2003 Accord gas Mileage

[pshivers]

Wanted to compare notes on gas Mileage for the 2003 Accord with other owners.

I've got 7,500 miles on my LX 4-cylinder so far. Around town (City Driving) my Accor was getting right at 19.7mpg.

The last few tank fulls have yielded a lower 16.8 mpg. Not sure why the drop in mileage. But I am taking the car into the dealer next week for the Transmission and breather tube "upgrade" that Honda sent me a notice about last week.

I took a little trip up to Seattle from Los Angeles last week with my wife and son. I was averaging 70-80 mph the whole trip and the Accord returned a consistant 31 mpg. I must admit the Accord has a longer range than my bladder does, (400-500 miles between required fill ups!).

Anyways I'm pleased with the highway mileage, just wondering if the Accord is performing the same as everyone else's...

I popped a K&N air filter in before the trip. Don't know if this will change the city mileage or not. I'll find out near the end of the week when I need to fill up again.

Paul Shivers

[Wolf]

My EX V6 is currently getting 30 mpg with about 95% of my driving being highway (70+ mph). When I drive it more around town (with a heavier foot :-) the mieage drops to around 25. Still that is only around 25% city driving.

One thing I noticed is the mileage jumped by around 5 mpg after 3000 miles. Guess it's breaking in.

[jbuffethed]

'03 I4 manual. i am getting over 25 city, and well over 30 highway on premium 93 octane. I am very impressed with it

[azbeda]

2003 I4 mt , I get 24-27 in the city ~30 on the freeway.

[princess]

I can't get very good gas mileage on anything I drive! I'm too lead footed! I feel lucky when I manage to adverage 20 mpg on my V6 Accord. Now my husband gets 25 around town & has had up to 35 on the freeway in the same car! Our driving styles are so different that we could have identical cars on the same stretch of road & he'd always have better mpg & we'd arrive at the same time! The trip computer makes us laugh when it drops when I'm behind the wheel!!

One interesting point is that the car learns it's driver. If he does too much of the driving then the next time I take off the tranny does it's shifting for his method & feels odd to me for a little while. Then she gets used to me again. It's just so weird to me that technology has come to the point that our cars get to know us!!:)

[feferic]

2003 EX V-6 -- get around 20-21 in town, 30-35 on interstate. I put in 87-oct. Have almost 12,300 miles on it -- milage is getting much better as I put more miles on.

[pshivers]

Update on my Accord's city gas mileage.

Took the Accord into the dealership for a severe rattle in the front end whenever I hit a sharp bump or drove over a "rough" road.

Turned out there was a loose bolt holding the lower wishbone to the strut. Not good! Dealer torqued the bolt to spec and checked all othe suspension components.

The rattle is gone and my first tank of gas since the repair indicates my "city" gas mileage is back up to 20 mpg from 16 mpg.

I'm not totally satisfied that the front end is in proper alighment still, so I will take the Accord to an independent shop to verify and adjust as needed. (I asked if the service manager how the alignment was, he stated it was fine, but nothing on the service ticket indicated the alignment was even checked). I feel that if the front end was not "tight" to begin with there is a good chance the alignment is not correct either.

Paul

[pshivers]

Princess,

I have to ask...

What is Zaino???

:confused:

[princess]

pshivers,

Zaino is a protectant for the paint. It's not a wax, in fact all the wax is removed by using "dawn" dishwashing soap first. I'ts a polymer coating. It shines better than any waxes we've tried over the past bizillion years! It goes on in steps, but is actually easier to apply than wax. Then you wash it with their shampoo. We put 3 coats on in one weekend, then about 6 months later touch up. It beads nice!

The drawback is that the shampoo needs to be removed off the windows before windexing them or it streaks. Alcohol is used for that. It's not hard, but VERY important! We didn't know it for the first year & blamed our window cleaners, towels.....now it goes smoothly.

It's purchased (& more info) online at Zaino bros. We discovered it through the Pilot forum.

[uvman]

I drive 90% highway. 100 miles a day I am driving a '03 4 cyl coupe and getting 34-35 mpg consistantly. Sometime I travel from Columbus ohio to Cleveland about 2.5 hours, the last two time I went I got 39 mpg.


Almost my accord is manual transmission.

-Dan

[pshivers]

Dan,

We don't hate you, 39 mpg is great!, but hate you no... We do feel a little sorry for you having to drive 100 miles per day, in Ohio no less :(

My "city" driving is 12 miles per day through "low" rent towns like San Marino and Pasadena Ca, (average home there is $1.5 mil) It's a tough drive, but someone has to do it! :D

Seriously though I think my slightly lower mileage is related to front end alignment. The first 2,000 miles I was getting 22-23 mpg on my 12 mile round trip. Then it started dropping slowly to 16 mpg untill I had iot fixed arounf the 8,000 mile mark.

Now that the "loose" suspension bolt has been found and corrected mileage is again past 20 mpg. I think it may go higher as I feel the front end is still not aligned properly. I'll know more after the shop takes a look at the alignment for me.

[uvman]

It is 50 miles each way, and I drive at off hours, so traffic is not bad at all. It is really a nice drive. Anyway.... Which bolt was loose in your suspension and how did you know. I think I may have issues with my rear passenger side suspension. A while ago it was making some rattling noises, and I could replicate them if I bumped my hip against the rear of the car to shake it. I was thinking something may be loose.

[pshivers]

It was one of the bolts holding the lower wishbone to the left front strut.

It rattled very noticable whenever I hit a sharp bump or drove over a rough road. I could not reproduce the sound by bouncing the car by hand.

One thing that was corrected that I thought was strange when I first started driving the Accord was a vagnuess I felt in the steering while at highway speeds. It was just vauge enough that I wasn't sure if there was a problem or if it was just the way the (new) car should feel. Steering is nice and tight now. Big difference now that it is fixed.

[princess]

I'm happy for you! I love stories with happy endings!!!:D

[according2me]

Princess...fess up. You know Zaino is the "elixir of youth" for your cars finish. It's more a way of life rather than a maintenance chore.

As for mileage, I'm no longer doing the 1500 miles/wk this year, but @107K miles I continue to average better than 35mpg on long interstate cruises @70mph with the AC on. In the city it's around 20ish.

[princess]

according2me, Well, yeah, and......

I wish it work on me!

The first coatings you do really get to know the surface of your car! That's how I found the hair under the paint on a back door. At least after that it's easy. We try to wash them both every Sunday afternoon. Kind of a ritual.

I will NEVER get great mileage. My little size 4 foot is just too heavy!!

Saw a cute frame: "0-60.....eventually"

[pshivers]

I gotta know... How do you keep your EX held back at only 70 mph?? :confused:

Everytime I get on a open highway my LX just naturally hits it gate at 80-85 mph! :D

[princess]

Great question! I want to know too!!

[according2me]

If you're speaking to me, mine is an '01 LX and the secret is cruise control, good tunes and having a laid back attitude.:)

[princess]

according2me,
Yep, you're who I was asking.... sorry for not being specific:blush:

Keeping them at 70 seems sooooo difficult! For some reason I didn't even think of the CC! Duh!
:scratch:

[MackDaddy]

I'm right around ~ 1700 miles total on the car. Just filled up last night....

325.3 miles / 14.13 gallons = 23.022 mpg :)

Not bad at all! This is my daily "back and forth to work" driving. Mixed city / highway. Most of it is stop and go traffic light hell. I've been using 93 octane Citgo fuel (used this for years, and had no problems whatsoever.)

Most of the time I'm using auto climate control too. This is using the A/C compressor a lot of the time. I'm impressed....

Jim

[BenjiBoy650]

I've been using cheap Costco 87 octane. That's what Honda recommends, that's what the motor is made to run on, and some of you might be surprised to find out that running a highway octane might make it perform worse. 87 octane burns easier than 93 (or 91 for Cali folks), so if the motor is made to run on 87 it might not handle 93 as well.

As for gas mileage, well....mine is a '99 I4 5-speed, I drive mostly city with an average 22MPG. At 110K I think that's not too shabby. When I first bought the car with 108K on it, I was just learning how to drive a stick, I got 18MPG on the first tank and my jaw dropped. Manual is supposed to get better mileage but my dad's I4 Camry was whooping me with 30MPG on the average with his lead foot 85MPH commute. Now I'm shifting under 2500RPM and I'm only getting 22MPG, still pretty embarassed about that lol.

By the way those of you with the manual tranny: What RPM do you shift at? I normally shift at 2000-2500RPM and it seems fine for me but everyone is passing me in the city haha. The reason I shift so low is because I hate seeing the passenger have that lunge forward when I get off the gas, especially since I sit as far back as the seat goes so I always see the passenger. I hate it, so I accel slow and shift early. My dad on the other hand...within 2 seconds of engaging first gear he's already into 2nd after shifting at 3000RPM :bawling: My poor car.

[raff]

i pump usually between 280 miles to 300 miles and it ends up being just about 10 gallons filled. so that's what 28 - 30 gallons? i try to keep the need for speed under control... cept sometimes it gets out of hand.

[Inspector1]

MY 02 V6 22-24 mpg general 26-27 All Hwy
Always use 87 oct. Always fill at same station... that way if I ever have a contamination problem, they will take care of it.

I1

[BenjiBoy650]

Anybody notice the last 1/2 of the tank goes much much faster than the first half? On my current tank, at half tank I was at 200 miles. I'm at slightly less than 1/4 tank left and 280 miles.

[MackDaddy]

Originally posted by BenjiBoy650
I've been using cheap Costco 87 octane. That's what Honda recommends, that's what the motor is made to run on, and some of you might be surprised to find out that running a highway octane might make it perform worse.

7th gen v6's are a bit different. VTEC.net dyno'd +10 HP & +10 ft/tq over stock using 91 octane fuel. It's a documented fact. 6th gen v6's don't, and it's a waste of money & does hurt engine performance. Too bad for them.... :D

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by MackDaddy
7th gen v6's are a bit different. VTEC.net dyno'd +10 HP & +10 ft/tq over stock using 91 octane fuel. It's a documented fact. 6th gen v6's don't, and it's a waste of money & does hurt engine performance. Too bad for them.... :D

If it's fact prooooove it!! :) Wanna bet that a 6th gen V6 will also get more power from 91? Dyno on 87, run through 2-3 tanks of 91/93, redyno. The computer takes a few tanks to adjust. The 7th gen computer instantly adjusts.

[MackDaddy]

Originally posted by BenjiBoy650
If it's fact prooooove it!! :) Wanna bet that a 6th gen V6 will also get more power from 91? Dyno on 87, run through 2-3 tanks of 91/93, redyno. The computer takes a few tanks to adjust. The 7th gen computer instantly adjusts.

Sorry dude, they don't. 6th gens do not benefit from high high octane fuel, period. They run fine on 87, and no better with premium (or 89 for that matter.) I'll not argue the fact on the 7th gen powerplant, it's a known fact all over the net.

[BenjiBoy650]

False info. First of all you don't want to prove it. If it's all over the net then it should be easy. Second of all, if that's the way it goes, it's known all over Honduh.com that the 6th gen V6's make more power with higher octane fuel.

Have a nice day :)

[MackDaddy]

Originally posted by BenjiBoy650
False info. First of all you don't want to prove it. If it's all over the net then it should be easy. Second of all, if that's the way it goes, it's known all over Honduh.com that the 6th gen V6's make more power with higher octane fuel.

Have a nice day :)

Whatever. I really don't feel the need to prove what's already known. If the 6th gens make more power on 91, I've never seen anyone dyno it. I could be wrong on the 98-02's, as I've never owned a v6 varient to dispell what I've read.

Have a nice day yourself....

[princess]

If you know me, you know I'll give 3 cents... not just 2.....

I own(ed) a V6 '02 Accord & now have an '03 V6 Accord. I still have the manuals on both.... which are identical in this area. Both need 86 or higher octane. The engines are different at the intake. It's been redesigned. So the '03 has a bit more HP than the '02 design. The '03 is also different because of the "drive by wire" throttle system. I'm unable to tell you which has more top end speed, but I KNOW the '03 has more "out of the hole" power.

Now for the octane issue. To me it's obvious that the slightly higher octane makes some difference. When buying our Pilot we looked at the MDX. They have the exact same drive train. The MDX reqires higher octane & with that has a pinch more HP. I figure some engineer was able to measure it. In our Pilot's manual it tells us to use the higher octane when we tow. Again, there must be some differnce, right? (MDX 265 hp @ 5800, 253 Torque @ 3500-5000 with 91 ........ Pilot 240 hp @ 5400, 242 Torque @ 4500 with 87.)

As I understand the combustion engine: the spark ignites a tiny flame to push the piston. If that little flame burns too short the piston doesn't make all the way. If the flame burns too long it can slam the piston. If 86+ is what your engine is made for then that SHOULD be what's required to get that piston moving at the right rate. Slightly increasing the octane logically will improve the amount of time the piston takes to move it. BUT if the burn time is longer than the engineers had planned for then it's wasted. So don't go out buying jet fuel! ;)

There's not a huge difference in the octane numbers... so I doubt if harm will happen to an engine using pump gas with "premium" fuel. Whatever you use, you should rotate every 5th tank to take advantage of the different cleaning additives each grade has.

We use premium in my Accord. The driving pattern is sporatic. For commutes he uses regular & sometimes medium grade in the Pilot & premium on trips. The owners manuals have a minimum, not a maximum.

Can the higher octane be "dyno'd"? Since most here for smogging don't test HP, I don't know. Someone can somewhere. If the MDX raises 25 HP using 91, I'd assume that most engines would increase HP too. Now there IS a 400 difference in the tested RPM, so I'm not inclined to think it's actually 25 hp!! The engine in the Pilot is the same technology as the '02 Accord.... not high tech intake yet.

End summary.... use what makes you & your car happy! As long as it's not "pinging" then that VTEC will change the timing to it's needs. Just remember you've got some money invested in that machine & those couple of pennies per gallon is a drop in the bucket!



:grouphug: Enjoy your Accord.....& life!!

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by princess
If you know me, you know I'll give 3 cents... not just 2.....

I own(ed) a V6 '02 Accord & now have an '03 V6 Accord. I still have the manuals on both.... which are identical in this area. Both need 86 or higher octane. The engines are different at the intake. It's been redesigned. So the '03 has a bit more HP than the '02 design. The '03 is also different because of the "drive by wire" throttle system. I'm unable to tell you which has more top end speed, but I KNOW the '03 has more "out of the hole" power.

Now for the octane issue. To me it's obvious that the slightly higher octane makes some difference. When buying our Pilot we looked at the MDX. They have the exact same drive train. The MDX reqires higher octane & with that has a pinch more HP. I figure some engineer was able to measure it. In our Pilot's manual it tells us to use the higher octane when we tow. Again, there must be some differnce, right? (MDX 265 hp @ 5800, 253 Torque @ 3500-5000 with 91 ........ Pilot 240 hp @ 5400, 242 Torque @ 4500 with 87.)

As I understand the combustion engine: the spark ignites a tiny flame to push the piston. If that little flame burns too short the piston doesn't make all the way. If the flame burns too long it can slam the piston. If 86+ is what your engine is made for then that SHOULD be what's required to get that piston moving at the right rate. Slightly increasing the octane logically will improve the amount of time the piston takes to move it. BUT if the burn time is longer than the engineers had planned for then it's wasted. So don't go out buying jet fuel! ;)

There's not a huge difference in the octane numbers... so I doubt if harm will happen to an engine using pump gas with "premium" fuel. Whatever you use, you should rotate every 5th tank to take advantage of the different cleaning additives each grade has.

We use premium in my Accord. The driving pattern is sporatic. For commutes he uses regular & sometimes medium grade in the Pilot & premium on trips. The owners manuals have a minimum, not a maximum.

Can the higher octane be "dyno'd"? Since most here for smogging don't test HP, I don't know. Someone can somewhere. If the MDX raises 25 HP using 91, I'd assume that most engines would increase HP too. Now there IS a 400 difference in the tested RPM, so I'm not inclined to think it's actually 25 hp!! The engine in the Pilot is the same technology as the '02 Accord.... not high tech intake yet.

End summary.... use what makes you & your car happy! As long as it's not "pinging" then that VTEC will change the timing to it's needs. Just remember you've got some money invested in that machine & those couple of pennies per gallon is a drop in the bucket!



:grouphug: Enjoy your Accord.....& life!!

The MDX and Pilot use a 3.5 liter engine that needs a bigger spark. If you take notice, the torque on the Pilot (242 lb-ft) and the MDX (253 lb-ft or thereabouts), it's a lot higher than the Accord's 212 lb-ft. So, there is a different in "power," because horsepower is simply a formula, not a measurement actually. Therefore, more power = bigger bang = higher octane. Also, my guess about the Pilot needing higher octane when you tow is because of higher engine/oil temps, thus there could be premature combustion.

You could dyno the difference between octane's by running different fuel's at the time of dyno. As for the "high-tech intake" I don't think drive by wire gains any HP. If anything it's just annoying due to slow response...in some drive by wire cars I've driven you could practically stab the accelerator in neutral and have your foot completely off the gas before it even started to rev. The response on the Accord is so instant, it's beautiful :)

[princess]

The new intake IS where the biggest difference is between the the '02 & '03 Accords. The drive by wire throttle is pretty instant here! This was part of the reason I traded my '02. I LOVE the changes!

I was just using the Pilot & MDX as an example of how octane CAN make a difference in the same engine. Later on they'll change the intake on the Pilots too & we'll be trading that too!

Anyway..... The octane used is a personal decision. Weighing the owners expectations & the cost. If someone's happy with what they have, why change it? Although my brain doesn't work that way, many are thrilled to save money & the tiny, possibly unnoticable power difference isn't worth it.:D

[BenjiBoy650]

Why not just take the Pilot and trade for a new Odyssey or MDX....I would like driving those a lot better if I could afford it. Sounds like you don't have much of a money problem if you change cars this often :)

[princess]

The reason we didn't buy the MDX was the seats, mostly. They rears are 40/60 & 50/50. Which means hauling with some seats down is messed up. The Pilot has 40/60 on both. So a Home Depot run with a grandkid doesn't intrude. We also wanted a Truck looking SUV. The MDX is a bit too pretty. Same drive train. We certainly aren't rolling in it! We went 20 years between new cars. Until the '02 Accord. Now we need to make sure we keep upgrading to new ones so we can retire with want we want. At that point we probably won't be trading in again for quite a while. Until then we plan to trade in when the new body comes out. That is unless I can't pry him away from that Pilot. He LOVES it!! :)

As far as the Oddy.... I don't do vans! Seriously, think about it.... can you imagine me driving a van??? :rolleyes:

[Inspector1]

Originally posted by BenjiBoy650
Therefore, more power = bigger bang = higher octane. [/B]

Hmmm..

3000HP=nitro methane=75octane...

I haven't checked but you may find compression ratio of 3.5 pilot may be different from 3.5 MDX . Now that will make a difference.

Just a little food for thought.
I1:)

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by princess
The reason we didn't buy the MDX was the seats, mostly. They rears are 40/60 & 50/50. Which means hauling with some seats down is messed up. The Pilot has 40/60 on both. So a Home Depot run with a grandkid doesn't intrude. We also wanted a Truck looking SUV. The MDX is a bit too pretty. Same drive train. We certainly aren't rolling in it! We went 20 years between new cars. Until the '02 Accord. Now we need to make sure we keep upgrading to new ones so we can retire with want we want. At that point we probably won't be trading in again for quite a while. Until then we plan to trade in when the new body comes out. That is unless I can't pry him away from that Pilot. He LOVES it!! :)

As far as the Oddy.... I don't do vans! Seriously, think about it.... can you imagine me driving a van??? :rolleyes:

I'm only 16 and I'd rather be driving an Odyssey than my Accord...:confused: Also the difference between the rear seat is probably due to seating configurations. MDX is a 7 seater, Pilot is an 8 seater (I think).

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by Inspector1
Hmmm..

3000HP=nitro methane=75octane...

I haven't checked but you may find compression ratio of 3.5 pilot may be different from 3.5 MDX . Now that will make a difference.

Just a little food for thought.
I1:)

That's different, nitrometh is more volatile. Nitro methane rules though, used to run it thru my RC....that was a stupid purchase damn $400 plus another $300 in repairs/equipment...could have saved that for my Accord :(

[Inspector1]

Nitro meth is in a different catagory... It doesn't burn it Explodes!!
And I just checked compression ratio's they're the same it looks like fuel management is different and like princess said diff intake set up , makes sense MORE FUEL+MORE AIR= MORE POWER
erh ehr ehr .. Octane will only Increase power if engine is set up to use it.....

I1

[princess]

Both are 10.0:1

Yes, the MDX only seats 7. Another plus on the Pilot's side.

Why in the world would you want to drive an Oddy??:scratch:

RC fuel? Now there's an idea!:joker:

[BenjiBoy650]

Ody's rule! Don't hear many teenagers saying they wanna drive a van but forget them, I want one. If only they weren't so damn expensive....

[raff]

Originally posted by MackDaddy
7th gen v6's are a bit different. VTEC.net dyno'd +10 HP & +10 ft/tq over stock using 91 octane fuel. It's a documented fact. 6th gen v6's don't, and it's a waste of money & does hurt engine performance. Too bad for them.... :D

i could care less about an extra +10hp etc although i use 91 octane. either way that prelude the other day was lookin at my red V6 badge. :)

[princess]

a RED V6 badge?? :confused:

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by princess
a RED V6 badge?? :confused:

03 AV6 6-speed's have a red V6 badge standard.

[princess]

Oh, our V6's have been automatics. Never noticed the sticks were different. I guess I'll pay attention & see how many I spot. :)

[raff]

Originally posted by BenjiBoy650
03 AV6 6-speed's have a red V6 badge standard.

bingo...

[princess]

got it!:rolleyes:

[pshivers]

Update on my 2003 Accord LX I4 Automatic.

Took a trip from Los Angeles to a little town called Quitaque, Texas (100 miles southeast of Amarillo) for my Dad's 80th Birthday celebration this past November.

The Accord varied from 30 mpg to 35 mpg the entire trip with the overall average being 33 mpg (over 2,500 mile round trip).

It is really nice knowing that you can go over 500 miles between fuel stops and still not have the "Low Fuel" light come on.

I guess my mileage could have been better but I was driving with a full trunk of luggage for 4 adult sized people on a week long trip.

I pretty much kept the speedometer pegged at 83 mph the whole way. My GPS calcualted that my average speed for the whole trip (while moving) was 70 mph. ( I use a Garmin StreetPilot III GPS).

Mileage back and forth to work is sticking between 20-22 mpg.

What I find intresting is this Accord does on the average as well as my 1980 Honda CB900C Touring bike on gas but the bike only weighs 800 lbs and carries only me!

The faster I go on the bike the worse the mileage gets. At 65 mph I get 35-37mpg, at 80 mph the bike would be doing good to get 30 mpg... Go Figure! On top of all that the the Accord has nearly double the horsepower of the bike (90 vs 160).

Yep, This Accord is a keeper! :D

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by pshivers
Update on my 2003 Accord LX I4 Automatic.

Took a trip from Los Angeles to a little town called Quitaque, Texas (100 miles southeast of Amarillo) for my Dad's 80th Birthday celebration this past November.

The Accord varied from 30 mpg to 35 mpg the entire trip with the overall average being 33 mpg (over 2,500 mile round trip).

It is really nice knowing that you can go over 500 miles between fuel stops and still not have the "Low Fuel" light come on.

I guess my mileage could have been better but I was driving with a full trunk of luggage for 4 adult sized people on a week long trip.

I pretty much kept the speedometer pegged at 83 mph the whole way. My GPS calcualted that my average speed for the whole trip (while moving) was 70 mph. ( I use a Garmin StreetPilot III GPS).

Mileage back and forth to work is sticking between 20-22 mpg.

What I find intresting is this Accord does on the average as well as my 1980 Honda CB900C Touring bike on gas but the bike only weighs 800 lbs and carries only me!

The faster I go on the bike the worse the mileage gets. At 65 mph I get 35-37mpg, at 80 mph the bike would be doing good to get 30 mpg... Go Figure! On top of all that the the Accord has nearly double the horsepower of the bike (90 vs 160).

Yep, This Accord is a keeper! :D

That kind of mileage is great, about up to par with the EPA estimates. Not bad!

[princess]

That's what we've been getting (32) in ours lately.... well, on the freeway....when I"m not the one driving!

Interesting that the V6 is comparible to the I4 in this area. I honestly wouldn't have "thunk" it!

We won't discuss what mileage I get...:rolleyes:

[pshivers]

That's the thing, the only real reason I went with the 4-banger was better fuel economy! As it turns out the SIX does nearly as well if not the same, plus I would have 80 more ponies to make me smile! (Hmmmm, keeping that in mind my mileage in a SIX may not be as good! :eek: )

Well at least I'm saving the cost of two spark plugs every 105,000 miles! What's that? About $0.0001523 per mile savings? :D

[BenjiBoy650]

Don't forget how much it costs to replace a timing belt in a V6, since it's a V-configuration versus the Inline 4.

I suspect the V6 can pull about the same mileage for a few reasons. First, probably because the driver of the V6 doesn't average 70MPH. Also, the V6 has more power, so it probably can make do with less revs. Plus, the 5-speed tranny makes a huge difference. And of course you know there's just the thing about how you had 4 adults a trunk full of luggage.

[princess]

If this site would post my pictures I could prove it! The adverage for our last tank was 31.5 It was higher, until we got home & I did some errands......

I don't really have any theories about why the 4's & 6's are so close to the same on the freeway mpg.

V6 drivers don't adverage 70? Sure they do.....in the 45 zones!

[raff]

hMmmM average MPG... haha during break in i got like 28 MPG doing about half city and half hwy driving... after break in i range in the 20-22 MPG (i gotta learn to keep of the gas :D)... as for why v6's and i4's have similar hwy gas milage i think it's because the i4's are 4speed automatics... at 70mph their revs are a little higher as if you were in a v6 (which is a 5speed automatic or a 6spd manual) at 70mph yours revs would be lower... when your revs are higher obviously your car is gulpin the gas faster... just for kicks try this... on the way to work on the hwy go like 80mph for a tank of gas and calculate the average MPG when u fill up then on another tank do the same goin exactly the speed limit... i bet it'll make a difference, even if only by a few MPG....

[pshivers]

The 2003-2004 Accord 4-banger is a 5-speed automatic and as far as timing belts go, Honda got rid of those also and went back to good ol long lasting cam chains in 2003...

I'm trying to remember exactly but I believe I'm turning 2,000 rpm at 65 mph, I'll have to verify the exact number, but it is incredibly low!

Engineering
Engine Type: In-Line 4-Cylinder
Engine Block/Cylinder Head: Aluminum-Alloy
Displacement (cc): 2354
Horsepower @ rpm (SAE net): 160 @ 5500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 161 @ 4500
Bore and Stroke (mm): 87.0 x 99.0
Compression Ratio: 9.7 : 1
Valve Train: 16-Valve DOHC i-VTEC®
Multi-Point Fuel Injection
Front-Wheel Drive
Emissions Rating (CARB / Federal): LEV-II SULEV** / Tier 2, Bin-5
Direct Ignition System with Immobilizer
Tune-Up Interval*: 110,000 Miles

Transmission
5-speed Manual Transmission
5-speed Automatic Transmission (available)
Ratios (:1)
1st - 3.267
2nd - 1.769
3rd - 1.147
4th - 0.872
5th - 0.659
Reverse - 3.583
Final Drive - 4.389
Ratios (:1)
1st - 2.652
2nd - 1.517
3rd - 1.037
4th - 0.738
5th - 0.566
Reverse - 2.000
Final Drive - 4.438

[BenjiBoy650]

Originally posted by pshivers
The 2003-2004 Accord 4-banger is a 5-speed automatic and as far as timing belts go, Honda got rid of those also and went back to good ol long lasting cam chains in 2003...


Chain or belt, still need to be replaced.

[CatchMe]

03 Accord EX V-6 Coupe, AT. 28.9 MPG avg. Mainly highway miles, 87 octane.
The motor is broken in nicely now at 21000 miles.

[raff]

Originally posted by pshivers
The 2003-2004 Accord 4-banger is a 5-speed automatic and as far as timing belts go, Honda got rid of those also and went back to good ol long lasting cam chains in 2003...


:p thanks for clearing that up, haha i didn't know the new 4-banger accords were also 5speed...