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On the other hand my father who was an auto mechanic used to do it a lot and I would not say it was a habit, but somethings he consciously did. I asked him once why he did it and he looked at me a bit quizzically (we had a full shop and I have to tell you the attitude was: we ain't got no problems or potential problems, a full shop of tools can't solve) and said, before coffee break, we'd have the clutch and what ever parts needed swapping, swapped. (what's the big deal?)
First 3 half tanks of gas:
26.7 MPG
30.0 MPG
33.9 MPG
Don't know if its a coincidence that my mileage is going up each time, I'm definitely getting more used to driving in mileage mode instead of speed racer mode and it seems to be helping.
Still, its encouraging that with only about 500 miles on the car I'm already hitting almost 34 mpg in probably 40/60 city/hwy driving.
I'll update when I've got 6,000 miles since that seems to be the consensus of when you start to hit max mileage.
I have just over 5000 miles total and the average mpg for that period of time is 40.04 mpg. That's it.
My driving is may be 60/40 60% being city. My routine is going to a cafe at 6am each morning and it is about 1 1/2 miles there. This is such a short drive I expect the cold weather will soon have its effect. Then local trips to walmart, Sams etc. and a little around the city beltway. No fast starts just take it easy. Not to slow either. When on the highway I set the cruise to 66/67 and thats it. Unless traveling, I use the same station, same pump when I fill up. I try not to let the tank get below 1/2. My car is a automatic. It has a great coasting ability. I have learned to let off the gas way before turning or stopping. If you have a auto you may understand what I mean about coasting. This car seems to go forever when you let off the gas. Be sure to learn how far yours will travel and how long it takes to decelerate. For instance, when I approach a light or stop sign I've learned to let off the gas and let the car gradually slow down. It works great. When on the highway and exiting to a off ramp I use the cancel cruise button so the car slow on its own. This not only saves on your breaks but saves money on gas. This must not make much since to you, all I know is that it seems to work for me. I think the key may be learning to use the great coasting ability of this little car.
If you have a computer, create a spread sheet to track the fuel your vehicle may use. It is not that hard. You can then see the result each time you add gas, the end of the month total and accumulative running total. See if you can improve your mpg using the coasting effect. This won't work if you have a tail gater. Hope this helps some. Good luck.
M
What RPM range do the auto trannys shift at?
Driving mostly in the city, a handful of highway trips.
So I'm getting way closer to 20 than 30 it seems. Yes have to wait for the break in. Not lead-footing it at all.
My commute is about a mile each way but I put at least 4 miles a day on it.
Seems like I don't even get to 150 miles when the fuel gauge reaches half full, which is about 6.5 gallons.
Even in the mornings after a cold start, by the end of my one-way trip, it's up to at least 3 bars in the temperature gauge. I've never seen it more than about half way, which is like 8 bars I think.
I'm a little disappointed with the mileage, but I'm hoping mileage increases some as the car is more broken in -- I'd be happy if I got over the 30 mpg mark on an average week.
Haven't driven the car on any long trips, so I have no idea what kind of highway mileage I'd get.
PLEASE don't be measuring your mileage strictly by the gauge. Do miles driven/gallons pumped.
And, as others have said, you are lucky to be getting in the 20s with a 1 mile commute. Your mileage suffers with every crank of the car, and the car expends extra fuel until it is warmed up fully.
Also, when you only fill up halfway, you aren't getting as accurate a reading as you would if you let the tank run a lot lower down (say, until the light comes on).
So about 24 MPG with one long highway trip and a couple of 6-mile jaunts (one way) on the freeway.
From the Chicago Tribune, by Jim Mateja,
"Milage ratings to get an overhaul with '08 model year"
EPA SET TO CHANGE HOW IT CALCULATES FUEL ESTIMATES
Why? ..."It is responding to a common consumer complaint: That the mileage they get is less than that on the sticker"...
BUT remarkably, things will probably STAY THE SAME
..."A few things won't change. Automakers will continue to be responsible for PERFORMING THE SAME TESTS (all caps my sic)and calculating the estimates and the EPA will audit the results with its tests to confirm the findings"...
QUOTE (but as noted, cut and pasted)
"2004 Civic 4DR...
CITY MPG 29 FEI, DOE EPA HIGHWAY MPG 38
ACTUAL MILEAGE will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits and vehicles condition. Results reported to the EPA inidcate that the majority of vehicles with these estimates will achieve between 24 AND 34 mpg in the city and between 32 AND 44 mpg on the highway"... UNQUOTE
So given the above information already on vehicles how much different will the 2008 stickers be? Again in a 54 mile R/T daily commute we get between 36-42 but more normally between 38-42 mpg.
I used to drive 2 miles each way to my high school in my Accord LX I-4 (1996 model). I'd routinely get about 19-20 MPG. Now that I drive 14 miles one way to school, with about 5-6 miles on the interstate, I get about 27-28 MPG.
It's all in the route, my friend.
May I ask what kind of car you had before, and how you did on mileage in that one?
But that engine basically died a few months back so who knows how many years it was running substandard?
It was overdue for a second tune up (had 135k miles plus) and other than oil changes, I had stopped doing maintenance on it.
Congrats!
best per tank mpg of 44.7 (long highway trip), worst 34.4.
interesting to me is that my average mileage has been continuing to decline since about september (39.8mpg), even though the routes I drive have remained essentially constant. dunno if this represents cooler temps or if there was a switch to 'winterized' gas, or both...
On a longer term bases your 5,000 mile experiences seem to mirror my first 10,000 miles (oem conventional filled oil changes, as a back drop) .
11.1 gallons =(what it took to fill the car)
430 miles =(how far i went on that tank)
Divide 430 by 11.1 = comes out to 38.7 MPG.
It's pretty simple
Quietspirit, it sounds to me that not only are you shopping for a first car, but also that you're a newer driver.
as you continue you research please permit me a couple comments/suggestions...
first as a new driver I'd be surprised if you were able to achieve EPA mileage ratings. I've been driving over twenty years and I've only been able to 'drive for mileage' for about the last three years (I cared more about going fast than the price of gas). besides, it's well known that EPA estimates are just that and often are pretty poor representations of real world driving.
in looking for a first car I would figure out what my needs are (do you need to transport a lot of stuff/friends to/from school, commuting, long trips, city car for occasional errands, et al) and then try to find the cheapest, safe, reliable car that satisfied those needs. I would specifically stay away from a new car. you'll love your first car no matter how much you spend on it, and as you evolve as a driver making your mistakes on an older car is much less heart (and wallet) breaking.
good luck in your search.
To minimize the number of variables, you're better off with the method of stopping after "x" number of clicks. If you're able to stick with the same pump at the same gas station, then you've got the best situation available for considering your readings accurate.
QuietSpirit, you have to do two things consistently to be able to calculate your mileage on a regular basis:
* Always fill up, as opposed to adding a specified dollar amount of gas
* Always reset your trip odometer, or write down your odometer reading, whenever you fill up.
When I pull my receipt from the gas pump, I immediately write the trip odometer's mileage on the back of it, then reset it. The total number of gallons pumped should be printed on the receipt, so you can wait until you get home, to calculate your mileage.
Your MPG will vary due to traffic, weather and such, so it is'nt always an exact thing.
This from the real world; daily commute, 38-42 mpg in a plain jane 54 mile R/T, 80 highway/20 city, 45 min to 1.5 hour per 27 mile trip. This is on one of the most congested highways in the COUNTRY. (acknowledged by transportation agencies)
Using a VW Jetta TDI in the SAME commute, (same driver) the figures are 47-51 mpg.
the best average mileage per tankful I've been able to get is 25.8 usually it averages around 24-25.
I drive about 50/50 highway local driving. My commute is only about 8 miles each way, but I usually set the cruise control for about 6 miles of highway driving.
One of the reasons I purchased this car was the EPA rated gas milage. I'd be really happy with a combined average of around 32-34 mpg, but I was hoping to get at least 30 MPG minimum.
does the civis need to "break-in" to get better milage or should I give my dealer a call and ask them to take a look.
Thanks for any advice.