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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: 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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Replying to: dantz (Jun 24, 2009 11:48 am) If you don't need to accelerate that fast though, don't; save your gas! 
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Replying to: dantz (Jun 24, 2009 11:48 am) Dantz, You may be right about the Pilot being a bit more "steady" as measured on the SG. Perhaps it is the Extra bulk and weight of the Pilot. The S. Gauge does fluctuate constantly though, even though the road appears to be somewhat stable in grade or lack of grade. Some of those fluctuations are more than expected. For example when a large "Box" truck or 18 wheeler passes from the opposite direction, on a 2 lane road, there may be a 3-5 mpg drop in mileage for a few seconds. When being passed from behind by one of them, there will be an increase in mileage. Something I just can't really understand is: Sometimes with the Cruise ON, and about to descend a long grade, with an equal appearing uphill grade to follow, I will reset the "Current Mileage" (Average mileage), so it can keep track of the average for that test. Then click on the "Instant" mileage. These numbers are not exact but somewhat representative. When decending the SC may show (Instant Mileage) from 56 mpg to 9999 (maxxed out) . When ascending the next grade, the SC may show 23 to 18. For those 2 grades the "Current Mileage" will show something like 27 mpg average for the short trip involving the 2 grades. I've double checked it by doing the same on the return trip on the same 2 grades and the result is similar It just boggles this old brain!  . Kip |
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In 75 to 80 degree weather we will ride with all 4 windows cracked about 2 inches. If that keeps us comfortable fine. If it occasionally gets a bit hot due to sun or what ever, we will roll up the windows and do the recirculate AC ON and Off thing, IF every 10 to 15 minutes will keep the temperature about right. But those circumstances are rare or short lived. So if it gets too hot with the windows cracked, we will likely turn on the AC, with it set at 77 degrees, and let the Climate Control do it's thing. One less thing to be concerned about, and that is why we got it. Most or all the loss in mileage with the AC ON can be made up by dropping the speed a bit. Slightly lower speed and comfortable environment makes for a more pleasant trip. We tend to get all concerned about mileage and do things we think will get the best possible. Paying $0.20 more for premium fuel in a "Regular car, has no effect and not necessary unless traveling 80 mph in the mountains with a full load and towing a trailer in 100+ temperatures. (sarcasm) Paying 3-6 cents less for crappy gas doesn't really save anything and may actually cost more in the long run due to poor mileage, injector fouling, and so forth. Drafting an 18 wheeler will cost you more WHEN the stones, road dabree, and eventual crash mess up the front of your car. If we really think that traveling 80+ saves gas because we were on the road a shorter period of time, we may have inhaled too much exhaust from that 18 wheeler we were drafting. Bottom line is that the throttle and driving techniques have more to do with mileage than anything else. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvrQQq9d2no Kip
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Replying to: kipk (Jun 25, 2009 2:33 am) Some if it is based on the real life ratios of refinement of a barrel of oil RUG to PUG vs D2. Further downstream is the 20-40% better fuel mileage. So when you put those two together that is a serious lessenning of ... demand. Honda Civics for example are only a small segment of a minority called small cars (25%) . The rest or majority (75%) usually consume.... more. Now I am not advocating drivers wanting or needing say a size 14 shoe, needs to get into a size 5.... Since there are no like model Civic comparison (US markets anyway), here is a (03 VW Jetta) like model comparison: 2.0, 25 mpg; 1.8T, 25 mpg; 1.9 TDI ,49 mpg. So assuming 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year (avg drivers') that is up to RUG, 600 gals, PUG, 600 gals vs D2, 306 gals or 49% savings. |
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Replying to: kipk (Jun 25, 2009 2:33 am)
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