Civic Hybrid Mileage

AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed.

Hybrids are hype and bluster and little substance.

My old '83 Civic is getting 35 in town and around 45 mpg on the highway... Low insurance, no payments and since it has faded paint, it ain't high on the "to steal" list.

Eventually, an electric will come along that will have a range of over

400 miles on a single one hour charge. When that happens, the gasoline powered cars will go into a steep decline...

JT

gerald musselman wrote:

OTOH, our Toyota hybrid gets mid-40s around town with my lead-footed wife using the A/C heavily. It gets 45-55 on the highway, depending on the load and speed. If we got 30s around town I would start troubleshooting. Something would have to be very wrong to do that badly.

Look for better performance (both acceleration and economy) from hybrids in the future. The basic advantage, running the engine inefficiently less of the time, has a lot of room for improvement.

Mike

What were you expecting?

What did Honda say the mileage would be?

Shoot, I get 24 in town and 28 on the highway in my 94 Lexus with 166K miles on the clock.

I don't get those that buy hybrids. I really don't.

Don't dispair. Give it some time. They will be where the pogo whips are.

Thanks for the comments. We may just save some money and purchase a regular Civic. I think the mileage is mid-30s on that one.

Thanks again,

- Russ >

Russell Lombardo wrote in news:C0F0410C.18E5D% snipped-for-privacy@cox.net:

46-48 mpg overall in a mixed small-town/rural/interstate highway setting. No complaints with that from me.

Richard

...and you can add the "American way" to plunge into debt to but the latest econobox for "inflated" mileage figures and high payments.

JT

(No payments, no big worries, and a minimum of dumbed down gadgets..)

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and Honda's current offerings tend to support your view.

I have been excited about hybrids since I heard of the concept 2 decades ago. They are the solution to the most vexing engineering problem in conventional power trains: efficient throttling. After all, using 10 or 20 horsepower from a 200 hp engine on a continuing basis is a farce. My own prediction is that hybrids will be at least as pervasive in 20 years as fuel injection is now compared to the much simpler carburetion. The potential benefits of the change are vastly greater for hybridization than they were for electronic fuel injection. Honda's IMA theoretically has the capability, but the degree of hybridization the Civic uses is very small indeed. The Accord "hybrid" is more ridiculous.

Mike

Obviously "your mileage may vary" applies here in more ways than one. I know people who've seen very little improvement in their fuel enconomy with hybrids vs. standard cars... I know of others who've seen SIGNIFICANT improvements. In the end, it will depend a lot of how you drive and what type of driving you do.

Let's not forget though, the other main benefit of hybrids is significantly lower emissions... which are important to some people who are concerned about being "green". And of course, are partially to blame for potentially inflated mileage figures, which in some jurisdictions are based on simply measuring the emissions produced.

You mean like the Prius idiots I follow who are apparently so busy driving their video game and watching the fancy power screen that they don't realize that it's rush hour outside and they're impeding hordes of traffic as they drive very carefully to make the video game screen go all green?

You've been watching them do that when you should be watching the road? I assumed they were reading magazines like everybody else. ;-)

Traffic conditions and short trips are the big determinants of fuel economy with any car, and it really shows up with hybrids. 1 mile trips are a killer of fuel economy with anything on the market today except electric cars. Conventional cars drink gas with mild traffic congestion while the Prius (dunno about the HCH) thrives on it. The Prius suffers in heavy congestion; if you are averaging less than 20 mph you can expect the climate control to take a larger part of your fuel budget, whether heating or cooling.

Mike

I'm looking at my son's fuel logs, for his '06 Civic Coupe EX Auto/trans. The car is averaging 21 to 23 in town (L.A.) and 31 highway (road trip all highway driving.) Those are "real world numbers." The car now has 2k miles on the clock.

F.E. is what it is.

Here's what Honda has to say about Fuel Economy:

Honda's Tech Line fields many questions on fuel economy, including why some vehicles don't get the fuel mileage estimates shown on the fuel economy label (part of the Monroney label that's on every new car and truck).

Question: Why can't I get the City and Highway mpg estimates shown on the label?

Answer: The mileage estimates on the label reflect the average mpg attained by similar vehicles in a model line under controlled laboratory conditions and are not the result of an actual road test. And remember, as stated on the fuel economy label: "Actual mileage will vary with options, driving conditions, driving habits, and vehicle's condition."

Question: Just how are the EPA mileage estimates made anyway?

Answer: Test vehicles are run by professional drivers on a treadmill-like device that easures exhaust emissions and fuel usage. During the test, the vehicle's headlights, A/C, heater, audio unit, and all accessories are turned off. Upshifts on M/T vehicles are typically made at 15 mph (1st to 2nd gear), 28 mph (2nd to 3rd gear), 41 mph (3rd to 4th gear), and 52 mph (4th to 5th gear). The City portion of the test simulates a 7.5 mile stop-and-go trip with an average speed of 20 mph. The trip takes 23 minutes, has 18 stops, and keeps the engine idling about 18 percent of the time to simulate rush hour traffic delays. The Highway portion of the test simulates a 10-mile drive with speeds averaging

48 mph. It's run from a hot start in a mix of rural and interstate driving conditions. There are no stops, and there's not much idling time. When both test results are known, the City mpg is lowered by 10 percent, and the Highway mpg is lowered by 22 percent; this makes the results closer to real worldls fuel consumption.

Question: How do I calculate mpg?

Answer: You divide the miles driven by the number of gallons of fuel that you used.

Question: How can I increase my vehicle's mpg?

Answer: To increase your vehicle's mpg, do this: . As often as possible, accelerate slowly and smoothly, keep your engine speed below 3,000 rpm, and lower your road speed. . Keep your tires inflated to the specs listed on the doorjamb sticker. . Keep your vehicle in top condition by following the maintainance schedule listed in your owner's manual and by using the recommended engine oil.

Question: Where can I get more info on fuel economy?

Answer: You can get a free copy of the Model Year 2001 Fuel Economy Guide by any of these means: Mail: National Alternative Fuels Hotline 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031-1207 Phone: 800-423-1363 Internet:

-- Tp,

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test

Drove about 500 Miles (on the highway) this weekend, with an 06 Civic Siand averaged about 31MPG. I would have expected the EX Auto to do a little better with the smaller engine and all. Makes me feel better... ;-)

I drive 40 miles to work from Germantown, MD to Herndon, VA, using MD-27, I-270, I-495, Dulles Toll Road, and about 3 miles of surface streets. I have a Honda 2005 Civic Hybrid Standard Shift.

As computer by the odometer MPG guage, I have gotten just over 50mph each way. However, to do that I have to

[1] let cruise control do most of the driving [2] set speed to the lower 60s [3] not use A/C.

My long term average when I drive myself and cuise near 80 as well as drive in the suburbs is 45mph overall.

JIM

Russell Lombardo wrote:

EPA Mileage is calculated on computer results simulating driving conditions. No A/C, no fast stops or starts, and average speed of 40 mph. caveat emptor

My 2003 Civic Automatic Hybrid was similar with the expected 15% less MPG for the Auto. Wife could not abide the slipping clutch feel of the CVT, lack of accelleration, and small car feel on the highway. The

2006 upsizing would have solved some of that., but... last year -

I went to a 2005 Accord automatic Hybrid w/Navigator and am in love with it. Performance using a 5 speed automatic and overall 31 mpg with 29-30 town and 37 (65 mph) 34 (85 mph) highway. I let the cruise do most of the driving, but always have the A/C on.

But at today's cost penalty it is realistically all for "status". I work with military hybrids and just decided I wanted to drive one. CC..

Don't confuse the 06 Civic hybrid with the earlier model. The 06 is much improved though the Prius still does better.