Honda Accord Real World MPG

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Comments

  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    ..from LA to our infamous state capital..........

    Fill-up at Gorman (in the Tehachapi range)...

    297 miles strait north to Thornton Chevron (just north of Lodi)

    7.760 pump reading.

    That calc's to over 38 MPG.........

    ..and that's a J30A4 thru a 6M (top two gears are overdrives)

    No complaints from this sailor.

    ez sends.........
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    Drove 147 mi. round trip today, used 4.4 gallons = 33.4mpg. Best mileage yet. 60mph, a/c, almost 90 humid degrees across rolling Iowa hills. 8 miles of city driving. Our car has over 18k on it and we run regular gas and Honda 5-20 dino oil Not too bad for such a big car IMHO.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I wouldn't try calculating mileage with so little fuel used. It makes the variability of error much higher, based on pump error, etc.

    For example, if the pump clicked off a little early, say only 2 tenths of a gallon, that would throw your average off by 1.6 MPG (147/4.2=35.0).

    If you waited longer, until say, 10 gallons (still barely more than half a tank used, and not preferable for calculating specific mileage), that .2 gallon difference (over 300 miles, shall we say) makes a difference of .6 gallons instead of 1.6 gallons.

    Just trying to help. Glad you're enjoying your Accord!
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    Makes sense. We have only taken one longer distance trip to Chicago - 500mi. round trip and managed 32.7 back in June. Other than that we haven't driven any 100% highway trips. I would like to see how much better the mileage would be at say 55-60mph than at 70. I always do the speed limit on interstate to avoid getting ran over. Even then people blow past at 80 or better.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    If you really want to se highway mileage without going through a whole tank, then you should look into installing a scangauge. They work pretty well - especially since you can dial them in to match your hand calcs.

    My car is still loving the summer. Up to 34.24 lifetime now with 67,000 miles on the car. My 10 tank rolling average is now at 38.0 mpg and I added a 50 tank rolling average to my spreadsheat and that comes out to 35.1 mpg. Recently had a 44 mpg tank with 630 miles (that really helps the averages). I was luck as there were no headwinds and mostly tailwinds and it was cool enough that I didn't need the a/c too much. Lots of slow driving during the summer construction also helps the mpg.

    I love having such a long range as I could get cheap gas in Missouri, drive down to Kansas and back up to more cheap gas in South Dakota - avoiding Iowa and Nebraska entirely.

    2007 I4 MT SE
    0w-20 mobil 1
    40 psi tires.
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    Senor D,

    Is the installation procedure adequately covered by the "directions" in the box? Sounds like a good addition for a fuel economy (V-6 chapter) aware dude like me........................

    I suppose a good auto electrician could do it for about an hour's labor ($90 at my favorite place).........

    Thanks (and all the best), ez....
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Installation is a piece of cake. Plug one end of cable into the OBD port under the dash and then plug the other end into the scangauge. You are now installed. Turn it on and setup for your vehicle - enter gas tank size etc so it gives you range.

    The only complicated part is if you route it out of the way. I mounted mine in the cubby below the radio. I just used a bent piece of aluminum and some two sided tape. I have pics in the carspace area.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Just click on photos up at the top of the carspace page and do a search for scangauge. My pics will come right up.
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    That would be great to have, but I don't have the extra cash for one. I am finally back to work full time for almost a month now. Our old Camry needs tires and some other maintenance too. You avoid Iowa on purpose? I kinda like the place since I live there ;) Now avoiding Nebraska I could understand!
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    No I drove through Iowa - even spent the night, just didn't buy any gas. :)
  • packer3packer3 Member Posts: 277
    Get use to get what you get, the magic tricks don't really work and if they do it's only a few (or less)more miles per gallon, it ain't worth the risk. My 08 LXP Accord with over 12,000 miles on it is the same 16\18 city 26\28 mpg, is the same from the first day and I predict it wont change.
  • stephen987stephen987 Member Posts: 1,994
    If you're only getting 16 mpg in town with an LX-P, you must be driving with the handbrake on.
  • icyou812icyou812 Member Posts: 77
    Well I drove a friend to a suburb of Chicago today to get a car, a more realistic trip to check the mileage. 455.4 miles driven, 13.27 gallons used = 34.3mpg. Filled up at the same pump when we got back. 180 of the miles were at 70mph (IA), 255 at 65mph (IL), and 20 suburban. Maybe 10-15 minutes of idling with the air on to keep the kids from roasting while waiting on my friend. Used AC all the way. I bet a cooler day with no AC and 55mph would net a couple more mpg., but not a likely thing as it would mean being trapped in the car with the kids (10 & 6) for a longer period of time :cry:
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    For a full size car loaded up with A/C going at highway speeds, that's pretty good I'd say!
  • cpboy99cpboy99 Member Posts: 8
    So after the horrible first half tank, I'm glad to report that my mileage has been great.
    7/26 285mi / 11.099gal = 25.7mpg (first half tank, dealer filled, break in period).
    8/2 457mi / 15.670gal = 29.2mpg
    8/7 210mi / 7.549gal = 27.8mpg
    8/15 423.4mi / 14.892gal = 28.43mpg

    I have a pretty consistent usage pattern of 70% hwy and 30% city.

    I must say I made the right choice for a vehicle. After getting used to the car, and learning it's shifting patterns and when to force it to upshift, I'm getting lots of power and great mileage. :)
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    What do you mean by "forcing an upshift?" I'd be curious to know if the same thing can be applied to my 03. So far my rolling average since March of 2008 is right above 25 mpg and I have a 4 cylinder. I drive more often in the city since there is construction on the highway going down to where I work and I'd rather avoid that at all costs.

    Enjoy your new car! My next one will probably be mid Gen IX or early Gen X. I have no reason to replace it now.
  • cpboy99cpboy99 Member Posts: 8
    Hm... by forcing an upshift, I was more referring to getting used to the engine and learning what rpms the engine likes to shift at. Therefore when I'm right near a shifting rpm, I give the gas pedal a slight pump to make it shift to the next gear. Then back off and continue at the same speed.

    A while back I read on some gas saving pamphlet to do this. Maybe it's incorrect?
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    Oh I understand now. I don't doubt that it's a good tip. I know I used to push mine up slightly past 43 mph, as per thegrad's tip, to force it to shift into 5th gear and then I'd drop back if I was going to be on a stretch where it would be 40 mph for an extended period. When I did this my car would be running about 1200 rpm. No sense in sticking in 4th for a long stretch.

    I'll have to start paying more attention so I might be able to make use of the same technique.

    I find it amazing how slight variances in the gearing of a given car can produce such differing amounts of rpm. My brother's car, a 94 Corolla 5-speed manual, pushes 4,000 rpm at 75 mph, while mine, 03 Accord LX Coupe 4-cyl, is only running about 2500 at 75 mph and barely 2750 at 80. (/random tangent over)
  • bud_foxx44bud_foxx44 Member Posts: 31
    Folks, I have a I4 Auto Accord 2009 and I am getting lousy mileage. My first 3 tanks are averaging 22 to 23 MPG. I have a 78 mile commute one way with about 65 of them solely highway and the rest 40 to 50 MPH with some lights. I should be getting high 20's to over 30. Do I need to give it more time to break in?

    Thanks in advance
  • personatechpersonatech Member Posts: 105
    Your expectations are high and your mileage is low. With that drive I would expect more in the mid- to upper-20s. Most of my driving is a 35 mile commute with the first 5 and last 2 miles at 35-50MPH with a few traffic lights, the rest somewhat curvy back roads with an occasional straightaway. I usually get 25-27MPG which is right where the EPA said my mileage should be. The ONLY time I ever got over 30MPG was on 100% highway trips. I didn't notice much improvement after break-in - these mileages were realized from the get-go.

    That being said, 22-23MPG seems low. Check your tire pressure, make sure you shift into D and not D3 (easy to do), and use decent quality gasoline.
  • blufz1blufz1 Member Posts: 2,045
    How fast are you driving on the highway?
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I should be getting high 20's to over 30.

    High speeds kill mileage, especially if you are using AC.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I've had the chance to be a passenger a few times lately which has allowed me to observe others' driving habits. I've come to the conclusion that many people don't anticipate very well. It doesn't make sense to me to punch the gas pedal when you can see something ahead that will make you stop or slow down, such as a red light or slow moving traffic.

    Technically, every time you use the brakes, you are wasting that energy. (Yes, I know that you have to be reasonable about this.) I wonder how much better mileage might be for some folks if they just could learn some different driving techniques.

    I also understand the fun in quick acceleration. And there are plenty of folks who couldn't care less about mileage.

    I'll bet EZ and Dudley go easy on the brakes. :shades: Of course, like me, they have manuals with the increased engine braking.
  • bud_foxx44bud_foxx44 Member Posts: 31
    I drive between 75 and 80 usually with my cruise control on. Remember, I am driving from North to South Jersey which means some breaking on the highway but not too much. I have read previous posts where people say it takes 12,000 to 15K miles to break in. I really can't believe that.
  • jhinscjhinsc Member Posts: 399
    Keep it under 70 and you should easily do high 20's overall. I have an 08 V6 and I get 25 mpg with 50/50 driving.
  • blufz1blufz1 Member Posts: 2,045
    O. K. That's the answer. The difference in mpg between 70 and 55 is 15% add another 5% to 75 and another 5% to 80.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Excellent point about the brakes. Yes every time you use them you waste energy. Obviously you can't avoid them completely, but anticipation is your friend. Glide up to stops, why give the car gas when you are going to stop anyway?

    Yes, my brakes tend to last forever - my last car ('90 Integra MT) the front brakes lasted until 190,000 miles.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Yes, my brakes tend to last forever

    My 06 EX-L has over 73k miles and I'm down to 3mm on the rear brakes. Fronts are at 6. Lots of highway miles though.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I am at 51k and have a good 8-10mm left on the rears in my 06, but I'm an avid user of D3 on hills and a big into anticipating stops.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Yeah, but you live in the land of flat, grad. ;)
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Hey, it may not be Denver down here, but it's not Nebraska either. At the tail end of the Great Smokies, we have our share of "mountains" to climb. I can name three that I climb regularly in the Accord (although none is probably higher than 1,500 feet!), Red Mtn, Shades Mtn, Double-Oak Mtn. These are all third-gear climbers at 55+ mph (166hp); pretty steep for a good...4 minutes. :shades:
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    I have a question. Do you have E10 down there or do you guys get the luxury of 100% gasoline?

    I hate entrance ramps that are on hills. 6k starts are necessary if you want to have a complete back end.
  • bud_foxx44bud_foxx44 Member Posts: 31
    So last night I filled the car and got 25.96 per gallon. The best yet with 2,400 miles on it. Maybe there is a break in period. Hopefully I can get a little more.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Most stations in Alabama I've found use E10. Since its debut, I haven't cracked 37mpg.
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    Oh, I'm learning new stuff everyday. I've never known a tank without E10. I think it's been a mandate up here in MN for a while 15 years or more I want to say.

    I'm still working on cracking the 35 barrier, but I never go on trips long enough to get good mileage.

    They should start testing cars with E10 for the EPA since it's becoming standard and it has a slightly lower energy content. With that being said I'm still averaging the combined total, as set by the EPA, for over a year which is a good thing.

    :)
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Come next door to SD if you want 100% gasoline. Midgrade (89 octane) is always E10, but regular and super are all gas. Of course midgrade is cheaper than regular because of the ethanol, so most people here buy that.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Let's continue the climate control conversation here: tankbeans, "Honda Accord Climate Control Questions" #118, 23 Nov 2007 3:07 pm.
  • tldtld Member Posts: 37
    After owning my 2005 EXL 4cyl auto for four years I finally took my second highway trip in it. From St. Louis to Tulsa and back my two tank average was 35.1 going 73 to 78 mph. In town going to work I get between 25 to 30 mpg.
  • sigsis72sigsis72 Member Posts: 5
    Second tank of gas. 50/50 mix of highway-city to work and back. avg. 27 mpg. I consider pretty good. Way to many people constantly breaking for no apparent reason on the road.
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    .........when you think about it, there is a lot of fuel loss when you have a car accelerate past (with a stop sign 100 yards ahead)..........time after time.

    You see the brake lights,see the nose pitch down and wonder why? Not too swift!!

    ez....
  • sigsis72sigsis72 Member Posts: 5
    Gas peddle on the right, brake peddle on the left. Don't leave themselves enough distance from the car in front of them so they don't have to be constantly breaking. I am happy with the accord as a commuter car and that's what I was looking for. Good pick up when needed. No extra toys that I wouldn't use any way and good mpg. People say they are getting above 30 mpg I'll have to work on that. I don't see how they are acheiving that. As I said both tanks of gas were 27.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Gas peddle on the right, brake peddle on the left.

    Actually, the brake pedal is in the middle... the clutch pedal is on the left. :shades:
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    If we want to get really technical gas on the right, brake AND clutch in the middle, dead pedal on the left. :shades: ;)

    I wish there was an avoid dumb people pedal so that you could fly over most of the drivers on the road thereby getting excellent mileage.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Wow nearly a month with nothing. Time for some current numbers.

    Been testing my range lately and set a personal record with 665.5 miles on one tank. This was over 3 days of mostly highway driving with taking kids to school in the morning and going to work thrown in. Used 16.23 gallons for 41.0 mpg - 41.5 on the scanguage. The needle was completely below the red line and I still had a gallon left. I drove about 85 or 90 miles after the light came on.

    Lifetime mpg is now at 34.46 (up from 33.4 in the spring)
    10 tank average is at 37.6
    50 tank average (somewhere around a year of driving) is at 35.9

    Car now has 73,000 miles in 2.5 years.

    mpg is still going up overall. I expect to be at 35 mpg lifetime by this time next year.

    2007 I4 SE MT

    Just as an aside. If I was driving a midsize V-6 suv and averaging 17.5 mpg I would have used an additional 2,100 gallons of gas over the same period. At about $2.80 per gallon average over that time that is about $5,900 in savings, or just under $200 per month saved in gasoline alone.

    It is just beyond me why some people choose the vehicles they drive. We should be happy with our Accords.
  • marvin6marvin6 Member Posts: 72
    Different people have different accord stories. In less than 100k miles, my accord has had three (3) rebuilt transmissions put in it and one motor mount. I'm in my 50s and have owned quite a few cars and this accord is the only car I've ever had a transmission or motor mount put in. I drive like an old lady - for mileage - and my 4 cyl auto gets about 24 in town and 28 on the road. It's underpowered on the hills and shifts constantly. Cruise control serves no purpose. With cruise on hills my car tacks 4400 rpm at 70 mph. Without cruise I can pull hills without a lot of shifting by anticipating them. The road noise leaves a lot to be desired and the wind from the A pillars (both sides) is quite a bother (haven't been able to get it stopped). I still drive it, but would not consider buying another. My experiences with honda are perhaps one reason some people don't drive accords.
  • dpmeersmandpmeersman Member Posts: 275
    What year and model Accord are you driving?
  • marvin6marvin6 Member Posts: 72
    Our honda is a 2000 LX. Bought it new and is garage kept. Synthetic fluids and early maintenance (oil, fluid flushes, plugs, etc all done early). We don't hate the car, but just not impressed.
  • marvin6marvin6 Member Posts: 72
    We bought the 2000 accord with the intent of keeping it 10 years. It's time for a new one. I shopped around this year and considered several cars. I drove a friends 2008 v6 accord and although I probably wouldnt have considered another honda, the constant on/off of the VCM felt like the ac coming on all the time would not be fun. (On a 1300 mile trip we did average about 28mpg on his v6.) I thought the camry was unattractive and ruled it out. I went to test drive a hyundai genesis and the guy didn't have the time of day for me. My wife and I retired early and do volunteer work and I guess wearing old clothes when I went to the dealership gave him the idea I couldn't afford the genesis. So I just put off buying a car for awhile. I plan on considering the new sonata (if a v6 is offered) or may consider a v6 genesis from another dealer.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    Why consider a V-6 now if you are dissapointed with the mpg of an I-4. Keep in mind that all of the 4 cyl versions of the cars you are looking at are much faster than your 2000 Accord. Also the 2000 Accord happens to be the least fuel efficient of any Accord year (actually the first three years of that generation). The most fuel efficient are the 2006-7 years.

    Right now the leaders for mpg are probably the Camry with 32 mpg highway with the 4 cyl. and the Sonata and Altima. Honestly I don't even consider looks, but I think the Camry looks fine - better than the current Accord. The Sonata and Altima also are not so bad, but the Altima has absolutely no rear headroom with the super slanted roof.

    I would drive a 4 cyl before ruling them out completely.
  • marvin6marvin6 Member Posts: 72
    Although disappointed in the mileage on our 4 cyl, that's not my major issue. It's been the transmissions and the noise. I read this site daily and don't comment much, but had to when someone couldn't understand why everyone didn't want an accord. I don't care much about the gas mileage, but track it primarily because if there is a change in mileage it's an indicator of a problem. I've rented a few 4 cylinders and think I'd prefer the 6 cyl. My wife told me to pick whatever I wanted with a few provisions. No honda, no 4 cylinder, must have ipod capability, must be an automatic, and if it is over $40k she wants to see and drive it before I buy it. Other than that she doesn't care as it's just a car. I'm in no hurry and when I see what I want I'll just buy it. I went to the hyundai dealer with a friend and probably would have brought the genesis home with me if I'd have had a good experience at the dealership. I believe the best relations you'll ever find at a dealership are usually at the sales floor and if this was the best they had to offer I wasn't interested in returning for any other reason. Of note, when I drove the 6 cyl accord was the fantastic styling and awesome interior. First class! But it still had the hard ride (perhaps from the hard michelin tires - I got rid of mine early and put yokohamas on) and I could already hear the noise on the a-pillar. Perhaps honda could use a thicker gasket on the door to take care of this or something. I didn't like the constant in and out of the VCM mode either. Additionally, if you read these sites you'll see honda has some issues - VCM, brakes, oil consumption once the v6 gets some miles on it, and steering issues. I'm not sure if they've lost their edge or if other manufacturers have just caught up.
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