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Honda Pilot Real World MPG

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Comments

  • trmend1trmend1 Member Posts: 59
    Bottom line – we’re stuck with these POS’s. I am going to talk with the GM of the dealership and see what I can do to get out my lease or change to something else. Never thought I’d say it, but I’d even consider a mini-van over this pilot. Now I have 2500 miles, still getting less than 15MPG, and the shifting feels like Mr Toad’s Wild Ride. I have do deal with this for another 33 months? No thank you!!! I feel sorry for those of you that purchased. Spacedog

    I am sorry that the Pilot doesn't work for you. However we don't need your sympathy. I took a long time to research a vehicle that would work for me and all the parameters that I had, the Pilot was the best choice for my present life situation. Yes, the fuel ecomony is not the best, but I KNOW an Insight or an Oddessy is not going to haul 3 growing boys, and their friends, and their sports gear and camping/ski trips on a logging road with some light toy towing (the need for 4WD and ground clearance) and of course the Costco runs to feed these ventures. I did look into Yukons, and Envoys, and Hilanders, and Explorers but they either didn't have the seating/cargo capacity and/or the fuel ecomony was even worse. My 07 4WD EXL is now a little over 6000 miles and its taken me a bit to readjust my driving style and my fuel ecomony can range from 14-16 mpg for strict city driving (all under 40 mph) and 19 - 22 mpg for highway (depending if I am towing or not). As for shift points... I was concerned as well in the beginning. My Pilot would shift at 33 -35 rpms constantly and it was a tad jarring... now with a better foot and 6000 miles later I usually shift at 25 rpms and it is smooth. Talking to my Honda techs (I have known 2 for a bazillion years, one being my bro) the acceptable and typical range is 27 - 33 rpms. This is not to say that each and every Pilot will do this each and everytime. I know my cold engine in winter tachs high even when I only use my pinkie toe on the accelerator... and it takes at least 5 - 10 minutes for the engine to settle down on cold mornings. Is this a design flaw... perhaps. But for me... right now, the Pilot is my best option. Talk to me in 15 years and I will have an S2000... just enough room for me, my caddy and my clubs in the trunk! By then fuel economy should be in the 100's!!

    I hope you can work out a deal where you can switch your lease. I can understand how having the right vehicle is very important. Perhaps a CRV or an Oddessy would work better. Good luck.

    Cheers,
    Tess
  • carabelcarabel Member Posts: 43
    My MPG is 14-16 and it is what it is. My main concern is the steering wheel vibration which they say is normal. The tires have been balanced to death so the vibration is supposedly a characteristic of the Pilot - as per dealer. I didn't accept that answer so I'm being scheduled with the district service manager. If the DSM says it's normal, where do I go from there ? I don't think it's normal. None of my previous cars had the problem and none of them had the VCM feature. So I think it's VCM related. And yes, I also have the shifting that you described.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"Now I have 2500 miles, still getting less than 15MPG, and the shifting feels like Mr Toad’s Wild Ride."

    Is the shifting issue only that it shifts at higher RPM? Or is it also harsh.

    When did the "Mr Toad’s Wild Ride" shifting begin?

    Kip
  • justaveragejoejustaveragejoe Member Posts: 268
    I have sent a letter to Honda about the transmission shifting, haven't heard anything yet. I only have the shifting problem on light acceleration. When I drive like everyone else (want to be the first one down the road) the Pilot is awesome, love that V-Tec. I still think my transmission will settle down with a few more miles and the motor will loosen up, too. Our 2004 Odyssey did.

    Joe
  • geepers1geepers1 Member Posts: 1
    Re: The wheel vibrations. I was getting this on my Toyota Sienna. I went to a tire shop and the guy told me they probably needed "harmonizing". I thought it was a scam and said to just do the front two. $50 later...worth every penny.
  • carabelcarabel Member Posts: 43
    Thanks Geepers. I traded a Sienna for the Pilot - lease end. The Sienna's ride was smooth as can be. And so was my Rav4 and Camry. 15 years of the Toyota brand with absolutely no problem. 2 months of the Pilot and the steering vibration is annoying as hell. Without it, the Pilot is a great drive. That harmonizing thing sounds like tire balancing which the dealer swore they did and checked over and over. Thanks, I'll keep all posted.
  • nlv1nlv1 Member Posts: 28
    After 323.6 miles, we had our 1st fill-up today of 18.25 gallons w/c translates to about 17.73 mpg. Driving was about 40% hwy, 60% short trips with gentle acceleration from stops. Terrain is flat (Houston, TX). Noticed that shifting at the lower gears usually occur around 2500 rpm. Right now, the Pilot is slightly used and is sometimes driven only on weekends (bought it in mid-Feb). Hope to have better mileage as my wife (it's her car) begins to drive it regularly to work using the freeway. This is the first time that I've paid $60 for a fill-up :cry:
  • mountainman5mountainman5 Member Posts: 6
    I have a '03 Pilot and pulling a 2500 lb. boat plus the trailer dropped my milage almost in HALF!!! The engine is NOT a low torque one, so you'll be reving up the engine on any fairly steep climbs!!
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    What type terrain and traffic and speed and actual MPG when you tow the boat?

    I ask that because my next door neighbor's Ridgeline gets about 14 MPG towing his collapsible 3200+# camper at 65 mph. On rolling hills Georgia roads. Seems the camper would be considerably more "Drag" than your boat. :)

    Kip
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"Traffic at 5:30 in downtown Atlanta is dramatically different from traffic at 20:30 AM even though it is the same route."

    Been there and done that. :cry:

    When I retired, I pledged to myself I would not drive on any surface streets inside 285 ever again. With the exception of going to the Airport.
    And would not go through on 75 / 85 between the hours of 7am and 9am or 4:00pm-6:30pm.

    Kip
  • jpb7190jpb7190 Member Posts: 6
    I have a 2007 LX Pilot that has averaged over 25-26mpg on highways since I bought it. See my earlier posts. I am leaving Denver tomorrow and will be travelling almost 5000 miles in two weeks! I am hoping for the best and I will keep detailed records and report back to the Forum when I return.
  • justaveragejoejustaveragejoe Member Posts: 268
    American Honda replied to my letter with a voice mail today from their customer relations office. Honda Tech Center can not do anything for me since there are no troubles indicated by the dealership. Basically she said, sorry we didn't answer your questions and can't help you any further, but our engineering dept doesn't speak to the general public, please contact your dealer for further questions. :(

    Joe
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    The owner's manual says if you are not happy with how Honda handles your concern try the BBB on line. That may be an option to explore.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    22.83mpg (previous best was 21.72mpg)

    2007 EXL 4WD

    college road trip from NY to MD to DE - 375 miles, mostly highway @70mph, but some stop and go traffic on the highway and some short local trips in MD and DE

    overall mpg is now 17.66 after 1.5 years and 20,000 miles
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    NOT all tire & wheel balancing machines are the same. Some are good but some are BEST. The Hunter Balancing machine can fix certain kind of vibrations that the others can't.

    For more info & demo : http://www.gsp9700.com/

    Locate the tire shop has this machine and try it. The $50 price can save nightmare.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    David - 17 MPG is the Combined Fuel Economy so you're right on par.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    17 MPG is the Combined Fuel Economy so you're right on par.

    My Pilot was rated @ 17/22 mpg. So combined fuel economy would be 19.5 mpg, not 17 mpg    . :confuse:
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    If I am not mistaken, you are quoting miles of 2WD (17/22). 4WD was ranked 15/20 for 2007/2008 model.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    Would it be caused by the
    Drive-by-Wire™ Throttle System
    This system consists of an electronic position sensor connected to the accelerator pedal that sends a signal to the vehicle's electronic control unit (ECU). The ECU combines the accelerator-position signal from the driver with data such as engine rpm, coolant temperature and road speed, and then determines the optimum position for the throttle plate. It then sends a signal to the DBW driver unit that electronically operates a stepper motor on the throttle body. The stepper motor opens and closes the throttle to the exact position necessary for proper engine response.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    Nope. Mine is a 2007 EXL 4WD, and its window sticker (which I still have) says 17/22. The new Pilot is rated @ 15/20 (ouch), which I consider to be more accurate.
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    Kindly be aware your window sticker from your 2007 model year vehicle has pre-2008 EPA numbers which are different from 2008 EPA numbers. In order to compare apple to apple, you need to compare 2008 with 2009. You will see that 2009 numbers are better.

    2008 EPA fpr 4WD = 15/20
    2009 EPA for 4WD = 16/22
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    You are correct. The EPA changed the formula to figure the mpg for the 08 models. In fact, both 08 and 08 Pilots have the same gas usage, only shown differently on the sticker. The 09 model most likely have better numbers, compared to the 08 numbers, mostly because of a new model and better engineering in improving the gas mileage.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    Thanks.

    I suppose that 2009 EPA ratings are higher than 2008 EPA ratings due to VCM technology being introduced in the 2009 4WD Pilot (making it the 2009 4WD Pilot more efficient than the 2008 4WD Pilot).

    But as for the difference between the 2007 and 2008 EPA ratings (2007 is higher than 2008), I think it may be totallly due to change in EPA rating method. I believe that these two model year Pilots actually have the same efficiency even though the EPA ratings are different.
  • rickywxrickywx Member Posts: 3
    The best mileage I've seen out of our Pilot was 23.5mpg under ideal conditions - 60mph highway, no traffic. I have never noticed less than 18mpg - and that was 75mph highway loaded down with 7 people and a soft rooftop carrier. Normally in mixed driving we see 19-20mpg.

    I've been pleased with the Pilot overall :) My only complaint would be that with 4 kids I wish I had a little more room for stuff on some trips. A minivan would have been my first choice, but I was overruled by the wife. I don't, however, regret getting the Pilot - or making my wife happy! :blush:
  • jpb7190jpb7190 Member Posts: 6
    Well we could not go 5000 miles as planned but I did go 3987 miles in nine days. Left Denver to Des Moines and Rochester,Mn. and then on to Milwaukee and Columbus,Ohio and then to Baltimore and to Brookville,Oh. and to Kansas City and winding up back in Denver. I averaged 23.6 mpg in all types of driving and with a full load on half of the trip! Following are the key facts. 1)Cruise control is a blessing-mine was set on 65 or 70 most of the way. 2)My high MPG was 26.5 and low was 19.6 for 2-300 stretches. 3) My Pilot (2007 LX) now has 7845 miles on it and will have its first oil change next week. The guage says it has 5% left. 4.) Best overall mileage was achieved with rpm,s at 2100 and speed at about 68. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SWEET SPOT FOR THIS CAR AND CONSISTENTLY GIVES THE ABSOLUTE BEST MILEAGE. 5) I expect milleage to improve since the engine is now broken in. 6) About 80% of this trip was highway driving! 7) Remember the LX model has nothing on top to affect wind resistence! 8) I will continue to give further updates.
  • jett1jett1 Member Posts: 7
    Is your Pilot a 2 or 4wd Thanks for the post I am going to purchase a used one and want to be a informed buyer.
  • jpb7190jpb7190 Member Posts: 6
    It is a 4wd 2007 Pilot LX
  • jett1jett1 Member Posts: 7
    Thats impressive fuel mileage, I ended up buying a 07 2wd. When I get a few tanks through it I will post the mileage.
  • trmend1trmend1 Member Posts: 59
    I haven't posted in a while since I hadn't seen any notable change in my fuel economy since purchasing in July of 07. It wavered around 15 mpg much like the re-assessed EPA standards... HOWEVER... since my Pilot flipped 6500K I have seen a remarkable change! There has been no real difference in driving style, loading or ratio of city to highway driving. Perhaps there is that fabled "break-in" period??

    5/7/2008 294.1 17.326 16.97448921
    5/13/2008 294.2 18.088 16.26492702
    5/24/2008 327.1 18.223 17.9498436

    Just thought I'd share.

    Cheers,
    T
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    WOW. Those 3 tanks average 17+ mpg. That is about a 14% increase over the 15 you were getting. Not bad at all.

    Did anything change, concerning the gas? I mean other than the fact that you are using less of it. :shades:

    Kip
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    Do you live in a cold place? If so, could your remarkable change be attributable to changeover from winter gas rather than break-in?
  • trmend1trmend1 Member Posts: 59
    Kip - I have used less of the premium grade gas and more of the regular unleaded. My pocketbook isn't as premium as the price of gas!! I was very nervous the past month as I am pushing 300 clicks and no orange fuel light. I thought my gas gauge was broken! :blush: Last thing I want is to run outa gas with the football crew in the back on Interstate 5!

    David - In the Seattle area, we haven't gotten to Spring yet. I didn't realize that there are different types of gas for each season. It is a definate possibility however I bought the Pilot in July of 07 and I was getting really sucky mileage (12 - 14 mpg) all summer and fall of 07. The summer grade of gas was still available then... but then again... I was still training my foot the difference between my Acura and the Pilot. BIG difference!

    Maybe the Honda gods are smilin' down on me!

    Either way... I will still keep tabs on the mpg's and see what happens.

    Cheers,
    T
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"Kip - I have used less of the premium grade gas and more of the regular unleaded. My pocketbook isn't as premium as the price of gas!! I"

    trmend1- I've used premium just a couple of times in the Pilot and the CR-V and noticed no difference in performance or mileage. Picked up a pamphlet at a Shell station concerning fuels. It said that for cars designed to run on "Regular" grade gas, using premium could actually result in poorer performance.

    As the Pilot is tuned to run on regular, me and the pocket book are happy to feed it the "regular 89 octane" it is happiest with. Win-Win! :shades:

    Kip
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    Tess,

    Then maybe your better gas mileage is indeed attributable to break-in rather than difference in seasonal gas.

    I'm not sure why you used premium at all for your Pilot. Regular is not only what is called for, it is also less expensive. I don't think there's any benefit to using premium in a vehicle that calls for regular. It shouldn't improve efficiency. Just wasted money in my view. On the other hand, people who try to save money by putting regular in vehicles that call for premium are not actually saving money because their vehicles actually run less efficiently on regular. But my understanding is that premium will not make a car engineered to run on regular more efficient.

    David
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    You are correct. Several owners manuals that I have checked lately, (including a manual for 08 TL which requires premium) has indicated to use the right gas for the car, premium if called for and regular if not mentioned otherwise. The manual said using the wrong type may cause engine knocking and poor performance, in addition to poor gas mileage.
  • cyclone6cyclone6 Member Posts: 8
    This vehicle has appx. 17,000 miles. Consistently get between 20 and 21 mpg around town. Just took a trip and filled up with 431.1 miles and used 15.783 gallons for a MPG of 27.3 carrying 2 adults, 2 kids and luggage. Going home bucking a 15-20 mph headwind, I filled up at 443.1 miles and used 17.955 gallons for a MPG of 24.7. This gave us 25.9 MPG for the trip. I drove at or slightly below the speed limit. The EPA MPG for this vehicle was listed at 18 city and 24 hwy. Under the new EPA standard, the mpg is listed as 16 city and 22 hwy for the same vehicle. We always do much better than this and I'm not one of those hyper-milers. This is not the first time I got better than 27 mpg for a tank of gas.
  • nlv1nlv1 Member Posts: 28
    Just drove back from NY City with our 2008 2WD VP. Total distance travelled for the roundtrip was 3453 miles and our average was 23.676 mpg. Our starting odometer reading was 566 miles so the car was just broken in. There were three of us (wife and 4 yr. old daughter) and lots of luggage. 98% was interstate/hwy driving with our speed mostly 65 or 70 in cruise control and A/C always on. I did not see "ECO" come on when we were doing 75.

    High mpgs were 27.53 (to NYC) and 26.98 (from NYC) and both of these were registered on the rolling hills of I-81 in Virginia and Tennessee. The Pilot probably liked the downhill rides, too bad we don't have those in Houston. Lowest mpg was 20.23 mpg probably due to city driving and traffic in the Brooklyn-Queens Expwy (BQE). Ok, just wanted to share this.
  • parvizparviz Member Posts: 484
    Just took a 1500 mile round trip. Going south, the first 650 miles gave me 25 mpg, that was with no AC on and no head winds. In town, for about 200 miles of use, I got 12.5 mpg :confuse: and coming back, using AC, some head winds and speed limit, I got 21.5 MPG. The overall fwy mpg was okay but the city MPG has been disappointing :(
  • dominickc1dominickc1 Member Posts: 22
    We just got back from a long trip in my 08 EX-L Nav. and only spend a $100.00 going and about $200.00 coming back, because pulling a trailer back. I was very impress with the Mileage going. I try to use the lower ethanol in my Pilot. When I fill it up in Denver and go back and forth to work and run some errands on the week day and the week end I can go for 2 whole weeks on a tank of gas. Most gas station are putting too much ethanol in there tanks and thats why gas don't last long in cars today. Try putting less ethanol in the gas tank and try it. Sinclar has the lowest and also Costco does too. :)
  • stxyzstxyz Member Posts: 10
    I can only get ~14 miles/gallon on my 07 EX 4WD (~5000miles now), it is very disappointing in these days with gas prices > $4/gallon.
    I also feel that the acceleration is kind of sluggish, it is very easy to get beyond 3000rpm when accelerating from 0. someone suggested the high shifting point might be related to the bad gas mileage.
    the question now for me is: should I bring this issue to the mechanic? can the mechanic improve the bad gas mileage by adjusting something of the car? what should I tell them regarding the gas mileage?
    thanks
  • importmyrideimportmyride Member Posts: 2
    I'm sorry I don't have answers, but I do have the same exact situation on my new 07 model. I did take it back to the dealer and had a mechanic test drive it with me. Of course, he gave me the ole, "that's just what a Honda does." I've had Hondas and "No, they don't!" So... I truly think they've got a little problem going on and just don't want to do deal with it. It will take a whole bunch of us going back to the service department with this to get them to actually take a serious look at it. If you find an independent mechanic who can make a "fix" for you, I'd love to hear about it. This abysmal gas mileage is killing me and I bet I end up with transmission/engine problems down the road from the ridiculously high and extended transmission shifting.
  • davidd3davidd3 Member Posts: 582
    There has been a lot of discussion of this issue in this forum. Scroll back.

    I won't repeat the details here, but my take on it is that the 2007 Pilot is higher revving than its predecessors by design and that this is therefore not a defect to be repaired.

    I also have a 2007 EX 4WD. . . Averaging about 17.5mpg overall. Not happy about it, but I do need one large vehicle for my family of 5 and carpooling, notwithstanding the cost of gas.
  • jb40jb40 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 EX-L 4WD Pilot (that I actually bought in June of '02) that is nearing 120K at the end of the month so I am considering a new 2009 Pilot (what's not to love!?!?). I do a pretty even mix between highway and city driving with a slight emphasis on highway. During my normal driving I average just over 18 MPG. I'm eying another 4WD EX-L and was curious if anyone has a 2009 Honda Pilot, what kind of numbers are you seeing and under what condition(s)?

    BTW, on the couple of occasions that I have had my current Pilot on a road trip that was mostly highway (non-mountain ranges), I averaged about 22-24 MPG. I have a pretty heavy foot as well. I will usually drive at or above the speed limit.
  • russg1russg1 Member Posts: 2
    On a 1000 mile trip (90 % hiway) it got 17.8mpg, which is the best it has EVER done in 30000 miles. Normal combined is around 16. Not wanting to be skeptical, but anybody that thinks they ever got 25mpg, or even as much as 27 as I've seen posted in this forum, must be on crack, OR ELSE THEY WERE COASTING DOWNHILL. If anyone knows of any secret to achieve this incredible mileage, please pass it on.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    The EPA says you should get 20 on the highway. Your combined mpg is close to the rating and close to other ratings by consumers at Fueleconomy.gov.

    Were you hauling a lot of weight on that highway trip? Seems like you should be doing a little bit better just to hit the "average."
  • russg1russg1 Member Posts: 2
    Oh, I know what the EPA says, and I'm not even complaining about the 17mpg because it's a great vehicle, but here in Illinois the average seems to be more in the 17 to 18 range. So what are the people doing that claim to be getting 25-27??
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Some things that could be different:

    10% ethanol may not be a universal additive to RUG?
    Tire pressures may be pumped up a few psi.
    Oil viscosity may be a bit thinner.

    But it usually boils down to the driver - "If you drive relaxed all year, you could improve your fuel economy by 30 or 40 percent as compared to driving aggressively."

    We Test the Tips

    We Test the Tips Part II
  • nlv1nlv1 Member Posts: 28
    Yes, our 2008 2WD VP liked the mountains where we got 26/27 mpg (post #845). Maybe because it was high? :) But we got mostly 22/23 mpg in other parts of the trip.

    Before our long trip, we've only had 2 fill-ups here in Houston, the first one averaged 17+ mpg (post #815) and the second one averaged 19+ mpg w/c was 60% highway with the engine barely broken in. I'll post again when we get the chance to drive the Pilot 90-100% hwy on FLAT terrain w/c if I'm not mistaken is how you got your mileage (yours is 4WD so maybe a 1 mpg difference?)
  • soundinspiritsoundinspirit Member Posts: 1
    Yeah, on the Honda site the Hybrid is talked about. 2010?
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    >"Not wanting to be skeptical, but anybody that thinks they ever got 25mpg, or even as much as 27 as I've seen posted in this forum, must be on crack, OR ELSE THEY WERE COASTING DOWNHILL. If anyone knows of any secret to achieve this incredible mileage, please pass it on. "

    Instead of throwing out meaningless insults at the other posters, you might try re reading their posts. Many of the folks tell how they achieved their mileage.

    Personally, my best example of how too, and how not too achieve good mileage was a round trip from Atlanta to Myrtle Beach. Four people and luggage in the '03 4WD Pilot. 18+ MPG going to the beach, and right at 27 returning the next day, same load. BTW the return trip is up hill.

    Best mileage was achieved on a round trip from Atlanta to Greenwood Indiana. The highway portion of the entire 1000+ mile trip was right at 28 mpg.

    Both post explained exactly how this was done.

    >"Oh, I know what the EPA says, and I'm not even complaining about the 17mpg because it's a great vehicle, but here in Illinois the average seems to be more in the 17 to 18 range. So what are the people doing that claim to be getting 25-27?? "

    My overall average for local driving is 17-19 mpg. Average for highway is 23-25 mpg.

    Some vehicles simply will not do that, and some drivers simply can not do that.

    Terrain, fuel type, loads, speed, the drivers foot, and driving conditions all play a part.

    Kip
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