that a slightly larger tire would "FIX" the error and maybe even look better!

Kip

crimsona

After getting into a fairly major accident with my Sport Auto Fit, I've been driving a Auto Corolla (2006) for the last month or so. I've been fairly unhappy with my mileage since the start, as I was getting 24-26 MPG consistantly. Well, it looks like there's nothing really wrong with the Fit, as the Corolla is getting 23-24 MPG over the last month...

100% City, stop and go the entire way, 13 mile commute. Probably stop/go 20-30 times a trip?

mtngal

Has anyone actually checked their odometer with a GPS device? I checked the speedometer when we first got the car, because I have a Wrangler and knew that both its speedometer and odometer were slightly off (most are off, guess Jeep assumes you'll put bigger tires on). The Fit's speedometer is much more accurate, but I didn't think to check the odometer separately, assuming it would match the speedometer. It sounds like in this case, the two aren't related, like they used to be?

wave54

The Fit's speedometer is much more accurate, but I didn't think to check the odometer separately, assuming it would match the speedometer. It sounds like in this case, the two aren't related, like they used to be?

I was curious about the same thing myself. I don't have a Fit, but my speedometer is fast by 4 miles at 50 mph, and 5 miles at 60-65. The odometer is only slightly optimistic when comparing to highway mile markers over a long stretch.

So, while the speedometer is ~12% fast, the odometer is ~3% over the actual distance.

fitluver

Kip, you are right about your observations about tire pressure.

When I mentioned my non-Fit, my low tire is due to some random leak somewhere. Since I am getting my car soon, I have not wanted to put in any repairs, so I let it slide from the recommended up to 35 psi down to 28 with a less then accurate measurement.

Other people I have spoken with who got just downright awful mileage have found later that there was a nail or other issue with the tire.

If the tire has a problem because it loses pressure fast, best to get the issue taken care of with a tire under warranty perhaps. I am unsure how much air a tire needs to lose before maintenance minder comes on but a friend with a caddy caught that very problem for her.

If nothing else a good, accurate periodic reading is going to go furthest towards better mileage.

kagedude

Has anyone actually checked their odometer with a GPS device? I

I did. The Fit's speedometer is pretty accurate when compared to my TomTom 300.

keithccn

I got around 23 mpg. Bring it to dealer twice to check it up. The dealer test it and can only get 25 mpg on hwy. Then after they check it and talk to their Honda engineer, they told me there is nothing they can do and claim that my car is not fully break in. I already have 5000 mi on my Fit AT Sport. I don't what i can do, but it totally destroy my purpose of buying a Fit, maybe I should have bought the VW Rabbit instead...

kipk

Something is wrong with that picture! :mad:

Kip

allargon

What do the lemon laws in your state say?

keithccn

I don't think the Lemon Law will cover since its not a dangerous issue like brake failure or something.

mtngal

Checked my odometer against my GPS today and it was only slightly off (99% accuracy over 50 miles). So my mileage figures are pretty accurate.

I watched the mileage when we got it back from the body shop. I doubt they did anything special to prep the car after all the work, just reconnected the battery and made sure it worked. The first tank was in the 20's, the next one in the low 30's and the next several between 35-39, consistent with what we were getting before the accident. I do think its interesting that the car seemed to adjust to our driving style and conditions - there wasn't any difference between the type of driving we did between the first tank (high 20's) and the last tank (high 30s).

fitman548

I received a letter from Honda detailing the lawsuit(s) against them and the odometer manufactuer. All 2007 honda fits manufactured before November 06 are AUTOMATICALLY given a 5% extension on their warrantees. So if you had a 100,000 warranty, it's now 105,000. Etc etc.

vermontfit

Hi!
I know next to nothing about cars, but bought my Fit to get good gas mileage. I live in Chittenden county in Vermont and most of my driving is around town. Those few times I have been on the interstate, I rarely go over 65.

Can someone please help me understand what I need to do to get better gas mileage?

thanks!!!

backy

You've hinted at some reasons: you live in Vermont (kind of cold there in the winter, right?); most of your driving is around town (at what speed? how many stops? what's your average trip length? how much idling do you do? how many hills?); and you rarely go on the highway.

If you owned a car before the Fit and drove it under the same conditions, what what your fuel economy?

vermontfit

Hello!
Yes - it is quite cold here. This week the high temps are below 20 degrees.
When I drive around town I would guess my average speed is 40 - 50 MPH.
My daily trip is approx 10 miles. The first 2 miles I have 10 short stops. Most of those are at stop signs so my idle time is very short. After that I hit 6 or 8 traffic signals. There my idle time is probably 1 minute (2 minutes tops).
I have a few hills (after all - this is Vermont!), but nothing major.
I am not a jackrabbit driver (fast start - speed - jam on brakes to stop).
My previous car was a 2003 Accord and I got 19-20 MPG with that car. I had really been hoping for better gas mileage with this car.
Is the cold weather hurting things? I park my car in a garage so I don't have to let it warm up much.
Thank you so much for any and all suggestions!!!!

backy

If it was a 4-cylinder Accord, the EPA fuel economy ratings for that car are roughly 20% less than that of the Fit. And your fuel economy with it is... roughly 20% less than that of the Fit.

Cold weather such as what you get in Vermont (and I get in Minnesnowta) definitely has a negative impact on fuel economy. Also, I doubt your average speed around town is 40-50 mph with all the stops/starts you have on your 10-mile trip. Keep in mind that every moment you are stopped, your speed--and fuel economy--are zero. Try this: time exactly how long it takes you from the time you start your car to when you turn off the engine at your destination, on a typical day--or average several days' times--and calculate your average speed. For example, if you actually average 50 mph then your 10-mile trip would take only 12 minutes.)

One thing to try is to try to anticipate stops as much as possible, and coast up to the stops (in gear) if practical (i.e. if you won't be blocking anyone). Or maybe you already do that?

fitluver

Check the air in your tires too.

Cold flattens them out a bit.

pdjacob

As your last reply suggested, I agree that the cold temps make a noticeable difference, and several folks in the forums have mentioned tire pressure as an important factor. In a car this size, I imagine carrying passengers would make a noticeable difference as well. I consistantly got 34 to 36mpgs on my Fit Sport A/T all last summer - highway driving, no passengers. Now with the temps ranging from -10 to 10, I'm probably not even getting 30mpgs. If folks want to check their real 'best' mileage, I think they need to check it in warm temps, with no passengers, highway driving, after checking tire inflation. Otherwise there are too many factors to get realistic comparisons in a forum such as this. However, I've certainly gotten lots of valuable information here. So thanks to all who post!

jkandell

"One thing to try is to try to anticipate stops as much as possible, and coast up to the stops (in gear)"

Why in gear?

backy

So you can be in control of the car in case you need to make a sudden maneuver. In short, staying in gear is safer.

ten_year_man

It's been averaging about zero degrees here in Chicago and my commute is so short -- 2 miles -- that the car barely gets warmed up by the time I get to work. There were a couple of 12 mile trips at 40-65 MPH on this tank, which I thought would have bettered the MPG a little.

I guess since the car is still being "broken in" and it's been terribly cold, I should disregard that 23 MPG as indicative of what I should generally expect for mostly short commutes.

I just hope that "breaking in" the car during sub-zero weather isn't degrading its long term performance. I let the car warm up a couple minutes first, but I haven't been waiting for the green "cold" indicator light to go away.

jacksan1

It's been averaging about zero degrees here in Chicago and my commute is so short -- 2 miles -- that the car barely gets warmed up by the time I get to work.

You probably would not get a good mileage with such a short commute even if the temperature were 70 degrees, but certainly the low winter temp does make it worse. Your Fit's engine is almost certainly running richer in gas all the way to the end of your commute, without having a chance to get back to the normal fuel/air mix. And warming up for a few minutes beforehand would not help, either, because the gas lost in the process, earning you 0 MPG, could not possibly be made up in such a short commute (well, it could not be made up either way, but at least the MPG damage would be spread thinner if you drove further).

To put it simply, a short commute in a large city in a very cold climate is one of the worst combinations for gas mileage. Given that, I actually think that your Fit's 23 MPG is pretty good. Many other cars would give you a whole lot worse.

fitman548

Some areas switch to ethanol blends in the winter (like phx) so MPG will be lower. I don't remember about Chicago...maybe they're ethanol-15 all the time? I hope they start rating the MPG using ethanol as part of the modernization of the test.

hondaful

During the five month wait for my Fit, I kept track of my mileage on my 1999 Isuzu Oasis (1st gen Honda Odyssey) and my wife's 1996 Civic hatchback. Driven in typical suburban conditions (traffic lights every one or two miles) both averaged about 75% of the EPA highway mileage. So, I was expecting about the same with the Fit Sport AT. 75% x 37 (EPA highway) = 28 MPG, which is just about what I'm getting after four tankfulls. First was 21, 2nd 23, 3rd 26, 4th 27.5. I attribute the increase to learning how to drive the Fit: the throttle seems a lot more sensitive than either the Oasis or Civic. I have learned not press nearly as hard as I did in either of them. When I drove my wife's Civic the other day for the first time in six weeks, the difference in pressure needed on the accelerator pedal was very noticeable.

fitluver

So you can be in control of the car in case you need to make a sudden maneuver. In short, staying in gear is safer.

Unless you have an auto and then you cant do anything about it.

I feel sure you mean, do not coast to stops in neutral.

frazfam

Hi,
I have had similar problems with mileage on my Fit Sport automatic and was wondering if your mileage has improved or if you have run any of the tests that have been suggested. I average 19 MPG and, like you, have been getting worse, not better. Our driving conditions sound very similar. I also have a friend in town with the same car and he is getting 30-37 MPG and we have very similar commutes. Hmmm. I have not reached 5000 miles yet and the dealer says wait until the first oil change. Not sure it will get THAT much better.
Any thoughts, suggestions, information would be appreciated!

backy

Yes, that is what I said--stay in gear (vs. in neutral). Stick or automatic, same advice.

jkandell

Coasting in neutral is one of my most effective ways of increasing mpg, so I'm not eager to give it up. I go up to half mile at a time, though usually it's more like 0.1 to 0.3 miles. I am concerned about safety, but I'm not convinced it's that dangerous if done with caution. Keep in mind, you're not going to coast unless cars are far behind you, you're in the right lane, you're coming up to a light or stop sign, and you're going less than 30mph. You're not going to coast long distances in rush hour or on streets with people zooming above speed limits cut throat. You still have steering and brakes for safety, it's just acceleration that you temporarily lose. And that's only a shift away if needed.

bayoujay

I too am having low city mileage with my sport auto...now down to 19 mpg with my last tank in 100% city driving. I think part of the problem has been the bitterly cold weather, but 19 mpg in a small Honda is very discouraging regardless.

bobw3

I have about 5000 miles on my Fit Sport Auto and on a recent highway trip between Wash DC and Norfolk I got 37.5mpg driving a little over 70mph on cruise. Generally, it seems like I get in the low 30s mpg on suburb/highway mix, and on straight highway I'll get the upper 30s, and I even hit 40mpg when I averaged 65mph. I don't really do any pure "city" driving, so I can't comment there. But I'm happy getting in the mid 30s mpg in this weather.

fitluver

Coasting in neutral is one of my most effective ways of increasing mpg, so I'm not eager to give it up. I go up to half mile at a time, though usually it's more like 0.1 to 0.3 miles. I am concerned about safety, but I'm not convinced it's that dangerous if done with caution. Keep in mind, you're not going to coast unless cars are far behind you, you're in the right lane, you're coming up to a light or stop sign, and you're going less than 30mph. You're not going to coast long distances in rush hour or on streets with people zooming above speed limits cut throat. You still have steering and brakes for safety, it's just acceleration that you temporarily lose. And that's only a shift away if needed.

I have many cases myself where I coast to a stop in neutral, but as you say in traffic it is not necessarily wise.

Sometimes one must accelerate to avoid problems.

I just wanted to be sure I understood what the other poster was saying.

I mostly only coast to a stop down a local hill when there is noone around but I also know that if a deer jumped in front of me, even though I am a long time driver with good reflexes, it still adds time to my avoidance.

backy

Not to mention that in some states coasting downhill in neutral is illegal--maybe because of the safety issue.

bluebell2

Have been following gas mileage with an MT Fit sport during this crazy cold weather. Mixed suburban/light city driving. Mileage range is from 33-35 MPG. Haven't done straight highway driving for a while, so can't see the effects of the cold and ethanol on highway mileage. Mileage was a bit higher in the warmer weather.

jkandell

"Upshift typically at 2000 to 2500 RPM unless needing to get on it entering a highway."

I'm a bit confused about shifting. The speeds recommended in the manual seem to be about 3400 rpm, which feels about right to me. If I approach 2000 rpm in any gear the engine requires more throttle and seems powerless. Wouldn't shifting at 2000 lug the engine?

kkess

I own a Honda Fit Automatic car. I'm currently not getting the best gas mileage with the Honda (Around 27 mpg or so). And I was wondering if anyone had any experience with paddle shifting and if that would increase gas mileage? It seems like it would turn the car into basically a Manual transmission car if I started to paddle shift in the "S" mode. I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this, and what/how/when would be the best way to shift to increase gas mileage?

Thanks for you thoughts,
Kevin

fitluver

"Upshift typically at 2000 to 2500 RPM unless needing to get on it entering a highway."

I'm a bit confused about shifting. The speeds recommended in the manual seem to be about 3400 rpm, which feels about right to me. If I approach 2000 rpm in any gear the engine requires more throttle and seems powerless. Wouldn't shifting at 2000 lug the engine?

I feel like for lower gears, the 2000-2500 rpms feels about right to me but at higher gears it feels as though I need to wait to shift.

I have no clue what my mileage will be like.

scarmis

I've put a bit over 14000 miles on my Sport Fit Auto since purchasing it in May 2007. It's easy to put miles on this car, it's such a pleasure to drive.

I've maintained pretty good records on gas consumption, and can report that my car is averaging just shy of 31 mpg. Most town mileage is 28-29, and highway use averages about 37 mpg. Most of my miles are suburban commutes of 10 miles or less. I'm not a very conservative driver, but not a racer, either. All in all I think this is pretty good. I know if I adopt a more conservative driving style I could probably squeeze 10% more fuel efficiency, but then it's not as much fun to drive.

jkandell

Does anyone know the upper and lower mph limit of each gear for the MT?

r2g

Hi.
Sadly, things have remained the same. I'm averaging about 19 mpg. Based on all the posts I've seen here, it sounds like this is not out of the ordinary for the 100% Chicago city winter driving that I've been doing. I'm concerned though, that you have a friend to compare to and he is getting much better mileage. I hope there is nothing wrong with our cars.

jacksan1

I, too, would be concerned about the mileage if I were getting 19 MPG in a Fit. Have you ever taken your Fit out on a sustained expressway drive? If there is something wrong with your Fit, even an expressway drive should give a you a poor MPG. I would experiment with it if I were you. If you do get a bad MPG doing that, I would definitely take the Fit into the dealership for a look.