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There are a few points I would like to say, (bummer, I forgot his name... the retired guy after 45 years of the business.(congrats)) but he said alot of very good stuff. one that he failed to mention I thought that we would surly souch on is NEW... a new engine takes a little while to brake-in all of them do, they always have, I sell hondas and there are 4 in my near by family driveways; Grandpa has an 07 CR-V 4WD with around 12k on it, my wife has an 08 with about 4,500, and we get no were near the same mpg... (grandpa is a lead foot) we get 22 most of the time, hiway trips 40-75 minutes we have done better than 30 (the SUV hypermiling family)
My dad has a certified used 07 Ridgline RTL and before we bought it, we put the A.R.E topper on the truck, his drive to work sucks, its only about 6 minutes and its one stop light, the truck barely gets warm, but he still gets around 18.5 most of the time, we took a 1500 mile trip and he avg 23.4 (all hwy from MN, to AK for some late duck hunting, and back) we dont have numbers about the truck when it was new, but I hear at work the 14-17 is about it for the first 7k.
I cant wait to get 10k on my wifes CR-V and see if we can keep the avg over 24!
the 4th Honda is mine, and I beat the crap out of it... its an 89' prelude. and I have never once check the MPG on it... I have had it about a year and maybe put 2,500 on it. (weekends only)
I too spent a lot of years in the automobile business, including 12 years with a major Japanese company as a District Service Manager. That was twenty years ago. Times have changed...
I didn't get the Dakota. We bought another Ram. Very nice truck, and during it's first 273 miles, it burned 13.1 gallons of gas. That comes out to around 20.8 MPG. I expect it will do around 22 once it breaks in. Most of our driving is in the mountains. Not a lot of city driving.
Regards,
Jack
Just read back thru the previous 58 entries here, this should be about the same for 2008 models.
Tank 1 15.9 50/50
Tank 2 17.5 50/50
Tank 3 18.7 80/20
Tank 4 19.99 95/5
Tank 5 21.03 85/15
Tank 6 21.4 85/15
Average since purchased 18.7 MPG total 1800 miles since purchase. Took a trip to Chicago last weekend and average speed was 71 MPH on the highway.
When I drive I do slow starts coast to red lights and try to time them by reducing my speed. I started doing this with my Sienna and seen a 20% improvement in gas mileage. Driving around the Twin cities I hope to average 19/20 MPG when broken in. I think I should be able to do 23/24 on the HWY. I do not impede the flow of traffic by my driving, just take it easy and watch my starts and stops.
1) The engine needs time to break in, typically 5-10,000 miles.
2) You really need to fill up and record mileages over a couple of tanks. Gas (winter blend), vehicle position (how much gas did you put in? was the vehicle level, or listed (tilted) to allow more or less than the last or next time you filled up), and your driving habits for that period need to ba averaged out.
I have a 2007 Dakota with 3.7 v6 & 6-spd manual. My average for the first 8-10,000 miles has been 18 mpg, with highs in the low 20's. My lowest tank was in the 15-16 range. Recently, it has crept up to 22-23 mpg, primarily hwy driving. I accelerate moderately, keep my speed below 60 and have changed to all synthetic fluids and regularily use STP (Gas Treatment & Complete Fuel System Cleaner; as the car (engine) ages, it should break in, but deposits begin from day one to start to push the efficiency in the other direction. It is my theory, but it makes sense to keep it clean rather than pay to have an "Induction Syetem Cleaning" done @ $175-$200 every so often.)
18.95 MPG. 700 Mile trip tomorrow see what the HWY brings at 75 MPH.
For new Ridgeline owners, hang in there. A little mileage on the odometer, a steady foot, some attention to the posted speed limit, regular maintenance, and properly inflated tires should yield mileage that well exceeds that posted by the EPA.
By the way, I do not have a roof rack, and I do have a cargo bed tonneau cover....both of which likely contribute to the above-average mileage.
Regarding aerodynamics, not having a roof rack and covering the cargo area probably have something to do with this truck delivering somewhat better mileage than a brick. I just refilled my tank from a combination of city (90%), and Highway (10%), and the Ridgeline delivered that characteristic 15.4 MPG. Getting that mass to move from a standstill certainly requires that V6 to drink deeply...and the lower gears required certainly boost the RPMs.
I'll post after this next round-trip...which should total about 560 miles on flat terrain. My biggest challenge will be staying in the right lane for most of the trip.
I understand your skepticism. All I can do is report the facts...and will keep doing so.
Thanks.
I'm still looking for the right mix of tires, tire pressure, premium gas?, etc. to get me over 20 mpg. I just got a 2006 with 19k miles and so far my MPG is 19.75, 18, 17, and 18.75. And I'm driving it very easily!
Details of the test can be found here.
Your graph indicates at 74mph you achieved 24.7mpg.
I'm sorry, but I just don't believe this is 'real world'.
Mine gets about 19/19.5 at speeds around this. The very best I think I've gotten on mine was about 21.5.
My original tires indicate a max pressure of 35psi. The door tag has Honda's recommendation of 32psi. This small of an increase in tire pressure and a bed cover, in my opinion, would not increase milage by some 15% over my max milage. My milage was from fillup to fillup, which is usually 15 gallons or more.
If what you are reporting is a steady state mileage over a level 1 mile or so - I don't see what this has to do with any real world driving.
I have 20,000 miles on my 07 4x4 3.7l / 6 spd manual Dakota Quad Cab, and I drive like an old lady, trying to maximize my mpg's. It's a game, but it is much easier to drop your mileage than it is to increase it on any given tank. FYI, my readout is about 95% accurate when compared to the fill and record mileage data method, so I know it's accurate. These numbers may only be "snapshot", not what you are going to get unless you take it out and empty a tank on a long (highway) run at conservative (less than 70 mph) speeds.
Driven hard the Ridgeline sucks significantly more fuel. Its all in my driving habits. As some indication of my conservative driving, I still have plenty of tread left on my OEM tires and "just" had the rear brake pads replaced.
I'm sorry, but I just don't believe this is 'real world'. "
That was imperial MPG, not US MPG. The imperial gallon is larger.
And, 20.6 mpg to US gallon I would agree is an attainable figure for a steady, level 74mph (I think this was the speed in the graph.)
I don't recall what the Pilot's window sticker EPA Mileage was, but it got way better than advertised by the time the odometer hit the 1,000 mile mark.
Local driving, the Pilot returned 17-19 mpg. Highway mileage at 60 MPH would be 26-28 mpg depending on use of the AC. Increasing the speed to 70 would drop the mileage to the 22-24 mpg area. Again depending on use of the AC.
Ridgeline mileage in local driving is more in the 15-16 mpg range and highway mileage is a very disappointing 22+/- at 60 mph. with the AC OFF. I expect it would drop to 20 or less at 70 mph.
Realizing the window sticker is 15-20 and are grateful we are doing a bit better than that, I'm still in wonderment as to why it is so much worse than the Pilot.
Weight of the 2 vehicles is virtually the same, same engine displacement, similar frontal area, both AWD, same driver, same driving techniques, same fuel at the same pumps.
Must have something to do with the open bed at highway speeds, and transmission shifting preferences in local driving.
Other than that we really like the Ridgeline.
Kip
Ethanol is a huge failure because of its milage reductions and diversion of livestock food grain to a different purpose.
I have found that by setting the cruise control slightly higher than my desired speed and then, using the decelerate control bring the speed down to the desired speed. By doing this, you will see the mpg stay higher than if you just set the control at the speed you want and don't go over the\at speed first.
I have been getting 18.5 to 19.8 in the city using this technique. My highway mileage has shown 22.7 to 23.8 consistenly at 68mph on reasonably level interstates. Keeping the vehicle at 70mpg is max for me. I notice that speeds above 70 mpg start to take a toll on mileage because of wind resistance. There is a big trade off speed vs wind impact. Another thing to remember is not to use the cruise control when the road takes a steeper climb. This causes the tranny to downshift and the engine runs faster increasing fuel consumption.
Recently my wife and I took a 1 day road trip from south of Atlanta to Cherokee N. Carolina. Typical N. Georgia rolling hills most of the way with mountains the last 30 miles or so. One area was steep enough that the tranny dropped to 3rd gear. About half the trip was X-Way, 1/4 four lane roads with traffic lights, and 1/4 two lane roads with some small towns. Total trip was about 385 miles. Travel speed was posted speed limits and very little speeds over 65. Stopped to eat twice and once for a "Pit Stop". Spent about 2 hours at the destination.
Gauge in the car said we got 24.8 mpg. Gas pump and calculator showed 25.1 mpg. Filled up at the same pump before and after the trip. Let the nozzle run on the slowest setting and removed it on the first click both times. This is the first time the gauge has shown less than the calculated mileage. Might have something to do with the constant running vs my usual traffic type driving.
A week or so later I (alone) took a trip of about 175 total miles to north Georgia and back, but not into the mountains. There were constant rolling hills, for the entire trip. Ran the posted speed limits but not over 65 much at all. Measured the mileage going with a top speed of 62. Trip home had a top speed of 65. RL gauge showed 27.8 one way and 27.7 the other. Did not calculate at a fuel pump. Even if the gauge is optimistic by .5-.8 mpg, which is usually the case, that is still good mileage for a "brick".
Conditions were a pleasant day and AC was not required. Cruise was used when ever possible. FWIW I firmly believe that most RL will achieve this kind of mileage under similar conditions. In my heart of hearts I believe that if I had driven 70 mph the economy would have dropped 5-7 mpg. But I would have gotten there a few minutes quicker.
Problem with most drivers is a desire to buy cheap gas and run as fast or faster than everyone else. I buy Chevron or Shell 87 octane which have proven over and over to get better mileage than the economy fuels for us.
Check out the links at the top of this web site. -> http://www.toptiergas.com/
Kip
Sounds like your Ridgeline may need some tweaking also....maybe at the dealership after you do all you can do? Good luck!
Jimmie
I think I just filled up and it was 17, with a highway trip on that.
I feel all my vehicles lost around 2mpg where 10% ethenol was required. I've seen 21mpg on one highway trip in my 2006 Ridgeline, and this was on gas without ethenol. I doubt I will ever see this milage again.
I do drive fast, 70 or 75 depending on posted speed limit. I do try to keep air at 32pounds or more, but this truck does seem to leak or drop a lot of presssure in cold weather. I've had the low pressure warning come on twice since owning it. It comes on at 26#.
We had an '08 RTS that got about 16-17 in town and 19-21 on long freeway trips at 75-80 mph.
We traded our '08 for a new (leftover) 2010 RTL in December. It's not broken-in yet, but current mileage is 15-16 in town and 18-20 on the highway. I'm hoping it will improve after it gets a few thousand miles on it.
I agree that ethanol added to gas kills your mileage numbers. In my experience, 10% ethanol = 10% worse mileage. Almost like paying for something that doesn't even combust in the engine--weird. We are forced to buy gas with ethanol in the winter, but can get REAL gas in the summer here in Colorado, and the mileage numbers go up when the ethanol goes away.
On other Ridgeline forums, some owners claim to run 34-35 lbs. of air pressure in their tires to improve the mileage and it seems to work if they do lots of highway driving.
I've noticed the slightest increase in ride firmness, about the only penalty driving a couple of psi over. Need more time to evaluate mileage.
With Ford's new ecoboost engine, and the mileage/hp ratings of some others, I have to wonder the direction Honda is going. Makes me think maybe another year for the RL and then no more.
I think there has been a slip in quality too, although over the long haul I think a Honda will always persevere. But I am concerned they are not as innovative anymore. It's great having tried and true models like Accords and Civics, but things have become pretty stale in light of the competition, including other imports. Oh well, just my rant!
Back to the mileage, on longer trips I try to hold to 65mph even in a 70 zone. It seems as soon as the tach starts to rise the slightest bit above 2K, mpg starts heading for the toilet. Don't get me wrong, overall still love the truck.
I agree with dboe. When the tach hits 2000 the milesge drops fast.
Kip