Car Forum / Honda Cars / August 2006
Civic Hybrid Mileage
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Russell Lombardo - 29 Jul 2006 06:32 GMT We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they realistic?
Any owners input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
- Russ
gerald musselman - 29 Jul 2006 19:27 GMT AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed.
>We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the >real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they realistic? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > - Russ Grumpy AuContraire - 29 Jul 2006 20:13 GMT 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
> AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, > (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > > > - Russ Michael Pardee - 29 Jul 2006 20:43 GMT > 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. 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
Elmo P. Shagnasty - 29 Jul 2006 21:43 GMT > AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, > (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed. 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.
Body Roll - 30 Jul 2006 00:48 GMT > > AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, > > (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > 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.
Russell Lombardo - 30 Jul 2006 00:58 GMT 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 in Santa Barbara
On 07/29/2006 4:48 PM, in article 1154216922.676263.243230@s13g2000cwa.googlegroups.com, "Body Roll" <aglyport@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, >>> (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Don't dispair. Give it some time. They will be where the pogo whips > are. TomP - 30 Jul 2006 15:50 GMT > 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 in Santa Barbara 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: www.fueleconomy.gov
-- Tp,
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No Lawsuit Ever Fixed A Moron...
Joe LaVigne - 31 Jul 2006 10:30 GMT > 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. 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... ;-)
 Signature Joseph M. LaVigne jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com http://www.thelavignefamily.us/MyPipePages/ - 7/31/2006 5:29:17 AM Tobacconist Brick and Mortar Database: http://bam.tobaccocellar.org/
Every man dies. Not every man really lives. --William Wallace From the movie Braveheart
Michael Pardee - 30 Jul 2006 07:43 GMT >> 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. 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
Matt Ion - 30 Jul 2006 10:31 GMT >>>I don't get those that buy hybrids. I really don't. >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > but the degree of hybridization the Civic uses is very small indeed. The > Accord "hybrid" is more ridiculous. 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.
Elmo P. Shagnasty - 30 Jul 2006 12:37 GMT > In > the end, it will depend a lot of how you drive and what type of driving you > do. 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?
Michael Pardee - 30 Jul 2006 14:03 GMT >> In >> the end, it will depend a lot of how you drive and what type of driving [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > 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
Art - 07 Aug 2006 15:51 GMT Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy discount on one. Plus the tax rebate. On a 300M she used to get 20 mpg.
>>> I don't get those that buy hybrids. I really don't. >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Mike John Horner - 07 Aug 2006 18:19 GMT > Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go > commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy > discount on one. Plus the tax rebate. On a 300M she used to get 20 mpg. That is a pretty good improvement over the stock V-6 Accord. Ours gets around 20 mpg in that sort of driving.
Honda missed the boat on the hybrid Accord. They should have gone more maximum fuel economy by mating it with a small 4 cylinder engine instead of going for very high performance.
John
Gordon McGrew - 08 Aug 2006 06:19 GMT >> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >John I think the real sad part is that now there is prejudice that a performance hybrid is a bad idea. I think a hybrid boost to a Civic Si could be a real improvement - a much better match than the V6.
Joe LaVigne - 08 Aug 2006 08:37 GMT >>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > performance hybrid is a bad idea. I think a hybrid boost to a Civic > Si could be a real improvement - a much better match than the V6. What V6?
 Signature Joseph M. LaVigne jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com http://www.thelavignefamily.us/MyPipePages/ - 8/8/2006 3:37:32 AM Tobacconist Brick and Mortar Database: http://bam.tobaccocellar.org/
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." -Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria
Gordon McGrew - 09 Aug 2006 06:23 GMT >>>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > >What V6? in the Accord
Joe LaVigne - 09 Aug 2006 07:08 GMT >>>>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>>>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > in the Accord Ahhh. I read your statement as the V6 in the Si which doesn't have one... ;-)
Really, I like the Si just as it is now. Hybrid doesn't really sound like the way to go. At least not yet.
 Signature Joseph M. LaVigne jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com http://www.thelavignefamily.us/MyPipePages/ - 8/9/2006 2:07:18 AM Tobacconist Brick and Mortar Database: http://bam.tobaccocellar.org/
"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes...Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." -Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria
Gordon McGrew - 10 Aug 2006 02:00 GMT >>>>>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>>>>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] >Really, I like the Si just as it is now. Hybrid doesn't really sound like >the way to go. At least not yet. It isn't a no brainer, but here is my thinking. The high revving 4 is a great performer, but it could use a little help off the line. The electric motor is strongest at low rpm. the two complement each other. The high performance engine is not as thrifty as the mainstream Honda engines so the gain in mpg might produce greater savings in the Si than in the already efficient Civic and the fuel you save is premium. If you think of it as a performance enhancement that pays for itself, it could be attractive to the enthusiast buyer. It could have even been an Acura version, although Honda has indicated that they don't want to sell to sell Integra-class Acuras anymore. OK, fine
Personally, the Si is the first Honda car that makes me want to swap my '94 GS-R. Maybe in a couple years...
Joe LaVigne - 11 Aug 2006 06:33 GMT >>>>>>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>>>>>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] > Personally, the Si is the first Honda car that makes me want to swap > my '94 GS-R. Maybe in a couple years... I love mine, and can see what you're saying, but the launch of the Si is pretty snappy to begin with. 0-60 in 6.7 and a hard time keeping the tires from chirping when entering first and second.
I have been playing with more efficient driving. Shifting at 3000-3500 for most conditions, and I am still finding myself outpacing the cars in front of me, and having to slow down a little... ;-)
It is a great car, IMO. And it gets a lot of looks and comments, too. Had a WWII vet walk up to the car the other day and ask me about the car. Said that it was the first Japanese car he'd ever seen that would make him consider buying it. That's a haughty compliment, coming from a vet of the Japanese theater, and a pretty old guy to boot... ;-)
But I do agree that a high performance hybrid would be nice to see. If I could save fuel AND have the performance, it would be a definite plus.
 Signature Joseph M. LaVigne jlavigne@hits-buffalo.com http://www.thelavignefamily.us/MyPipePages/ - 8/11/2006 1:29:15 AM Tobacconist Brick and Mortar Database: http://bam.tobaccocellar.org/
The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.
-- Albert Einstein
CC - 11 Aug 2006 12:07 GMT The Hybrid Accord is a performance Hybrid. Remember that the electric motor, although only a 15 HP boost over the top of the line V6 standard Accord, gets its max torque at very low RPM, so it smooths the power band. I had a 2003 Civic Hybrid and several co-workers have the Prius. The 2005 Accord Hybrid, as an all around town and trip car, is the better choice for me.
It has much better performance than my old 302 V8 Comet GT with an overall MPG of 31 for both trip and town with 18,000 miles in 1 year of ownership. I love it.
CC..
>>>>>>>> Our Accord hybrid gets about 27 mpg in my wife's mostly stop and a little go >>>>>>>> commute to work. Since they are not selling well you can get a healthy [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] >But I do agree that a high performance hybrid would be nice to see. If I >could save fuel AND have the performance, it would be a definite plus. Grumpy AuContraire - 30 Jul 2006 03:56 GMT > > AFter 8,000 miles and 2 years, we get 34 winter, 31 summer in town, > > (air conditioner), 40 on the road. Extremely disappointed. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > I don't get those that buy hybrids. I really don't. ...and you can add the "American way" to plunge into debt to but the latest econobox for "inflated" mileage figures and high payments.
<g>
JT
(No payments, no big worries, and a minimum of dumbed down gadgets..)
Richard Edwards - 30 Jul 2006 02:15 GMT > We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the > real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > - Russ 46-48 mpg overall in a mixed small-town/rural/interstate highway setting. No complaints with that from me.
Richard
gerald musselman - 30 Jul 2006 18:56 GMT test
>> We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the >> real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Richard Qazy Guy - 02 Aug 2006 00:21 GMT 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
> We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the > real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they realistic? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > - Russ VolMan - 03 Aug 2006 17:26 GMT > 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 [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > > > - Russ 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
CC - 06 Aug 2006 11:12 GMT 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..
>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 [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] >> >> - Russ Art - 07 Aug 2006 15:48 GMT Don't confuse the 06 Civic hybrid with the earlier model. The 06 is much improved though the Prius still does better.
> We are considering the new Civic Hybrid and are interested in the the > real-world mileage. The numbers seem pretty good, but are they realistic? [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > - Russ
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