Ask the Car People.SM


Honda Fit Real World MPG

2554 messages,  Last post on Apr 21, 2013 at 3:55 AM

You are in the Honda Fit Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Fit, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Hatchback

Messages Page 243 of 256

#2416 of 2554 Re: not impressed so far [bilbofett] by jayboyd

Oct 09, 2009 (7:55 am)

Replying to: bilbofett (Oct 04, 2009 9:21 pm)
I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the Fit.
 
I bought a 2009 Fit and was at first happy to have the average MPG indicator. The trip counter was reset when I drove off the dealer lot (car had 70 miles on it), and I watched as my average climbed up from the low 20s to 37 mpg. On my first tank, with 60-70% of driving on the highway in dry conditions, no weight but myself, I ended up discovering that I actually went 235 miles using 9.3 gallons of gas. So, while the computer said 37, I actually got 25.2 mpg.
 
Even crazier -- I reset the trip counter when refueling (I'm keeping all receipts to prove actual mileage), the average MPG indicator reset, but this time, driving *entirely* stop-and-go in the city in my work commute, within the first 20 miles, the average MPG indicator had climbed to 45 mpg. In fact, in going forward and backward to get into a parking space, I watched as it went up from 44.2 to 44.5.
 
Problem #1: 25 mpg is not what I paid for. Assuming typical 15000 miles per year, that's 600 gallons of fuel as opposed to 483 gallons at the advertised 31 mpg. A difference of 117 at current pricing of $2.50/gallon is an additional $292/year.
 
Problem #2: The computer is inflating my mileage by at least 40%. On the second tank, unless the mileage in the city has dramatically improved over the first tank on the highway, the computer is inflating the mileage by 80%. The difference between 25 mpg and the reported 45 mpg adds up to $666/year, again assuming $2.50/gallon. In reality gas prices are almost certainly going to rise much faster than inflation over the lifetime of the car, so this could mean costs in the several thousands.
 
The problem with problem #2 is that it is consumer fraud. At a time when fuel economy is both an economic and environmental issue globally, well, Honda could be looking at a pretty serious liability depending on how many vehicles have this problem. Under the Lemon Law, I'd have 30 days to return the car for a full refund if it was defective (I actually received the car on Oct 2, however this is a case where I'd expect the dealer to give me a bunch of crap about how actual mileage may vary, the car needs to be broken in, etc., and if as it appears this is a problem with the Fit line, there's not too much the dealer can do about it. They could offer to "fix" the computer (in theory) so that it correctly reflects the 25 mpg the vehicle is actually getting.
 
What's particularly bizarre is that the computer *knows* how many gallons are in the tank and how many miles I've gone. I'm calculating mpg using the miles from the same computer. Gallons could be arguably slightly off as reported by the gas pump vs. the computer, but for the math to work out, the computer would have to be misreading 9.3 gallons as reported at the pump to be 6.3 gallons.
 
Is anyone aware of pending or prior class action suits against Honda?

#2417 of 2554 I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the by thurst1963

Oct 09, 2009 (8:39 am)

I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the Fit.
 
My 2008 sport Fit has been through all the break in stuff they talked about
I have done the batter disc reset 2 times I have 18000 30miles per week day 26 of the miles highway so 87% of my driving is highway I am up from the high teens I was getting when the car was new now I am getting 27-28 on the highway the dealer has checked my car 2 times said the car is fine HUMMMMM I dont think so I hear all bout these people getting mid 40s
Well Honda must have figured the MPG with 100 cars in the 40s & 100 cars in the high teens to low 20s crazy
I first dorve this car the FIT in Brazil before they where here in 2004 loved the car & my friend in brazil Her car gets like 40mpg and she drive 50%-50% maybe 60% city

#2418 of 2554 Re: not impressed so far [jayboyd] by cwalti

Oct 09, 2009 (8:43 am)

Replying to: jayboyd (Oct 09, 2009 7:55 am)
Dude, get over it!!
These readouts are just TOYS..
Get yerselfes a Scangauge, and you have a much more practical setup with calibration ability...
 
Suing over a gadget... Got nothing better to do?
Classaction, - you obviously don't know how worthless that is for the individual participants!!!

#2419 of 2554 Re: I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the [thurst1963] by cwalti

Oct 09, 2009 (8:50 am)

Replying to: thurst1963 (Oct 09, 2009 8:39 am)
I don't know what you guys are doing, but the other day I saw a guy going 95+ mph in his little Prius. I am cerrtain he didn't get 50 mpg.
On the other end of the scale, I just returned from a vacation trip. My, stuffed to the gills, '99 V6 Ody wit an additional lbs300+ carrier basket got 24.5 mpg going at fwy speeds and making a total 4,000 feet climb. 300 miles from Los Angeles to Bishop. The CR-V ('05) got 28.5 mpg on the same run...

#2420 of 2554 Re: I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the [cwalti] by colloquor

Oct 09, 2009 (11:19 am)

Replying to: cwalti (Oct 09, 2009 8:50 am)
I am surprised of the wide variances in reported fuel mileage between the onboard trip computer's readout, and measuring it the old fashioned way. I've always calculated fuel economy the old fashioned way - miles driven/gallons used. But, this can be hard to do these days with the need to be very careful not to overflow the evaporative emission control system, and get fuel into the carbon canister. Topping up the tank is not an easy thing these days!
 
Every car I've owned which had an onboard trip computer with fuel economy readout never varied more that +/- .5 MPG from the old fashioned way of calculation mileage. So, something must really be wrong with the algorithm used in the computer, or the sensors.
 
I know that I would be upset with 25 to 27 MPG with a Fit, as our minivan with a 3.8L V6 gets over 28 MPG on the highway consistently. Moreover, I have a friend in the UK with a Honda Jazz (the European Fit equivalent), and he gets over 40 MPG.

#2421 of 2554 just got 16 mpg on a full tank in my '08 Fit by bilbofett

Oct 09, 2009 (11:53 am)

I've been driving it more than a year, since august of 2008. Its beyond 7,000 miles, has been broken in, has had oil changes, etc.
I'm not driving it like a loon, and even if I was, theres no way in hell driving it like a crazy person would cut the mileage by 60%.
I've kept it under 3,000 rpms. I've stayed below 70, I've accelerated slowly and glided into stops. Did that for entire tanks of gas... didn't make a lick of difference.

#2422 of 2554 Re: I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on the [colloquor] by stephen987

Oct 09, 2009 (1:45 pm)

Replying to: colloquor (Oct 09, 2009 11:19 am)
On my Fit the gauge is consistently high by about 10%, which is 3-4 mpg.

#2423 of 2554 Re: I'd also like to know the name of the attorney who was taking cases on by gasman2

Oct 10, 2009 (6:14 pm)

Replying to: stephen987 (Oct 09, 2009 1:45 pm)
My "09 Mini classic has 2 speedos which are 10% out when checked with my GPS. I knew there was a problem before I even checked it. Both speedos agree saying that I am going faster than I really am. This 10% error is also putting extra kilometers on my car that really isn't true. I believe the factory does this on purpose to display better gas mileage figures than we are really getting. Dealer says there is nothing he can do. Am presently in talks with the Mini people. I believe my GPS is 100% accurate and can figure out my true mileage accordingly. Anyone else with these issues?

#2424 of 2554 Re: sport AT 560 miles [thatsmycall] by maxhray

Oct 10, 2009 (9:49 pm)

Replying to: thatsmycall (May 03, 2006 12:57 pm)
I Get 35 MPG Around Town With Auto. And A/C Going Most Of The Time.
 
I Have The 2009 Sport With 6,000 Miles..No Trips As Yet..Can Only Get Better!!

#2425 of 2554 Re: New 09 Fit ... first 2 tanks ... [baddog2] by aaykay

Oct 11, 2009 (8:56 am)

Replying to: baddog2 (Oct 23, 2008 8:31 pm)
I just put 250 miles on it today .. all highway miles with cruise control set at 65 mph and the mpgs look like they're going to be down from the 2nd tank as the car's computer is showing 39.4 mpg and I covered less miles on the first half tank of gas.
 
Are you saying that you are driving with cruise control on, before you completed the break-in of the car ? The wear patterns on your "virgin" engine are still being established and I personally would take some additional care and NEVER drive it with cruise control for the first 1000 miles.
 
I have been struggling to complete my break-in miles by continuously varying the RPMs while not allowing it to cross 4000 rpm. I have another 400 miles to go, before I can start driving at a constant RPM for better mileage. Even with the fuel-sapping break-in driving, the mileage is a little over 35mpg, which means that with more constant rpm driving, the mileage should be significantly better.

Messages Page 243 of 256

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement