mpg?

[rocketman]

So I've been playing with our '95 Civic for the last week or so . . . little body work, tune-up, screwing around with stuff that needed attention. I took my daughter to her new university yesterday . . . 2 miles from my house to the interstate . . . 85 miles on the interstate . . . about a mile off the interstate to the university. I filled-up until the "click" at the gas station by my house, re-filled it on my way home. No A/C, cruise control on the interstate. 60 mph, 2500 rpm. I used 3.5 gallons . . . 50 mpg! Can't hardly believe it. What is even more unbelievable is that Honda decided to change the little Civic into what it is today (we also own a 2010 Civic). Our 2010 barely ets 30 mpg on the highway. What's your best mpg . . . Civic or Accord? How 'bout a del Sol? Rocketman

[Dr_Snooz]

My best is 35.6 mpg. Which isn't very good.

Like you, I miss the old, snappy-handling, gutless wonder Hondas that got 40+ MPG. Honda was getting beat up in the horsepower wars around 1989. The Camry had a V6 and everyone's 0-60 times were falling like stones. It was either keep up with the pack or lose market share. In Honda's defense, their MPGs still tend to remain near the high end of all new cars.

[2oodoor]

I am going to assume that is a five speed, D15 ? using 13 inch wheels? I wish I still had my 94 these days...

[DBMaster]

If Snooz got 35.6 out of his Accord that is awesome. That was the absolute max I ever got. Now, max is about 31-32 due to the reformulated gas and the fact that you need to drive about 75+ on open interstate highways around here to keep from being blown into the ditch.

If I'm not mistaken '97 was the first year for the Accord V6. Snooz is dead-on about Honda finally giving in to the competition. Too bad.

[TotaledTL]

35.6 mpg sounds pretty good to me- why do you think it isn't very good- did you once get better mileage w/ the same car or are you comparing it to an older Honda?

Aren't 4 cylinder versions still available-? Are you saying they also had to up the pwr. of those to keep up w/ the Joneses so gas mileage suffered?

[rocketman]

The 50 mpg with our little '95 Civic is optimal . . . just tuned-up (new plugs, cap, wires, rotor, oil change 5W30, tranny fluid change, cleaned K & N air filter, 35 psi in 14 inch tires), 95% highway, cruise on most of the time at 60 mph. Most of the time we get only about 40. But this little Civic has 201,000 miles on her. Auto transmission. The best I've ever done with my '89 Accord (which has 532,000 miles on it) is about 36. I'm going to do the same experiment next week with it when I make the same trip. Rocketman

[TotaledTL]

532,000 mi.- wow! How many motors/trannies, etc. has it been through?

[rocketman]

I bought it new in August 1989 . . . original motor and transmission. Only time the engine was opened up was for valve stem seals and valve lash check/adjustment. Rocketman

[DBMaster]

I bought it new in August 1989 . . . original motor and transmission. Only time the engine was opened up was for valve stem seals and valve lash check/adjustment. Rocketman

Wow! Impressive. I had the original transmission go out at 305,000 miles. Still, I considered that pretty good and spent some hefty bucks to get a reman from a company that only rebuilds Honda and Acura transaxles.

[Dr_Snooz]

35.6 mpg sounds pretty good to me- why do you think it isn't very good- did you once get better mileage w/ the same car or are you comparing it to an older Honda?

Well, I was comparing my mileage to Rocketman's 50 mpg.

Aren't 4 cylinder versions still available-? Are you saying they also had to up the pwr. of those to keep up w/ the Joneses so gas mileage suffered?

Honda's mpgs in the '90s declined quite badly. In the '80s, pretty much every Honda got 30+. The Prelude didn't, but it was the exception. The CRXs got high 30s to low 40s. In the '90s, it seemed like Honda's whole line up dipped down into the 20s. My 4g Accord did well to get 25. The Del Sol was about the only model that got into the 30s. In addition, they started focusing more on big, heavy, soccer mom cars like the Pilot and Odyssey. They were still making fuel efficient cars, but that efficiency was relative to all the SUVs that people were buying. The pendulum has swung the other way now, so Honda is again making 40 (and apparently 50) mpg cars. Thank God.

[rocketman]

I've been looking for a decent del Sol for a few years , , , our '95 Civic is so easy to work on and runs so well that I'd love to have a '95 del Sol. Most of them either have the crap beat out of them or the owner wants way too much $$. Still lookin tho. Rocketman

[2oodoor]

with the six speed transmissions, auto or manual, now that MPG has gone up a good bit !

[charliekuney]

After doing the paperwork, 33.9mpg (mixed). Woot!