Rep Power: 302

On a recent road trip to Cali, I wanted to get the best gas mileage possible, due to rising fuel prices. I have always been around the 32mpg mark, but I was determined to get that 40mpg that the car was advertised with. Here is how I did it. I am not sure what steps made the biggest difference but I will be as detailed as possible, so you can try them too. I just had the oil changed, and had the air in the tires set to 40psi, I know the car recommends 32, but I figured the more air in the tires the less resistance so I added a little more and 40psi was still in spec with the tires. I also have stock rims and tires as I am sure tire size makes a difference. I started the trip in AZ and on the first fill up I was avg about 36-37mpg, pretty good but not the 40 I was looking for. When I got 36-37mpg I had cruise set to 75 and the a/c was on, I think its safe to assume that having the a/c on a cruise at 75 played a roll in my falling short of my 40mpg mark, but it was close to 100 degrees outside and I would have been run off the road if I were to go any slower. As it got later in the day and I made my way into Cali, the outside temp fell enough to turn the ac off, at my next fill up I was avg 38mpg still cruising at about 75mph. I would assume that being able to turn the a/c off allowed that extra mpg but still not the 40mpg that I was looking for. I didn't need to fill up again until my trip back to AZ. I filled up once I left Cali as I was not about to pay those prices and didn't bother doing a calculation as I had done a lot of city driving and knew I wouldn't be close to my 40mpg goal. I was determined to get that 40mpg so it was time to drive like a granny. I knew I would need to stop for gas one more time before reaching my final destination, so I did everything I could think of to remain economical while still being safe. It was night time so no a/c needed and I set the cruise to 65 as opposed to 75, it was late and no traffic except for trucks doing like 50, so no worries about being run off the road. I kept an eye on the gas gauge and it seemed to be falling really slow, I had a good feeling about this one. I had about a half a tank left and I needed to use the rest room asap so I found a gas station that had pretty good prices and a toilet so I stopped and filled up. I had driven 240 some odd miles and needed a little more than 6 gallons obtaining my goal of 40mpg. I could have prob gotten more, but I had 2 other adults in the car plus luggage for three people. So, yes it is possible to get 40mpg in a civic as long as you remain real economical with the gas pedal. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Car Specs:
2001 Civic LX
Auto Tranny

Final Driving Conditions:
65mph with cruise on
No a/c
tires at 40 psi
New Oil
~240 miles on ~6 gallons of gas

 
Rep Power: 811

yeah it makes a BIG difference going 55mph instead of 65mph. some people believe they raised the speed limit to 65 to help the gas companies make more money.

 
Rep Power: 388

I dont think you got that many miles on 6 gallons. The 01 and early 7thgen series vic's are notorious for having the gas tank gauge lie. I can drive my first 150 miles and still be on F. Those gauges are a buncha bullshit.

You should also include your driving temperature- which plays a part in your MPG. Driving at in 30 degrees will give you better mileage then 100 degrees.

 
Rep Power: 811

i disagree... i went to texas and back and when i was up north and it was around freezing and below, my mpg sucked like 32mpg. in summer around 70+ when its warm i get at least 38 if not higher and the car tends to run better.

 
Rep Power: 388

Well, now your getting into the ethanol blend- they add more in the winter time. Did you have your defroster on? I dunno.. theres lots of contributing factors. I'm no expert or I'd be getting crazy mpg's. My best ever was 40.1 on all highway on a 120 mile drive going 65-72 with cruise control, MT 01.

Regardless, you should state your driving temperature ... AND your fuel blend.

 
Rep Power: 811

ya it depends on too many things to really be accurate. i use fp and lc additives too. going 55mph and having a bit extra tire pressure all help, so does a good alignment and suspension components like shocks, bushings, etc, anything that keeps the car from moving where it shoudnt. dont use extra stuff like ac or defrost if you can help it, and sometimes using cruise is bad cause going up over small hills the car pushes that pedal way too far. in town cruising it makes a big difference if you stay 2800rpm or below when shifting and driving. above that it wastes alot more gas. as for ethanol, our stations here have 10% year around so idk if that matters. colder air is much more dense per unit area, so you are getting more air in the engine (and more fuel) than on a hot day when the air is really thin. also altitude i bet plays a role too where sea level air is rich in oxygen and higher up is much less.

 
Rep Power: 302

I got the 6 gallons from the pump, not my gauge, and the mileage off my odometer which I assume is pretty accurate. So unless the pump was off I went 240 some odd miles on about six gallons of gas. Which gave me my 40mpg estimation. As for outside air temp, I'd say it was between 60-70. Fuel blend was 87 octane.

 
Rep Power: 279

I remember getting over 200 miles for a little over 5 gallons. I was driving towards houston, windows down, sun roof open going 65 but i was drafting my parents in their expedition I'm pretty sure that played a big role

 
Rep Power: 236

I've gotten 48 mpg before on a trip to Sun River, Oregon. I was traveling around 55 mph the whole time, a lot of the time at altitude. Ambient temps were mild, warm but not warm enough that we even put the AC on. I have an LX MT.

 
Rep Power: 388

Whaaat. Okay, I'm suprised on two levels- one being that you got 48 mpg, and the second being that I'm west of Bend/ "Sun River" in Eugene, 100miles south of Portland.

 
Rep Power: 236

Yeah I vacationed there with my girlfriend's parents last Summer and I think we will be making a road trip there again this Summer. It's a helluva drive from Seattle though lol, thank god for the Civic.

 
Rep Power: 317

anyone passing through the Monterey, CA region, let me know! (WINE COUNTRY)

i just got back from a road trip too...i may havepassed some of you guy too!, who knows...

well, i'm just happy that car made it from Barstow, CA to Monterey, CA on a tank...I still had some gas left in the tank, but need to run numbers to find MPGs...

Barstow, CA - Monterey, CA
6 hours, 350+ miles...

 
Rep Power: 245

Does anyone know how to fix/replace the fuel guage? Mine is always doing that to me where it says I've got like a fully tank or three quarters and then next time I turn the car on it drops ridiculously.
It really upsets me because I never know where I'm really at.
Sometimes it will say I'm at Full for an entire day after driving all over the city.

 
Rep Power: 247

i do a lot of driving on the highway. And in Wyoming all the interstate speed limits are 75. So i do about 80 mph when i drive anywhere and one time, with 115000 miles on my car i got 43 mpg. My mom claimed she got 50 mpg once when the car was a lot newer.

 
Rep Power: 811

you need to replace the fuel SENDER not the gauge

 
Rep Power: 0

I have a new civic (5 weeks), and so far am disappointed with my fuel mileage. The first tank went 460km before i needed to fill, but I am not quite sure just how full it was. The next few tanks i bought all had 10% ethanol, and I have barely been breaking 400 km on a tank, with close to 40 litre fills every time. This is not great. My last tank I bought did not have any ethanol, and I am now at 480km, and I still have about 1/5 of a tank, so I can't help but think that the ethanol is impeding my mileage.... I will experiment with this a little more. Temps have been in the low 20s (celcius), between 70 and 80 in american... I have been pretty gentle on my new car, and about 20%, and sometimes more, of my driving is on the hwy. I am at sea level in Vancouver, Canada.

In comparison, my F250 power stroke diesel (manual) goes almost 400km on $35 worth of diesel, or about 37 litres. With gasoline at $1.10, it appears to be cheaper to drive my F250... I am shocked... I hope that I will be able to consistently get well over 500 km per tank in the car, or I will continue to be disappointed.

Being new to the forum, I have not had a chance to read a lot of posts, and am curious if other people are getting these kinds of results?

Before I had bought the car, I pointed out to the salesman that I was seeing on the internet that the ratings were about 26 city, and 36 hwy, and asked why the discrephancy between that and the sticker on the car window saying 50mpg on the highway. He took me to the car and pointed to the epa rating on the car window of 50mpg and said i should be able to get that... I am not even close... nowhere near, and even with some hwy driving, I am even well below their city only rating. I drive very nice; no jack-rabbit starts, and i hardly speed.

The car drives nice, and feels better over-all than my 2001 civic, which I also bought new. I am otherwise happy with the car.

Burnaby Real Estate Agent

 
Rep Power: 811

50mpg on the sticker? that had to be the hybrid model civic. and even then most people dont get that good in real life. and yeah the ethanol will reduce gas mileage. its mostly for cleaner emissions not mpg.

 
Rep Power: 0

This is an interesting thread, but to everyone out there trying to check their mileage, you need to start with a full tank and get as close as you can to empty before refilling and calculating.

With a small tank to begin with on a civic, if you were to fill up with more than 1/4 of a tank left, you could easily be off by 10-20% on your numbers. Why? The temperature, gas pump (might turn off earlier or later), angle (take more or less gas) of the station etc. could easily allow the amount of gas your car takes to fill to vary enough to throw off your numbers. Better yet, keep track over a long period of time, not just part of one tank.

My Honda lawn mower gets 40 mows to the gallon (I really have a Honda mower).

 
Rep Power: 0

I got a solid 44 mpg with 3 adults in the car on a trip from CT to VA through PA countryside. This was in late September so it was warm weather but not hot, no a/c on, windows slightlyopen.

I set speedometer at 57 mph for all the highway driving. I average a solid 36mpg all the time, in all kinds of driving, here in Hartford County, CT.
I figured out consumption like Joe6680 did, from the pump and from the odometer.

I have to agree with "gearbox" about the 55mph speedlimit. If my Civic is running at around 1500 rpm at 55mph, it is just sipping gas. I love this car!!!!

 
Rep Power: 0

I've consistently gotten 42-46 mpg on the interstate for the past 7 years in my 03 EX. I average around 30 in the city. Love the mileage in the car. I think a lot of it has to do with the increased breathability from the Injen RD intake and GReddy EVO exhaust.

 
Rep Power: 0

Man i dunno why u guys are trying to get 40mpg a gallon.. I mean 38 is stright as hell... I am happy with anything thats over 30...

 
Rep Power: 0

Yeah, in Vancouver Canada they advertise them at 50mpg on the highway, and I think it was 35 city. Have not seen american ads, but here it is 50... Hybrids are advertised at 60mpg. Our 2001 was rated at 49, if i recall correctly, but is does sip the fuel a little more slowly, although it has never obtained 50 mpg, even on trip... These ratings to not appear to be realistic.

 
Rep Power: 0

Always go downhill, and draft behind 18 wheelers.

 
Rep Power: 0

I just picked up a 98 civic EX w/ 5spd with 110K on it. I just drive it back and forth to work, so it's mixed interstate and city. I've been getting a little better than 38mpg from it using the Odometer and fuel pump to calculate. I typically run 65-75 on the interstate. I use the Cruise and try to keep the shifts below 3000 as much as possible. I'm happy so far.
I am somewhat suprised at the gearing of the car, I run about 3000 rpm's at 65mph. I expected much less rpm than that.

 
Rep Power: 366

now you on a civic?!? geez! What happened to the miata?!?
Anyway, from one trip on an 01 LX automatic, Nashville TN to Aiken, SC and Wilson, NC, and finally back to TN, I got 44 MPG mostly at 80 MPH, while during my trip from TN to Canada, Close to Montreal, I got 42 MPG in the 01 EX Manual. Both were during the wnter, but the last one to Canada I passed the northeast, where all the speed limits are 65, so i went mostly at 70 to 75, tops, but i had all my moving stuff in the car, so it was kind of low in the suspension part, i guess...

 
Rep Power: 811

LX usually should get better mileage

 
Rep Power: 0

well i get an average of 40+mpg. and thats through the mountains.. i live in vancouver... so last week i went to vernon and averaged 38mpg with the aircon full blast and through the mountains... my car has 300000km on it and original o2 sensors... now once i get through the rockies past banff. my mileage usually goes up to arround 50+.. last roadtrip to saskatoon i averaged 52mpg from calgary to saskatoon... not bad... been this good since day one.. so what i do is fill up till i can see the gas in the spiggot, that way i know its full.. then i drive a set mileage and fill up again. then its just simple math... do this for the whole trip divide mileage by gallons and voila your mileage.. so calgary to medicine hat is 180 miles and that uses in my car 3.4 gallons of gas 180/3.4=53mpg. i have done this trip probably 20 times in the summer and get about the same mileage everytime..