ez - I would hang onto that baby for awhile longer! Wish we had held onto our coupe.
From everything I read, while the new coupe is a real eye catcher, yours more than holds its own against it on the street. The added weight to the new cars is only offset by the increase in HP. The lbs./hp actually are pretty much equal. Your car should be more than up to a match in any stoplight gran prix with an '08!
Question for you tallman: Did you use cruise control for the entire/majority of your trip?? That is amazing!!!
I did end up using the cruise control for quite a bit of the trip, especially after I got on I-5 near Eugene, OR. I tend to not use it much on two lane roads with a lot of hills so that I can control the throttle a bit better.
The real trick is keeping the speed down to 65 and under, especially with the manual. Of course, for most of us, there aren't too many times when we are on long trips of 400 miles or more. I think my trip computer showed my average speed at about 58 mph. Considering that I stopped a couple of times and hit some bumper to bumper traffic near the end, you can get an idea of how steadily I drove since I rarely went over 65.
I have a interesting dilama related to the tire pressure and fuel economy. Is this true? If you under inflated the tires, the book value of mpg is higher due to decrease in diameter. The total distance travelled has increased (ie compare to prorper inflated tires). But in reality, you get worse fuel economy due to the extra rolling resistance. However, if you over inflated your, your will get a "worse mpg" book-value mpg due to increase in tire diameter. The total distance travelled has reduced. In reality, you get better fuel economy due to the reduced rolling resistance.
Are you trying to say that you will have less miles on your car when you sell it (thus more value for the car) if you under-inflate your tires??
I can't imagine that would amount to many miles, not to mention the safety factor driving around with tires like that. And you would save many more $$ in gas over the life of the car as opposed to what you'd get in resale.
Or maybe I just didn't follow what you were trying to say. :confuse:
My take on it is that the distance traveled by the tire doesn't change. That wouldn't have any effect. However, when the tires are under-inflated more of the tire is in contact with the ground at any given time. This requires more energy to overcome all of the friction. The over-inflated tire requires less energy to move because there is less contact at any given time thus less friction.
If the tires traveled different distances due to pressure differences we'd have a lot of cars that were torn up because one side would be going further than the other, simply because most people don't have the same tire pressure all the way around.
Think of vehicles that have different required pressures for front and back, such as the Accord, which I think needs 32f and 30r. The front and back of that car would have to be going different speeds.
This is probably way more confusing that it has any need to be. Somebody who understands or thinks they know what I'm getting at please help me out. I tried but I'm sort of dumb.
I have 2008 I4, on my second tank I got 28 MPG. The light came on, then I refueled 16 gallons to top. This means that still 2.5 gallons left after the light came on; since the accord tank is 18.5 gallons. I am happy with result for a new car. It will get better after the parts in the motor settle. Lol.
An underinflatd tire will actually roll more and have the effect of a smaller tire - thus INCREASING the mileage traveled according to tthe odometer which is calibrated for the size tire the car was originally equipped with.
I think my trip computer showed my average speed at about 58 mph. That shows a lot of patience on your part in achieving this mileage, especially for a 400-mile trip. :surprise:
The reason I asked whether you used CC was because I haven't really used it much due to traffic, and, with 80% Hwy, the best MPG I ever got was around ~ 32 mpg. So even with 100% pure Hwy tank(which I haven't done), I suspected I'll get over 35-36 mpg without the help from CC. The fact you did use quite a bit of CC and getting 41mpg confirmed my suspicion. Thanks
I check my fuel consumption, by using the SCANGUAGE. This tool is very handy and worth the $150 I payed, it shows all the necessary data needed to know what your engine is doing while you're driving. I cannot check all the data but I set it for four type of data I need to know about. The MPG, the CFM, the IGN, and VLT. To respond to your question, why I am checking the MPG; I need to know what this car consume under normal driving condition. My first tanks was 25MPG, the second tank was 28MPG. I like to know if I can get 28MPG from new engine, I can get better gas mileage after the breakin period for this engine. All in All, I like this car, it is quite, it has a lot of power, and since I drive stick shift, I can squeeze a lot of juice out of this engine. Cornering is fabulous, knowing that I came from BMW 325i, the accord almost match the 2003 BMW 3 serie, in handling. Plus the confort is a lot better than a lot of cars that are worth twice it's price. Anyway, this just turned out into review for the 2008 accord. lol
I drove Calera, AL (Just S of Birmingham) to Gulf Shores, and drove a good 90 miles in spring break traffic around town after my initial trip. Honestly, I forgot my miles/gallons, but I remember the total MPGs amounted to 33.83mpg. Not bad for all the stop and go that spring break required!
I filled up on my way home today. Purchased at Chevron in Loxley, AL at the intersection of US 59 and Interstate 10. Upon filling up back in my hometown west of Birmingham, I had used 6.73 gallons of fuel, and driven 258.1 miles. That equals 38.35 mpg.
Again, that's 38.35 MPG. Using my GPS trip computer, I spent 2m38s stopped, hit a max speed of 81.8mph (had to do some passing), and averaged 68.7 mph (some US highway stop and go before getting on Interstate 65.
I set the cruise on 72, with the sunroof/windows open for the first 2 hours, had to use the A/C for the last couple of hours because it got hot!
38.35 MPG, Highway 2006 Accord EX I4 5AT, 32,085 miles
Traveled 185.9 mi from central Mass to NH White Mountains using 5.781 gal = 32.16 MPG. All but 10 miles were interstate between 60-70 MPH. Behaved pulling out of toll booths and generally accelerated like an old lady to achieve this personal best. Used cruise control 80% of the time with climate control set to auto @ 68 degrees in 70 degree weather. Return trip behaved most of the time with cruise set at 72, climate control off 50% of the trip but made the engine sing for me pulling out of toll booths and a few other times during the trip (nothing higher than 5,500 RPM). Used 6.363 gal in 183.4 miles for 28.82 MPG. Quite pleased all around, though I did enjoy the return trip more then my arrival one. The V6 can put a grin on your face as well as a scowl on your spouses and gives me all the get up and go I need from a family sedan while returning good fuel economy for a car as large as this.
Thats good to know. So there is still 2.5 gallons left when the light comes on. I was going to test it out, but since you have tried it, this helps a lot. I am coming up on 2000 miles on my 2008 accord LX automatic and MPG avg. is 29. Gas mileage is great. It will only get better.
08 EX-L, I4, AT w/ 85 octane at 6000feet -- 80% interstate / 20% city. Another tank, another 27mpg. I have 7500+ miles and I'm consistently getting between 26 and 28 with mostly interstate driving. However, I've been as high as 33 (with a crazy tail wind) and as low as 24 (with a crazy head-wind).
On this last tank I did not make any long trips, all commute and daily chores, 65% FWY, 35% Streets, got 26.2 MPG. (The overall MPG for the 5400 miles on the car is at 24.2).
My 08 accord I4 MPG is getting better and better. It looks like the engine is getting smoother, and the little noise that was comming from the tires is getting quiter; but the best thing of all; is the MPG I got twice on the highway. In two occasion I tried to keep my speed at the legal posted speed, and not to get into in showing off with any driver, my speed on the highway was between 60 and 65, and my scanguage was showing an average of 40.5 MPG. I still did not use any of my hypermiler techniques, I am trying to see th potentials of this car, I still have to test the MPG, using my old regular defensive driving, my guess will be in the range of 23 MPG. lol
It's good to know that I can get that kind of fuel economy on the highway. Overall MPG for my car approaching 7,000 miles is 21.23 due to the fact that approximately 5,500 miles are city with a lot of cold starts and most trips are 10 miles or less.
I hate to burst your bubble, but I also have an 08 EX-V6 auto and I am only getting almost exclusively 21mpg travelling 90% highway miles, mostly using cruise control (which does help), no AC, windows up, very little traffic, 70 mph, and slow accelerations. The best I have seen is 22mpg one time. Granted, there is only 4000 miles on the vehicle, but I am not too optimistic. Hopefully warm weather and an eventual change to synthetic oil after one more oil change will give some increase in that number. If I knew it was going to be this bad I would have bought a different vehicle and just went with a 4 cylinder. I bought the 6 cylinder based on unrealistic EPA ratings and the fact that I need to be able to tow my motorcycle once in a while.
I've seen a couple of 25 MPG, one other at 29 and a few at 24. I've also seen as low as 17. Considering the power needed to move the increased mass of this Accord I'm not convinced that the I4 would in the long run be much better. Add in the fun factor of the V6 and I'm not disappointed with my choice. With escalating fuel costs I may soon wish I bought a Smart Fourtwo but currently I'm content and have yet to feel the need to take out a second mortgage to provide fuel for my Accord.
I've been watching this board for a long time and your mileage seems to be unusually low given the driving factors you indicated. Are there huge hills during your 90% highway driving - or are there still stop lights on your highway route? If you really are driving on a highway, at 70mph, with slow accelerations, I would surely think your V6 would be doing better than 21mpg. My overall impression of the V6 would make me believe that you should be getting in the 25-27mpg range (certainly some have even done better than that). Perhaps you have a plugged filter or low tire pressure or something. You don't want to overreact, but it might even be worth a quick trip to the dealer?
Check Edmunds long term test - overall MPG for an '08 V6 with VCM is running around 23.5 MPG. His is a little low but of course it varies depending upon driving style. Mine is almost exactly the same as Edmunds - 23.4 overall.
My thinking was based on the fact that he is getting 21mpg while driving 90% highway. 21mpg wouldn't be that bad in mixed driving and for an over-all average. But aren't people doing much better while on the highway?
I just returned from a round trip from upstate ny to boston, Mass with my 08 exl-v6 and I averaged 28mpg with my cruise set at 75mph. I was really happy with that. My car just turned over 4,000 miles. This was my first time with strictly highway driving since I've had the car and was really impressed with the mpg. Was averaging about 22-23 in a mix of driving. Happy driving!!!
That is excellent - will be making a trip tomorrow 90% highway of about 250 miles on interstate - will report back. But I have not come close to 28 yet.
557 miles 14.7 gallons 37.9 mpg. (37.6 scangauge).
First 80 miles in town avg spd 18 mph (scangauge). Rest of mileage was rolling hills mostly two lane highway at about 65 mph. This portion was 42+ mpg (scangauge).
At 30,000 miles my lifetime avg. is now 32.75 mpg. mileage for my last 10 tanks combined is 34.0 mpg (starting to warm up a little so this has moved up in the last few months).
My previous tank was all in town (also with an 18 mph avg spd) and delivered 26.1 mpg.
Great mileage, I am not there yet, but expect it soon since over the last few months my V6's mileage has got a better. Also, I verified the accuracy of the trip computer on the 08 V6. On my last tank, the computer was showing 26.2 MPG, when I got it filled up, it took 17.4 gal and my mileage was 459, that returns a very good number, so I think at least with the 08 model the trip computer is very close to actual numbers.
557 miles 14.7 gallons 37.9 mpg. (37.6 scangauge).
First 80 miles in town avg spd 18 mph (scangauge). Rest of mileage was rolling hills mostly two lane highway at about 65 mph. This portion was 42+ mpg (scangauge).
Awesome mpg!!! Did you use any A/C at all for your trip? :P
Not even for a second. Temps were mostly in the 40's to 60's. We get kinda crazy weather around here though. It was 91 last week and it snowed a few inches yesterday.
I have a '98 EXL 4-Cyl Auto Sedan. I commute 120 miles roundtrip with three other adults in the car (we rotate the driving). I average 27mpg traveling almost all interstate running 70 to 75 mph. When it is just me, it climbs to about 28mpg.
Pretty good for 158,000 miles and only routine maintenance expenses.
I am eying a new LX-P/Auto but would hope to get better mileage.
Since the snow has more or less gone away, it comes back when it gets bored, I haven't been using as much defrost thereby cutting my A/C use. I have also been trying to keep my foot only on the gas enough to move the car and not trying to make it fly. As a result my mileage has gone up a bit to 25.284 mpg according to www.mpgtune.com. Not quite where it was last spring, but there is still enough defrosting going on to continue to be a drain on the engine.
OK. I just had my worst highway mileage ever, and now believe those who are getting bad mileage.
Took a 70 mile trip heading East with a NNW wind, cruise set at 65 and got 39.x mpg (scangauge) should have been better, but I find that strong side winds can hurt quite a bit. On the way back my wife was driving and she was not in a good mood and in a hurry. Exact same 70 mile trip with a strong wind mostly from the side buy partly from the front. She was drving 80 to 83 mph and flooring it everytime she passed someone and hit the brakes hard everytime she slowed down. 25.1 mpg!! :surprise:
While the change in wind was part of the problem that is a huge difference in mpg. So the moral of the story is slow down and drive smoothly if you want good gas mileage.
My mpg has actually been creeping up while driving around the city since then.
I wish I could see that say that my worst mileage was 25.1, as it is my worst has been 17mpg. Then again I do have a tendency to floor it, especially when everybody is driving like a moron and I just want to get away from them. I've been trying to ease off of the gas and drive my car a little less like I stole it and a little more like I would like to live, especially with gas at or above $3.35 here. Cheap right. Ha.
I'm trying to eek the most out of every drop.
A related question, would anybody say that a K&N air filter would help me increase mileage? I've heard mixed reviews. I recently changed mine with a Fram filter. To me it seemed too restrictive. I don't know. Any opinions would be great.
Not even for a second. Temps were mostly in the 40's to 60's. We get kinda crazy weather around here though. It was 91 last week and it snowed a few inches yesterday.
LOL We get weird weather sometimes too, but definitely not as crazy as yours. As far as A/C goes, I've noticed that even with a lot of highway miles, if I've used some AC (less than 1/3 of the time), my mileage would drop by at least 2~3 mpg and I would have a hard time to even break the 29 mark. So, now I don't use AC unless it's absolutely necessary.
parviz - you are doing GREAT! here is the latest from Edmunds: Three months and 4,200 miles have passed since we last updated our long-term Honda Accord’s fuel log. High time we gave you the digits, no?
Our lifetime average is 21.1 mpg, so we’re still not quite hitting the EPA’s estimate of 22 mpg for combined driving, despite my husband’s determination to keep the green ECO dash light lit during a stint behind the wheel this weekend.
Our best tanks are generally in the mid 20s, worst tanks drop into the 16-17 range. We've used 436.1 gallons of fuel and have driven it more than 9,000 miles since we took ownership of the Accord last fall.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 11,263 miles
Thanks, I saw the post you had on the VCM thread as well. Too bad it seems the report is for the I4 and not the V6? Anyhow, I think where I get the most MPG is in the freeway. I have noticed street MPG's are low. This last week traffic was bad and a couple of times it took me almost an hour and a half to make the 40 minute commute and that made my last tank MPG right about 23.3, what a difference low speed traffic makes! I think that is when I am on all 6 cylinders and the extra weight of the Accord in in play! Now I have about 5600 miles and the lifetime MPG is still at 24.2.
Just took my first "long" trip from DC to Charlotte. About 400 miles each way (I95/I85). Car was full of stuff so it was a "heavy" ride. Going down it was raining off and on so the windows were up and no AC. Speed averaged somewhere between 65 and 75 depending on the weather, and I got 29.4.
Came back today, in much better weather. Same route, windows down part of the way, no AC, and drove between 70 and 80. Got 30 on the return trip. Needless to say I was suprised. Now if I could just get rid of the VCM issues....
That is great mileage - just did 416 miles of 200 hwy and 216 mixed - 16.5 gallons, or 25.2 - actually impressive considering I was not babying it at all, and occasionally got on it pretty good.
Best mileage thus far was 23mpg- Worst 18-19- bout 2800 miles on the clock and I suspect it will improve once the break-in oil is gone and I switch to synthetic...
Congratulations Sunfunn. Mine is also '08 Accord 4-dr V6 EX-L. Last MPG on computer was 25.2, my manual calculation was 26.39 MPG with mixed driving about 60% freeway, 40% city. Car was at 2,420 miles. It's not bad. I am happy with it. It I get 30MPG on freeway like you did I will celebrate big. My old '95 Accord I4 got about 27- 29 MPG mixed, 31 - 32 MPG freeway @ 254K miles. I have sold it already.
Now at 16,000 plus miles and mpg is improving. Today was mixed driving with 50% interstate and 50% rural highways, running ac about half time and made 38.3 mpg. This is actual usage using miles driven and gallons into the tank. I always fill my tank with the auto-fill shut off in the second/middle position and when it stops that is where I stop.....no overfills. So, my mpg can be consistently figured. Recently I started running all of the tires 5 pounds over what is listed on the door frame. This has helped improve the gas mileage with little sacrifice to the handling/ride. The mileage has been improving steadily after the car reached 12,000 miles, until then 26-30 was the norm. Honda did a super job on this 07 SE! We like everything about it except the cabin could be quieter. This is a great site and I continue to learn about cars. Oh, this 07 is our 5th Honda Accord. They just keep getting better!
Got a 2008 V-6 Sedan for the wife. Has about 2,000 miles. Need some feedback from other owners on benefits on using synthetic oil. Does it improve gas mileage?
Changing over to synthetic oil in the crank case and rear end in my V-8 Dakota got me about one mpg improvement. Any little bit helps ;-)
Another issue is oil life. I only drive the truck about 5,000 miles per year and feel more comfortable with annual oil changes than I would with dino oil.
Comments
From everything I read, while the new coupe is a real eye catcher, yours more than holds its own against it on the street. The added weight to the new cars is only offset by the increase in HP. The lbs./hp actually are pretty much equal. Your car should be more than up to a match in any stoplight gran prix with an '08!
Happy motoring!
I did end up using the cruise control for quite a bit of the trip, especially after I got on I-5 near Eugene, OR. I tend to not use it much on two lane roads with a lot of hills so that I can control the throttle a bit better.
The real trick is keeping the speed down to 65 and under, especially with the manual. Of course, for most of us, there aren't too many times when we are on long trips of 400 miles or more. I think my trip computer showed my average speed at about 58 mph. Considering that I stopped a couple of times and hit some bumper to bumper traffic near the end, you can get an idea of how steadily I drove since I rarely went over 65.
Is this true?
If you under inflated the tires, the book value of mpg is higher due to decrease in diameter. The total distance travelled has increased (ie compare to prorper inflated tires). But in reality, you get worse fuel economy due to the extra rolling resistance.
However, if you over inflated your, your will get a "worse mpg" book-value mpg due to increase in tire diameter. The total distance travelled has reduced. In reality, you get better fuel economy due to the reduced rolling resistance.
I can't imagine that would amount to many miles, not to mention the safety factor driving around with tires like that. And you would save many more $$ in gas over the life of the car as opposed to what you'd get in resale.
Or maybe I just didn't follow what you were trying to say. :confuse:
If the tires traveled different distances due to pressure differences we'd have a lot of cars that were torn up because one side would be going further than the other, simply because most people don't have the same tire pressure all the way around.
Think of vehicles that have different required pressures for front and back, such as the Accord, which I think needs 32f and 30r. The front and back of that car would have to be going different speeds.
This is probably way more confusing that it has any need to be. Somebody who understands or thinks they know what I'm getting at please help me out. I tried but I'm sort of dumb.
That shows a lot of patience on your part in achieving this mileage, especially for a 400-mile trip. :surprise:
The reason I asked whether you used CC was because I haven't really used it much due to traffic, and, with 80% Hwy, the best MPG I ever got was around ~ 32 mpg. So even with 100% pure Hwy tank(which I haven't done), I suspected I'll get over 35-36 mpg without the help from CC. The fact you did use quite a bit of CC and getting 41mpg confirmed my suspicion. Thanks
I filled up on my way home today. Purchased at Chevron in Loxley, AL at the intersection of US 59 and Interstate 10. Upon filling up back in my hometown west of Birmingham, I had used 6.73 gallons of fuel, and driven 258.1 miles. That equals 38.35 mpg.
Again, that's 38.35 MPG. Using my GPS trip computer, I spent 2m38s stopped, hit a max speed of 81.8mph (had to do some passing), and averaged 68.7 mph (some US highway stop and go before getting on Interstate 65.
I set the cruise on 72, with the sunroof/windows open for the first 2 hours, had to use the A/C for the last couple of hours because it got hot!
38.35 MPG, Highway
2006 Accord EX I4 5AT, 32,085 miles
TheGrad
Tank 1 24.5 MPG. 60/40 highway/city
Tank 2 25.3 MPG. 50/50 highway/city (spirited driving)
Hoping it gets better.
557 miles 14.7 gallons 37.9 mpg. (37.6 scangauge).
First 80 miles in town avg spd 18 mph (scangauge). Rest of mileage was rolling hills mostly two lane highway at about 65 mph. This portion was 42+ mpg (scangauge).
At 30,000 miles my lifetime avg. is now 32.75 mpg.
mileage for my last 10 tanks combined is 34.0 mpg (starting to warm up a little so this has moved up in the last few months).
My previous tank was all in town (also with an 18 mph avg spd) and delivered 26.1 mpg.
First 80 miles in town avg spd 18 mph (scangauge). Rest of mileage was rolling hills mostly two lane highway at about 65 mph. This portion was 42+ mpg (scangauge).
Awesome mpg!!! Did you use any A/C at all for your trip? :P
Not even for a second. Temps were mostly in the 40's to 60's. We get kinda crazy weather around here though. It was 91 last week and it snowed a few inches yesterday.
I can't bring myself to turn on the A/C just yet it's still too mild out. I'll have enough A/C time this summer.
Pretty good for 158,000 miles and only routine maintenance expenses.
I am eying a new LX-P/Auto but would hope to get better mileage.
Overall, I'm very happy.
tankbeans,
2003 Accord LX Coupe, 48,976
Took a 70 mile trip heading East with a NNW wind, cruise set at 65 and got 39.x mpg (scangauge) should have been better, but I find that strong side winds can hurt quite a bit. On the way back my wife was driving and she was not in a good mood and in a hurry. Exact same 70 mile trip with a strong wind mostly from the side buy partly from the front. She was drving 80 to 83 mph and flooring it everytime she passed someone and hit the brakes hard everytime she slowed down. 25.1 mpg!! :surprise:
While the change in wind was part of the problem that is a huge difference in mpg. So the moral of the story is slow down and drive smoothly if you want good gas mileage.
My mpg has actually been creeping up while driving around the city since then.
I'm trying to eek the most out of every drop.
A related question, would anybody say that a K&N air filter would help me increase mileage? I've heard mixed reviews. I recently changed mine with a Fram filter. To me it seemed too restrictive. I don't know. Any opinions would be great.
LOL We get weird weather sometimes too, but definitely not as crazy as yours. As far as A/C goes, I've noticed that even with a lot of highway miles, if I've used some AC (less than 1/3 of the time), my mileage would drop by at least 2~3 mpg and I would have a hard time to even break the 29 mark. So, now I don't use AC unless it's absolutely necessary.
Three months and 4,200 miles have passed since we last updated our long-term Honda Accord’s fuel log. High time we gave you the digits, no?
Our lifetime average is 21.1 mpg, so we’re still not quite hitting the EPA’s estimate of 22 mpg for combined driving, despite my husband’s determination to keep the green ECO dash light lit during a stint behind the wheel this weekend.
Our best tanks are generally in the mid 20s, worst tanks drop into the 16-17 range. We've used 436.1 gallons of fuel and have driven it more than 9,000 miles since we took ownership of the Accord last fall.
Bryn MacKinnon, Senior Editor, Edmunds.com @ 11,263 miles
Came back today, in much better weather. Same route, windows down part of the way, no AC, and drove between 70 and 80. Got 30 on the return trip. Needless to say I was suprised. Now if I could just get rid of the VCM issues....
(Car now has 4300 miles on it)
2nd tank 19.7
3rd tank 23.5
95 % city driving. I have the EXL so I just set the temp to 75. I have not tried driving with A/C off.
Got a 2008 V-6 Sedan for the wife. Has about 2,000 miles.
Need some feedback from other owners on benefits on
using synthetic oil. Does it improve gas mileage?
Is it worth the extra $$$?
Thanks,
Another issue is oil life. I only drive the truck about 5,000 miles per year and feel more comfortable with annual oil changes than I would with dino oil.