Honda CR-V Real World MPG

kipk

Steve,

I don't know how much brake pads she has left, but surely not as much as there should be.

I was checking and adding some air to her tires Friday and noticed they are getting real close to needing replacing.
Don't know if it is the Bridgestones or her driving habits.
With 23K+/- on the clock I'm suspecting the lead foot. The Pilot with about the same mileage has about half the tread left on the Integras.

She plays her game and I play mine. We do compromise! She drives as she wishes and I take care of the repairs. She says that is the way it is supposed to be.

I've learned after 41 years of marriage that you truly can not "Whip" anything that fights on its back!!!!! :sick:

So I do as I am told!

Kip

blufz1

Now that's funny!

blufz1

Good instructive post. The slower you can safely cruise the better your mpg. I think your 4 speed is part of the difference. Probably turns more rpms @60 than 5 speed. Check it out. I always fill up at the same pump,facing the same direction,in the same spot, if possible, to take the pump out of the equation.

kipk

Seems the 4 speed is turning about 2550 rpm at 70 mph. The 07 Cr-Vs may be turning a little less which would help on flat roads.

If the 4 Speed is required to downshift, say on a hill, it drops to 3rd and the tach needle really moves. A 5 speed may get by with a shift down to fourth. Don't know how the ratios compare. Somebody posted it one time, but I've lost it!

The Pilot is turning about 1800 RPM at 70 mph. It runs on all 6 cylinders all the time.

I agree about the pump! Don't have much choice on the road except to try and get the car as level as possible and hope for the best! On that above Myrtle Beach Trip I remember the front of the car being considerably lower than the rear when I gassed it up at the beach. It may have taken an extra gallon or more of gas which would have reflected a lower mpg. Then with that extra gas in the tank, the next fill would have shown a higher mpg if filled on level ground to the point it normally fills too. Maybe 1-2 mpg for each. May have gotten 20+ going and 26+ coming back. The 26+ sounds more reasonable for a load of 4 adults.

Still it indicates how different driving styles can affect mileage.

Kip

greenteacrv

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/calculatorSelectEngine.jsp?year=2007&make=Honda&m- odel=CR-V%204WD

crvme3

Got a little over 1600 miles on the car with a mixture of Chevron & 76. 87 octane grade. Mostly city stop & go driving (oh how I love the traffic congestion) a little bit of open road driving (maybe 15-25 miles per tank) this is what I have calculated. 1st tank. 21.8 MPG, #2 22.7 MPG, #3 21.3 MPG, #4 22.0 MPG, #5 22.3 MPG. Will get it on the road soon to see what I can achieve. Hope it will improve a little as it wears in... :confuse:

kipk

Good stuff, thanks!

Kip

crvme3

greenteacrv, great info... just bookmarked that site. I am comforted to now know my new CRV is right in line with this updated more real world MPG numbers. THANKS LOADS

eforce2

Honda CRV 1998, With slick 50 treated the most I get is 27-33 mpg but it's been 30k since then, I just re-check 2 days ago it was 21 mpg - City and Hwy combination. I'm planning to put Slick50 again soon.

pulgo

Don't use Slick 50. It is a waste of money and does not work. Don't you think if it was that easy to protect engines, all oil companies would add those miracle additives to their oil?

greenteacrv

My '07 CRV AWD has about 2800 miles on it and I have been averaging 22-23 mpg...........right in line with the new 2008 EPA ratings.

Dennis

nearmsp

35% highway 65% snowy roads.
I do hope this improves after the break-in period.

stever

Compare Old and New MPG Estimates

blufz1

Thanks for the handy link.

mhz1

The gas mileage on my 2000 Honda CR-V has been dropping over the past 6 months, particularly for local driving. I now average less than 20 MPG, down from 24 MPG over most of the life of the car. The mechanics can't find anything wrong. Any ideas?

nearmsp

When coming to a rolling if you switch your engine off and switch to neutral does the vehicle roll as easily as before. In my old Ford one of my wheel bearings had gone out and my mpg had dropped. I found out due to the above method. Just my 2c -.

crvme3

I had a similar situation a couple of years back on a 2000 Civic. Problem turned out to be twofold. #1 my trusty tire pressure gauge of many years had lost it's accuracy (showing higher pressure that actual) #2 lazy o2 sensor (oxygen sensor). I discovered this using a diagnostic scanner, at no time did I have a "check engine" lite nor did I have any DTCs (diagnostic trouble codes). During test drive discovered sensor was at times barely working & had a very slow cross count (switching rich/lean etc.) Bought new pressure gauge & corrected tire pressure installed new o2 sensor (easy job on a Civic) problem solved... Have been 24-26 combined MPG ever since. Just something you might have your car guy look into... Hope this helped

snoopy21

just filled up my sixth tank and it seems i have pretty much settled into a groove right around the 24 mpg mark for the type of driving i do (about half highway, half city). i continue to be impressed by how accurate the built-in mpg readout is...this last time, it said i got 24.0 mpg but my calculations shows 23.90.

nearmsp

I have put 1800 miles. I get 24 in city and in my most recent interstate trip MN-WI I got 27.7 average. I noticed that above 65 fuel consumption increases very fast. I drove at 68 on cruise control. At 65 I could have got 28 average. I am hoping in the summer I should be able to get 30 mpg on the interstate and 25 in the city. I am a very conservative driver and generally get at the top of the advertised range.

guru_g

Just finished the first tank of gas. 22.6 mpg for mixed driving (60 highway-40 city). Hope this improves as the car gets broken in!

chief71

I've had my 2007 2WD EX-L for 3 months and put over 3000 miles on it. I'm avg. right around 25 mpg. for a tank of gas. If I drive it hard, I avg. less. It's weird...with the mpg monitor visible, I tend to drive it so that I get good gas mileage. Funny how that works!

nearmsp

I averaged 26 since I got the vehicle, and the last 1000 miles I got 27 average. 60-40 hwy-city. I noticed that fuel consumption increases appreciably over 65 and then much more steeply over 68. Most of the time just the driver is the occupant.

kipk

It sure seems that way.

Realizing that the slower the speed on the road, the better the mileage. To qualify that me thinks the Torque Converter needs to be locked in overdrive or the manual trannys need to be in high gear.

If this qualification is true, probably somewhere around 52-55 overall is a good place to be to keep just enough horse power available so the AT isn't shifting constantly and the MT is not lugging the engine.

Problem is that 55 mph on the highways and byways is not realistic much any more. Unless we don't mind being rear ended by a school bus.

So we run the posted speed limits and hope we can fall in with someone else doing the same.

For some reason it seems that the MPG difference between 55 and 65 is not all that great. There seems to be a larger difference between 65 and 70, and even greater when 75 is averaged.

It sure seems that way, even with the Pilot!

Kip

kyfdx

When you run the gas gauge down to E, how much gas can you get in on a fill-up?

This is my biggest complaint on the first two generations of the CR-V. Supposedly a 15.3 gallon tank, but you can be well below E, and only get in 13.2 gallons on fill-up.

thanks,
kyfdx

lzc

The new CR-V's mileage range indicator is more accurate--and less forgiving--than others I've seen. I drove mine about 10 miles beyond the zero point. Fill-up took 14 gallons, suggesting a range of 30-40 miles at zero.

auto_guy

I just watched the news that 6 million Honda and Acura models from 2002 to 2006 bought from April 13, 2002, to Nov. 7, 2006. Might have odometers that run to quickly. Their is also a class action web site at: www.hondaodometerclassaction.com/ If you qualify you get a warranty extension or if your car was serviced you get a rebate from Honda. If you have a vehicle that is affected you might get the class action settlement in your mailbox. if anyone has heard about this story just leave me a message.

harvey44

Friday afternoon I took our EX up to the mountains in an intense snow storm that may have been a blizzard. It was interesting to note that on the way up in the storm I got 27+ mpg and on the return, in clear weather I got 24. Average speed on the way up was probably 40 mph and about 70 mph on the return. It amazed me that I got 27 on the way up as I never used 5th and did use all the other gears with alot of 3rd and 4th. It's all about wind resistance.

I'm convinced that if I stayed at 60 or 65 WITHOUT the rooftop skibox, I'd get 30 mpg.

As a side note - the AWD and the defroster really performed. I saw at least 40 accidents and LOTS of people were getting out to clean the ice off their wipers. I was fine - CRV was extremely capable.

guru_g

What you say would be true. Boxy cars like CR-V have a high coefficient of drag (Cd). Drag force is proportional to Cd*Velocity^2. Till about 60 mph the effect of drag force is minimal compared to frictional forces and other forces to propel the car. Above 60 mph, the drag represents a substantial portion of the energy expended to keep the car in motion. Thus, above 60 mph, drag keeps increasing considerably as the velocity increases and impacts mileage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_coefficient

guru_g

I went to E, drove a bit further and filled up 13.7 gallons yesterday. This was my first fill up (the car has 310 miles on it total). The range went to zero miles and I was sweating a bit!

greenteacrv

I drove my '07 CRV until it indicated only 7 miles left on the tank and I filled it with 14.1 gallons of fuel.

Dennis

guru_g

I guess the fuel level sensors have a different baseline gain/ offset.

kipk

I'm convinced that if I stayed at 60 or 65 WITHOUT the rooftop skibox, I'd get 30 mpg.

Harvey,

You you are probably right, if the roads are relatively flat you could conceivably get at least 30 and possibly 1 or 2 mpg over that. Our 03, 4 spd, Auto, 4wd, has done near 31 mpg in North Ga. (Long hills) allowing the speed to build to 68 or so near the bottom of downhills, while gravity is helping, and keeping a steady foot allowing a slight decline in speed as it nears the top of the next. Cruise not active. Relatively flat ground and an average of 60-65 might be impressive. Especially on cool days when the AC is not required a lot.

I believe the Newer 5 speed CR-V autos turn fewer RPMs at given highway speeds than the 4 speeds do. Also, if a downshift does take place, it isn't quite as much of a drastic RPM change with the 5 speeds.

The 07s look to be a bit more slippery than earlier models.

Glad to read the CR-V behaved itself on the bad roads.

Kip

kipk

Letting those gas tanks run down to near empty. :confuse:

crvme3

A big resounding yes to this one!! Guys when the car is new you can push the limits of the fuel tank, but do not make this a habit. Overtime sediment/debris will build up & settle in the bottom of the gas tank (sad but enevitable) by running your fuel this low you risk picking up this sediment/debris thru the fuel pump pick-up screen, some of the vary fine sediment/debris will get past this & work it's way into the fuel system. Yes much of it will be caught by fuel filter but this will lead to drivability issues & pre-mature replacement of the filter, even worse (have seen this many times) some of the sediment/debris will get into the fuel injector nozzles & clog them up leading to ultimate failure & serious drivability issues. "MOST IMPORTANTLY" Honda & Honda Care will deny this repair because it is not considered a "mechanical breakdown & failure did not occur from a fault in materials & workmanship" thus causing a very expensive repair that you will be stuck with. IMO fill up @ 1/8 to 1/4 tank & you can avoid this problem. Enjoy your CRV's

kyfdx

I understand... but, if I didn't push it, I'd have to stop for gas every 250 miles... Filling up at a 1/4 tank would barely get me over 200 miles.. When you drive 15K mi./yr, that is torture.. I wonder how close I'm really getting to empty, though... The manual says 15.3 gallon tank, and I've never been able to put in more than 13.5 gallons, even when well below E

Really, that is the most frustrating thing about CR-Vs.. is the really short trip mileage between fill-ups..

I guess I'm okay with it though... I've been driving CR-Vs for 9.5 years...

crvme3

I understand your frustration... Don't know on a CRV just how far fuel pump pick-up screen is from bottom of tank, but generally speaking they typically sit about 3/4" up from bottom. 15.3 gallons total (if this is accurate) 13.5 fill-up leaves 1.8 gals left. if you could somehow determine how high of level (in inches) 1.8 gals is in the tank you might have a better understanding of your cut-off threshold & fill up based on that. But you having CRV's for 9 plus years (I assume you have not had injector contamination issues)then its fair to say you have a good 6th sense of timing your fill ups. Just something to ponder...

kyfdx

Well.. my sixth sense is driving 40-50 miles after the light comes on, and the little voice inside my head screaming, "Stop and fill up right now, before you run out of gas!!!".

81K on the current CR-V and no problems, so far...lol

crvme3

lol.... Well it doesn't get any better than that now does it!!! be cool,be safe :shades:

blufz1

O. K. Here's how you determine how far you can safely go on a tank. When the empty light first comes on reset a trip meter to 0 then drive as far as you are man/woman enough to drive before you fill it up. Subtract the gallons pumped from tank capacity and the result is fuel left in the tank. To cut to the chase,the most gas I have put into my 17.1 Accord tank is 16.6. I drove 60 miles @ 55 w/the empty light on. So that's my max 'cause I don't know exactly how it picks up fuel from of the tank. In my driving I would say 70 miles would be absolute max.

kipk

Assuming an 15K a year and an average MPG of 20, it will take 750 gallons of fuel for the year.

If filled at 3/4 tank, or 12 gal, the required stops at the tank will be about 63 over the course of a year. Waiting until sucking fumes and filling at near empty or 15 gallons will require about 50 fill ups. Filling at 3/4 tank is an "Extra" fill up of 13 times a year, or 1.1 times a month.
Doesn't seem like a huge hassle to me! :confuse:

Doesn't seem worth taking a chance, however slim, of having the engine stop at an inopportune time and loosing power steering and brakes and the ability to get the car to safety, such as in the left lane of an expressway, in heavy traffic, taking a turn, or on a lonely road at night. Other consideration would be needing more fuel for an unexpected trip, an unexpected storm where stations may be closed, sucking trash from the bottom of the tank, etc., etc..

I see too many negatives involved in waiting until the last possible moment to fill up. But that is coming from an old guy with a lot of stupid mistakes under the belt!

Kip

blufz1

Did I say I was doing this for fun? I just had the "opportunity" to find out how far it would go one night when I was pulling my bass boat in East Texas. But now I know I have at least 50 miles to find a gas station when the gas light flickers on.

kipk

Did I reply to your post? I wasn't talking to you in particular. However since you replied to mine.....

Your experience is a small example of what I was talking about.

It is night, you are pulling a boat, the fuel light comes on, you need to find an open gas station!

Makes me nervous.

I prefer to plan ahead when possible.

Kip

kyfdx

That is part of the problem with a short range.. If you are traveling, you obviously don't want to stop any more than you have to.. But, you have to leave some wiggle room, because you never know when you are going to have 40-50 miles with no service stations...

It isn't a big problem.. Just an irritant...

I guess I need a diesel.. :surprise:

drive62

Reminds me of when I was vacationing in Maine. I was Down East with a rental vehicle that I wasn't familiar with (it was a Suzuki SUV of some sort). I topped off basically at any gas station I came across as that area (at least at that time) was pretty devoid of stations.

kipk

Yep! Unfamiliar areas can get scary with a low fuel situation, maybe a wife and baby on board, etc...

And if ya really think about it. On the road, Even those with "SUPER KIDNEYS" might need to get out and stretch every 4 hours or so.

If you've been running 65 and getting 25 mpg it's a good time to add the 10 or so gallons to top the tank off, walk around a bit, and remove one possible "fail factor" from the equation...What If ...:)

Kip

kipk

I guess I need a diesel..

Yes Sir!
If those diesels deliver as promised (30/40), it be a good time (Excuse) to trade!

Kip

dewaltdakota

I just made a trip over the weekend in my 07 CR-V EX-L 4WD, running between 55 and 65 (depending upon the speed limit), and averaged 30.5 mpg!

As my little nephew would say ... Go tall-car!

kipk

And that ain't all bad!!! :shades:

Kip

stevecar

was it all downhill with the wind at your back.?
I'm averaging low 20's with mostly city driving for first 600 miles

kipk

Our 03 CR-V with 4 spd auto and 4WD averages low 20s in local light traffic driving with my wife driving. With me it is up a couple of MPG. On the road at 60-65 we have gotten 30+.

Kip