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Comments
I would have it looked at if you're consistenly getting 25mpg.
Same engine, same suspension.
My trips practically never go more than 20 km round trip, including commuting to work. I have a stoplight probably every kilometer or so on the 7 km commute to downtown Vancouver every morning. (EDIT: Just looked at a map, it's about one stop light every 250-400 meters, less once you hit downtown, then it's once per block)
I have complained once, but got brushed off saying it's due to my driving habits and Vancouver's relative hilliness, without giving the engine a chance to break in (currently 1200 km)
i do not gun it on the green light nor go beyond 70 mph cruising.. i try to keep my rpm between 2500-3000.. i only gas up for a few second when i occasionally go uphill ..my needle at half way from first tank was about 141 and just recently my mile at the halfway is currently at 132.. consider yourself lucky.. i may have either a lemon or somethign is wrong with my car.. hard to believe.. my corolla is getting 36-38 considering that i drive more agressive with that car..
i'm
Dealer probably won't do much until you get some miles on the FIT odometer. Still, it would be a good idea to get the problem documented at the dealer. LET THEM CHECK IT OUT.
Kip
Congrats on your new acquisition! That is one short and stressful commute crimsona. Your car never reaches and maintains a cruising speed. because of all the shifting, your average speed at 3000 rpm is probably 40 kph. In comparison, if you cruise at 100-120 kph to stay around 3000rpm it should boost your economy by 10+ mpg. Have you tried a freeway road trip averaging 110 kph for the whole tank? You will be surprised.
My commute is 80 miles (130 km) round trip averaging 70mph/110kph, and my 99 Civic EX Coupe (Canada's Si) averages 35mpg, sometimes in the low 40s if I am careful with the throttle. I've got 155k miles (250k km) on it right now. What was your mileage in your previous car for the same commute?
The good thing about your commute is that it is good break-in for your engine. But heavy duty for your transmission (assuming you have the 5MT). I would change the tranny oil at 20k miles (32k km) with Honda MTF. Watch the color of the used trans oil. Observation based on my first year or two with my 5MT.
Another 12 months (~15k km) your engine should be fully broken-in and a freeway trip should show its true efficiency.
The reason for getting the Fit over your current Pilot is the reduced gas consumption for you. Based on what you were describing as your commute, you would only have to fill up once a month in a Fit! And at over $3.00 a gallon for gas......
I used to bus downtown, since Vancouver's public transit system is honestly not that bad. It's no Tokyo/Hong Kong/Singapore, but it's respectable in its own right.
I got the Automatic (sport) since I had anticipated a ton of stop and go traffic, and was not confidant in learning a manual transmission in such a position. Since Vancouver is fenced in by mountains in the north, the US border in the south and the ocean in the west, the city's area is actually quite small, and you don't have to go very far to get anywhere.
Last fill up
268.9 miles
9.372 gallons
28.69 miles per gallon
It is going up from last fill up at the exact same pump with auto cut off.
I would like real world tips on cranking that up over 30...I have not checked or changed tire pressure...if you are getting 35+ how do you do it....
David
Anyway has anyone tried to remove the lower rocker panels on the sport model. Not a big fan of those but part of the sport model. In my opinion the look great if you are in your 20s. In a practical sense they hit the cement parking barriers. Now maby even without the rocker panels it would still hit, don't know??
It's just a base AT driving in the hot city/suburbs thing, I believe...according to other posts.
Apart from the slightly lower profile tires, and the paddle shifters, everything else the Sport adds is for looks.
I agree! Just trying to understand WHY !
In the case of the Fit and other vehicles of this type, it would seem that they would have strived to wring every ounce of fuel economy possible from it.
With the differences in size, weight, displacement to feed , and what appears to be much considerable differences in aerodynamics, on paper the Fit should get better mileage than it does. OR the Pilot should get less!
Could it be that the 1.5 engines are too small? From what I'm seeing here, the Civic and the Corolla with their 1.8 engines will equal or better the mileage of their 1.5 engined stable mates.
As stated earlier, I'm not disparaging these super enono-boxes. For scooting around town, parking, and trips to the vet with large dogs, nursery, Home Depot, and simply fun to drive, they seem to be just the ticket. Just wondering what the economy tuned 1.8 engine would do for it!
Kip
Hardly. If that was true, they would offer the 1.3L engine with CVT (89 hp) that is offered elsewhere in the world. But how well would that go in the US?
Actually, the 1.5 is not too small, and as crimsona correctly pointed out, there are smaller engines like the 1.3L i-DSI found throughout the world. There is even a 1.2L. However, seeing that a NA Fit is about 400 pounds heavier than the 1.2L European Jazz, the 1.3 would probably be a better choice.
"Just wondering what the economy tuned 1.8 engine would do for it!"
Don't forget that the R-series found in the Civic is a brand new design with several benefits over the older L-series found in the Fit. The L15A1 which is found in the NA Fit debuted in Japan in 2002. An updated version of this engine (or perhaps an R15) in the next generation Fit with a 6-speed manual would offer better fuel economy surpassing the Civic and lower emissions. There is no need to offer a larger engine when a new 1.5 could do the trick.
What I would like to see in the US/Canada market is a choice of two engines: Updated versions of the L13 and L15 both attached to 6-speed manuals...with a CVT-7 option. Or maybe a smaller-displacement and even cleaner version of the amazing diesel Honda has already developed for other markets.
Nah, my Sport AT consistenyly get 35-36mpg. I think maybe it's mismatching trannies and purpose. Those who bought MT's driving over 50% on the highway, or AT's doing errands all over town.
So far I've been getting 25-27 MPG (US Gallon). My last fillup got me 300 km for 26 liters. (At $1.13 CAD per L)
was going to take it to LA but am afraid that it will struggle going up the grapevine..
maybe i should use paddle going up the incline? it'll probably be revign at 4.5k the whole time lol...
I think i got maybe .5 mpg more my second tank.. wahoo!
can i expect a little more the next tank?
I don't think so. I got nearly 42 mpg doing almost 100% highway driving in my 5MT. It's not as much where you go, it's about your driving style. I usually average 33-35 and that is always with 50% or more highway driving.
However, it is true that the AT mileage will suffer in mostly city driving.
Well, I drive the Grapevine, Newhall and Sepulveda passes every day in a Fit AT Sport. We get 33-37 mpg all the time (unless there's some type of major accident or brush fire in the Newhall Pass). I have the cruise control on most of the time - I'll take it off when we go up the steepest parts of the LA side (Castaic to Templin Hwy) or from the Grapevine exit to almost Ft. Tejon going south, only because the tranny will shift to 3rd and the rpms will be around 5k) if you try to maintain 65 or 70. I'll let it slow to 60, along with half the other people on that stretch. Otherwise, driving at 65, the rpms run around 3k. I have done the steep part with the engine in 3rd gear going 70, but it's noisy and does affect gas mileage.
I'm familiar with a CVT. What is the CVT-7?
Thanks,
Kip
second tank I got 28.. AT sport..
Still disappointed since I've been driving conservatively each time.. I hope that the switch to Shall gas will give me a little more..
I hope to break 30 someday.. i drive mostly highway..
I wonder why people say to give it time to break in because I read that others get over 30 to start off.. I mean if i need to wait for the engine to break in.. then why do others get over 30+ right off the bat? Shouldn;t they be getting 20's+ also? Something just isn't right.. i would be happy to get 31 mpg at this moment.. and i do mainly highway driving..
Part of a dealers NEW CAR GET READY for the Pilot is called
"Idle Learn Procedure".
http://www.hondalac.com/service/Bulletins/x02-029e.pdf
Sometime the folks in New Car Get Ready are a little slack in their duties.
I don't know why it is necessary, just that it is part of their GET READY.
Over on the Pilot forums, folks have posted where really crappy mileage was improved drastically by the procedure.
One soccer mom that was getting something like 11-13 daily driving, improved to 17+ and so on.
If you want to try it, you have nothing to loose except your preset radio stations. You will have to reset them.
1. With a cold engine: Turn off all accessories.
Disconnect battery for a few minutes. Leave the hood
open.
2. Reconnect the battery. Do not turn on any accessories.
3. Do not touch the throttle. Start the engine and let it idle. Watch the radiator cooling fan(s). After a while it will come on for a short period and shut off.
Keep watching. Eventually it will come on and shut off a second time.
4. That is it! Turn off ignition switch, close the hood.
Now you will need to reset radio stations and possibly the drivers "AUTO" window feature. If the "Auto" feature stopped working, activate the auto feature and while holding it in auto, run the window to the bottom. Then activate and hold the switch and run the window to the top and continue holding the switch an additional 3 seconds. Now the auto feature should work.
On the Pilot, Honda recommends this procedures when the battery is replaced, has discharged, or certain fuses have been blown or pulled.
"I don't know if this would apply to the FIT.
Part of a dealers NEW CAR GET READY for the Pilot is called
"Idle Learn Procedure".
http://www.hondalac.com/service/Bulletins/x02-029e.pdf
Sometime the folks in New Car Get Ready are a little slack in their duties. I don't know why it is necessary, just that it is part of their GET READY."
We've had low MPG for 1,000+ miles and wondering about the discrepancy between the "Happy Mid+Upper 30's" and ourselves (hi - 20's) So this concept sounds interesting - but then again I'm often hooked by urban myths! So, now I'm waiting to see which adventurous soul(s) will try this procedure and report back here.
MyMeta4
That URL is a Honda Service bulletin for new car get ready. It is not an urban myth. There it is in black and white.
When our Pilot had a few thousand miles on it, a bare wire on a trailer shorted, and a fuse in the Pilot was blown. I disconnected the battery and found and replaced the fuse but noticed the "Auto" feature on the drivers window not working and the Radio was asking for a code. Everything else worked. A service writer at the local Honda dealer told me how to "Fix" the radio and window.
A while after that I took a 200 mile trip and noticed the mileage was 24+ rather than the usual 27+ for that trip.
I also was aware that my daily driving was 2-3 MPG less than "NORMAL" for the last few fill ups, which I had contributed to hotter weather.
I had read about the IDLE LEARN PROCEDURE (ILP), and it's purpose, and decided to try it even though the car idled just fine.
The mileage returned to normal! Further investigation revealed that the ILP doesn't mean it is learning to idle. In fact it is reading the characteristics of that engine from start up through good and warm. The computer is learning while the car is at idle. For some reason it needs to read from cold engine through the two cooling fan cycles.
I didn't write the bulletin and don't understand whe reasoning from Honda. I don't know if it is part of the "GET READY" for the FIT. I do know that it "FIXED" my Pilot and others on that forum.
FWIW: The Pilot is 5 SPD AT/4WD and delivers 17-19 every time I fill it up. Most driving is very short trips of 3-6 miles. On the road it will deliver 27+ when driven the speed limit. Our CR-V is a 4 Spd AT/4WD and averages 23-25 MPG under same local conditions and 29-32 MPG on a trip(with me driving). I did the ILP on the CR-V as soon as we brought it home from the dealer. Don't know if it needed it or if it did any good. But I "Got er Done"!
There is some good explanation as to why most of those reporting on this forum are getting considerably better mileage than you. If the ILP doesn't work, the most you have spent is a little time!
What do you have to loose?
Good luck,
Kip
I received about 35 MPG after my first post-dealer fill up. SO the wear-in period is NOT causing a 10 MPG discrepancy in your car.
The last 3 fill ups, I've averaged 35.5mpg (city/hwy), 39mpg (hwy) and 37mpg (hwy). On the highway, the average speed is between 70-80mph.
Have you brought it back to the dealer? Do you drive mostly in the city to get the high 20's range?
Commented to the dealer, they said an equivelent to "too bad, so sad - it's not broken in and you have a very non-fuel friendly route to work."
Not surprised really.
You should test and do all highway one day. Fill up your tank, go 50 miles and then back (100miles total) and then fill up your tank again. Divide the miles driven by the gallons you just put in and if you get over 37mpg and up, then your car is normal.
If i bring it in now, will they just say that it's because the car has not been borken in and to wait?
I drive about 95% hwy and between 65-75.
i tried hard to get 28mpg on mostly all hwy..
I don't use the paddles at all. In fact, I use cruise control as much as possible (I take it off for the steep portions of the Grapevine and drive about 60 so that the car won't shift to 3rd). I had been noticing my gas mileage dropping, so Friday I eased off on acceleration (didn't try to keep up with everyone else for a change), and since traffic was lighter through Santa Clarita I put the cruise on earlier than normal - got 39 mpg that day, vs. the 33-36 I've been getting recently.
I got unbelievably good gas mileage going to Vegas (I often do - it's mostly downhill for me and Saturday I had a tailwind). I never post the figures here because I'd hate to get others thinking this car could routinely get such fabulous mileage (drove 300 miles and had noticably more than a quarter tank left when I filled up).
Sunday's drive back was "interesting." I left Vegas at around 8:30am, then spent 3 hours going about 10 miles between Jean and Primm. I would shut the engine off for about 5-30 minutes, restart it to creep forward a couple of car lengths, then stop and turn it off again. I don't know how many times I turned it off and turned it back on - I accidentally ground the starter a couple of times thinking I had turned it off when I hadn't.
I finally passed Primm (at the Nevada-California state line) around 12:30 pm, and ended up fighting a head wind or a cross wind the rest of the way. This wasn't a breeze - Edwards AFB reported the wind at 20 mph with gusts up to 30. Set the cruise control at 65, except across the part between Afton Canyon and Barstow, when I didn't want to accelerate and brake all the time. Then I set the cruise at around 62-63 because that's what the 18-wheelers seemed to be doing. I left it at 65 most of the time I was on Hwy 58.
I stopped for gas at the small community outside Edwards. My gas mileage still came out to 33 mpg!
My conclusion from this:
1. Always carry water in your car (I didn't), even when it's a routine trip you've done a million times. The Starbucks coffee I had didn't last long.
2. Always carry sunscreen. It doesn't matter if you never get out of the car long enough to need it - I had the windows open to keep as cool as I could and got sunburned.
3. As hard as it is (this car is quite peppy), easing off of the accelerator makes a huge difference. I'm not talking about jack-rabbit starts, I'm talking about not pushing it as much as most people in SoCal routinely do when starting up at a stop sign or traffic light.
4. Use the cruise control set at 65 as much as possible - the car does a better job at not over-accelerating or driving faster than planned than I do. If you drive this little car like an economy car, it will give you wonderful economy. If you drive it like a performance car, it will do a pretty good imitation of one, but won't give you any economy.
5. I might have gotten home quite a bit sooner if I had been driving the Wrangler - there are several dirt roads that I could have taken. But it would have been a very expensive trip - I would have been lucky to get 16 mpg with that much wind, and it would have been a constant struggle.
Final note - have I said that I love this little car?
:confuse:
Base 5MT, Southern California
Average tanks: 33-35 mpg
Highest tank: 41.7 mpg
miles: 14,660.3
gallons: 409.349
mpg: 35.813
That's definitely lower than before (had been running overall average over 36). I still can't complain at all. I actually have just over 15,000 on the odo - I missed recording two tanks. Driving is almost all SoCal freeways - very little city driving. It does include large elevation differences (live at almost 6,000 feet and work at sea level, commute is 150 miles round trip). Some short trips on the weekends (around 10 - 15 miles), along with a number of 300 mile one-way trips to Vegas (go about every 3 weeks).
Oil is down to 30% so I'm starting to think about when I can fit our second oil change in within the next month or so.
I kinda doubt that I will improve 5-7 miles per gallon when it's finally borken in.. hope i'm wrong though..
If you check out some posts on the Real World MPG site, some folks has over 10k-15k and their milage is still around 24-28 MPG.. which is discouraging.. Especially sicne i drive hwy95% of the time and do everything to try to save gas and only get 26-28 mpg.. kinda disaapointing.. I'm not even getting the low end of city.. With that said.,. besides ur first tank.. i don't think you've gotten below 30 driving normal right?
I wanna try it for my Fit but will need to know how to fix the window