Honda Odyssey Real World MPG

bradkansas · May 2010

Perhaps I'm incorrect, but if I turn off the AC while ascending a hill, I feel a surge of power comcluding more gas was being used when the AC is on.

Brad

ezydriver · June 2010

Getting better MPG:
1. Get a Scan Gauge so you can accurately determine your MPG
2. Find out which gas stations consistently have the gas that delivers the best MPG. I normally get 28 to 29 highway MPG, but once in a while I get less than 24 MPG = Bad Gas. The gas come to the terminal as 100% gasoline, ethanol is cheap compared to gasoline, and a variable amount of ethanol is added to the delivery tanker. Tests have shown in some fuel samples as high as 16% to 18%. Find out who is selling poor MPG fuel, spread the word, and let's put these stations out of business.
US gas on South Route 73 in S. NJ is poor fuel.

dodgehappy · June 2010

We will be making our first long road trip from Ohio to Hilton Head SC this coming weekend. We have an 08 EX and there will be 4 adults, 3 kids and luggage piled in. Any tips on best tire pressure for a 13 hour packed van ride?

ezydriver · June 2010

34 to 36 psi.
The faster you go the less you see.

jgatsby1 · June 2010

May 3rd we purchased a 2010 Honda Odyssey. We love the product, but were dismayed when the gas light prompting "E" after only netting 219 miles for the first complete fill up. We have filled the car 4 times (May 8, 14, 20, 27) since and have yet to yield greater than 220 miles between fill ups. As bad as the average milage has been (13-14 gallons) is the fact that we have been unable to put more then 15-16 gallons in for each fill up? So you are telling me that the measuring gauge has a 25% reserve? Not good.

Anyone have any suggestions or answers?

jgatsby1 · June 2010

Mitch,

I am having similar issues with the "combined" milage of @ 13-14 mpg after owning the car for one month. Has your situation gotten any better for mileage? Also, how many gallons does it typically run out before the gas indicator light goes on? This infuriates me as we only get about 200 miles with each fill up if we follow the fill up indicator...

robr2 · June 2010

If the tank is anything like the tank in our 2000, then yes - it has a huge reserve.

The tank is wide but not very tall. As such, there is a lot of fuel in the bottom of the tank. If you run the tank too low, you will pickup debris sitting on the bottom.

bradkansas · June 2010

I had he same problem; urban mileage down to 13mpg. I discovered there is a big difference between the quality of gasoline from station to station. Conocophillips is the worst in this area but ok other places not supplied by the refinery in Bartlesville, Ok.

I have run down to 2gal remaining out of 17, before the light comes on. The other day it did not come on until 16.5 was used.

Add three lbs, to your tires up to 38. My super Honda dealer mechanic advises same.

Turn off the air conditioner when climbing long hills and turn it on again on the descent.

I'm up to 20 in town now and up to 27 fully loaded in the summer on the highway.

Odysseys are very heavy. Maintain a light foot, especially on hills.

Brake gradually not at the last minute.

Don't drive like a soccer mom.

You know all of the above. We need reminders once in a while.

Brad

roloj · June 2010

Hi jgatsby1,
1) The mpg you are getting I think is correct. There are folks here posting of getting more. It makes me wonder if the gas supplier they buy from sells a different grade than those you and I (as well as others with low mpg) buy from. The maximum I get is 13.xxx mpg in the city. However, It varies A WHOLE LOT with highway. I sometimes get 21.xx, 25.xx, 34.xx and 44.xx mpg traveling between 65 & 75 mph with and without AC.
2) Your gas tank (including any reserves if there is such, I dont think there is one) will hold 21 gallons but can hold an added 3.xx gallons if you fill all the way to the top (top off). Some people dont like to top off but you should get more than 16 gallons before the pump initial first stops.

bradkansas · June 2010

44! Wow! What year us your Odyssey? Mine is '09. The dealer told me the tank held 17 gallons. I'd better check the manual. A few weeks ago, I drove to Denver, up the Arkansas River canyon and to Farmington, NM. My mileage went up to 27 in the mountains no less. I used mostly Shell. Since returning, it's gone down to around 16. To me, it seems like the gas we get here is crappy. In a few days I'm going to Montana for some trout hunting, then on to Portland and return. It should be interesting to track the mileage. I'll check in after the trip.

Brad

nobo · June 2010

34, 44 MPG? I'm gonna raise the BS flag on those numbers. How are those numbers calculated? By pencil and paper, or the engine's computer? Are we talking full tanks used up, or just a point A to B trip of less than 200 miles?

roloj · June 2010

I have an 06 EX.

I know we have different year. However, there is no significant differences in mpg we get. On the same trip we may get a slight difference in mpg because of the aerodynamics differences with each yr.

The new EPA standards do not make a difference because the mpg calculations remain the same; number of miles divided by the number of gallons. The only difference between 06 & 09 models is the procedure the automakers are instructed to use.

Before the new law the automakers were instructed to base their calculations on amount of gas consumed between a full tank a 3/4 full tank. They did not calculate mpg on a tank that is less than 3/4. We the owners, drivers, etc calculate when the tank is below half MOST of the time. (As a test, calculate your mpg when tank is 3/4 full.)

The last LD trip was April 24 thru 27, 2010 from NYC to Memphis TN and back FULLY LOADED. (The week before their flood.) A fact, my mpg was 21.943 to 44.53 when my traveling speed was between 70 & 75 mph, cruise control. A few times my speed was 76 - 83 and I got 18 - 19 mpg. I spent $257.xx ROUND TRIP in gas.

roloj · June 2010

nobo, there is no BS, BP or just BULL in what I posted. My calculation is simple and THE STANDARD. number of miles from traveled divided by the number of gallons. Let me BREAK IT DOWN FURTHER for you; This was my last LD trip report from NYC to Memphis, Tenn and back to NYC.

Gallons Miles MPG Avarage Speed Terrain Cost
13.968 306.5 21.943 75 MPH Flat & Hill 38.54
15.267 275 18.012 Mostly 75 MPH Hilly 42.12
8.346 254.4 30.482 65-75 MPH Flat 23.36
15.026 288.6 19.21 75-80 MPH Hilly 39.05
9.88 238.1 24.1 65-75 MPH Hilly 27.65
3.245 77.1 23.76 75-80 MPH Hilly 8.95
8.043 194.8 24.22 75-80 MPH Hilly 22.51
10.424 262.6 25.19 75-80 MPH Hilly 28.76
4.938 219.9 44.53 65-70 MPH Flat / Slight hilly 14.32
4.396 117 26.62 60-75 MPH Flat / Slight hilly 12
Everytime I stop I filled up and reset the odometer to zero.

yhbrooklyn · June 2010

I've been getting fairly crappy mileage since I leased my 2008 Odyssey in Feb 2008.
The BEST MPG I ever got was 17.87 and that was all highway.
I average about 8-9 MPG in the city, which I think is ridiculously low.
Not sure what I can do about it.
Maybe driving in Brooklyn, NY just causes that.

nobo · June 2010

Could be city traffic and bad gas. Do you always buy your gas at the same station?

bradkansas · July 2010

Just got back from Portland to Lawrence, Kansas. My mileage ranged from 24 to 29 in my '09 which is much better than my mileage locally. I can only conclude the gas we get here is inferior to the gas most other places west of here. I traded an '04 for this '09 (new) and got better mileage with the '04 which is lighter with a significantly smaller engine than the '09, so I would expect less mileage with the '09. The gas tank takes 17 gallons and takes only 1/2 gallon more, after the pump turns itself off, when filling to where I can see fuel in the feeder tube. I know the gage is not as much as seven gallons off. Thus, I question the notion the tank holds 24 gallons.

nobo · July 2010

Googling 20101 Honda Odyssey specs, Honda website says the tank holds 21 gallons.

http://automobiles.honda.com/odyssey/specifications.aspx

bradkansas · July 2010

Nobo et al.,

Right you are! I stand corrected. According to my manual, which I should have read prior to guessing:

The tank holds 21 gallons,

When the light comes on, there are "...about 3.01 gallons remaining".

When the needle is on E there is "little" fuel remaining.

However, when my needle is on E, the tank takes about 16.5 up to where I can see fuel in the intake tube suggesting around 4.5 gallons remaining. Perhaps the needle needs to be readjusted. I'm due for service and will post what the dealer says.

jynewjersey · July 2010

Just want to offer my experience: I have a 03' Odyssey with 163k miles. Just got all 6 fuel injectors replaced from a Check-engine warning light. It used to get over 25 mpg on highway and 21 in town before the new injectors. It now averages no more than 20mpg on highway. The dealer tech told me that bad injectors were extremely rare but I had been having delayed starting problem with a warm engine.
Anyway, wonder if I should trust Honda anymore.

nobo · July 2010

Did you / they run injector cleaner before replacing them?

bradkansas · July 2010

I've regularly used Techron since my previous Odyseey ('04) was giving symptoms of injector problems. My Honda dealer mechanic told me to put a large bottle of Techron (20 oz., I think) in the tank and all symptoms disappeared. I bought a new '09 last year and still use it every few tankfuls. It helps with mileage also.

Brad

dirkdaddy · July 2010

Just returned from July trip from TX to Va and back. Running AC the whole way, 4 people and luggage, no rack. Air filter at about 2/3 used. Unknown fresh oil from used car dealer. tires at 35. Used regular which had 10% ethanol. Used the "fill and calculate" method as ex has no computer (dumb option decision on Honda). Cruised at about 75mph

25 mpg
24.8 mpg
23.7 mpg (going about 80)

That's pretty good in my book, we were trying to make some time and were not on a economy run.

ECM turns off at 80mph, even when coasting. FYI

bradkansas · July 2010

Dirkdaddy,

That's very good mileage in my book especially at higher speeds, AC, four people and luggage.

Brad

pathangi · August 2010

2010 Odyssey bought on 08/13. I haven't filled the gas till now.

I see the meter going one point above E. I am surprised to the mileage is just 188.

I am not sure whether the dealer filled in the gas for full. After few minutes of delivery, i saw the gas level came down one quarter.

I drove most of it local miles.

How much can I expect for mileage. Do i expect little early on the performance. What should i do exactly to check the mileage.

gmwells · September 2010

i too just purchased 2010 odyssey ex-l, and thought that the dealer didn't top it off very well so I went to put more gas in. When the pump initially clicked off, i proceeded to put another gallon in. after driving it only 110 miles, the gauge showed just above 1/2 tank-- this concerned me-- i thought that i was only going to get about 10-11 mpg. I went back and re-filled the tank but this time took my time to fill it up until I saw the gas. This is what surprised me-- after the pump turned off initially, I was able to put in an additional 5 gallons!!! So now we'll see what my actuall mpg is.

chisoupie · October 2010

We just bought a new 2011 Odyssey Touring yesterday and after today's driving from NJ to Philly, we got an average mpg of 14! Is it possible that the reading will be off from the first tank (i.e. due to poor gas quality, etc.)? Perhaps I'm reading my screen wrong. One of the reasons we purchased the 2011 was due to the better mileage. My 2007 odyssey was recently only averaging 15 mpg. Unfortunately, I am a soccer mom and do accelerate and brake too much. Any advice? Should I bring it back to the dealer?

ezydriver · October 2010

Take your time accelerating and take it easy on the brakes - more coasting when you see that you will be stopping up ahead, and don't use your left foot on the brake - no tailgating. (Our 2007 Odyssey has 93,000 miles and the brake pads are only 40% worn away. At least 1/4 of those miles have been driving between SE CT and Southern NJ). NJ is a tough place for a high MPG because of the congestion, high speed limits on those roads with many stop lights.
Buy name brand gas - I like Shell, the alcohol content is better controlled than the discount gas stations.
Good luck

hp2009 · October 2010

please let us know on new 2011 odyssey owner on your mpg since Honda van has problem with true listed and real life......Honda dealer will tell u it's all depends on driving ....but it cannot be more one few mpg diff......than sticker

thanks
hp

ezydriver · October 2010

Since the emissions/engine control computer will tell you if there is a engine malfunction with a check engine light, I think the dealer is correct - differences in MPG on the same auto are largly due to the driver and the alcohol content of the gas effecting MPG by about an amount equivalent to the alcohol in the gas negatively. I am not a fan of alcohol dilution of gasoline.
For example:
Yesterday I drove 65 miles. 1/2 of the route was at 40 to 50 MPH on route I-95 in CT and 1/2 at 65 MPH. Traffic was light, no jams, and I simply drove the posted speed limits. Well maybe a little less when the limit was 65, I drove between 61 and 65 with an average of 63 - 64, (slower uphill faster down hill). No cruise control , still too many cars and trucks with all the exits. After 30 sec. my average MPG was 2.4 MPG after 6 min. it was 19 MPG and when I exited the interstate it was 30.3 MPG. I did not have to use my brakes, I could always coast to slow, and accelerated slowly to increase my speed. The Scan Gauge I use has been calibrated for speed and fuel used. I did have a light tail wind, maybe 5 to 8 MPH. The wind contributed to my mileage by close to 10%. So I guess the wind is another factor you have no control over.

bitwise · November 2010

I too have had relatively poor mileage from my 2007 Odyssey since I purchased it new. After a few dealer "updates", the mileage is roughly the same.

There is one thing I have definitely noticed. If I find a nice stretch of road, I can accelerate to 50+ MPH during which I get reasonable mileage (depending on the rate of acceleration, of course). If I release the accelerator, the mileage quickly climbs. If I then VERY gradually press on the accelerator to the point where I am just barely maintaining my current speed, the mileage will drop down to 12 MPG and will remain there if I don't change anything! If, however, I accelerate just a little more, just past the point of maintaining my current speed, the mileage will jump back up to 30 MPG. There also seems to be a very slight hesitation when switching between the 12 MPG "mode" and the 30 MPG "mode".

Needless to say, under cruise or otherwise normal driving style, the mileage is constantly jumping between 12 and 28 and my average is around 20. I'm suspecting a problem with the grade logic control (although I can't imagine how they could possibly consume enough fuel to result in 12 mpg at highway speeds and not fail an emissions test). Anybody figured out a way to disable it?

mitchlu · November 2010

Well I am close to 7000 miles with my 2010 Odyssey. Still getting same 12 MPG. Not funny.

Anybody knows how the 2011 odyssey scores? How about other brands like Toyota, Chrysler, or Hyundai?

dodgehappy · November 2010

Just finished off first tank of gas on our new 2011 Odyssey EX. I checked the dash computer and it said we averaged 16.1 MPG. This was almost completly City driving with short distances.

cccompson · November 2010

An average of around 20 mpg is not "relatively poor mileage" at all.

If you're measuring fuel consumption other than by manual calculation at fill-ups, your numbers will not be accurate.

stevedebi · November 2010

"Just finished off first tank of gas on our new 2011 Odyssey EX. I checked the dash computer and it said we averaged 16.1 MPG. This was almost completly City driving with short distances. "

Short distances are just about the worst for MPG. I would never expect to get more that 18-19 MPG in town with such a heavy car as the Odyssey under those circumstances; and this is if I stay light on the accelerator, don't rush to stoplights, and try to time the lights.

dodgehappy · November 2010

Yep, I was fine with the 16.1mpg for my wifes heavy city driving foot

"stevedebi: Short distances are just about the worst for MPG. I would never expect to get more that 18-19 MPG in town with such a heavy car as the Odyssey under those circumstances; and this is if I stay light on the accelerator, don't rush to stoplights, and try to time the lights."

stickguy · November 2010

local suburban, real short hop stop/starts is normal use for my wife with our 2005. I would kill for 18-19 in that use. Over all the years, it is consistently 15-17 if there are no longer trips mixed into a tank (depending on how cold, and AC usage)

bitwise · November 2010

That 20 is highway mileage under the best circumstances. In particular, I'd expect my best mileage at around 45 or 50 (firmly in the highest gear, torque converter locked, lowest RPM) - and the best I can do is 20? In-town mileage is quite a bit less.

I had noticed odd mileage readings from time to time, it's only recently that I've been able to determine why and when the readings are low. Now that I've learned how to keep it out of the 12 MPG mode, I've been able to boost my average mileage considerably (I'll be testing the theory on my next road trip). I might also have to post the number of speeding tickets since I'm generally forced to accelerate slightly most of the time.

From my initial observations, I think I would be more than pleased with the mileage IF the vehicle never fell into that 12 MPG mode. If the grade logic control is the cause of the problem, I'd much rather just turn it off than sacrifice 5+ MPG.

orangeblue · November 2010

Just completed first highway trip with our new 2011 Odyssey EXL. Was very impressed on 250 mile journey achieved 27.5 MPG avg fuel economy. Granted this was through a very flat part of IL but still very impressive. ECO light on most of the way while cruising at 74 MPH. Never expected this good of fuel economy.

mbrashier · November 2010

For what it is worth I avg 21mpg in mixed driving. I have a 2001 Odyssey LX that I use to commute from Northern Virginia into DC. My commute consists of 0-25mph stretches and 50-70mph stretches.

When I do a road trip from Northern Virginia down to Outer Banks NC I always average 25+mpg.

I plan to get a 2011 Touring Elite next spring to replace my trusty 10yr old Ody. I'm hoping it gets at least the same mileage as my current Ody.

europa6371 · December 2010

I have exact same problem, 2010 Odyssey getting about 12 MPG, dealer says that mileage drops in winter, Cannot believe i have 2 other cars, which are consistent round the year.

azkid2 · December 2010

There has to be something drastically out of whack. My 4 ODYs have almost always gotten over 20 MPG with a small handful of exceptions. I mostly get between 22 and 25 , less in the PHX summer with full time AC. Some independent garage somewhere should be able to get to the root of the problem I know there are knowledgeable people on these boards that could tell what to start looking for.

mtm12345 · January 2011

I am getting 12 mpg now and have gotten that before in the winter on my 2006. In warmer seasons I usually get between 15 and 16mpg. I live in Seattle and do a lot of short trips with hills. I try to coast as much as I can. This seems like horrible mileage to me, but I know the hills are hard on a heavy car. I had a 1990 Civic and it only got 20mpg with the same driving. However, my 2008 Mazda 3 can get 24mpg on the same drives and 22mpg in the winter. I often wonder if there is something wrong with this mileage on the Odyssey, but of course the dealer is no help when I have asked about it.

sbepko · February 2011

Well, I'm glad you guys have such blind faith in your computer readings. My 2010 Odyssey Touring (bought new Nov 2010) was giving what I thought were somewhat low "average mpg" displays of 14-16 mpg (mostly city/rural driving, non-thruway). But it just seemed to me that things were worse than that, so last week I topped it off. Note that the mpg and trip odometer logic automagically resets to zero when the car is filled.

87 miles later the dashboard display read 14.7 mpg, but the tank showed ~ 1/2 full ! So I filled that bad boy up, and lo and behold it took 11 gals ! Being a Rocket Scientist (really), I did the math. I'll save you the trouble- 7.9 mpg.

OK, this was one data point, but now I'm keeping track. Must be one amusing algorithm the car computer uses, sort of like the Fed's "massive spending cuts" of 0.01% of the Federal Budget.

dungeonlaa · February 2011

Touring'2011 in MA: city avg 16.5/18.0; highways 65-70mph ~24.5-25.5 mpg (based on 3 trips to NYC, Montreal & Pittsburgh -> avg temp 15-40F) :shades:

bradkansas · February 2011

Just back from Santa Cruz and San fran. over the Xmas holiday. I got about the exact same mileage.

Brad

gotoyota · February 2011

After two Odyssey's - an '02 EX and an 04 EXL-RES, I can say with confidence that the MPG ratings for these vans is quite optimistic and must be achieved under the most ideal circumstances. Our avg MPG was consistently in the 12-14 range and ~20 on trips. IIRC, that generation was rated 18/25. Good to know I wasn't crazy.

ezydriver · February 2011

Our 2007: Heavy load with roof pod we got 24 to 27 MPG on a 2000 mile round trip to FL. Maybe your honda MPG read out is faulty. We drive with a calibrated ScanGuage, both speed and fuel flow are right on. We are on cruise control most of the time and drive 1 to 2 MPH UNDER the posted limit when driving conditions permit which means we are driving at 64 to 68 MPH.

gotoyota · February 2011

The gen 2 Ody's (1999-2004) do not have the readout so I obtained my readings the old fashioned way (miles driven/gallons to fill up). Probably not as accurate as your ScanGuage, but pretty accurate when averaged over several tanks.

ezydriver · February 2011

Well I also have a k&n air filter and Mobil 1 oil. Driving style? I drive long distances often, sometime over 1000 miles in a long day and never am I in a rush/race like many drivers, I don't impede traffic but we are passed by lots of cars and trucks. My cars last many miles, right now I've got a 2000 Subaru - 280,000 mi, a 2001 Tundra - 165,000 mi and a 2007 Odyssey - 99,000 mi.

bradkansas · February 2011

Although I have not yet tried with the 2009, driving the 2004 at or below 2000rpm I got 35 mpg on one drive from Albert Lee, Mn, to Lawrence, Ks. Additionally, I turned off the ac going up hills and back on going down. I'm too impatient to run that slow when on a trip on the interstate.

Brad

Honda Odyssey Real World MPG

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