Honda Accord Real World MPG

suydam · April 2013

Just took the Accord EX-L CVT on a longer highway trip -- got 38 mpg on the highway, 35 mpg for the overall trip.

thegraduate · April 2013

2013 lx with cvt automatic trannsmition 24.4 mpg
i own the car for about 4 weeks now

What kind of driving are you doing? I'm assuming short trips / city driving with such low numbers.

packer3 · April 2013

I think the both of you are looking at the wrong gauge, make sure your not looking at the temp gauge because this car will not meet these numbers not in the city but maybe on a HWY with the cruise control set at 60. No way I travel to work in my 2013 2.7 miles 18 to 20 MPG some HWY and more city, no way will I ever see 27mpg city as they state impossible and I would like for somebody to show me because I would bet my house against it

dudleyr · April 2013

In 2.7 miles your car is never warmed up. Your car can use up to twice as much fuel when it is cold.

What mpg did you get on the same trip in your previous car?

suydam · April 2013

I have a very short commute, looks like around 24 mpg for that, but on longer trips around town it gets up to 30. Add in one short highway trip of over 33 or 34 mpg, and I got 26 mpg overall. I get 24 mpg almost entirely around town in my '04 Vibe, so that doesn't seem too odd to me. But I will have a better idea as I drive it longer.

packer3 · April 2013

My first 2008 Accord 14/17 hwy 26 on the same trip winter then summer 2.7 mpg. 2010 Honda CRV AWD awesome 16 to 18 hwy topped out at 37mpg no complaints. 2013 yes it's only a month old and it went from 15 to an average of 17/21 now the more you stop of course it goes down hwy 29 /30 off the top. I have a two car heated garage and I park in a garage at work mid level. The mileage gets worse in the winter because they add more ethanol to the winter blend which is a mistake.
I have found over the years and I have been leasing cars every 3 years is that what you get at the beginning is what you will end up with in gas mileage. That's just my opinion.

thegraduate · April 2013

I think the both of you are looking at the wrong gauge, make sure your not looking at the temp gauge

You don't look at a gauge or a computer for your mileage. You simply need an odometer, and to fill your tank fully. For example, drive 400 miles, fill with 12 gallons, and divide 12 into 400. You've gotten 33.33mpg.

That's how I calculate mileage.

this car will not meet these numbers not in the city but maybe on a HWY with the cruise control set at 60. No way I travel to work in my 2013 2.7 miles 18 to 20 MPG some HWY and more city, no way will I ever see 27mpg city as they state impossible and I would like for somebody to show me because I would bet my house against it

As a fellow forum poster pointed out, you're not ever getting your car warmed up; short trips mean oil is thicker (cold), the car is running richer (trying to GET to the normal operating temperature), idle is higher (1500RPM vs 800RPM in my old 2006 Accord) etc.

I recall in high school my 1996 Accord averaged 19mpg. I lived less than 2 miles from my school (obviously this was under the EPA rating for city, much less the highway). However, 8 years later, when I was commuting 100 miles a day in the car, I was averaging above the EPA highway rating (in the 31-33mpg range) at 70 mph. Short trips and stop and go are terrible for mileage. Your car does best at long, smooth intervals.

packer3 · April 2013

You missed part of my message my two car garage is heated and I work at a Hosp. that has a garage. All the things you say are more than right however that's not what there selling out there

dudleyr · April 2013

Unless your garage is heated to well over 200 degrees your car is still cold.

ahossa1 · April 2013

I have a 2013 Accord V6 and I'm averaging 19 to 22 MPG with 95% City driving in Queens County, NY

kcaj32 · April 2013

LOL. I'm imagining this guy walking into his 200°F garage

thegraduate · April 2013

You missed part of my message my two car garage is heated and I work at a Hosp. that has a garage. All the things you say are more than right however that's not what there selling out there

Even on a 100 degree day, your car still has to "warm-up" to normal operating temperature (190-205 degrees in many modern vehicles). The interior is scorching, but the engine and its internals are still "cold" - a relative term to normal temp.

Think of it this way... let your car run for 20 minutes (drive it, idle it, whatever). Look at the temp gauge. It probably resembles the photo below.

If you crank your car in a heated garage after sitting awhile, your temp gauge will still look like the photo below (i.e. - COLD)

Keep in mind, that gauge only shows coolant temperature; your coolant may be at normal operating temperature while your oil is still not fully warmed up, causing higher friction/drag on the engine, and producing lower fuel economy.

dudleyr · April 2013

Exactly. I used to have a Scirocco that had oil temp and water temp gauges. The water would stabilize in about 5 minutes, but it took the oil about 15 minutes to get up to temp (slightly less in summer, but more in the winter)

packer3 · April 2013

You and Dud less are comical, you are incorrect with your gauge pictures, not so. Friction drag 0-20 syn. oil with the new tight tolerances Honda made reason for the 0-20 the warm up time is within the first 5 minutes of the drive. All's I'm saying is you will not hit 27 mpg in straight city driving never with all the shift changes. So I guess the EPA takes the warm up time into there configurations when they establish there blown out facts. End of this discussion.

thegraduate · April 2013

Maybe the end for you, but dudley and I can decide for ourselves when to end the discussion.

I've owned Hondas (A combined 300,000 miles out of them) so trust me, I understand them. They may blow heat after 5 minutes (I found that my 06 Accord actually blew heat after only a couple of minutes on a cold day). The temp gauge may display a "warmed-up" reading, but the engine, its oil, and its components all take more than 2 miles worth of driving (10-15 mins minimum) to reach an optimum temperature.

Even my Sonata - the gauge displays warm, but you can even see the MPG gauge decrease for the first ten mins or so, then it starts to go back up to its usual 30mpg at 75mph. I live less than 5 mins from the interstate; I'm used to watching this same "mpg meter" dance every day, summer or winter. I crank the car, the meter shows something around 30mpg. I get on the interstate, and it drops with the cruise control set on 75... 29.9... 29.8...29.7. However, after 20 mins, it's slowly creeping back up. 29.8...29.9...30...30.1...etc. It's the same thing after work.

All cars are like that. Honda is a great company, but they aren't "magic" with their tight tolerances; engines are made better now across the board. You could select any midsize car and put 200k miles on it without blinking. I'm on my way with the two cars in my driveway.

2002 Honda Accord LX 2.3 4A
2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS 3.3 5A

Thegraduate

dudleyr · April 2013

Barking up the wrong tree packer. The temp gauge only shows water temp. The engine is not warm until the oil is warm. The hotter the engine the more efficient it runs.

I never compare city mpg because everybody is different, but I have run an 18 mile loop in my '13 Accord that goes through town out to the boonies and back. There are 3 stoplights (which I try to time) and several stop signs (which I have to stop for). I have gotten as high as 48 mpg for this test, which ironically is exactly what the EPA highway raw data is for my car. My test has about the same speeds, but a few more stops. I also start with a warm engine. If I do it with a cold engine I lose 3-4 mpg. I would lose much more on a shorter trip.

EPA facts are not blown out - they have been dumbed down twice so people could hit the numbers. And the car makers do the test, the EPA just does random checks.

moonkat · April 2013

Dude,
excellent detailed comparo....scanguage, you must be a hypermiler!

dudleyr · May 2013

It warmed up to 80 today with no wind so I tried my 18 mile loop around town again. 52.5 mpg this time. I got lucky and made all 3 stop lights, so that helped a little. Remember this is not normal highway driving - just me goofing around to see what the car is capable of . Mostly 50-55 mph nice and gentle coasting whenever possible to maximize mpg. I carefully watch stoplights from way ahead and try to time them so I don't get stopped. I do have to stop at some stop signs though.

Still do not have a full tank of highway. Did 350 miles last weekend for the bulk of a tank (about 530 total) , but my wife was driving most of it and she drives very fast, accelerates at full throttle, idles a lot, uses A/c almost all the time, and never slows to a stop gradually. With that, and the rest city, the tank was at 34.5 mpg.

The good news is that the more my wife drives the Accord the less she is driving the minivan. Ironically she would never drive my '07, but she loves the '13.

ezshift5 · May 2013

...my Accord V-6 6M has been augmented by a new VW JSW TDI 6M (but I've not attained the kind of numbers that you're reporting, amigo).

Perhaps after break-in, a long Interstate drive at 65-70 on flat desert (Arizona highways) terrain will lead to the mpressive numbers that others are calculating.

FWIW, at 65 MPH, the JSW TDI shows 1800 RPM - right in that flat torque curve section.............

Hang in there, Senor Dudley............

ez sends

dudleyr · May 2013

Love those VW diesels. I finally test drove a Passat TDI with the 6MT 2 weeks ago, when I was in the big city. Very impressive, right at 1600 rpm at 60 mph. Had some nice punch and indicated low 50's for a gentle highway portion of my test drive.

EZ is your TDI a stick? From what I gather the sticks do quite a bit better on the TDI's. I am sure you will be over 50 on a nice long drive like you described - a number that I could not touch without some wind or gravity aid on a real world highway trip.

ezshift5 · June 2013

Regret tardy reply Senor D.................(trip to Europe after a long absence).........

1. Yes, the TDI is a 6M (Sans NAV, PanoRamic SunRoof) JSW.

2. I'm averaging 41.9 (6 fuel-ups on a green engine).

3. More torque (and a flatter curve) than my beloved Honda Accord v-6 6M coupe.

all the best from our left coast, ez

packer3 · June 2013

Who cares about the TDI, this is a Honda forum, sell your one day expertise on a test drive to the VW fans.

personatech · June 2013

You know, Honda actually sells turbodiesels in Europe. Perhaps if they were to see the high regard many have for VW's TDI, they'd come to their collective senses and bring their diesel powerplants to America. I sold my '99 Beetle TDI to purchase an '08 Accord EX-L and, while the Accord is a nice car, the 90hp TDI was far more fun to drive. Torque rules, baby!

suydam · June 2013

Since this is a Honda forum, thought I would check back after owning my EX-L for 3 months now. I'm averaging 33 mpg on a mix of town and highway driving. I'm in a rural area and have to drive at least half an hour on two lane roads to get to a highway. This is several tanks now, and it seems pretty consistent, between 32 and 35 depending on how much highway driving I'm doing. I'm very happy with my 4 cyl CVT. the car is wonderful to drive, and is a huge mpg improvement over my old Nissan Maxima V6 (which also required premium fuel).

dudleyr · June 2013

ezshift owns an Accord and has been contributing here for years. I asked him about a car he just bought that was not an Accord. Slightly off topic, but something that I do care about.

It is also quite relevant to compare with other vehicles to see how well the Accord does mpg wise. The TDI sets a high bar that hopefully Honda can match someday with a diesel of their own. Maybe their new hybrid will also do the trick.

flqueenfan · July 2013

I purchased an '06 4 cylinder (my first 4 ever) in October with 36,000 miles on it (you read that right--senior citizens tend not to drive too far around here!). I live less than 5 miles from work, and take city streets. I haven't averaged better than 20 mpg in combined driving (every weekend I take her out for a nice, long drive of 20 miles each way or more) since I've had her, with the exception of one road trip, when I got to 28.
I live in Florida, so I know the engine isn't affected by the cold, but I do have the ac on a lot.
About two months ago (maybe 500 miles) I got the oil changed and used full synthetic.
I'm a bit at a loss. I had a PoS Mazda CX-7 turbo AWD that got 15 on a bad tank, so I have to admit I was hoping to at least get in the low 20s on average.
Any ideas?

stevedebi · July 2013

I'd run it on the highway a couple times a month, to let the engine rev a while.

Your commute is the toughest on MPG. Most likely stop lights in between home and work, never really get it up to speed and stay there. Still, I'd expect at leas 23-24 on that vehicle. I had a 2003 CR-V that averaged 23 in town with careful driving.

izaclown1 · July 2013

I bought a used 08 Accord in Dec 2012 with 64k on it. I now have 80k on it and getting 26-28 on commutes with mixed driving interstate and stop and go for 20 one way. In June, I got 32+ on a long trip through the VA mountains on I-81 and 30+ over all on a round trip from SC to PA. I will be replacing my tires this week and see what happens on the same route in a couple of week.

dudleyr · July 2013

Get good tires with a low rolling resistance. Can make up to 4 mpg difference. Conti Eco contact and Michelin primacy are both excellent.

izaclown1 · July 2013

Are they quiet rolling tires? I am also looking at the Bridgestone/Firestone tires as well. Depends on ease of the pocketbook. I was hoping a new set will improve noise, handling in the rain and mpg. Thanks for the suggestion.

dudleyr · July 2013

Both are quiet. Look at Consumer Reports for the full test. Sams club has $70 off on 4 Michelin right now - helps a little.

zoom08 · December 2013

I own a 2013 accord lx with cvt. so far I average 24.5 on regular city driving. I live in queens ny and I commute to manhattan everyday. Highway the speeds the car provides better mpg about 33 to 34 mpg at 65mph.
I do not speed above 60 mph and I avoid stop and go traffic. I think Honda could do a better job with this car still a bit noisey...

zoom08 · December 2013

Clearly when I travel from NYC to Philladelphia, the car gets closer to 34MPG just on highway driving. A/C seems to dampen the economy mode but overall its not a bad car to go from point a to b. I think I am willing to try Hyundai next time, It seems like you get more for the money!

rbell2 · March 2014

Last week I bought a 2012 Accord EXL, 4-Cyl, 4-Door, Auto. It had 30,900 miles. I drive 116 miles round trip to work each day. It is about 36 miles interstate, 70 miles 4-lane highway, and 10 miles in town. I got about 30.5 mpg on this first tank (516 miles divided by 16.9 gallons). I was driving a 4-cyl 2008 Accord (my son has it now) and it was averaging about 27.5mpg for the same trip. So the additional 3mpg they show for this newer 4-cyl seems to be real! Very glad - I need every mpg I can get but just don't want to have to step down to the size of a Civic to get more. All in all, I am happy.

sda · April 2014

12000 miles on my 2013 Accord EX bought new 9/5/13. No issues, trip b never reset, 33.8 mpg. Reset on its own at 10000 mi. Now showing 33.9 mpg on 2000 miles. No complaints here. Really happy with car as a whole and very pleased with mpg.

solarijoe · April 2014

Just filled up my 2014 LX-CVT for the first time - 33.3 mpg. My travel is typically 70%/30% interstate/local. The mileage computer is showing commutes in the 39 mpg range. Very happy with that mileage so far. I haven't used the Econ button yet - the Honda salesman recommended against it when using the AC. Any experience (pro or con) with the Econ button?

suydam · April 2014

I leave it on all the time. All it does with AC is the AC is not quite as cold which is fine with me. I don't live in a hot climate. I've had my Accord a year. Mileage in the winter has been 33 hwy and 27 around town. Last summer with warm weather gas more like 36 hwy 30 around town. Love it.

dudleyr · April 2014

Two oldest are tanks from Jan and Feb mostly city driving and cold. The 38.9 is mostly highway with a week of short trips in town. The current is all highway at a little over 60 mph.

solarijoe · April 2014

The 45.9 mpg looks amazing, but I believe it after owning the Accord. Based upon casual observation, seems like I'm getting better mpg at 65 mph than at 55-60mph. Does this make sense?

dudleyr · April 2014

@solarijoe said:
The 45.9 mpg looks amazing, but I believe it after owning the Accord. Based upon casual observation, seems like I'm getting better mpg at 65 mph than at 55-60mph. Does this make sense?

Could be possible with the CVT on undulating terrain that keeps it from staying at the lowest rpm. Impossible for a manual like mine.

suydam · June 2014

I just got over 40 mpg on a 500 mile trip from Philadelphia to Ohio and back (shrank to 35 mpg in the 18 miles of bumper to bumper Philly section of the trip). This is. 2013 Honda Accord 4 cyl CVT.

butcherboy · June 2014

I just picked up my new 2014 Honda Accord lx auto last week.
First tank full 480 miles 50/50 highway / city 33.16 MPG, AC was on all the time.
I am a happy camper.

sda · September 2014

23000 miles on my 2013 Accord EX and have averaged over 34 mpg since new one year this Friday. Often see high 30s on longer drives while driving 65-75. No issues, a joy to drive and own.

benjaminh · September 2014

2013 CVT. Got 38 mpg on a recent 90 mi highway trip. AC was on the whole way, 60-70 mph.

sda · December 2014

My 40 mile each way commute is 70 % interstate, remainder stop and go and rural. Trip B has not been reset in 8000 mi and is reading 35.1 mpg. Starting to decrease due to cold weather. I am very pleased, especially after reading many hybrids are not getting that much higher gas mileage. I don't hyper mile, drive conservatively yet keep up with the flow and occasionally have fun and press the pedal to the carpet.

stever · December 2014

If you are a parent of young children (at least one under 12 years old) who owns a Honda Accord (2014 or 2015), a reporter would like for you to fill out a survey, due by December 22, 2014, for use in a print publication. Click here for the survey http://tinyurl.com/o8uzder

na_hosoi · December 2014

I own a 2012 Honda Accord and find that my range is minimum 450 miles and maximum (so far) of ~530 miles on a single tank of gas.

When researching the car I remember reading a review (it may even have been Edmunds) in which the reviewers couldn't get 500 miles out of a tank.

...I've done 500+ more than a few times.

I engage a fwy heavy commute, use Chevron regular unleaded fuel and service it according to schedule. I've used full synthetic oil but not consistently.

dpmeersman · May 2015

10 months on with my Pearl White V6 Touring Accord and I'm averaging 26 MPG overall for 9,000 miles,but the hwy mileage is unbelievable. Driving normally on a long interstate trip I'm convinced I can easily achieve 38 MPG's.

A recent trip of 455 miles of which 90% were hwy the V6 returned 36.3 MPG's. By driving normally I mean no more than 10 MPH over posted speeds. On just the pure interstate part of the trip, 160 miles averaged 38 MPG's. Having owned two previous V6 VCM engines from Honda I can attest to the benefit of their decision to drop the 4 cyl mode and alter between 3 cyl and 6 cyl. This allowed them to implement the application of their full V-Tech technology. The same displacement engine now provides a much broader torque range and about 15% better fuel economy.

sda · June 2015

sda said:
12000 miles on my 2013 Accord EX bought new 9/5/13. No issues, trip b never reset, 33.8 mpg. Reset on its own at 10000 mi. Now showing 33.9 mpg on 2000 miles. No complaints here. Really happy with car as a whole and very pleased with mpg.

I was really happy when I posted this earlier. In the meantime the Accord just hit 40000 miles yesterday. My mileage has improved significantly since this post and my driving habits, routine has not changed. I am now consistently averaging 36 mpg. No hyper mileing, a/c used frequently, speeds kept to 70ish and short periods up to 80.

Honda Accord Real World MPG

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles