mrplow3226

Hey everyone,

I have a 2008 Honda Accord EX-L 4 Cyl and drive about 1200 miles a month, and of those 1200 miles about 1100 are highway miles, and I am usually going off traffic hours. I am averaging about 25miles a gal in the Accord, and in Feb alone have gone 886 miles while spending $193.87 in gas for 49.5 gals. Because of the every rising gas prices in CA, I am thinking about getting rid of the Accord because of all the driving I do and going to a Civic. But I cannot decide if I want to go with the Hybrid or the regular Civic. I know that the Hybrids get 44/44 and overall 44 mpg but can range from 36-52 for both city and highway depending on driving style and car care and yada yada. The regular Civic is 28/39/33.5 ratings and can get in the range of 23-33 city and 32-46 highway. What should I be expected to get with the ECON on and not having a heavy foot (which I do not) and being a good driver. I am usually never going over 70-72 on the freeway and am overall very good driver.

Thanks guys

SM

I found a Regular Civic for sale, a 2012, EX-L fully loaded for $22k...and I could probably get that for maybe around $21k or so if I am lucky. Which I think is a really great deal considering it would cost me about that same price (22k for a hybrid with nothing extra on it.)

Thanks again.

SM

ezone

I have a 12 LX 4 door. My first highway trip was before it had 500 miles on it.
I got 37.5 at 70-75 MPH for about 150 miles each way.

When I slowed to 45-55 with some stop and go, amazingly the mileage average started creeping higher.

So I tried a steady 45-55 after a fill up. Topped at 52.3 MPG on a 50 mile leg. Dropped like a rock as soon as I hit traffic and a town.

I can hit 45 MPG almost every time if I fill the tank and hit the road at 55 and no faster.

My in-town driving kills the average, but that's just my usual drive.


If I could drive downhill ALL the time, this car would get some killer mileage.

mrplow3226

oh nice! thanks! i do mostly highway and i think i could get high 30s if not in the 40s easy. what do you think? and when is it best to use econ mode? i have heard a couple of different things about that.

ezone

I should know more about the ECON junk than I do, since I'm a tech at a dealer AND I own one. I haven't even bothered to read a single page of the owners manual.

ECON only appears (to me) to make it shift a bit earlier during light-throttle, in-town driving.

Meaning the RPMs don't go nearly as high before it shifts, for any given throttle position.....up to a point.
If you floor it, it will still upshift at redline like in regular mode.



I have just left mine in ECON mode all the time.
I bet the manual would explain it better than I just did here.

EX-Dave

Greetings!

I have a 2012 EX with the automatic. I'm averaging about 37mpg with mostly highway driving. I do the same type mileage and driving as you do. I use Econ Mode during my weekly commuting and turn it off when I'm crusing around town.

Are you looking to change cars just for the sake of mpg?

You can do a lot better than those prices you mentioned. Get ready to buy at the end of the month.

The thing that would make me think twice about any hybrid is the cost of future battery replacement. Getting only about 10% better mpg will not cover the cost of this job. Plus, 44mpg is not that impressive.

Have a look at this thread. Keep us posted!

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/1...civic-mpg.html

ezone

Your mileage is far too high.
You need to let all the air out of a couple tires.

EX-Dave

With both tires and gas mileage, how low should I shoot for?

I'm impressed with the car's mpg right now. I thought I was going to be in good shape if I was averaging 33, but what I'm getting is great for the winter season. When it comes to average mpg, that dashboard MID doesn't tell the truth, but it's good reference.

mrplow3226

Ya that is what i have been hearing with the eco from some people. some say leave it on all the time, others have said to leave it on while only driving in the city, while others have said to leave it on on the highway only. so im a little confused, but i guess hearing it from a tech from a dealer would be the wiser thing of me to do

mrplow3226

Its good to hear someone else's voice of driving this much. i live in so cal so not many hills where i am driving and the weather isnt a factor either. where do you do all your driving? and ya, i am considering getting a civic just because of the mileage, im spending way to much on gas with my accord, but i really love my car so if i cant find a civic for me ill just gut it out...unless gas goes even more nuts here then it already has. ya, i am going to go tomorrow to this dealer that told me 21k for a fully loaded civic ex-l....so based on that price i might be able to get him down a little more. and i scrapped the hybrid idea, too much money and basically have to push it to get started. i did drive the HF model and i dunno if that is worth it either. In the best world id like to see if they could put the wheels and tires from the HF onto the EX along with that undercoating shield that they have under the car to help prevent drag. i have to ask and see what they say! and i will keep you all posted. thanks everyone.

ezone

I (briefly) experimented with the ECON button when we first started getting the cars back before the quake and Tsunami hit Japan.

I haven't ever messed with the ECON button in my own car.
I turned it on and left it alone.
I just drive the darn thing.
Most of the time, I drive it like my grandma would drive.

It gets a whole lot better mileage than the Buick, which actually WAS my grandmas car.

EX-Dave

When I commute, it's about 80% highway driving. I often set the cruise control at 62mph.

The HF might use a special low rolling resistance tire. Other than that, what's the real difference between the HF and other Civic flavors?

After driving for over 30-years, this is my first import. The domestic car makers just can't build a good small car yet compared to what Toyota and Honda have mastered for decades. A Civic is built like a small Accord. The small domestic cars almost scream Ford Pinto or Chevy Vega. It's disappointing!

ezone

My LX has Firestone Fuel Fighter tires. (Kinda sounds wrong, huh?)
I bet they only last 30k.

No clue, I haven't seen an HF here.
http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-sedan/civic-hf.aspx
The rims look like they came off of one of the hybrids.




Guy I used to work with got 2 Cosworth Vegas that came from a closed dealership in the early 90s. One had 500 miles and had never been titled. Sold for over $15,000 each.

ezone

Update on the ECON button functions (remember this button is now on several other models so these may or may not apply to Civics), and keep in mind that there are some trade-offs as far as acceleration, comfort and convenience:

The happy little green light illuminates, and it may modify:

trans controls, (shift points are lowered)

the electronic throttle, (reduces throttle opening for a given pedal input, while at less than 80% of WOT. At 80% and greater, you still are receiving the normal full throttle response)

climate control, (compressor cycle time and temps, blower fan speed, recirc operation)

cruise control, (limits acceleration/throttle opening rates when engaged, which may allow more vehicle speed variations esp. on hills)

auto-idle-stop for hybrids. (widened ambient temp ranges allowed for autostop)

em2maxamillian

Despite my username, I swapped my EM2 for a 2012 EX with an AT. My honest opinion regarding the Econ button is this: every driver needs to experiment with the system and do the math. In my case, I actually get more MPGs with Econ OFF. It has a lot to do with how your drive, and also where.

I live in Hawaii (Honolulu, Oahu), and our roads here, including our freeways, follow the inclines and declines in the terrain of the island, which can be fairly sudden and steep. We have short on-ramps and drivers that don't understand the rule of "slower traffic keep right." Not to mention that traffic itself can get pretty bad. I can see how the Econ button could help in heavy traffic situations, but where I live, traffic flow is sporadic. It can go from grid-lock, to 60+ MPH speeds, and then back to grid-lock in less than 5 minutes or in little as a half-mile.

Because Econ mode reduces throttle response and quickens up-shifts, you can begin to see how quick spurts of acceleration and steady up-hill climbs can be problematic. When I keep Econ ON, the fuel economy lights (green and blue bars) remain dark-blue for most of my trip as the trans holds the highest gear and the engine strains to pull under low rpms. Giving it more gas does little until you reach the 3/4 throttle or more position, at which point the trans downshifts violently and the engine revs its nuts off (which, in my opinion, sounds pretty counter-productive to saving fuel).

So test the system first and do the math.

Results:

Econ ON: From F to Low Fuel Warning Indicator ON: 25.5 mpg or 289 miles per tank.

Econ OFF: From F to Low Fuel Warning Indicator ON: 28.2 mpg or 307 miles per tank.