Honda Accord Real World MPG

personatech

I believe the 08 actually has a slightly lower drag coefficient than the previous model. For instance, if you look at the front end closely you will see that the fenders slope into the hood very nicely (hence the "bug eye" headlights). The rest of the car is also sculpted to be more aerodynamic than the previous model. The appearance of the new grill is very misleading - a pointy nose does not necessarily mean a more aerodynamic shape.

FWIW, my overall experience with my 08 I4 Automatic EX is that MPG ranges from 25 to 29MPG in "spirited" driving.

ezshift5

...... believe the 08 actually has a slightly lower drag coefficient than the previous model.

...my Gen VII 6M coupe Cd is .29.....(can't recall any Accord lower).....and it works!
(39 in the flat Arizona desert on I-10 6th gear/cruise/2200 RPM/87 octane)

best, ez....

graphicguy

1,000 miles on an '08 I4 automatic with A/C running. Went from SW OH to Philadelphia. Avg speed 64 MPH, but regularly hit 80 MPH for parts of the trip.

On the way out....32 MPG via manual calculations. About .5MPG higher according to the car computer.

On the way back, 34 MPG via manual calculations. About .3 MPG higher according to the car computer.

Don't know why there was a difference except I ran into a lot more traffic on the way out, than I did on the way back. But, I actually drove faster on the way back, too.

In town, I get between 21-23 MPG in all stop and go traffic with A/C on.

Sporin

I'm seeing a regular combined tank of between 27 and 29, 50/50 city and highway. Between 420-450 between Full and the low fuel light coming on.

I got 2 tanks over 30 when taking long trips with more highway time this summer both hit 500 miles before the low fuel light came on.

Generally have the A/C cranking.

Very happy with those numbers.

tankbeans

Very happy for you. I have trouble hitting 30, only done it once in my 03 which is about 300 pounds lighter. It just goes to show that if the engine matches the car and you treat it right the mileage will be there.

I'm of the opinion, that no matter what car you have, if the engine matches the size of the car you'll get your best mileage. If the engine isn't big enough it'll have to work harder to keep the car moving, whereas if the engine is too big it'll be more apt to go higher and higher in speed.

Case in point, th 04 Kia Spectra comes with a 2.2 liter I4 and a 2.5, I believe, and the 2.5 gets better mileage while providing more power.

I think that there is some magic weight to hp ratio out there that nobody has quite figured out yet.

If I sound nuts please tell me.

topcat8

I have a 07 Accord EXL I4 can any one tell me where the plugin is located on my car to hook up the scangauge I can not find it ?? Top Cat8 :confuse: ( I would like to buy one if it will work on my car.)

mazda6dude

I drove about 85% Freeway and 15% city. Mostly flat freeway driving. I use cruise a lot. I don't drive more then 65-70MPH on the freeway. As for load, most driving is done with only myself in the car, but times there are 2 or 3 people including me. I drive conservatively and take it easy on the gas pedal. This is the best mileage I have got since buying the car. A normal tank is getting 30MPG. This one was almost 33MPG.

tallman1

It's nice to see that some folks are getting better mileage in the 08, gg. While the numbers still aren't as good as the generation VII Accords, they are much better than some of the earlier reports here.

Hope you are enjoying the new ride... miss the BMW yet?? :shades:

tankbeans

People getting used to their cars and what they can do. Discovering that you don't have to floor it to go anywhere, maybe? Done having fun and enjoying the "new car smell," which is toxic I might add. :shades: Or the crop of 08's are getting "older" and engines are loosening up.

Don't the 08s have drive by wire? Perhaps all of the owners are getting used to the exaggerated pedal positions and getting used to driving without the typical road response of a mechanical pedal.

dudleyr

The scangauge plugs in just below the steering wheel under the dash. I think it is a little to the left of the steering column. Not sure, but there may even be an access panel - if not you have to remove the cover that is just above your knees.

I will go out and look later.

graphicguy

tallman.....really two different cars....the 3 series and the Accord. Up until recently, BMWs weren't known to have the most HP in their class. That's changed quite a bit with the 335i, as those are screamers. But, mine was a 330i. It wasn't the fastest off the line, but boy did it handle AND RIDE like nothing else.

Not to say the Accord can handle/ride like the BMW. But, it probably is 8/10ths of what the BMW was. That's truly surprising for a FWD car. Plus, the Accord is more tossable than the BMW.

Is the Accord as fast? Nope. Does it handle as well? Nope (but it comes fairly close). It gets better MPG. It doesn't have the quirks that the BMW had. My BMW had a navi/i-drive. I can say that the navi and bluetooth works much better in the Accord than it did in the BMW. Build quality is about the same. I'm expecting service will be much less in the Accord than the BMW (once out of warranty).

Add in, that the Accord costs probably $15K-$20K less kind of seals the deal.

Would I have bought another BMW? Yeah....would have loved to. But, they've really climbed the ladder on price in recent years. To get a "like-for-like" new BMW 335i (vs my 330i), I'd be well into the $40s. Is it worth it? Apparently a lot of people think so.

It was a tough decision for me to move away from the 3. They're mighty fine cars. But, so is the Accord, in its own right. It's really gone upmarket with the '08.

mazda6dude

One thing I always do when driving my accord is I try to get to my highest gear as soon as possible to lower RPM and maximize MPG. I don't jump start from a red light or accelerate hard. Most of my shifting is done between 2000-3000rpm. Try this and see if anyone can improve their MPG. I have realized, in my accord, I reach my highest gear somewhere between 40-45MPH. Combining this with cruise control, I am able to maximze MPG. I have never got anything less then 29MPG on my accord since I have purchased it.

tallman1

gg... I hear ya. I lurk in the Stories from the Frontline thread so I've been following your exploits with selling the 3 series and the Accord purchase. It sounds like you are pretty happy with the Accord so far.

Sporin

I rarely rev past 3500k in day to day driving, even getting on the highway is more then brisk enough for my area at those revs.

That's probably why I am getting that consistent 27-29 per tank in mixed driving. It is fun to rip it to redline every once and a while though.

I'll be curious how it changes when winter arrives again and that snow tires go back on. I expect to loose a good 2mpg average based on last winter's numbers.

tankbeans

Thanks for reminding us how painfully close winter is getting already. I remember last year when I got my car in late summer I averaged 27 mixed without trying at all. I was driving like I'm used to 80 on the freeway and being first off the line at stop lights, not like racing at all rather a game to see who is paying more attention to the light. Then winter hit and bam it went down to 24 if I was lucky. Lots of things going against mileage up in MN. Cold weather, lots of snow, although not nearly as bad as it used to be, tweaked fuel mix. We already have year round E10 which robs mileage by itself.

Then there are the people who don't know how to navigate the roads.

graphicguy

tallman....once you break into that $40K+ mark, like BMW has done with the 335i, a lot of other cars become appealing.

You can get (in no particular order).....

-A new discounted Corvette
-new discounted Audi A6 or Audi TT
-Lexus GS 350
-Mustang Shelby GT 500
-Lotus Elise
-Mercedes C350 Sport

There are plenty of others. But, all of the above would have been on my shopping list and welcome to grace my driveway if I had decided to climb the price ladder had I wanted to replace my BMW.....stay in that price range.

Perfectly happy with the Accord at this juncture, though.

Sporin

I bought this car in mid-November 2007 and had new snow tires (cooper weathermasters) swapped on the 3rd day I had it. Hard to judge how bad MPG was effected by the tires/cold/winter gas though since it was mostly break-in miles. I had the first oil change and the snows taken off at 8k and the MPG went from a steady 24 to a steady 27.

personatech

Just drove our new '08 I4 Auto to Athens, GA from Roanoke Rapids, NC (and back again) and finally got almost 31MPG on our Greenville, SC to Athens back up to Burlington, NC leg (which included some city driving in Athens which involved dodging some tipsy students late night downtown). I'm officially satisfied with my mileage now. My son even drove a leg and he's not known for nursing the accelerator!!

Thursday I have its first oil change scheduled (just hit 4K miles) - it'll be interesting to see if that affects MPG in any way.

thegraduate

4,000 miles and you are down to 15% already?

You shouldn't change the oil before the minder tells you to do so; ESPECIALLY for the first oil change.

personatech

15%?! My oil life is more like 70%. When we bought the car, the dealer recommended that we bring the car in at approximately 3500-4000 miles instead of the usual 10-15% threshold since most of the "break-in" wear occurs in that period. MIght've been a bunch of hooie but it does make sense, plus "back in the day" I'd bring new cars in for their first change at 1K so 3-4K doesn't seem out of line.

jhinsc

I wouldn't change the oil so soon. Of course your dealer wants you to bring it in, they don't make money until you have services done. My dealer does not hound me to do service ahead of time, and Honda will send you a letter reminding you to follow the maintenance minder. 70% is way too early for an oil change, whether it's your first or 20th oil change.

thegraduate

Your dealer is bass-ackwards. You need that break-in oil in your engine until the minder. More break-in wear will continue to occur, producing miniscule particles which the current oil is designed for. The dealer just wants your cash, my friend.

One Honda Accord owner even sent the oil off for testing after leaving the OEM oil in the engine until the minder. He was skeptical about it, but was pleased to learn the oil was still in good condition when the results came back. He did the right thing by leaving it.

dudleyr

My recent mpg has taken a hit.

Had a 1700 mile trip with my wife driving the whole way. Her best was 37.9 mpg and she averaged 33.8 mpg. This include a couple hundred miles around Indianapolis. My lifetime mpg remains at 33.35 for about 41,000 miles, but my 10 tank rolling average had dropped quite a bit from 36.9 down to 33.2. Gotta stop letting other people drive.

mazda6dude

2008 Honda Accord LX 2.4L AT
Miles: 480
Gallons: 16.356
Avg: 29.35
75% Highway 25% City

A general question, feedback would be appreciated. Even though I filled up 16.356 gallons, the low fuel light did not come on. Any idea how many gallons are left in the tank before the low fuel light comes on? Thanks.

dudleyr

On the previous gen threre are about 2.5 to 3 gallons left. 08 has a larger tank, but that light should have come on - unless you put a gallon or two in the fill tube.

thegraduate

Actually, in my 2006, my light comes on when the car takes about 13 gallons to "click" off (capacity is 17.1 gallons. I never fill past the click (and would recommend everyone do the same, for the sake of their emissions system).

The new car's tank is 18.5 gallons, so I'd think the light should be on earlier than 16.3, unless you are filling past the click.

catmike

Scanguage Use

Hey Dudleyr, can you give me some insight on scanguage. I have a new scanguage and love it but the constant mpg read out is always much higher than my computed mpg when i fill up. I cant figure out the "discrepancy". Any thoughts?

malmouza

The 2008 Accord has 18.5 gal tank, the fuel light comes on after you burn 16 gallons of fuel; this means you only have 2.5 gal in the tank after the light comes on. I did test this couple fill ups.
After the light comes on; you have approximately between 70 miles and 80 miles worth of fuel left depending on your driving. On my 08 accord MT, I constantly get 32 MPG on average. on the highway I get around 37 MPG at 70 MPH.

guitar4him

Friday night, the fuel light came on in my 2008, LX Sedan, I4. I immediately pulled off the interstate (added about 2 miles) and put 18.4 gallons in my tank. Go figure.....

thegraduate

How did you fill the tank? Do you fill after the first shutoff?

tankbeans

I'm glad mine isn't weird then. Last week I allowed mine to get to the feed me light and it came on about half-way between an "eighth of a tank" and "empty." Generally, if I fill within 10 miles of the gas light coming on I can get 12 gallons in. Although I've been trying not to let it go that long. Usually I wait until just under "half-tank" is left.

dudleyr

catmike,

Did you set up the scangauge when you installed it by entering the engine size, gas tank size, tire size etc. ? If you did that you can still calibrate further by adjusting the odometer reading on the gauge to a gps, but the easiest way is to calibrate on fillup.

Everytime you fill up you reset the tank on the scangauge. It will ask you if the number of gallons it registered is correct. If not, then you scroll to the actual number of gallons used and the the scangauge uses that correction for all its calculations.

Don't get carried away and correct it every time though. Look for trends. If it is always reading high, then bring it down until it sometimes is high and sometimes is low. Do the same if it always reads low.

I have found that in the winter time mine needs to adjust the measured numbers down about 5% and in the summer about 2%.

Now that mine is calibrated I trust it more than my hand calcs. I still do the hand calcs though for comparison and use them exclusively for my lifetime and rolling averages.

Here is a night pic of my installation - I said earlier that I would post one. I will do a daytime one later.

http://www.carspace.com/dudleyr/Albums/dudleyr%27s%20Album/IMG_0799.JPG/page/pho- to.html#pic

tallman1

Thursday I have its first oil change scheduled (just hit 4K miles) - it'll be interesting to see if that affects MPG in any way.

I agree with the others who have suggested that you wait on that oil change. Don't take their word for it... Honda put that break-in oil in the car and Honda tells you not to change it before 5000 miles. I also used to change my oil at 1000 miles when breaking in an engine but those days are over.

You won't see any change in MPG by changing your oil early either.

tommystones

80% Highway
20% City/Suburban

Used 16 Gallons of Reg Gas and Got 358 miles Out Of It.

Average was 22.37 Miles Per Gallon.

I Was slightly disappaointed ... I was expecting an average mpg of 25.

Anyone else have any mpg figures on their 08 EX-L V6 Coupe????

malmouza

The 08 Accord V6 have to be nursed, by driving like a grandma, and staying at the posted speed limit on the highway to get at least 26 MPG on average. The VCM is a joke, it is a technology that saves only 1 MPG compared to the non-VCM.
VCM shuts down fuel for the 2 or 3 cylinders, but the Camshaft for these 2 or 3 cylinders is still experiencing a heavy load from these useless cylinders. If there was a clutch that separates these inactive cylinders with separate Camshafts, the MPG gain will be in the range of 4 MPG. But again extra Camshafts and extra clutch cost more money for parts and assembly. I will have to say that V6 Honda is good when it comes to torque, horsepower, and smoothness; but when it comes to fuel economy is still not that good, compared to the new direct injection V6 engine from BMW.

personatech

Advice taken; I'm canceling the oil change until later. Thanks, everyone!

personatech

Cool - I'm looking forward to the daytime pics. Do you have it mounted in the upper or lower storage bay under the stereo? Is there a windshield mount for the Scanguage a la GPS units? I might prefer that to using some of my candy storage area :P .

mazda6dude

I went one click after the first shutoff.

tankbeans

The 08 Accord V6 have to be nursed, by driving like a grandma...

I don't drive a V6, I haven't got the need for one, but doesn't nursing it defeat the purpose of a V6? Wouldn't a person who has to nurse a V6 be happier driving the s*** out of an I4 and attaining said mileage?

On a side note, my friend claims to be getting about 25 mpg in a 4.6L Mustang. And he isn't known for being light on the throttle.

I think there is an optimum horsepower/torque to weight ratio to achieve optimum mileage as well as performance, but many manufacturers haven't found it. It seems that if an engine is too small for it's given task it will work harder and get lower mileage, but if it is too large it will get away from the driver and have them going faster than they meant to go.

For instance I never thought in a million years that a 4 cylinder engine would work in a vehicle the size of a gen vii accord, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Anyway I'm rambling again.

dudleyr

2007 I4 SE MT

Took a trip for work yesterday. About 96 miles each way. 42.3 mpg going and 50.9 mpg returning. Very windy and warm (some tail wind on way back, but mostly a very strong side wind) No A/C and about 57 mph.

Average for the day was 44.5 mpg (see pic). This included taking kids to school and then to soccer games in the evening.

Here is all the data from that day.
47 mph avg speed. (city really brings this down fast)
82 mph max speed.
4.3 hours of driving
3209 rpm max
204 miles driven
197 degrees max water temp
4.6 gallons of gas consumed
44.5 mpg

Here is a pic of the scangauge in the daylight -next day (hence yesterdays mpg).

http://www.carspace.com/dudleyr/Albums/dudleyr%27s%20Album/scangauge%20day.jpg/p- - age/photo.html#pic

This pic shows that the cubby can still be closed.

http://www.carspace.com/dudleyr/Albums/dudleyr%27s%20Album/scangauge%20closed.jp- - g/page/photo.html#pic

packer3

What bugs the sit out of me is the fact that people get cars and then they have to drive them in so many different ways just to reach the the quoted mpg ie, more air in the tires, keep it at 65 mph, dont change the oil under or over some stupid mileage number, put high test in you car, use fuel additives, wear a different color hat each day, allways look right not left etc.
The funny part is that people are doing these things, lets face it, remember it is what it is except it, or just go out and buy a civic,cobalt,corolla, etc. if your bent on mpg.

dudleyr

I find it equally funny that people buy cars and pay no attention to how they drive and then wonder why they get poor mpg. :confuse:

It is not what it is if you can make it better. I suppose if you get a bad grade on your first test in college you should accept that you are destined for failure and not try to do better.

Maybe some of us need a car larger than a Civic. Would you do a 225 mile (each way) trip in a Civic with 2 adults and 3 children? As it was we could barely close the trunk on the Accord. The Civic would not work. Besides the Civic barely beats the Accord on the highway. :P

tallman1

Packer... If you feel that way, I'm not quite sure why you are reading a mpg forum. :confuse:

The fact of the matter is that most folks here are actually curious about getting better mileage or they are here to complain about why they aren't doing better. Most of us appreciate the tips we read here. I hope that those who are trying to do better can learn something that will help them.

This would be a pretty boring place if we all just sat around and said "it is what it is." :shades:

personatech

Strange... I just drive as I've always driven (a bit spirited) and I easily achieve the stated MPG in my I4 auto Accord. Not a V6, true, but one thing I've noticed about the Accord is that it seems to be very sensitive to driving style, probably due to its weight. Those times that I do relax, I average just under 30MPG. If I lean on the pedal a bit (i.e. accelerate quickly) then MPG drops noticeably. I suspect that if I did what you suggest (wear a different color hat, look right before left :P ) I'd be getting something in the low to mid 30s. Next tank, maybe I'll try that.

malmouza

Look man, people buy V6 engine cars because they love having that extra power to beat the crap out of somebody on the highway or at the stop light trying to race them or show off. I have been there, I know the feeling, I am older now, I care more or less about somebody passing me. But the morale of the issue is people want a car with a lot of horsepower in hand, and good fuel economy, which is contradictory to the law of physics. Personally, I drive 08 accord I4, I get 33 MPG if I am driving moderately, and I get 25 MPG if I am beating the crap out of that engine, and believe me I tried to see what that car can do, if you keep the RPM between 6000 and 7000 RPM you’ll extract those 190 ponies from that car. If you drive on the highway at no more than 70 MPH, you’ll get a good fuel mileage in the range of 37 MPG. On trip from PA to NY I managed 38 MPG. But one thing everybody need to be aware of it, more horsepower comes at the price of less fuel efficiency. That is why I will say that the diesel version of the accord will please a lot of people that like the torque which is 260 lb/ ft , and the fuel efficiency that is 27% better that gasoline. Even though economically speaking the added premium and the expensive diesel fuel won't make any sense to go and buy this car, but people will be happy owning diesel version of the accord, because it has everything they need in a car, and money is no issue for these selected population.

tankbeans

I guess for me, even though I am young, I don't need the extra hp. I'm the only person in the car 90% of the time. Also, I can get plenty spirited in my car. 160 hp is just fine for me, it's rated with the same hp as an 03 Taurus, a 6 cylinder. Granted the Taurus has slightly more torque. If a 4 can match a 6 in terms of hp I'm happy. Truth be told, I think I've said this before, I was quite shocked when I learned that the 03 Accord came with a 4 cylinder. It always seemed too big.

Another funny thing is that even though my current car the 03 Coupe looks a little bigger and would seem heavier, it is actually lighter than my 95 by about 15 pounds according the kbb.com and it comes with 15 more hp as well as the 5th gear. When I stay around 70ish I can pull down 27 mixed while not sacrificing the fun factor.

I may sound like a dork, but I've started noticing the different markings that differentiate between 4 cylinder and six cylinders. Most 4's won't have anything giving you a clue, but then the 6 cylinders of the same model will usually tell you V6 or the higher displacement, Nissan. I ramble. I quit now.

dpmeersman

Packed up for vacation from Mass to Maine and did a little over 900 miles for the week. Filled up 3 times so that my mileage would show the highway miles as I rarely get a chance to check them as most of my 12,000 miles are city to secondary roads. First tank went 442.8 miles using 15.282 gal which as an estimator I'm going to call 29 mpg's, about 90% hwy with AC on at least 50% of the time, 2 occupants and trunk and back seat pretty well loaded. Second tank 338.8 miles 12.470 gal for 27 mpg's, 4 adults 70% hwy, balance a mix with some stop & go AC running most of the time. Last tank 144.5 miles, 5.158 gal for 28 mpg's 2 occupants and more return baggage than we left with, lot's of shopping made wallet lighter but purchases had detrimental effect on fuel economy, AC on 90% of the time. Oil life @ 50% with 4,100 miles on it. Kept acceleration levels within normal range on tank 1 & 3 but ran up to 6,000 RPM a couple of times on tank 2, conditions permitted it and hadn't exercised all 6 cyl in a while. Most hwy miles were maxxed out @ 70 mph with occasional 75 mph short runs. Pleased with results in fuel economy and overall comfort and composure of my 08 EX-L V6. I've made claims that my VCM operation has become nearly unnoticeable, but realize I haven't been exposed to the speeds where it's operation is more apparent. It's operation remains noticeable but not objectionable when running 65-70 mph, I believe others have noticed this speed range as where it's presence is most noticeable if the 6 cyl in question exhibits any VCM activity as some don't. Mine still does but I had a comfortable week in a car that I'm still pleased I purchased given it's level of comfort, economy, performance and presence as it still seems to attract considerable positive attention from most. The looks I'm getting that occasionally seem less than positive are usually from Gen VII owners parked nearby that are just as happy with their more traditional Accord, if I'm reading the signs right.

dom6183

I am admittedly a light footed driver. Took delivery on Aug 3 of the 2008 Accord LX-P standard 4 cyl engine. Have put 1,461 miles on it so far, around 1,000 of those miles on 65-70mph highways. As of today, used total of 47 gallons of regular gas. This equates to exactly 31 mpg. I am very pleased!

tankbeans

No offense, paragraph breaks are good.

Anyway, congratulations. I'm a gen vii owner and I haven't gotten a chance to really look at one up close. Usually I see them only in passing. The coupe looks awesome though.

dpmeersman

None taken. I just kinda blurted everything out quickly because I had a car to clean, lawn to mow, all the good things you come back to when you've been away for a while.
Car cleaned up well with only one area of scratches on the rear passenger quarter. Heard something hit that was very loud from the passenger compartment but couldn't locate any apparent damage when I later stopped. Thought I would find something when I got home and cleaned it, and sure enough at 11 months it has it's first paint deep blemishes.