What am I doing wrong to only get 42 mpg???

slangerslanger Member Posts: 3
edited January 2015 in Honda
We own two hybrids, a three year-old Fusion and a 2015 Accord Hybrid that we've owned for about a month.

We love the car but regardless of how or where we drive, we can only max out at around 42 mpg. Has anyone seen this and have it ultimately improve? We drive on virtually flat roads and are pretty familiar with how to max the mpg on a hybrid.

We drive with the ECO button pressed, don't accelerate quickly, driving fairly conservatively.

Any thoughts?

Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited January 2015
    Guess you checked the tire pressure and are manually checking the mpg. If you take it back to the dealer, they'll likely tell you it needs to be broken in more, say 4,000 miles or so.

    And they could be right. Wouldn't hurt to "start a file" though in case it never gets any better.

    I'd start keep paper records and keep manually checking the gas mileage too.
  • capriracercapriracer Member Posts: 907
    2 thoughts:

    Fuel economy is very much dependent on how you drive - meaning starts and stops. Continuous driving - as in a hundred mile between stops - results in good fuel economy, and driving in the city where you have to stop many times in a mile, results in poor fuel economy.

    One of the problems of trying to use the sticker on a new car's window as a predictor of what you'll get is that the number on the window is the result of a standardized test - and while you can compare that number to other vehicles, it doesn't translate well to actual usage fuel economy.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,861
    If the climate control is being run continuously, it will have a large effect on fuel mileage.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • personatechpersonatech Member Posts: 105
    Actually, in a hybrid, city driving nets the best mpg, especially for the Accord Hybrid. Geographic location might make a difference, too. It's been a cold winter in much of the country and cold saps battery power.

    Out of curiosity, how does the Accord Hybrid compare with the Fusion? I'm probably going to be choosing between the two shortly (although it sounds like you might have the previous generation Fusion)?
  • slangerslanger Member Posts: 3
    The Honda is more luxurious and handles much better. It also has more electronics that we've yet to figure out. I would buy the Accord all over again, but don't like that Honda brags about the 50mpg and we can't get much more than we do with the Fusion.
  • psu77psu77 Member Posts: 13
    I have had my Accord hybrid for about 4 months and I previously owned a Prius for about 5 years. I am getting about 46 mpg on the Accord vs 48-50 mpg in the Prius. I did notice on the highway if I go above 70 mph, that it will never go into EV mode and mileage will drop to about 36 mpg. However if I put it on cruise control at 70 mph, it will go into EV mode off and on and my MPG will increase to about 42 MPH.
  • slangerslanger Member Posts: 3
    My tire pressure is at 40, even though the tires are supposed to be at 33. I guess that's not the problem. I don't mind getting an exaggeration from the marketing group, I just don't think a 20% difference should be considered ok.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well combined advertised mileage is 47, and you are at 42, so you're off only about 11%, and given that the car is new and that there are bound to be statistical variations in when/where you check your mileage and even the type of fuel you get at the pump (the blend). I'd agree with Steve---have Honda "make note" of this on a repair order, in writing and then keep an eye on it as the car breaks in and the weather warms up.
  • jim_ajim_a Member Posts: 3
    I did research on the Accord Hybrid "real world" mpg prior to purchasing. I determined that I should expect around 38-40 MPG if I got this car. The pleasant surprise is that, so far, I'm getting right around the advertised MPG; better than I expected.

    We own an Insight. Lifetime MPG on the Insight is probably around 40 - 41 (well over 100K miles). It is very easy to drop down into the mid-thirties with the Insight, with even a slight bit of quicker stopping or accelerating. The Insight has limited performance through limited horsepower... the get up and go just isn't there. Climbing grades is slow and noisy.

    So, now the Accord Hybrid actually has better performance than the regular 4 cyl Accord. This additional power at one's command means no more struggling up hill, which costs power. It offers brisker acceleration, which costs power. As one becomes accustomed to the power and takes advantage of it, fuel economy will drop. The feel of acceleration is expensive indeed. And then, quick stops dissipate kinetic energy through heat. The only way to maximize conversion of kinetic energy to forward motion, is to avoid breaking. Regenerative breaking tries to recapture this kinetic energy and store it in the battery. The conversion process still loses energy compared to maximizing forward motion.

    Therefore, when it comes to breaking, avoiding breaking really helps save fuel. To avoid breaking, one must begin coasting much sooner, anticipating light changes and so on. This was/is the technique used with the Insight (and now with the Accord). It also helped reduce maintenance, as the original brakes on the Insight lasted nearly 120K miles. The better half never adopted this coasting habit, and she usually gets in the mid-thirties in the Insight around town.

    I'm assuming the reason that new owners are initially experiencing near rated mileage, is because they're babying their new purchase. With time and familiarity, one sees diminishing MPGs as one enjoys the performance it offers...without even realizing it--very gradually driving a little quicker and quicker--very easy to do in a car that has tremendous performance (relatively speaking) at the ready. The other reason for poorer MPGs is likely due to outdoor temperature, which diminishes battery capacity.

    All in all, using the same driving techniques to get 40 MPG out of the Insight Hybrid, we're getting better to much better MPG out of a bigger, heavier, quieter car. Try doing some searches on hypermiling, read about the techniques, and experiment with it just a little. Learning the technique doesn't mean going all-out, but at least gives an understanding of how unbelievable MPGs can be attained out of any car (not just hybrids).

    Final comment: Some of the magazine reviewers comment that their heavy-footed test drives are yielding MPGs in the 30s. One author commented that the hypermiling group achieved MPGs in the 80s (sounded like this was using the same car). Can't remember who published that, but I do believe the report from my experiences with the Insight.
  • sterlingarchersterlingarcher Member Posts: 2
    slanger said:

    We own two hybrids, a three year-old Fusion and a 2015 Accord Hybrid that we've owned for about a month.

    We love the car but regardless of how or where we drive, we can only max out at around 42 mpg. Has anyone seen this and have it ultimately improve? We drive on virtually flat roads and are pretty familiar with how to max the mpg on a hybrid.

    We drive with the ECO button pressed, don't accelerate quickly, driving fairly conservatively.

    Any thoughts?

    I am driving mine in D.C. and I drive a mix of stop and go and Fairfax County Parkway (4 lane) in moderate to heavy traffic. 25 miles each way every day. I have found that you have to pay close attention and I spent the first few weeks getting used to not pushing the accelerator down like I used to (owned several Hondas including 4 Accords). I begin braking early and gently, after a few weeks I just do it without paying attention to it. My mileage runs between 47-50MPG. I also find myself taking my foot off the accelerator for a few seconds on longer stretches of road and then pushing just hard enough to get 2 or 3 blue power bars and EV stays on and my mileage is great. Breaking strongly or shorter stops don't help and actually hurt mileage for sure. You didn't mention the ECO rating the car gives you every time you drive, mine routinely is around 50. But lots of things can contribute, heat, cold, humidity, weather, tire rolling resistance, composition of the roads, tar, cement, pitted etc. I would try what I do but there numerous variables. Remember gasoline's are generally formulated and while cold affects all engine performance its generally the "eco blends" that lower mileage as much as anything, In CO while I lived there you could tell the minute they changed to the winter fuel blend as mileage plummeted. Do a bit of research online about fuel, driving habits the formulation of gas in your area. However generally speaking how you drive is the most important thing you can do, take your time, shoot half the time people race ahead of me and I end up next to or behind them at the next light :-) Good luck...
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,912
    edited June 2015
    42 mpg is fine. I get about 38 with my 2011 MKZ hybrid, same drive train as the Fusion. Go to fueleconomy.gov to see what folks REALLY get. 2010 - 2012 average around 38 mpg, 2013 - 2015 average around 41 mpg.

    The 2014-2015 Accord hybrids average 42-43 mpg. You're fine
Sign In or Register to comment.