That stinks. Sorry to hear about that. I know with mine I have the few random scratches. The rear bumper being the worst. There is a scratch about 1.5 inches long the goes straight the bumper, no clear coat or paint in side. The edges of said scratch are fairly jagged.
It makes me angry, but the car is 5 years old and you can't expect perfection forever. Especially since most people if the ding your car in a parking lot kind of shrug and act like nothing happened. I'd like to get my car painted, but can't afford it.
I'm not concerned with resale value so much because I don't want to sell the car until it is really old. I want dark blue or graphite. It would look sharp.
Tallman, the mpg tip was in my last paragraph, you couldn't get any better advice, un less you continue to avoid the signs, I willing to bet that when your driving you never make a full stop at a stop sign you roll through it.
Those of us who get good mpg don't need to roll through stop signs. It is more about avoiding the things that guzzle gas (driving fast, accelerating too fast, extened ideling etc) than going out of the way to save a few drops at a stop sign.
Of course where I live we have intersections where nobody has a stop sign, so everybody kinda rolls through slowly. :surprise:
I know the 2008 EX is rated for 30mpg combined city/hwy. However, my daily commute consists of 0430 interstate highway plus some local parkways with minimal traffic lights.......very little local driving. Since I've bought the vehicle in June 08 my best mileage has been just under 28mpg. The car has about 4k on it. Is this the best I can expect? If so I'm a little disappointed as my 03 Accord with the 2.4L was consistently getting low to mid 30s back and forth to work.
I personally dont think it will improve vastly in your daily trip, a good way to find out what the best mileage you are going to get is to go on some straight highway driving runs no stop and go, you will hit over 30mpgs
Hard to say exactly. How long is your commute? Does the engine have enough time to warm up? Do you drive fast on the highway? We don't know your driving habits (quick starts, lots of braking, etc.).
It sounds like you don't have to spend too much time in traffic so that should help. Also, I'm assuming you've got the 4 cyl automatic.
Ummmm... the I4 EX auto is rated 25MPG combined, actually. My average MPG is right around 27 and on extended highway trips I get almost 31. 6K miles on car. Most highway driving has been in eastern NC - very flat - but I'm not nursing the car, either.
Central Mass to the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont this weekend: 08 EX-L V6 Temp Between 60-80 Deg 50% AC Use 2 Occupants & Approx 150# Luggage and other stuff Max Speed 80 Avg Speed 70 Most Mileage On Interstate 91 478.1 Miles 16.326 Gal 29.28 MPG Once again pleased with hwy fuel economy. This trip in my previous V6 Sedan which was lighter but also had less torque and HP would require a one gear downshift out of overdrive on some inclines on Interstate 91 to maintain 70 MPH using CC. This Accord managed the trip with no downshifts required, just frequent disengagement of VCM to use all 6 cyl to maintain CC @ 70 MPH. Once again VCM activity could be felt but not maddening or overly intrusive as passenger made no mention of it. Wind noise barely noticeable, tire noise always present. I've gathered from these forums that this is a trait of the Accord but I feel I will try a different tire when replacement time comes and see if it improves at all.
I am a little disappointed with my mileage so far. I do a 125 mile round trip commute in a car pool with 2 other people. Total occupant weight is about 650 lbs. The trip is 80% highway at 70mph and the balance is city stop/go at ~45mph. The highway stretches have some slight uphill/downhill stretches and I usually take the cruise off to keep it from rev'g up to 4,000 rpm. I will sometimes do about 8 miles round trip at lunch in town. I have 1,300 miles on the vehicle and am getting about 27.0 mpg on the commutes overall. I am hoping I will get a small "break-in" bump plus I just checked the tire pressure a few minutes ago and all four were 25psi!! I just bumped all 4 tires up to ~32-33 psi so I will see if that helps.
Anybody think this tire pressure increase will show in mpg?
I have an '08 LX Auto I4 (slightly over 4,000 miles) and have been monitoring my driving for about a month with a ScanGauge. One thing I've learned about gas mileage by observing the ScanGauge...it doesn't take a lot of stop-and-go driving to do some serious damage to your gas mileage. You'd be surprised just how much that in-town lunch trip is hurting your mileage. Even that 20% stop and go on your commute is hurting you more than you think. Also, hauling 650 lbs around, especially in stop-and-go traffic does some serious negative things to your mileage. Pumping your tires up will help a lot. I'll bet that, if you eliminated your 2 passengers and your lunch trip, you would see at least a 2 mpg increase in your mileage. My last tank was about 80/20 Hwy/City. I use my cruise 100% when I'm on the hwy. I did 523 miles on 17 gallons...30.8 mpg.
Hello, my new EXL (one month old) has nearly 800 in the odometer. I had two gas fillings and both times I hardly got 21 mpg...!!! I drove mostly in city limits but some 20-30 % in the highway...I dont know what is the problem with my driving. I used to be very careful, never raised the accelerator in the city limits and in highway never drove above 80 mph. Somebody please give me some tips to improve the gas efficiency and my driving style.
Question: kind of important, do you have a 4-cyl or 6 cyl? If you're pulling down 21 with mostly city in a V6 you're doing fairly well, I'd say anyway. Automatic or manual?
...never drove above 80...
Stay around 70. Cities are death to mileage. If you have no other choice use highways unless it just doesn't make sense. For me most of the things I go to are just off the highway. In the morning I drive about 10 miles to work going 55 because all of my lights are usually green. Also give it time your car is still young. Things are still stiff and not as efficient as they will be
it is a 4 cyl automatic...i drive 3 miles to my office through 4 lights and also I come home for lunch. So everyday 12 miles through traffic. In that case my milage (20-21) is OK.?. :confuse:
617.1 miles using 14.8 gallons 41.7 mpg calculated 42.8 mpg scangauge. I may have overfilled a touch.
This was for 3 days of driving for work, temps in the low 40's in the am and 60's for pm. Speed about 60 most of the time. About 1.5 hours spent driving in the city - no rush hour traffic though. Some headwinds (very rare tailwinds) lots of crosswinds. Best leg was 65 miles along the Missouri River in ND - just under 50 mpg going 60 mph with a slight tailwind and temps in the low 60's.
This is the furthest I have taken a single tank.
Lifetime average over nearly 42,000 miles is now at 33.44 mpg.
Here is the scary part. There are plenty of people who have a lifetime average that is half of mine (not too many Accord owners I hope). They would then would then need to use twice as much gas. I have used 1,244.34 gallons in 41,605.8 miles. Twice as much gas is another 1,244.34 gallons. Multiple that by $4 per gallon and you get just under $5,000. That is an extra $277 per month for the 18 months I have owned the car. How can people even think twice about a guzzler - that is serious cash.
My first tank avg was 21.3 mpg, 2nd was 21.4, and 3rd was 23.7 mpg. If I still had my previous 06 EXL V6, I would have probably averaged about 1.5 mpg more on the first 2 tanks. But the 3rd tank would have been about 4 mpg more as 170 of the 379 mile were pure highway with speeds under 70 mph. I have been using a/c 100% of the time due to heat/humidity. I keep my tires at 34 psi, mainly to promote longer tire wear and as the weather cools, I hope my mpg's improves.
My 08 does drive like a dream though. It's much bigger and heavier than my 06 and it's more comfortable. It's suits my needs much better as I have to occasionally carry customers in my line of work. I try to take advantage of the VCM whenever possible. When it goes from 6 cyl to either 3 or 4 cyl mode, it feels like another transmission shift as if it was going into 6th gear, but the rpms don't drop. But V6-4-3 runs smooth at all times with no vibration or other problems others may be experiencing. :shades:
I think it's the extra weight that's influencing your poorer economy compared to your 06. The combined 22 mpg's Honda shows on the new car sticker represents 50-50 hwy city mix typical return. Your 23.7 isn't bad at all based on your mix. More mass to get up to speed will give less mpg's than your 06. Pure hwy you should be able to meet or exceed what you've achieved in your 06 as I've seen as high as 32 mpg's with my 08 EX-L V6. I've also seen as low as 17 mpg's in a massive snow storm that took 1 1/2 hrs to travel about 8 miles @ around 15 degree temp. Overall MPG's for me @ 12,500 miles is 22.35, all miles accumulated in very hilly New England.
I'm pleased with what I'm getting for MPG. Sticker says 21 city. I'm getting 21-22 MPG all city.
Sticker said 31 MPG highway. I get between 32-34 MPG all highway.
Mixed driving is hard to peg because on some tanks I drive more highway. Some, I drive more city. But, overall I'm right around 24 MPG-25 MPG in mixed driving.
A/C is always on (at least right now).
In short, I'm beating what I expected, and what the sticker said I should be getting.
I'm getting about the same in my '08 EX. I drive maybe 4-5 miles one-way to work and back on mostly streets, with stoplights, traffic and all. Poor gas mileage is the tradeoff for living close to work I guess.
Either way I guess you aren't losing money on gas since you probably aren't filling up that often. Now if you were getting 21 mpg and filling up every other day that would be a problem.
I'm getting about 27 on average and I drive about 17 miles to work. A half-tank, I always fill at half if I can, gets me through about a week.
I posted previously about my commute, the load, trip conditions, and what mpg I was getting (27.0). I also checked and found my tires were at 25 psi from the dealer for the past 8 weeks!! Guess they are trying to smooth out that "Accord-like" road feel suspension for test drives. In any event, I bumped them all up to 35 psi and have gotten 30.0 mpg twice now! I am really pleased. I would guess on a pure highway trip @ 65 to 70 mph and less passenger load, I could get 31-32mpg.
Much happier. Do the "Obama Energy Plan" and pump those tires up!! That is probably the only Obama suggestion I will be taking!
I measured a 100% highway trip from eastern Washington to Seattle and back again. 38.5 mpg there and 41 mpg back. Two sets of mountain ranges, 80 degrees, no particular wind either way, (including Ellensburg for those who know the area) just me and a suitcase. I was surprised at the results as this is about 5 mpg better than it did on the same trip when brand new.
Do you have navigation? There is another board where it seems to have been discovered by one member that, oddly, only the cars with navi are having the vibration problems.
I will also say, based on my experiences so far is that ANY city driving will significantly affect your overall MPG even if the bulk is highway. I will get 30 if I get fuel, get on the interstate, get off, and fill up. But a mere 10% of the mileage in town or city will bring the average MPG down to 25. Seems the city driving REALLY burns up the fuel with the V6 - stopping and starting.
The idea that VCM is a real fuel saver versus prior years, in my opinion, is a crock. My son's 2007 V6 does better overall. It IS a real fuel saver compared to what it would have been like if not equipped that way. The problem is the car is SO much heavier and , of necessity, more powerful, that without VCM the mileage with the AT would have been HORRIBLE.
I measured a 100% highway trip from eastern Washington to Seattle and back again. 38.5 mpg there and 41 mpg back.
That's been my experience a few times driving a similar route (Gig Harbor to Tri-Cities and back) in my 06 EX-L manual. The warm weather helps with this trip. You won't do nearly as well in the wind and colder temps.
That's been my experience a few times driving a similar route (Gig Harbor to Tri-Cities and back)
Pretty close, Tallman. My route is Tri-Cities to Vashon. Yes, since I do this trip 1x month, I'll do another check in January. Snow tires won't be as good as the Michelins, but I won't be running AC then. Tires make a big difference. I know that the car won't coast nearly as fast with the snow tires. My guess for winter driving: 33 mpg.
I have a 2008 LX Sedan, I4 Auto. I've been monitoring my driving with my ScanGauge for about 6 weeks so I know pretty well how my mileage runs. This morning I had the first opportunity to drive in heavy rain. The rain was heavy enough at times to require running the wipers on high. Total miles - 120 about 95% Hwy. It appears that my mileage took about a 3 mpg hit. This was a little bit of a surprise. Apparently, the tires pushing water out of the way is the main culprit, although, using the wipers does add a little electrical load. One additional factor was that the temperature was 68 - 70 degrees as opposed to a lot of my driving for the last 6 weeks running from 70 - 95 degrees, depending on the time of day.
Anybody else done any "research" in this area? Thoughts....ideas....opinions?
I finally cracked 30 with a 60/40 city highway split without trying too hard. I would guess that since I used a different station than normal that's part of it, but I'm not going to complain. All told it was 31.5.
Running the defogger isn't the problem. I'm a hot-natured guy....I run the AC 100% of the time. And, as I mentioned in the first post, it's been in the 80's and 90's over the 6 weeks I've been using the ScanGauge.
I think the VCM is a great concept and can save fuel if you can keep it engaged long enough. I find it won't engage while the engine is still warming up, usually during the first mile or so. Once the engine/transmission is fully up to operating temps, it engages as soon as you back off the accelerator as you reach cruising speed. I love the way you can accelerate lightly and keep the ECO light on. Once engaged, I find it easy to keep the ECO light on. My driving around town has me accelerating from a stop sign/light, getting up to speed, and then coasting as soon as I know I have slow down or see the next light change. I do this from 1 to 4 times during my 9 to 11 mile drive, depending on how many red lights I encounter. I'm amazed my city mileage is not worse considering the additional weight and larger engine. I'm still on my 4th tank and I track my mpg's via the fueleconomy.gov website. My 06 EXL V6 avg'd 25 mpg over the life I had it. So far I'm at 22 avg on my 08.
I live in Tallahassee, FL. I bought this '08 model on July 30th. Cooler temps is no factor whatsoever in this case. It is actually hotter now than August bud!
"My 06 EXL V6 avg'd 25 mpg over the life I had it. So far I'm at 22 avg on my 08."
Our 2004 AT V6 Coupe would easily get 30-32 MPG on trips whereas I have to really play featherfoot with this car to get 30 and have NEVER gotten more than that, and essentially under the same driving conditions.
I expect your experience may be the same compared to your '06, and your current average for the '08 not improve. It is right in line with Edmunds' long term test car MPG and my own experiences as well.
The difference in weight and size sure doesn't work in the 2008's favor. About a 10% gain in curb weight over the previous model (Gen VII), best I can tell.
3,600#'s by Accord standards may seem a bit portly, but it's really just average for most of today's sedans. The latest Lincoln reviewed in this month's car and driver is based on the Taurus platform powered by a 6 cyl that has nearly identical specs to the 08-09 Accord and it's around 4,300#'s. The new Maxima is within 100-200#'s of the Accord as well as the Camry. Safety considerations have been a major contributor to much of the additional weight these sedans are now burdened with. With new CAFE standards requiring drastic improvements in fleet economy, lighter weight materials are needed and needed fast. Will implementing these materials in the huge numbers required for all auto mfg's drive down the cost of what has been exclusive and expensive exotic materials used in limited production models? Time will tell. These next few years are going to be interesting and require a lot of innovation to meet our demands. Looking at the current financial situations of the US big 3, and considering the cost of R&D'ing new innovation, yes indeed these are going to be interesting times.
So far, I am not impressed with the city mileage. I think I do alright on the highway, but you need to move in the North East or you get run over. If I try and set the cruise for 70 max, I will get run over.
Car only has 2k on it, but I don't think for a minute that I am getting 21 around town. Maybe in a few k more miles it will improve.
Checked at least four tanks of gas, and the average combined miles per gallon is 22.. Car runs fine, it just eats gas like a Ford F-150 in town!!
Since new, I tracked MPG on every tank of gas up to about 20K miles, and it had only dipped below 30 MPG twice during that time.
I've since slacked off in terms of calculating MPG, so I thought I would see what the car is getting at 40K miles.
Without trying to maximize fuel economy on a recent trip, my Accord returned 35.6 MPG. This was about 80% highway/ 15% rural/ 5% urban-suburban driving.
On the flat OH roadways, I average about 70 MPH on the highway and 60MPH on the backroads, and did not use the A/C. However, there were times I drove faster, up to 85 MPH.
This is just one example of how easy it is to get 35+ MPG from this car.
My car has the same powertrain as yours (2006 EX Cloth), and I can back up your statements.
When we evacuate my parents from Hurricane Gustav in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, we had my mom's 2008 Taurus (3.5L V6), my Accord, and my dad's 2007 Civic EX Auto (1.8L 5AT).
We were all in line, one behind another, going from 55-80 MPH; not using the cruise too much. Gulf Shores, AL to Birmingham, AL via I-65 North.
In town, the Civic gets much better mileage than my Accord ( by a solid 5-6 MPG ) but on the highway, the extra torque and extra room my 2.4L Accord has is definitely worth the 2 MPG. The Taurus? Well, it is a huge, tall car, with lots of power; we were pleased with it since it hasn't fully loosened up yet (it didn't even have 3,000 miles on it at the time of the evacuation.
I have the 08 accord I4 with MT, and I get all the time 31 MPG, 30% city, 70% highway. If I try to drive the car like racer, I will get 24 MPG. But If I try to drive in a civilized way, I can get as high as 37 MPG. But again as I mentioned in my previous posts, this is a very large car, that weight a lot, and the engine was tuned in a way that the claimed HP and Torque numbers won't materialize until you rich the 6500 and 7000 RPM. But believe me with the MT transmission I did extract that horsepower, and the car is fast, but you have to keep the RPM high. But, in general for a car of that size, the MPG is pretty good, I would not complain. You cannot have it all; We want large cars, with fast 0 to 60 MPH, and good gas mileage; something is wrong with this picture, if you want something you'll have to sacrifice something else. My advice to Honda is to add a hybrid accord I4 not V6, to their product line. This will help the MPG to be near the 38 MPG, without trying the hipermillers techniques.
But again as I mentioned in my previous posts, this is a very large car, that weight a lot, and the engine was tuned in a way that the claimed HP and Torque numbers won't materialize until you rich the 6500 and 7000 RPM.
My 2008 Accord EXL (4 cyl) has 1500 miles on the odometer. She had her first highway trip for about 500 miles. It averaged nearly 30, which I thought is better than my previous Mitsibushi (27 mpg in highway). Hopefully I can do better..
Comments
It makes me angry, but the car is 5 years old and you can't expect perfection forever. Especially since most people if the ding your car in a parking lot kind of shrug and act like nothing happened. I'd like to get my car painted, but can't afford it.
I'm not concerned with resale value so much because I don't want to sell the car until it is really old. I want dark blue or graphite. It would look sharp.
You couldn't be further from the truth.
buy a civic,cobalt,corolla, etc. if your bent on mpg.
That's your advice?? I guess they'd have to rename this forum. :shades:
Of course where I live we have intersections where nobody has a stop sign, so everybody kinda rolls through slowly. :surprise:
Hard to say exactly. How long is your commute? Does the engine have enough time to warm up? Do you drive fast on the highway? We don't know your driving habits (quick starts, lots of braking, etc.).
It sounds like you don't have to spend too much time in traffic so that should help. Also, I'm assuming you've got the 4 cyl automatic.
08 EX-L V6
Temp Between 60-80 Deg
50% AC Use
2 Occupants & Approx 150# Luggage and other stuff
Max Speed 80 Avg Speed 70
Most Mileage On Interstate 91
478.1 Miles
16.326 Gal
29.28 MPG
Once again pleased with hwy fuel economy. This trip in my previous V6 Sedan which was lighter but also had less torque and HP would require a one gear downshift out of overdrive on some inclines on Interstate 91 to maintain 70 MPH using CC. This Accord managed the trip with no downshifts required, just frequent disengagement of VCM to use all 6 cyl to maintain CC @ 70 MPH. Once again VCM activity could be felt but not maddening or overly intrusive as passenger made no mention of it. Wind noise barely noticeable, tire noise always present. I've gathered from these forums that this is a trait of the Accord but I feel I will try a different tire when replacement time comes and see if it improves at all.
Anybody think this tire pressure increase will show in mpg?
Ken
...never drove above 80...
Stay around 70. Cities are death to mileage. If you have no other choice use highways unless it just doesn't make sense. For me most of the things I go to are just off the highway. In the morning I drive about 10 miles to work going 55 because all of my lights are usually green. Also give it time your car is still young. Things are still stiff and not as efficient as they will be
2007 I4 SE MT
617.1 miles using 14.8 gallons 41.7 mpg calculated 42.8 mpg scangauge. I may have overfilled a touch.
This was for 3 days of driving for work, temps in the low 40's in the am and 60's for pm. Speed about 60 most of the time. About 1.5 hours spent driving in the city - no rush hour traffic though. Some headwinds (very rare tailwinds) lots of crosswinds. Best leg was 65 miles along the Missouri River in ND - just under 50 mpg going 60 mph with a slight tailwind and temps in the low 60's.
This is the furthest I have taken a single tank.
Lifetime average over nearly 42,000 miles is now at 33.44 mpg.
Here is the scary part. There are plenty of people who have a lifetime average that is half of mine (not too many Accord owners I hope). They would then would then need to use twice as much gas. I have used 1,244.34 gallons in 41,605.8 miles. Twice as much gas is another 1,244.34 gallons. Multiple that by $4 per gallon and you get just under $5,000. That is an extra $277 per month for the 18 months I have owned the car. How can people even think twice about a guzzler - that is serious cash.
2007 I4 SE MT
617.1 miles using 14.8 gallons 41.7 mpg calculated 42.8 mpg scangauge. I may have overfilled a touch.
........your four-cyl fuel miser approach to life makes me green w/envy.................
Seriously, good job (and good reporting) from the 6M brotherhood..................
all the best, ez
My 08 does drive like a dream though. It's much bigger and heavier than my 06 and it's more comfortable. It's suits my needs much better as I have to occasionally carry customers in my line of work. I try to take advantage of the VCM whenever possible. When it goes from 6 cyl to either 3 or 4 cyl mode, it feels like another transmission shift as if it was going into 6th gear, but the rpms don't drop. But V6-4-3 runs smooth at all times with no vibration or other problems others may be experiencing. :shades:
Sticker said 31 MPG highway. I get between 32-34 MPG all highway.
Mixed driving is hard to peg because on some tanks I drive more highway. Some, I drive more city. But, overall I'm right around 24 MPG-25 MPG in mixed driving.
A/C is always on (at least right now).
In short, I'm beating what I expected, and what the sticker said I should be getting.
I don't baby it, either. I hit the gas and go.
Also, you have more than one traffic light per mile, not helpful.
What was your previous car and mileage?
I'm getting about 27 on average and I drive about 17 miles to work. A half-tank, I always fill at half if I can, gets me through about a week.
Much happier. Do the "Obama Energy Plan" and pump those tires up!! That is probably the only Obama suggestion I will be taking!
Happy motoring . . . .
The idea that VCM is a real fuel saver versus prior years, in my opinion, is a crock. My son's 2007 V6 does better overall. It IS a real fuel saver compared to what it would have been like if not equipped that way. The problem is the car is SO much heavier and , of necessity, more powerful, that without VCM the mileage with the AT would have been HORRIBLE.
That's been my experience a few times driving a similar route (Gig Harbor to Tri-Cities and back) in my 06 EX-L manual. The warm weather helps with this trip. You won't do nearly as well in the wind and colder temps.
Pretty close, Tallman. My route is Tri-Cities to Vashon. Yes, since I do this trip 1x month, I'll do another check in January. Snow tires won't be as good as the Michelins, but I won't be running AC then. Tires make a big difference. I know that the car won't coast nearly as fast with the snow tires. My guess for winter driving: 33 mpg.
Anybody else done any "research" in this area? Thoughts....ideas....opinions?
Ken
Ken
Our 2004 AT V6 Coupe would easily get 30-32 MPG on trips whereas I have to really play featherfoot with this car to get 30 and have NEVER gotten more than that, and essentially under the same driving conditions.
I expect your experience may be the same compared to your '06, and your current average for the '08 not improve. It is right in line with Edmunds' long term test car MPG and my own experiences as well.
Car only has 2k on it, but I don't think for a minute that I am getting 21 around town. Maybe in a few k more miles it will improve.
Checked at least four tanks of gas, and the average combined miles per gallon is 22.. Car runs fine, it just eats gas like a Ford F-150 in town!!
This would be a pretty boring place if we all just sat around and said 'it is what it is.' " :shades:
Good Post!
Kip
Since new, I tracked MPG on every tank of gas up to about 20K miles, and it had only dipped below 30 MPG twice during that time.
I've since slacked off in terms of calculating MPG, so I thought I would see what the car is getting at 40K miles.
Without trying to maximize fuel economy on a recent trip, my Accord returned 35.6 MPG. This was about 80% highway/ 15% rural/ 5% urban-suburban driving.
On the flat OH roadways, I average about 70 MPH on the highway and 60MPH on the backroads, and did not use the A/C. However, there were times I drove faster, up to 85 MPH.
This is just one example of how easy it is to get 35+ MPG from this car.
When we evacuate my parents from Hurricane Gustav in the middle of the night a few weeks ago, we had my mom's 2008 Taurus (3.5L V6), my Accord, and my dad's 2007 Civic EX Auto (1.8L 5AT).
Taurus - 27 MPG
Civic - 37.7 MPG
Accord - 35.6 MPG
We were all in line, one behind another, going from 55-80 MPH; not using the cruise too much. Gulf Shores, AL to Birmingham, AL via I-65 North.
In town, the Civic gets much better mileage than my Accord ( by a solid 5-6 MPG ) but on the highway, the extra torque and extra room my 2.4L Accord has is definitely worth the 2 MPG. The Taurus? Well, it is a huge, tall car, with lots of power; we were pleased with it since it hasn't fully loosened up yet (it didn't even have 3,000 miles on it at the time of the evacuation.
For those wondering:
LX, LX-P
177hp 6500 RPM
161lb-ft 4300 RPM
EX, EX-L
190hp 7000 RPM
162lb-ft 4400 RPM