My 01 4 cylinder 5-speed manual gets 33MPG hwy every tank driving into NYC from NJ. I love getting over 500 miles per tank, and filling it up with about 16 gallons. Its not fast, but it isn't slow either.
From what folks have posted here, the four-speed automatic really seems to eat into the mileage as well as sapping the power, especially with the '98-02 models.
.....we've seen earlier fuel efficiency kudos for the GenVII Accords - both the six and the four.
I'd like to underscore the 2003 - 2007 6M ability to be an interstate fuel miser. Recent I-5 trips to/from LA (I live near the state capital) have been 34 - 35 MPG. Sometimes 36. Now and then 37 and 38, Once or twice: 39. Never 40 on I-5.
But I-10 in the flat Arizona desert...........that's a whole new ball game..........
Lately, I've been commuting in my old Honda ('96 2.2L non-VTEC 4-cyl with 4-speed auto). 203k miles and gets 27-28 MPG in true mixed driving, and 30 or so MPG on highway at 75 mph. I've mainly used my '06 Accord 2.4L 4-cyl with 5-speed auto on trips, and at 80 MPH with A/C and 400 lbs of people/gear garnered sticker: 34 MPG. The previous trip had another 300 or so lbs, but was at 75 MPH cruise on average, and got 36MPG. In the low 70 MPH range, with no A/C and only me in the car, I've gotten 39.96 MPG and 41.02 MPG, two seperate trips (Spring and Fall, I believe). I've never gotten better than 37 since the switch to 10% ethanol.
From what I've read the transmissions were notoriously bad with Gen VI Accords (98-02). Please somebody correct me if I'm wrong on this. I test drove an 02 Accord EX 4-cylinder and the transmission shifted harshly and I didn't like it so much. I think I remember reading that the 6 cylinders were even worse. Generation VI must have been a bad run across the board since I hear about transmission problems more frequently than in generation V or VII.
For what it's worth I have an 03, 4-cyl, and I've been getting 25-26 in mixed driving with more city than freeway and I'm fairly rough. Since I got my tires in February I haven't been able to crack 29 like I did last year and I've never known a time in MN without 10% ethanol so I can't comment on the relative efficiencies.
My mom's prior Accord- a 99 LX 4 cylinder which she kept until last year never had any transmission problems, but did shift abruptly from 1st to 2nd gear- which was characteristic of the 98-02 generation.
The correct tire pressure is determined by the tire manufacturer, not the car manufacturer. If you talk to real frame and alignment shops they will tell you to inflate the tires closer to the max tire pressure for the best performance and to maintain good alignment. Lower pressures will cause the tires to wear on the outside edges of the tread. I have 97K miles on my Accord. I currently have Falken Zieks on stock EX rims. I keep the pressure in the front at 42 lbs and 39 or 40 in the back. I tend to drive aggressively (not with other drivers) and am pretty hard on the car. I consistently get 30 mpg 50/50 city/hwy. That's with 2.4L-4 and 5-spd manual.
The correct tire pressure is determined by the tire manufacturer, not the car manufacturer. This statement is incorrect. The tire manufacturer only dictates the maximum tire pressure, NOT the correct tire pressure for the vehicle it's installed on. I personally tend to keep my tires inflated 2 - 4 lbs higher than the auto manufacturer recommendation for longer tread life and higher mpg.
Do you keep the differential designed into the car? I know in the door jamb it states that front tires should be set to 32 psi and rear tires should be set to 30psi. I might be slightly off on this since I run mine at 34-36 all the way around.
I just checked my door panel and it states 32 lbs all around, no variation. However, I always run the fronts higher for more even tire wear since approx. 60% of weight is carried up front.
I have had several accords, 88LX 5spd, 93LX 5spd, 96Ex auto, 02SE auto, 03EXL auto, 07 EXL 5spd. Avg = 60/40 hwy/city best = 100% hwy Yr avg best 88 27 30 @ 40k miles - traded when kids arrived - needed room 93 28 33 @ 165k miles - traded wanted something nicer 96 29 34 @ 170k miles - fender bender :sick: 02 27 38 @ 175k miles - still have it - son drives 03 30 34 @ 125k miles - daily car avg 30 even in cold 07 28 36 @ 35k miles - wife drives, likes shifting
Have had absolutely no problems with any of them, transmission, engine or other. Normal maintenance, mostly by myself or private mechanic. My favorite is the 2007 for comfort and fun. All are 4 cylinders.
We have also had 2 civics: 1978 5spd and 1980 5 spd. I think it shows, we love hondas.... All 3 of my boys also own/drive hondas. :shades:
Thanks tankbeans I am certainly not a hyper miler and still wonder how I got that 38mpg with the 2002SE. It was all highway and went over 600 miles on one tank. It was amazing. My daily drive is about 20 miles one way @ 60hwy/40city. I am not aggressive, but move it when needed. I don't let the car warm up in am, just drive gently for first 2-3 miles. I start off as slowly / gently as traffic will allow and accelerate once the car gets into 3rd. Hwy speeds are anywhere from 65-75. I have to admit, I am amazed the mpg with our cold winter. East TN location...
I am amazed the mpg with our cold winter. East TN location...
Perhaps I'm misreading this, but if I'm not the sarcasm is palpable.
I'll continue to try and crack 30 on a consistant basis, but so far no dice. Maybe one of those scan gauge thingies I've seen plugged in this forum should be my next step so I can modify my style. I've been modifying my style for over a year and maybe that might give me a better idea where I could change.
Seriously though I love my car and wouldn't give it up for the world, but I just wish I could get those last few miles, but having a shorter commute 14 miles give or take and a good bit of in-town doesn't help.
tankbeans....really, no sarcasm intended. Was only trying to share how I drive, maybe share some experiences...
I have noticed, the car doesn't drive any different with different gas, but the mpg does vary some. I try to fill up at our SAMS, save a few pennies and get some use out of our membership.
My wifes car is a different story. On hwy trips we have done well, but she "enjoys" driving her 5 spd.... and mostly in town.... she gets 26-28...usually.
Oh. I heard Eastern, TN and figured that was a southern State and how cold can it get? I've never been there so I wouldn't know. Meanwhile up where I'm at defrost is a must for 5 months out of the year and we've only just come out of cold snap sub-zero for about 2 weeks.
I live up in the Twin Cities, in MN, have done all my life, so perhaps my idea of TN is wrong.
Please forgive me if I came off as being a jerk.
Up here we have mandatory 10% ethanol year round which doesn't help and the additives for winter blend probably also don't help.
If I was any good at starting on hills in a 5 speed I'd own one in a minute. They are very fun, but hills are my worst enemy.
Eastern TN doesn't usually get bitterly cold, but single-digit temps are pretty common in the winter. I lived in Knoxville for eight years and encountered a fair bit of snow and ice (24 inches in twelve hours in the "Blizzard of '93"). The mountain areas are significantly colder and more prone to snow. But it's not Minnesota, that's for sure.
Totally true, TN is "NOTHING" like MN... I used to live in the Omaha, NE area. Winter usually started with an Ice storm and nothing melted until March.
TN is nothing like that. I am east of knoxville in the Tri city area. Surrounded by Mtns. (not like Colo.) Blue Ridge Mtns. Like Steven987 said, cold here is when it's single digits. But I remember the 20+ below zero winters of the midwest....and wind chills of 40-50 below.
This is our first "real" winter in the last 5+ years... Single digits. Three snows of 8-12 inches, so far... Best thing about being "south" is that everything melts in about a week or less.
Didn't realize your location. I have no doubt, if we were in MN the mpg would be much worse... we also have the 10% ethanol.
We moved here following that 93 blizzard. glad we missed it!!!!
Our winters aren't what they used to be, even when I was a kid and I'm only 21. We used to get a lot more snow and even colder temperatures. That having been said I'll probably never move as I tend to shy away from hot temperatures. I start to wilt around 85 degrees. I like it cold (just not slippery).
I'm starting to think a scan gauge is in order. That could help me modify my driving to get good mileage. I've heard nothing but raves about them.
I've also read about the scan gauge. I've ridden in some chrysler / cadillacs that had some sort of mileage readout on the dash. Is it similar / same?? I'm as far east in TN as you can get (think Bristol intl raceway) Summer's can get hot (90s) but evenings always cool off (60s). It really is nice. So is the gauge hard to hook up?
From what I've seen, primarily on this forum, it hooks right into the OBDII port that is on all vehicles from 1996 to present. It gives a readout of average mileage per tank, instant mileage so you can see how efficiently you're running at any given moment and a couple of other things.
I'm sure there are many out there who can be more illustrious. I would think it is very similar to the readouts in many Chrysler vehicles and most newer cars. I've been thinking about one for a while.
I can def see advantages to using one. My daily hwy drive can get very aggressive. I've seen my share of incidents. Tailgating is too common. Flashing lights. Passing on shoulder. Everything but a gun pointed out the window (at times I've expected that!). It's gotten so bad, I try to take any hwy except the interstate. I'm going to look into the scan gauge some more.
I have the scanguage and it is very useful. It does more than instant mpg and tank mpg. It can display 4 items at once from a list of about 20. You can display tank mpg, instant mpg, current trip mpg and current day mpg all at once. It really lets you see what brings the mpg down. It also gives all the trip computer data like miles to empty and gauge data like water temp, voltage, throttle position, etc.
I mounted mine in the cubby in front of the shifter so I can hide it when I pull the door down.
Hey Dudleyr Thanks for mentioning the pics, was just going to ask. Probably getting ahead of myself, but how did you route the cable from engine to cabin?
Stickguy I have to agree w you. 32 during winter is really good. How much of that do you think is the gauge vs your normal driving? Thanks
The OBDII port is under the dash so it is already in the cabin. I drilled a small hole in the upper left of the cubby to route the cable behind the dash.
I almost wonder if I could route one, should I decide to get one, up in the area where the dummy switches are. I believe the port is almost directly in line with the dummy switches and I can't foresee using them for anything and they're really easy to pop out. Or would it be too big to put there? I'm not entirely sure how big it is. I can plop it in there since I don't have a sunroof and have no desire to put an aftermarket in. I'm thinking about one like I said so I can start to pinpoint where I can take it a little slower. I've been working on modifying my driving so I can maximize my mileage from your suggestions as well as everybody else out on the forum.
The photo should show the size. It is a little over an inch by about 3.5 inches. I thought about the area with the switches, but it seemed like I would need to cut the dash a little. Maybe not - I will look at it again. I also like that it can be completely hidden when it is in the cubby.
That's nice. It does seem like it's a little larger than the switch area. I'm thinking about splurging to buy the part to put my after market radio where the original is. Right now my radio is on the slot where the cubby once was. Maybe that's what I'll do with some of my taxes because I miss having that little extra bit of space and it looks really dumb having the main radio and the aftermarket radio.
Anywho to bring it back to mileage, my last few tanks have been around 23 and I've had one as low as 18. Part of this might be that I calculate from a half-tank fill.
My mpg has been horrible lately. I have not left town in three weeks so it is hundreds of 1-2 mile trips (or less) with a stop every block or two, in very cold weather (-10 yesterday) and even some idling to keep the battery charged (lots of short trips with the rear defrost and lights on don't allow for much charging).
Right now my scangauge shows 19.6 mpg. Will fill up in the next day or two for the final numbers.
Yikes. My battery is supposedly already testing low mid-100s CCA out of 525 or whatever it was originally rated at. I've only replaced it 3 months ago.
Should I start filling from 1/4 tank or is my 1/2 tank full schedule okay?
Just my 2 cents...but my 2002 is hard to start when the tank gets low, ie. less than 1/4 tank. My dad always said when the tank gets low you increase the chance of moisture and gas line freeze. He always used HEET during the winter. (that was many years ago ) I usually fill when the gauge shows less than 1/2.
OK - just filled up for my wost tank in several years. Here is the data.
20 days of driving on one tank. The temperature was never above freezing and most mornings were around zero (give or take a dozen degrees in either direction). No trip was more than 2 miles the entire time- just getting to work, kids to school, groceries etc. Pretty much the worst possible case for mpg. Would go for days with the temp gauge not even getting into the area with the lines.
236 miles on 11.5 gallons. 20.5 mpg calculated and 19.5 mpg for the scangauge. Average speed for all the driving was 15 mph, and total time driving was 15.4 hours. So obviously no highway mpg.
My 10 tank average dropped to 31.7 and my lifetime is now at 34.25 mpg.
Temps around here have been pretty mild this winter. I think I've only had one tank below 30 mpg so far (29.8). I usually get 3 or 4 a year, all in the winter.
Yikes. I just filled up about 8.5 or so gallons and got a piddly 18, it was painful. I'll continue my quest to get consistantly high numbers; so far I'm failing miserably with low 20s. Come on spring, let's get rid of the "winter blend" and mandatory defrost. I have succeeded in slowing myself down somewhat though, 75 is even rare for me these days, when roads are dry of course.
I just did an oil change 2 weeks ago and replaced my air filter; the filter was pretty bad. I'm a little annoyed though because that filter was harder to get to the second time than the first time I got it and I consequently broke a piece of the filter box.
How about anyone from some of the southern states where the temps aren't as extreme as in the northern ones, what kind of mileage are you getting on the 2010? I'm thinking of trading in my 07 Camry for an Accord but noticed the sticker rates it at 21 and 31 on the 4cyl LX. My Camry gets between 25 and 27 for the driving I do which is all city. I'm also considering the Civic but really like the looks of the Accord.
EPA changed the rating system recently--supposedly in order to make the numbers more "realistic." This has led to a bit of confusion.
Your mileage sticker for the '07 Camry probably said 24/33, assuming it's a four-cylinder automatic as most are. But under the new rating system, your '07 Camry is rated at 21/30, compared to 21/31 for the '10 Accord. So I'd expect about the same fuel economy for both cars under similar conditions.
Thanks stephen987 for that info, it was really helpful. If only I could get some piece of mind now knowing that the brake problem that had occurred in 08 and 09 was fixed so it wouldn't affect the 2010s, I might feel more at ease buying an Accord.
I have a 2010 Accord V6 w/NAV with nearly 3000 miles (mostly highway) on the odometer and live near Houston. The NAV has a 'trip computer' function for the A and B odometers. I reset the A odometer every time I fill the tank but have let the B odometer run since delivery. According to the trip computer, the B odometer shows 27.7 mpg.
...unremarkable 24.11 mpg. Getting better from where it was a month ago, but still not good. Although I did find a station up in MN with No Ethanol and 91 octane.
They recommended putting it in cars that could be registered as classics or very small engines. What do you think? Do you think I could go and fill up on that once, just for giggles and see how it goes or should I follow their little recommendation?
I finally bit the bullet and ordered one of these devices. I've read many favorable reviews and decided I have a little extra money so I'll buy it. I'm a cheapskate though and chose the 5-9 day Free shipping.
I'll let you know how it goes and if I have questions I'll ask you since you've probably dealt with some of its quirks.
You will not regret buying a ScanGauge. It will teach you more about driving efficiently than anything else you could get. I wish I could afford to have one in every vehicle I own, but for now, I'm thankful I have it in my 2008 Accord.
Comments
I'd like to underscore the 2003 - 2007 6M ability to be an interstate fuel miser. Recent I-5 trips to/from LA (I live near the state capital) have been 34 - 35 MPG. Sometimes 36. Now and then 37 and 38, Once or twice: 39. Never 40 on I-5.
But I-10 in the flat Arizona desert...........that's a whole new ball game..........
best, ez
Lately, I've been commuting in my old Honda ('96 2.2L non-VTEC 4-cyl with 4-speed auto). 203k miles and gets 27-28 MPG in true mixed driving, and 30 or so MPG on highway at 75 mph. I've mainly used my '06 Accord 2.4L 4-cyl with 5-speed auto on trips, and at 80 MPH with A/C and 400 lbs of people/gear garnered sticker: 34 MPG. The previous trip had another 300 or so lbs, but was at 75 MPH cruise on average, and got 36MPG. In the low 70 MPH range, with no A/C and only me in the car, I've gotten 39.96 MPG and 41.02 MPG, two seperate trips (Spring and Fall, I believe). I've never gotten better than 37 since the switch to 10% ethanol.
Great cars, these Accords.
TheGrad
'96 - 203k miles
'06 - 53k miles
For what it's worth I have an 03, 4-cyl, and I've been getting 25-26 in mixed driving with more city than freeway and I'm fairly rough. Since I got my tires in February I haven't been able to crack 29 like I did last year and I've never known a time in MN without 10% ethanol so I can't comment on the relative efficiencies.
I have 97K miles on my Accord. I currently have Falken Zieks on stock EX rims. I keep the pressure in the front at 42 lbs and 39 or 40 in the back. I tend to drive aggressively (not with other drivers) and am pretty hard on the car.
I consistently get 30 mpg 50/50 city/hwy. That's with 2.4L-4 and 5-spd manual.
This statement is incorrect. The tire manufacturer only dictates the maximum tire pressure, NOT the correct tire pressure for the vehicle it's installed on. I personally tend to keep my tires inflated 2 - 4 lbs higher than the auto manufacturer recommendation for longer tread life and higher mpg.
Yr avg best
88 27 30 @ 40k miles - traded when kids arrived - needed room
93 28 33 @ 165k miles - traded wanted something nicer
96 29 34 @ 170k miles - fender bender :sick:
02 27 38 @ 175k miles - still have it - son drives
03 30 34 @ 125k miles - daily car avg 30 even in cold
07 28 36 @ 35k miles - wife drives, likes shifting
Have had absolutely no problems with any of them, transmission, engine or other. Normal maintenance, mostly by myself or private mechanic. My favorite is the 2007 for comfort and fun. All are 4 cylinders.
We have also had 2 civics: 1978 5spd and 1980 5 spd.
I think it shows, we love hondas.... All 3 of my boys also own/drive hondas. :shades:
I am certainly not a hyper miler and still wonder how I got that 38mpg with the 2002SE. It was all highway and went over 600 miles on one tank. It was amazing. My daily drive is about 20 miles one way @ 60hwy/40city. I am not aggressive, but move it when needed. I don't let the car warm up in am, just drive gently for first 2-3 miles. I start off as slowly / gently as traffic will allow and accelerate once the car gets into 3rd. Hwy speeds are anywhere from 65-75. I have to admit, I am amazed the mpg with our cold winter. East TN location...
Perhaps I'm misreading this, but if I'm not the sarcasm is palpable.
I'll continue to try and crack 30 on a consistant basis, but so far no dice. Maybe one of those scan gauge thingies I've seen plugged in this forum should be my next step so I can modify my style. I've been modifying my style for over a year and maybe that might give me a better idea where I could change.
Seriously though I love my car and wouldn't give it up for the world, but I just wish I could get those last few miles, but having a shorter commute 14 miles give or take and a good bit of in-town doesn't help.
I have noticed, the car doesn't drive any different with different gas, but the mpg does vary some. I try to fill up at our SAMS, save a few pennies and get some use out of our membership.
My wifes car is a different story. On hwy trips we have done well, but she "enjoys" driving her 5 spd.... and mostly in town.... she gets 26-28...usually.
I live up in the Twin Cities, in MN, have done all my life, so perhaps my idea of TN is wrong.
Please forgive me if I came off as being a jerk.
Up here we have mandatory 10% ethanol year round which doesn't help and the additives for winter blend probably also don't help.
If I was any good at starting on hills in a 5 speed I'd own one in a minute. They are very fun, but hills are my worst enemy.
TN is nothing like that. I am east of knoxville in the Tri city area. Surrounded by Mtns. (not like Colo.) Blue Ridge Mtns. Like Steven987 said, cold here is when it's single digits. But I remember the 20+ below zero winters of the midwest....and wind chills of 40-50 below.
This is our first "real" winter in the last 5+ years... Single digits. Three snows of 8-12 inches, so far... Best thing about being "south" is that everything melts in about a week or less.
Didn't realize your location. I have no doubt, if we were in MN the mpg would be much worse... we also have the 10% ethanol.
We moved here following that 93 blizzard. glad we missed it!!!!
I'm starting to think a scan gauge is in order. That could help me modify my driving to get good mileage. I've heard nothing but raves about them.
I'm as far east in TN as you can get (think Bristol intl raceway) Summer's can get hot (90s) but evenings always cool off (60s). It really is nice.
So is the gauge hard to hook up?
I'm sure there are many out there who can be more illustrious. I would think it is very similar to the readouts in many Chrysler vehicles and most newer cars. I've been thinking about one for a while.
Mostly highway, but it could be anywhere from 70 to stopped dead. Within a 1/2 mile. So, plenty of stop and go to go with the cruising.
Even with the cold stretch, and my putting around town mixed in, I have been averaging right about 32 overall. Not too bad I don't think.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I mounted mine in the cubby in front of the shifter so I can hide it when I pull the door down.
There are pics on this site, just do a search.
Thanks for mentioning the pics, was just going to ask. Probably getting ahead of myself, but how did you route the cable from engine to cabin?
Stickguy
I have to agree w you. 32 during winter is really good. How much of that do you think is the gauge vs your normal driving?
Thanks
The photo should show the size. It is a little over an inch by about 3.5 inches. I thought about the area with the switches, but it seemed like I would need to cut the dash a little. Maybe not - I will look at it again. I also like that it can be completely hidden when it is in the cubby.
Anywho to bring it back to mileage, my last few tanks have been around 23 and I've had one as low as 18. Part of this might be that I calculate from a half-tank fill.
Right now my scangauge shows 19.6 mpg. Will fill up in the next day or two for the final numbers.
Should I start filling from 1/4 tank or is my 1/2 tank full schedule okay?
My dad always said when the tank gets low you increase the chance of moisture and gas line freeze. He always used HEET during the winter. (that was many years ago
I usually fill when the gauge shows less than 1/2.
20 days of driving on one tank. The temperature was never above freezing and most mornings were around zero (give or take a dozen degrees in either direction). No trip was more than 2 miles the entire time- just getting to work, kids to school, groceries etc. Pretty much the worst possible case for mpg. Would go for days with the temp gauge not even getting into the area with the lines.
236 miles on 11.5 gallons. 20.5 mpg calculated and 19.5 mpg for the scangauge. Average speed for all the driving was 15 mph, and total time driving was 15.4 hours. So obviously no highway mpg.
My 10 tank average dropped to 31.7 and my lifetime is now at 34.25 mpg.
Temps around here have been pretty mild this winter. I think I've only had one tank below 30 mpg so far (29.8). I usually get 3 or 4 a year, all in the winter.
I just did an oil change 2 weeks ago and replaced my air filter; the filter was pretty bad. I'm a little annoyed though because that filter was harder to get to the second time than the first time I got it and I consequently broke a piece of the filter box.
Your mileage sticker for the '07 Camry probably said 24/33, assuming it's a four-cylinder automatic as most are. But under the new rating system, your '07 Camry is rated at 21/30, compared to 21/31 for the '10 Accord. So I'd expect about the same fuel economy for both cars under similar conditions.
Check http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/ratings2008.shtml for more information.
They recommended putting it in cars that could be registered as classics or very small engines. What do you think? Do you think I could go and fill up on that once, just for giggles and see how it goes or should I follow their little recommendation?
I'll let you know how it goes and if I have questions I'll ask you since you've probably dealt with some of its quirks.