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Comments
My Quest (a '99) has never gotten very good mileage, so don't get you hopes up too high. 17 city/23 highway would probably be the best to hope for.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Independent service facility tuned it up, changed air flow control box, etc. and mileage improved from 11 on highway to over 14 MPG highway.
Took it to another Volkswagen dealer after talking to VW Factory Rep who suggested it may have a bad cylinder head temperature sensor. Mileage increased to 30 MPG on highway. Fuel and ignition systems are now much more complicated so there could be more than one bad sensor or a bad computer that controls everything.
Too many dealers are irresponsible. A buyer has to keep bugging them until the problem is discovered and fixed.
Steve, Host
Best I've gotten on a (mostly) highway trip is about 22 overall, but have hit 24-25 on a leg a few times.
I also don't drive slow, so I could see getting 25-26 keeping the speed in 60s, on mostly flat ground.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
To get a 28 mpg highway number the EPA actually measured 36 mpg on their tests (of course they only average 48 mph). 22 mpg does sound very low though.
Consumer Reports has the best benchmarks for mileage, but they have not tested the Odyssey yet. They did get the Sienna at 30 mpg though averaging 65 mph - remember this is pure highway not any stops.
I was the only one in the van, tire pressure was 35#, and there was little or no traffic. I set the cruise at 70 and stayed there except for the turn around.
Is anyone aware of a study comparing EPA estimates vs. real world mileage,? I am really looking for what kind of statistical spread there is within one model.
The Trip Computer on my 2002 T&C LX is more accurate than the computation with miles driven divided by fuel consumed. I do not think I can get the gas pump to shut off as precisely as the trip computer will compute the MPG.
Fuel economy is considerably better at 60 or 65 MPH than at 70 or 75 MPH. I think you could easily get 28 to 30 MPG on a long round trip in an Odyssey if speed is kept 60 - 65 MPH and providing there are not too many hills or much wind.
To me the old fashioned way of doing it is the best method and the only sure way of gettign an accurate measurement. Sure you can't have the gas pump shutoff at the same exact momonet each time. But if you go to it shuts off then pump to the nearest nicekl each time, you now have a consistent method. This will keep you within plus or minus 1 mpg which is close enough for anyone.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Track miles and gallons filled over say.... 5 tanks....Thats reasonably accurate and averages out the different gas pumps.
Craig
'04 Sedona EX
I performed the test (210 mile round trip) as you have stated except I had a constant 70 instead of 65, and the only stop was to turn around on the freeway. I will wait until I have 7500 miles on the van and try again.
The 2005 DC minivans do NOT have the Instant reading and it may have been deleted in 2004. The Sienna Trip Computer still has both readings.
The complete overhead console that has compass & outside temperature + Trip Computer is one feature the DC minivans and the Sienna have that I wish the Odyssey had.
However, the 2005 Odyssey is superior to all minivans in every other way (except for PAX tires in the Touring).
I do like the idea of averaging 5 tankfuls.
Try the 210 mile trip again at 60 mph (boring I know, but it should give you some good data), and see what difference it makes. There is a speed above which the 3 cylinders do not shut down. Was the green eco light on the whole time?
I think this may be part of the problem but the dealership won't look at it until I have 7500 miles. Plus I don't think the dealership has any experience with the VCM. I'll do a similar trip when I get to 7,000 miles or so.
Today I drove on the palisades parkway in upstate NY, and I did a "reset" on my average mpg computer, and traveled 55-60 mph (set the cruise). The whole way it was showing between 27-31 mpg! Same on the way back.
When I arrived in the city (stop and go traffic) it was falling to 21-22 mpg.
I don't believe it's true (it's too good to be true), but Hansienna mentioned above that the trip computer from DC vans are very accurate. I would love that should be the truth.
But usually in daily driving I let my car warm-up (it's too cold for me to let the car warm-up on the way - how do you people manage to get in the car in those cold mornings without warming up the car for at-least 5-10 minutes?) and doing mostly city driving, so maybe that's way it gives me usually about 14 mpg.
Easy. Just do it and tell yourself not to be a sissy. It all depends on what you're used to -- my point of refernce is still a ten-speed bike... that DOES get a little nippy when it's 20 deg F outside!
Warming up your engine in the driveway isn't as bad today as it was when cars had carburetors, but I don't even want to do that to my beater cars, never mind the nice ones...
-Mathias
I grew up in Rockland county, which isn't upstate either, so I have experience with this matter.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I just bought a used T&C yesterday with All Wheel Drive and 29000 miles on it. Original specs were 17 city/22 highway. After about 150 miles of mostly mixed city/suburban highway driving with some stops and a little idling I am getting just over 20 mpg based on the trip computer. I will report back when I have done a few tankfuls.
I appreciate the comments early that the Chrysler trip computer is accurate on MPG. It doesn't seem the same can be said for the Miles til Empty display. When I filled up the tank yesterday the display told me I had 238 miles til empty on a 20 gallon tank!! Now after 120 plus miles it's telling me I have about 180 miles left. Seems with a 20mpg average it should be telling me about 280 miles left. (20x20=400 miles). Again I'll give it a couple tankfuls and see what happens.
Tom
Once you pass the GW bridge, all of a sudden the heavy traffic, aggressive driving stops...
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Sienna FWD's seem to hit 24-26 mpg at various highway speeds. Drive train seems to be more forgiving. Sienna weights about 4100lbs. Under ideal conditions some owners report 27.5 mpg. Sienna is simply lighter and operates a smaller more efficient V6.
Very pleased, I was expecting about mid 20's.
John
Your expectations are too high. The mileage you and I are getting is remarkable, considering the AWD and passenger capability.
I just learned to enjoy the vehicle for its utility, style, features, etc. and not to focus so much on its gas mileage issues since, in my case, they weren't caused by any identifiable mechanical malfunctions.
I recently traded my '99 for a 2004.
The '99 had over 103,000 miles on it. I keep a record of all my gas purchases and make a spread sheet at the end of the year.
'93 Mercury Villager 24.0 mpg
'95 Mercury Villager 24.03
'99 Quest 22.4 mpg for 103,000 miles.
'04 Quest 22.08 mpg for 10,137 miles.
The computer read-out seldom agrees with the calculation by pencil. It is usually more optimistic than the actual mileage.
My driving is mostly rural with a few long trips. I made more long trips on the '93 and '95 than I have on the others, because I used those for business travel. Since I retired my highway mileage is a little less.
I live in a rural, mountainous area 14 miles from a grocery store, church, etc.. Most of my mileage would be considered road mileage, but not necessarily highway (long trip).
I recently learned an interesting fact about the tire pressure monitoring system on the '04. The valve stem has a small transmitter that sends out the tire pressure readings.
At the altitude where I live, the pressure displayed is about 4 pounds less than actual.
I was told by a service man at the dealer that if I lived in Denver the pressure would read correctly. He knew of no way to re calibrate the readings. Also, the readings are random according to the manual and do not correlate with any specific wheel position on the car.
My Dodge mini van only has 95 miles on it, so I'm not even going to try and check it until I get more miles on it.
Marine2, I've been manually keeping a gas record book in my cars since 1974 or so. Excel sure makes it easier to add it up though!
Steve, Host
Craig
'04 Sedona EX
How well it works seems to be a matter of opinion. Some highway situations apparently 'fool' the cruise control into applying the brakes when it is unneccesary.
21.1 on the first one in mixed highway/city. Second tank 16.5 in almost all city. Our 99 Caravan gets 15-16 all city, so it's not surprising - idling at a stoplight is not great for mileage regardless of what you drive.
we got about 23 on the last highway/travel leg (some local 2 lanes, along with hilly highways and doing 75ish on average).
Not up to the sticker, but I never expected to get that. We also are only up to about 900 miles, so plenty of time to improve.
If we ever get to 17/25 overall, I would be happy. The Ody is heavy after all, and power costs mileage too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
My 2002 T&C LX was getting close to 26 MPG in summer and fall (mostly highway) but dropped to 23.4 MPG in November and last tank was only 17.8 MPG with much more stop and go driving.
Your 2005 Odyssey will get 26 to 30 MPG on Interstate driving in spring, summer, or fall if you drive about 65 MPH. Could be as low as 24 - 26 MPG if driven at 75 MPH most of the time on Interstate highways.
A long flat ride at 67ish I expect would generate a solid 26+, I just never take one!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Also, it helps if you look ahead and try and adjust your speed to make the light ahead. Most lights are timed for the posted speed, if you keep to that speed, chances are you'll make the light.
Also some lights are pressure operated. When the last car goes over it, the light will turn red. If you know that is how the light works, don't lag back a few seconds behind the car ahead of you or you'll catch it. Some of those pressure operated lights can be very long. Your only burning gas setting there waiting for it to change.
Steve, Host