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Sedans Honda Civic Honda Civic Real World MPG
2058 messages, Last post on Aug 26, 2009 at 6:19 PM
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Replying to: dantz (Jun 23, 2009 12:33 pm) My mileage has slowly increased as I put more miles on, now around 18000 and haven't see a tank fill in some time less than 45 mpg. 2007 civic with manual, probably around 95% or more highway and lots of 55 mph roads. At interstate speeds mileage will drop to 40 mpg and even less with headwinds.
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>"I have a scan gauge and tried many times to determine the effect of the AC on mileage. Instantaneous mileage jumps around to much to make any comparison with AC on or off." Using the Scan Gauge also, in our 03 4wd Pilot.. On a flat road or even going up a slight grade, with cruise on, the instant mpg will hold reasonably steady enough to turn the AC button on for a few seconds, and off for a few seconds. Mileage when the AC is turned on will drop "instantly" by 2-3 mpg. Then turning it off will increase the mileage by the same amount. A 4 mile trip I take several times a week will typically return 2-3 mpg better with the AC off. That is starting with a cold engine. This spring, a 42 mile one way trip, I take often, yielded right at 27 mpg both directions. No AC. Cruise set at 58 mph for the X-Way portion. Now that the temps are in the 90s and AC is on most of the time, the mileage has dropped to more in the 24-25 mpg range, at the same speeds. . I can keep it more in the 25 mpg range by "re circulating" the inside air and turning the AC on and off by hand. Problem with Honda's Climate control is that if the AC is on, the compressor runs all the time. When the correct temperature is reached, the computer just adds heat to the system to maintain the correct temp. But the compressor continues to run. Without Climate Control, and the "AC ON" condition, the Compressor continues to run and it just gets colder and colder. The driver can add some heat or turn the AC off. Would seem to me to be better if the Compressor would turn on and off depending on whether or not more cooling is needed. Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Jun 24, 2009 3:22 am) Normally the A/C system takes app 15 min to stabilize. Cycle the A/C ON. Put fan speed to #1. Regulate the coolness and leave it on. When you turn it on and off you are making the system work harder to get UP and attempt to stabilize. This of course consumes more energy than the above situation which already has the system UP and stabilized and you are just twiking the temp to suit. So anytime under that or cycling the system on and off will exact an mpg penality. Pass that, the system advances the timing slightly, takes little energy to stabilize the system and you should see pretty close to par for mpg.
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Replying to: ruking1 (Jun 24, 2009 6:30 am) My wifes CR-V doesn't have Climate Control, so when it gets too cold we have the option of adding heat with the temperature control knob or turning the AC OFF and stopping the compressor. The Pilots Climate control automatically adds the heat when needed to maintain a selected temperature, but the compressor continues to run as long as that AC ON is showing. It will do that also in the winter. The Pilot gets 2-3 mpg less when the Climate Control does all the controlling vs no AC at all. There is a 1-2 mpg difference when I use recirculate to cool the air and keep it inside the car. Whether or not it is worth the hassle to turn the compressor on and off by hand depends on the frame of mind at the time. Not suggesting that anyone should do any certain thing. Just giving the facts as the Scan Gauge presents them. It is possible that turning the compressor on and off is hard on the compressor clutch, and that may be the reason Honda chooses to leave it running constantly. Whatever their reason is, it cost me 2-3 MPG to run the air. So I just go with the flow and try to regain some of the mileage with driving techniques. Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Jun 24, 2009 11:03 am) Also I have a newer technology A/C (VW & not temp/climate) and it also works as I have mentioned. Honda at some point needs to switch to the more fuel saving A/C. But then again there is little incentive with folks buying them as they do.
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Replying to: ruking1 (Jun 24, 2009 11:11 am) Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Jun 24, 2009 11:18 am) I realize this is off topic, but the answer is yes. I have done this across three states and a foreign country (had to count foreign country as I did a lot of stop and go driving and didn't buy fuel, as it was at least a $ more a gal than the US) , when three states (WA, OR, CA) had 5 highway patrol car wolf packs in full predatory mode (aka customer service) and the radar detector was going off so much, that it was just plain annoying. So I chose (03 VW Jetta TDI 5 spd manual) 75 mph with bursts to 80-85 and got 59 mpg (two fill ups) . NO TICKETS and I was surprised as anyone else, as I thought maybe... 55 mpg. Further off topic, on a trip to Vancouver BC (2300 miles) the 09 Jetta TDI (DSG) posted 43.5 mpg overall during a herky jerky break in mode. A/C blasting, 3 folks, truck STUFFED to the gills. The GPS when it was on, said the car didn't exceed 90 mph.  Torque is 115% greater than the below Civic. It also weighs 770#'s more. More on topic, a 04 Civic posted 38-42 mpg on a R/T to Portland OR. A/C blasting, 2 drivers, two small overnight bags.
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Replying to: ruking1 (Jun 24, 2009 11:28 am) 
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Replying to: thegraduate (Jun 23, 2009 8:38 pm) I hardly ever floor it, as I don't like to push the revs that high, and I guess that's why I never noticed the A/C doing that. However, during a "pretty brisk, but not quite floored" takeoff, which is closer to the way I drive when I need some extra power, the A/C appears to stay on. ras314, I'm sorry to hear that the scangauge doesn't display a steady enough instantaneous mileage reading to accurately measure the effects of A/C in a Civic. It's interesting that kipk has managed to do it in a Pilot. Perhaps the lighter, less powerful Civic is more at the mercy of small changes such as road grade, road condition, wind direction and intensity, etc. and this makes it harder to get a steady reading. Perhaps trying to compare the instantaneous mileage isn't the best way to do this. As I understand it, the scangauge can be set to measure the average mpg of various trips. I would think that driving at steady speed on a level highway and measuring the mpg during two short "trips" (for example, 3 miles each), beginning the first trip after the A/C has been on for awhile (following ruking1's advice) and doing the second short trip with the A/C off, should show the difference. According to the documentation, you can reset the "Current" trip while driving in order to accomplish this. Oh heck, I guess I'll have to buy a ScanGauge myself just to satisfy my curiosity.
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I don't own a Honda, but the Shell gas delivers the best mileage. Plus my Shell credit card gives a rebate on all items purchased at the Shell location including gas. The rebate is around 5%, so it is even cheaper than all the cut rate stations, and performance is better, and I use the midgrade every other tank..premium the balance. It's a 2006 Pontiac GPGT w/SC260hp V-6 and they recommend premium, but the performance difference between the mid & premium is minor.. Almost bought the SI Civic, but after reading some of the posting on Edmunds concerning clutch and tranny issues under 15k miles with the dealers refusing to fix, blaming the failures on hot-rodding, enough to stop any further need for the SI. Looking for a fun-car, so I will get the Mustang GT w/track pkg..2nd car..Just drove a 2009 Mustang Bullitt from Venice, Fl to Detriot, flew low and averaged 18.5 mpgs The Pontiac gulps gas, but then again the a/c is on and sunroof open, with nets about 20.50 mpgs, w/Shell. Town driving..Florida living, hot and sunny.. Good Luck with your Civics, drive slow for I need the gas..Owned 43 cars to date, no Asian cars, 2 German..The only 4 cylinder cars were 2 Porsches, farm tractor, and several outboards. |
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