I recently bought a 92 civic DX for its great gas mileage. However I noticed that the car gets me only like 300 miles for the whole tank. MY mitsubishi eclipse gets me 385 miles on a good day...and alot of ppl told me that the car can get up to 450 and even more per tank. I am not pressing the pedal to the metal or anything and I am not going too fast either. Whats wrong and how can I fix it ? if it can be fixed..
This may make you feel better that I'm noticing similiar mileage on my 2006 Civic EX A/T. I just had the car for a month so I don't have as much experience as you but on my first trip ("dealer tank") I had 23.29 mpg. I drive in Queens, NY and constantly stop at traffic lights. My average trips are also mostly under 5 miles. The AC is almost always on.
I noticed on the highway (assuming normal flowing traffic) the car gets a little above 35 mpg. I measured this using the bars on the fuel gauge and assuming 2 bars = 1 gallon.
You shouldn't worry about the car if you're getting more or less 35 mpg on the highway. That is the best way to compare mileage as highway conditions are more or less normalized across Civic drivers. The city mpg can be different based on what city you live and the driving conditions in that city.
First of all, figure out your actual mileage. Figuring out how far you get on a tank means nothing if you don't know how much you are putting into the tank.
For example, if you are going 300 miles on 10 gallons, you are getting 30 Miles Per Gallon.
I'd bet lots of money that the Eclipse has a larger gas tank than your Civic.
Also, if you find that your mileage isn't great, keep in mind that the car IS 15 years old. Cars develop problems over that length of time (things like carbon buildup in an engine can reduce mileage without creating real problems). If you are getting 30+ MPG in a car that old, rejoice!
Just curious; Automatic or manual? How many miles are on the car?
Well its 11 gallons in the tank and i get an average of 300 gallons per tank. Actually today i think I hit a bump on the road and all of a sudden the muffler became real loud in the car. Someone told me it might be the catalytic converter and maybe thats why I am not getting the best mpg. Any idea?
Well its 11 gallons in the tank and i get an average of 300 gallons per tank. Do an exact calculation. Guessing leaves too much room for interpretation. If you are only getting 300 miles, and when you fill up the car takes 11 gallons, then divide 300/11 = 27.27MPG. If you are getting 320 miles and the car is only taking 10 gallons, then its 320/10 = 32 MPG. Big difference. Do calculations at each fillup (you can use your cell phones calculator to do it - it'll only take 15 seconds or so) and start recording them. That way you know if you have a problem or not.
Again, don't use the gas gauge to determine how much fuel is left, because when the gauge reads empty, you'll still have gas in the tank, MEANING: If the tank hold 11 gallons, you aren't actually using 11 gallons of fuel before refueling, and that your mileage is actually better than you think.
Have 82000 miles, overwhelming highway and country road miles, average between 37 to 42 miles since I have owned it. So, I get 39 miles per gallon on average...
I have a 06 EX coupe and I average 28 MPG and with 50/50 driving. I see posts on here that people are getting 38 to 44 MPG??? I would like to know how they are doing their calculations. Those numbers do not seem realistic.
1st tank = 34 mpg 80hwy/20cty 2nd tank = 37 mpg 90hwy/10cty 3rd tank = 41 mpg!! 90hwy/10cty
It is realistic, just get the gallons filled on your fillup and divide by the number of miles you got on that tank. It may also depend on what type of gas you are using. I try to use chevron or shell. Also are you an aggressive driver? I'm shifting at 2500 rpm's most of the time and driving at or below 70 mph when i'm sane. I also get my dose of VTEC at least once daily usually during the morning commute.
here's how I do my calculations. if you have another method I'd like to see it.
1. fill the tank, preferrably on level ground. Some people try to cram as much gas as possible into the tank, I let the auto fill cut off then slowly pump by hand until the nozzle clicks off one more time.
2. reset trip odometer.
3. drive until you want to get gas. the more of the tank you use the more accurate the average MPG will be.
4. Repeat step one. In an ideal setting you would use the same pump again to correct for the cutoff on the nozzle, but this rarely happens with me. Record the number of gallons, you will need it in the next step.
5. time for math. miles on trip odometer/gallons pumped into the tank equals miles/gallon...
what I've noticed is that driving style and conditions have a lot to do with this. I rarely have the engine >2500 rpm and don't usually go >65mph during my daily commute (~75% highway congestion, ~25% crowded surface streets), although my best MPG was straight highway, cruise control @ 72-75 mph.
play with the way you drive and I'll bet you see a difference.
what's the best way to drive/shift on a manual to get the best mileage? I usually shift at around 3000 rpm, every now and then i push it up to 3500 rpm. Also, is it bad for the clutch and tranny if I sometimes start from a stop in second gear? First trip on an 07 Civic EX MT seems to be about 37 miles per gallon with 60 highway/40 city
My driving style and mpg tracking almost mimics yours. I have 2006 LX auto. At 6,800 miles & 8 months since taking delivery I keep a running excel spreadsheet of every gallon of gasoline pumped into tank. Overall average is 38.4 mpg. Worst tankful was 35.6 mpg when new and best has been 40.7 mpg. My driving is approx. 70% highway and 65 to 70 mph. I seldom >2500 rpm.
This car's fuel economy seems very dependent on driving style. It seems very tolerant of reasonably high speed cruising without tremendous economy penalty. however, If you have the need put your foot in the accelerator heavy every time you ramp-up, you are gonna pay the price at the pump.
I also find that acceleration, especially downshifting, really cuts into mileage. I find this true across the board, whether I'm driving the civic, my '99 yukon or '01 Acura CLS. By changing my right foot habits I can get 18/20mpg in the yukon (EPA 12/16mpg) and 28/35mpg in the acura (EPA 19/29).
I just returned from a month-long vacation trip touring the USA with my wife, going from So Cal to PA, to MI and then through SD (Mt. Rushmore) and WY (Yellowstone) then back to CA.
I put 7,145 miles on my '06 LX manual-trans sedan in 27 days, the car had just over 5K miles on it when I started out. The car had a trunk full of luggage, I'd say close to 600 pounds of weight was in the car including passengers.
Most of the time on the interstates I was traveling around 68 MPH (with the cruise control on naturally) even when the speed limits allowed 75 MPH. There were times I traveled 70 to 75, but usually 65 to 68. Also did my share of 20 MPH 2nd-gear driving while sightseeing on slow and winding roads through the forest, plus some stop-and-go in smaller towns along the country highways. About 90% of the trip was on the wide-open interstate highways between 60 and 70 MPH.
Fuel mileage average for the trip using 87 octane was 40.955 MPG. :shades:
I removed my 18" O.Z. aftermarket wheels and used the stock 16" wheels and 205/55-16 tires for my trip, pumped up to the 44 PSI sidewall max. The ride quality was plenty comfortable at that pressure, I keep my 225/40-18s pumped up to 51 PSI (again the sidewall max). Gotta keep the pressure up there for excellent fuel mileage.
No special tricks, no coasting down hills, just driving normally. I even screamed it up a few long upgrades at 6000 RPMs in 3rd to pass trucks when I needed to. The R18 pulls down the great numbers no sweat. The worst tank so far has been 30 MPG, I usually average about 31 to 33 in lightly congested city commuting. This was my first nearly pure-highway trip with the engine close to being fully broken-in, city mileage should go up a bit now that it's been broken in some more.
I got great mileage and I didn't have to go 55 the whole time to get over 40 MPG. Glad my purchase of the Civic gave me everything I was expecting.
There must be something wrong with my civic because I am not getting those mpg. I can only average 28 mpg. How are you calculating your mpg??
I filled up before my journey at my favorite local station at my favorite pump. I filled up all across the country and when I came back I again went to my local station and pump and filled using my usual method, fill until it clicks and then to the next $0.25.
This makes for a pretty accurate method of checking one tank to the next, and makes up for the differences in stations and pumps on my trip across the USA. Your car will sit at a different attitude at different stations, the amount of air left in the 'bubble at the top of the tank can vary substantially from station to station.
My 7,000+ miles and topping off at my local station before and after makes it a very clear and accurate picture of my fuel mileage, far more accurate than checking one or even 10 tanks of gas. 7,145 miles divided by 174.459 gallons = 40.955 MPG. Even if I was off by a couple of gallons (I'm not ) the mileage average for the trip would still be very close.
Have no fear, my calculations are on the money. Been doing this with all my cars for the last 30 years.
Here's my 2cents worth on Civic mileage. I have a 2006 EX coupe, 5spd manual. I'm a mid-aged (53 yrs) male, and got the car because I was tired of driving used junkers and wanted to get good mileage with some degree of style and comfort. I got a coupe because I don't have to ride in the back seat The majority of my driving is local (very local to & from work which is only 1.5 miles at 35 mph). I do go on 30 to 100 mile trips on the weekends, with an occasional 250 mile trip to visit my daughter in college. I bought it new in May 06, and have put 6115.9 miles on it as of last fill up. In that time I've pumped 178.33 gallons of regular unleaded fuel in the tank, for a average MPG of 34.29. My best tankful gave me 38.34 MPG, and my worst was 31.01. I consider this great mileage for a car as comfortable and usable as this. I find the civic more fun to drive than my wife's 00 Mercedes SLK. Of course the Civic doesn't have the acceleration of the SLK, but it corners just as well, and the music system is much better . All in all, I'm really happy with the car, and plan to keep it many years.
Fuel economy numbers are like opinions...everybody has theirs. I have a 2006 EX sedan automatic bought about a year ago that now has around 6K miles. The reason for that is my wife uses it to commute to work (8 mile round trip) and toddle around town (of about 25,000 people)oh, and drive to the gym 3-4 days a week (about a 15 mile round trip). So, it seldom gets a run on the interstate. Under those conditions it returns between 23.8-25.2 mpg. On one of the few times we did take it on a small trip with mostly interstate driving (cruise at 71-72 mph)it returned 37.7 mpg. In my personal expectations for this car this is acceptable...well, the "city" mileage isn't as good as I might have expected,only a couple more than our 95 Dodge Stratus 2.5 liter V-6. I am not one of those who EXPECT/DEMAND EPA estimates because I know these numbers are an estimate to be used for comparison between similar sized cars and not a good estimate at that. Anyhow I tend to dismiss those who tell me they can average 39 something or 41 something MPG because this really means the lowest MPG they achieve is higher than the highest I achieved on the open road driving steadily. So, I can state to you that your 28 MPG average is probably normal for your driving style and road conditions and means you get around 32-33 highway and 23-24 city. Also there is no mystery about fuel calculation...miles traveled divided by gallons used..the trick is a standard in topping off the tank every time. The 1/2 to 3/4 gallons of fuel the inlet pipe holds can throw off economy numbers considerably if you don't somehow account for it. Personally, I stop after the automatic feature on the pump stops and I manually pump in enough to round off to the next higher $$ amount...no trick at $2+ per gallon.
As I was reading your post, I mused about someone buying a used car from a little old lady. Seems little old ladies are pretty hard on their cars!
We do a 54 mile R/T daily commute and the range is between 36-42 mpg (no topping to round off). Filling is complete at the first click (off). But really no matter as long as what you are doing is CONSISTENT.
Oh, did I mention my wife is a LITTLE younger than 50.."close enough" she says? I understand that if your commute is free and clear of stops..traffic..mountain climbs...100 mph headwinds etc. (based on my highway experiences alone)and especially if you drive more slowly than 70 mph the upper 30's (for sure) and maybe 40 is doable. The very low 40's may also be possible if you drive intellegently in perfect conditions but 42 and up? Well maybe but until I experience it, and I may never do so simply because I refuse to drive 55 mph on a 65 mph + speed limit interstate or turnpike, I'll take those numbers with a small dose of salt!! But once again like I said fuel economy numbers are like opinions...and I'm sure I'll hear from those with differing opinions. There are just too many variables to say who is "right" but there is a physical upper limit for this vehicle.
Oh gosh, I wish the commute was as idyllic as you think. Actually it is on one of the worst freeways and most congested in the COUNTRY. So needless to say it is stop and go, and I have already addressed the concept of "perfect conditions" .
High 30's to Low 40's is a can do easy and at speeds of 80-95. (two drivers) so obviously neither of us was going for the fuel miser award.
Yes there is an upper limit for this vehicle, but NOT 42.6 mpg.
OK I was with you for awhile...but...when you start to add stop and go and speeds of up to 95 mph and still say 42+ well, you have lost me now...not probable!! And if the car were a hybrid the upper limit would be more than 42...probably, still subject to individual driving conditions and style, but the regular gas version ah...nope. I experienced almost 38mpg and that during a fairly extended 300 mile interstate drive.. cruise "ON" with no "road rage" episodes or full throttle blasts "just to see how fast she will go"....just steady as she goes. I wasn't real careful about driving for economy but what would be considered normally. I feel if I drove a bit slower, say 65 tops 40mpg is possible BUT when speeds increase beyond where air resistance overcomes aerodynamics and the engine is no longer loafing along at 1800-2100 RPM then you have a rapid and steady decline in fuel economy. Simply put, as always, the faster you go the poorer fuel economy you get...never changes with no way around it unless you drive in on airless planet or moon or asteroid or something.. As for that upper limit, if one had the nerve to take their life into their own hands and drove at say 45 or 55 steadily on an extended interstate drive maybe it(fuel economy) would be quite spectacular...but so would the crash and resulting fireball as a semi ran over you AND your nearly full fuel tank...BOOM, no thanks!
The reason for talking about each condition, one in each paragraph, i.e. commuting, and secondly interstate travel was to show they were different conditions. Mileage in each condition is as reported.
Separately, the truth is it is really no problem going 45 mph on a 80 plus freeway with speed limits at 65 mph. I did it once to break in some tires on a Z06 Corvette it was not an issue at all. While I was passed by literally 1000's of cars, the most noteworthy was I was passed by 5 highway patrol cars on the prowl with nary a look or concern.
Well with regard to "no problem going 45 mph on a 80 plus freeway" once again I say NO THANKS...the trucking industry is very heavy in my area and convoys of 30 to 40 trucks all running 75 ++ mph isn't uncommon. There have been recent instances of traffic slowing for one lane interstate construction and truckers not stopping/slowing running over 3 and 4 cars in the process= high death toll. I usually run the "slow" or right lane of a 4 lane interstate at my normal speed of 72-75 mph and have personally experienced seeing semi trucks running up my rear to the point I only see a Pererbuilt nameplate in the middle of the grille in my rearview mirror and wonder if/how the truck will move left to pass before converting me to that fireball. So there may be no problem IF traffic can determine the huge speed differential between 50 mph and 75 mph in time to move left but the problem occurs when a trucker reaches for a dropped candy (which is exactly what happened in the previous incident)and 6 people were killed..not the trucker though. Secondly, there are minimum speed limits here (Pa.)on interstate and turnpike highways, I believe it is 45mph so those roving police should have pulled you over for being just as dangerous (or more so) than the speeders. I still don't think a Civic can achieve 42+mpg at speeds of 80-95 mph though. At least not sustained, maybe a short burst to those speeds then a return to sanity.
"I still don't think a Civic can achieve 42+mpg at speeds of 80-95 mph though. At least not sustained, maybe a short burst to those speeds then a return to sanity. "
I would be inclinded to believe that YOU for sure do not achieve 42 mpg plus!!?? So I am not surprised you believe that it can't/doesn't/and/or is rarely done.
my personal best has been 44.7mpg driving between maryland and new jersey (286 miles), cruise control 72-75mpg, one area of congestion at a toll booth which caused stop and go for about a mile. except for about three miles of surface streets w/stop signs and traffic lights it was all highway. I don't overinflate my tires, either (32psi cold).
I expect that the 'upper limit' of mpg is significantly higher, if one could maintain lower speeds on flat ground (?60mph in kansas), but that won't happen where I live. maybe one day I'll get bored enough to set my cruise control to the speed limit and see what happens...
Yes, I have to admit to being surprised at the mpg result, being as how the average was from two drivers, each taking a leg of the trip. So in that sense, neither of us were really "trying" for greater/ and/or lesser mpg results.
I had several people I know who have 2006 civics who live in my area (outside Philly) do the math to see what their MPG were. They were all very close to what I was getting "avg between 26 - 29 mpg 50/50 driving". The people who are getting 35 - 44 doing 50/50 driving must either live in Kansas or they are getting towed around. The mpg of 35 - 44 is BS. I think I will trade my GAS GULPING CIVIC in for a corvette. :surprise:
Nope I sure don't achieve 42 mpg... as stated my experience on the open road driving at a far slower 70-72 mph indicates that the car can return nearly 38 mpg at those speeds (37.7) but it stands to reason (and the laws of physics/aerodynamics) the faster you go the faster the engine is running plus the more air resistance you encounter until that air resistance overcomes any design aerodynamics of the vehicle at which point more and more power...power that was previously minimal just to keep the car rolling along at say 65 mph...is needed to overcome that pesky air resistance. So,the combination of maybe 3700 rpm @ 95 mph (not an actual true figure but conjecture on my part since I don't know what an automatic Civic turns at 90 mph)verses 2100 rpm at around 70 mph plus lots of extra air resistance cannot provide better fuel economy driving at 95 mph than the same car at 70 mph.. Finally, I didn't say it cannot be done just not at 95 mph which is the speed you picked at the start of this debate. Nope, still don't believe it certainly not at that speed.
The only difference is this Civic just get your mpg (38 mpg (37.7)) at a higher speed and in a day in day out commute. Any faster and indeed I'd be cruising for a ticket. We can really do without the commute.
Just picked up my black ES Coupe w/Nav /auto last Thursday night. I've logged about 100 miles and decided to check my mileage. It came out to a shade < 27 doing probably 50/50. Not sure about the numbers since the car came with a full tank from the dealer so I wasn't sure exactly where my starting point is.
Anyway, the dealer told me my mileage would go up with time. Is that true and if so, can anyone explain why? Is it just about breaking in the engine?
I have a 28 mile mostly freeway commute each way to work which is why I bought a Civic. I'll post some numbers after my first tank is burned up (usually less than a week for me).
Correct break in is important during the first OCI. So some portion of both how you SHOULD break it in and the newness and you getting used to driving this particular machine will probably skew your results. So a couple or three tank fulls will serve as a good baseline.
How should you break it in? When the sales person was showing me the car at the end, the instructions says to not tow anything heavy the first 400 miles, and not to accelerate fast the first 600 miles, and nothing else. I've driven my 07 Civic EX MT mostly surbuban city driving with 3-4 highway trips lasting about 30 minutes. After approximately three tanks of gas, i'm average 30-31 miles per gallon. Is that normal or am I driving it poorly? I'm a little new to manual transmission so I sometimes over rev the engine, otherwise I usually shift at 3000 rpm if not slightly earlier. I don't downshift or engine brake, I've heard it reduces your gas mileage. Also, is it important to warm up the car when you start it?
Be happy to discuss the topic, but at the same time do you/we want the Readers Digest route or a more in depth discussion? Indeed follow the oem's owners manual. A lot or most of the percentage of break in time and miles is for longevity purposes. My own personal take on engine break in during this time is slightly to moderately agressive.
For best mpg, the rule of thumb is to up shift into the next higher gear ASAP while not lugging the engine.
Because you have the M/T, just know the places/conditions where you can cause the most wear and the best is to avoid it. . you are presented those opportunites is to cause as little wear as possible. One that has the most opportunity for wear and damage is HOW you engage the clutch. The best way to learn this is in a "parking lot" type of place where you can really concentrate on engaging the clutch with as low a rev possible without stalling the engine. The next when you find that engage point and are as comfortable with it as possible, to let the clutch go AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, while at the same time being smooth. Knowing how to downshift is advantageous, but as you have found is not entirely necessary. Let me also plant the seeds about double clutching. (you can goggle this if you are interested)
Over reving (beyond the readline) is usually computer controled to "cut out" before over rev is achieved. Where the computer does NOT work is when the engine revs and ground speed are SEVERELY mismatched. i.e. 7500 rpms in 6th gear and you miss a shift and drop it in say 2nd gear and slip or let out/pop the clutch.
The best is to start and GO !! Also the best condition to run car are highway miles and at least 1 hour trips.
How bad is it to your clutch and transmission to second from a stop in second gear? I do it every now and then when i'm stuck in traffic or running into a lot of lights/stop signs.
Comments
over 2200 miles overall 39.1 avg, mixed a/c, mixed commuting/highway. best 40.5mpg, worst 37.1
looking to improve as I get more used to the car.
I noticed on the highway (assuming normal flowing traffic) the car gets a little above 35 mpg. I measured this using the bars on the fuel gauge and assuming 2 bars = 1 gallon.
You shouldn't worry about the car if you're getting more or less 35 mpg on the highway. That is the best way to compare mileage as highway conditions are more or less normalized across Civic drivers. The city mpg can be different based on what city you live and the driving conditions in that city.
For example, if you are going 300 miles on 10 gallons, you are getting 30 Miles Per Gallon.
I'd bet lots of money that the Eclipse has a larger gas tank than your Civic.
Also, if you find that your mileage isn't great, keep in mind that the car IS 15 years old. Cars develop problems over that length of time (things like carbon buildup in an engine can reduce mileage without creating real problems). If you are getting 30+ MPG in a car that old, rejoice!
Just curious; Automatic or manual? How many miles are on the car?
I'm also trying to find the 'sweet spot', as the return trip got me 37.5mpg. :surprise:
Do an exact calculation. Guessing leaves too much room for interpretation. If you are only getting 300 miles, and when you fill up the car takes 11 gallons, then divide 300/11 = 27.27MPG. If you are getting 320 miles and the car is only taking 10 gallons, then its 320/10 = 32 MPG. Big difference. Do calculations at each fillup (you can use your cell phones calculator to do it - it'll only take 15 seconds or so) and start recording them. That way you know if you have a problem or not.
Again, don't use the gas gauge to determine how much fuel is left, because when the gauge reads empty, you'll still have gas in the tank, MEANING: If the tank hold 11 gallons, you aren't actually using 11 gallons of fuel before refueling, and that your mileage is actually better than you think.
1st tank = 34 mpg 80hwy/20cty
2nd tank = 37 mpg 90hwy/10cty
3rd tank = 41 mpg!! 90hwy/10cty
It is realistic, just get the gallons filled on your fillup and divide by the number of miles you got on that tank. It may also depend on what type of gas you are using. I try to use chevron or shell. Also are you an aggressive driver? I'm shifting at 2500 rpm's most of the time and driving at or below 70 mph when i'm sane. I also get my dose of VTEC at least once daily usually during the morning commute.
If a tankful is 10 or 11 gallons your average is 30 or 31 MPG.
1. fill the tank, preferrably on level ground. Some people try to cram as much gas as possible into the tank, I let the auto fill cut off then slowly pump by hand until the nozzle clicks off one more time.
2. reset trip odometer.
3. drive until you want to get gas. the more of the tank you use the more accurate the average MPG will be.
4. Repeat step one. In an ideal setting you would use the same pump again to correct for the cutoff on the nozzle, but this rarely happens with me. Record the number of gallons, you will need it in the next step.
5. time for math. miles on trip odometer/gallons pumped into the tank equals miles/gallon...
what I've noticed is that driving style and conditions have a lot to do with this. I rarely have the engine >2500 rpm and don't usually go >65mph during my daily commute (~75% highway congestion, ~25% crowded surface streets), although my best MPG was straight highway, cruise control @ 72-75 mph.
play with the way you drive and I'll bet you see a difference.
This car's fuel economy seems very dependent on driving style. It seems very tolerant of reasonably high speed cruising without tremendous economy penalty. however, If you have the need put your foot in the accelerator heavy every time you ramp-up, you are gonna pay the price at the pump.
I also find that acceleration, especially downshifting, really cuts into mileage. I find this true across the board, whether I'm driving the civic, my '99 yukon or '01 Acura CLS. By changing my right foot habits I can get 18/20mpg in the yukon (EPA 12/16mpg) and 28/35mpg in the acura (EPA 19/29).
I put 7,145 miles on my '06 LX manual-trans sedan in 27 days, the car had just over 5K miles on it when I started out. The car had a trunk full of luggage, I'd say close to 600 pounds of weight was in the car including passengers.
Most of the time on the interstates I was traveling around 68 MPH (with the cruise control on naturally) even when the speed limits allowed 75 MPH. There were times I traveled 70 to 75, but usually 65 to 68. Also did my share of 20 MPH 2nd-gear driving while sightseeing on slow and winding roads through the forest, plus some stop-and-go in smaller towns along the country highways. About 90% of the trip was on the wide-open interstate highways between 60 and 70 MPH.
Fuel mileage average for the trip using 87 octane was 40.955 MPG. :shades:
I removed my 18" O.Z. aftermarket wheels and used the stock 16" wheels and 205/55-16 tires for my trip, pumped up to the 44 PSI sidewall max. The ride quality was plenty comfortable at that pressure, I keep my 225/40-18s pumped up to 51 PSI (again the sidewall max). Gotta keep the pressure up there for excellent fuel mileage.
No special tricks, no coasting down hills, just driving normally. I even screamed it up a few long upgrades at 6000 RPMs in 3rd to pass trucks when I needed to. The R18 pulls down the great numbers no sweat. The worst tank so far has been 30 MPG, I usually average about 31 to 33 in lightly congested city commuting. This was my first nearly pure-highway trip with the engine close to being fully broken-in, city mileage should go up a bit now that it's been broken in some more.
I got great mileage and I didn't have to go 55 the whole time to get over 40 MPG. Glad my purchase of the Civic gave me everything I was expecting.
I filled up before my journey at my favorite local station at my favorite pump. I filled up all across the country and when I came back I again went to my local station and pump and filled using my usual method, fill until it clicks and then to the next $0.25.
This makes for a pretty accurate method of checking one tank to the next, and makes up for the differences in stations and pumps on my trip across the USA. Your car will sit at a different attitude at different stations, the amount of air left in the 'bubble at the top of the tank can vary substantially from station to station.
My 7,000+ miles and topping off at my local station before and after makes it a very clear and accurate picture of my fuel mileage, far more accurate than checking one or even 10 tanks of gas. 7,145 miles divided by 174.459 gallons = 40.955 MPG. Even if I was off by a couple of gallons (I'm not
Have no fear, my calculations are on the money. Been doing this with all my cars for the last 30 years.
Sure I am, grasshopper. :P
We do a 54 mile R/T daily commute and the range is between 36-42 mpg (no topping to round off). Filling is complete at the first click (off). But really no matter as long as what you are doing is CONSISTENT.
High 30's to Low 40's is a can do easy and at speeds of 80-95. (two drivers) so obviously neither of us was going for the fuel miser award.
Yes there is an upper limit for this vehicle, but NOT 42.6 mpg.
Separately, the truth is it is really no problem going 45 mph on a 80 plus freeway with speed limits at 65 mph. I did it once to break in some tires on a Z06 Corvette it was not an issue at all. While I was passed by literally 1000's of cars, the most noteworthy was I was passed by 5 highway patrol cars on the prowl with nary a look or concern.
I still don't think a Civic can achieve 42+mpg at speeds of 80-95 mph though. At least not sustained, maybe a short burst to those speeds then a return to sanity.
I would be inclinded to believe that YOU for sure do not achieve 42 mpg plus!!?? So I am not surprised you believe that it can't/doesn't/and/or is rarely done.
I don't overinflate my tires, either (32psi cold).
I expect that the 'upper limit' of mpg is significantly higher, if one could maintain lower speeds on flat ground (?60mph in kansas), but that won't happen where I live. maybe one day I'll get bored enough to set my cruise control to the speed limit and see what happens...
The mpg of 35 - 44 is BS. I think I will trade my GAS GULPING CIVIC in for a corvette. :surprise:
Anyway, the dealer told me my mileage would go up with time. Is that true and if so, can anyone explain why? Is it just about breaking in the engine?
I have a 28 mile mostly freeway commute each way to work which is why I bought a Civic. I'll post some numbers after my first tank is burned up (usually less than a week for me).
For best mpg, the rule of thumb is to up shift into the next higher gear ASAP while not lugging the engine.
Because you have the M/T, just know the places/conditions where you can cause the most wear and the best is to avoid it. . you are presented those opportunites is to cause as little wear as possible. One that has the most opportunity for wear and damage is HOW you engage the clutch. The best way to learn this is in a "parking lot" type of place where you can really concentrate on engaging the clutch with as low a rev possible without stalling the engine. The next when you find that engage point and are as comfortable with it as possible, to let the clutch go AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, while at the same time being smooth. Knowing how to downshift is advantageous, but as you have found is not entirely necessary. Let me also plant the seeds about double clutching. (you can goggle this if you are interested)
Over reving (beyond the readline) is usually computer controled to "cut out" before over rev is achieved. Where the computer does NOT work is when the engine revs and ground speed are SEVERELY mismatched. i.e. 7500 rpms in 6th gear and you miss a shift and drop it in say 2nd gear and slip or let out/pop the clutch.
The best is to start and GO !! Also the best condition to run car are highway miles and at least 1 hour trips.