I have 2008 4-cyl EX. I bought it as a demo with 8K miles and it currently has 11,000. I've been experiencing low fuel economy. My first tank of gas, which was about 60/40 city and hwy, I got about 320 miles on the tank and 19MPG. The more hwy driving I do, the economy is slightly better. Around 22-24 MPG. The best I've had, which was pure hwy, was 28MPG. This is nothing close to the EPA standards.

Some issues that I've noticed with the car that I believe may be attributing to the low economy is due to the transmission and the shifting. I've noticed erratic shifting while I'm driving where the car will constantly downshift if I'm coasting which increases the RPMS or if I’m accelerating, it will sit in a low gear instead of up shifting to a higher gear.

The dealership said that this is normal and that it depends on the weather and gas. They also mentioned I should expect to see better economy around the 10-15k mile mark.

Has anyone experienced this? Any reccomendations on how to deal with it?

sounds normal =/
08 i4 fuel economy ****s.

We have to remember the EPA numbers are under IDEAL condition and we HUMANS cannot easily duplicate. Also, our perception of the ratio of local and highway driving is not all that accurate.

whoa that's not right. I get 420+ miles to a tank 50/50 city and hwy, try changing the air filter

What type of economy is everyone experiencing?

That seems low, but unless it's throwing a CEL code, there's not much the dealership will be able or willing to do. Check the air filter like thuan said, but unless you drive through sandstorms regularly, I doubt it's that bad with only 11k miles.

What kind of car(s) are you used to driving? Honda automatics are a little different than most other manufacturers' I've driven. They tend to downshift sooner down steep grades for engine braking (Grade Logic) and they can be a little more aggressive about staying in lower gears for better acceleration. They used to shift quite a bit faster/harder, too, but they seemed to have smoothed the shifts out a bit recently.

I average 28-30mpg with 70/30 hwy/city, so your Accord should be capable of better mileage. I check for proper tire inflation regularly and I'm not very aggressive with the throttle, which helps. But I did notice a slight but noticeable improvement in mileage right around 15k, so maybe these K-series motors need a lot of miles to loosen up.

I hope things improve for you.

in my LX 5 spd I never get below 25 in mixed driving, and 29-30 when mostly highway. Those numbers go down a bit in winter).

26k miles.

I'm a fairly conservative driver. I don't accelerate very fast and I coast and use cruise control when I can. I will check the air filter and re-check the tire pressure. "Pants" is right about the Grade Logic -- and half the time the car down shifts, it doesn't make sense and shifting can be hard at times.

I have a 6cyl automatic and get about 380miles till the gas light turns on. Supposedly theres about 2 gallons left after the light so i get 400+ miles per tank. I do about 50/50 city/highway driving with 91 rated gas. I try to use the VCM mode as much as i can but sometimes i wanna use all 6 of my cylinders so in passing maneuvers and freeway ramps i stomp on the pedal :) A friend has the '08 4cyl and get same mileage as i do so i think u might have a problem.

I just recently did a 2500 mile round-trip drive out to California to see the fam for Christmas. I've kept tabs on my mileage since day 1 with my iPhone app GasHog. On the way to California my best was 34 MPG (granted, though, I only put 5 gallons in the tank on that one, but I think it's still a good representation):

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/seandavid010/Car%20Stuff/IMG_0004.png

On the way back my best was 32:

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c45/seandavid010/Car%20Stuff/IMG_0005.png

Over the course of nearly 5,000 miles my average has been 25.9 MPG. I'd say that's pretty good. Admittedly, nearly half of those 5,000 miles were highway during this last trip, but a normal week for us is around 80% city driving.

Your fuel economy does sound a little low, but not to off. I have the I4 AT and drive mostly highway with rolling hills and I average 27-28mpg.

When was yours built? Mine was August 07, and I experience almost exactly the same numbers you do. The dealer is of no help. One thing I have noticed is that the transmission shifts a lot harder than the 03, and it definitely has to downshift much more often on the highway. It also seems a lot more anemic than the 03 was. I belive something is wrong, but as I said the dealer is of no help. A friend of mine with an 08 LX-P gets 25 MPG mixed. I am lucky to get 21-22 MPG. I've seen numerous posters with the V-6 Auto, and they get better numbers than I do. The BS about ideal conditions and stuff doesn't wash with me. The new ratings are more conservative, designed to be more accurate of real conditions and drivers. My 03 came very close to the old EPA ratings of 24/34, but not this one. Keep in mind that the 03 model is now rated at 21/31 with the new ratings. Very disappointed in the economy of mine. BTW I have 19000 miles, and have seen no improvement at all. I usually get 20 MPG unless I do highway driving, and then I can get maybe 23 or 24 mixed. The most I have ever gotten was 28 MPG, all highway. The 03 I4 Auto would get 34 MPG on the same trip. My car drinks gas for a 4 cylinder. I also would not expect it to get any better, at least not substantially.

When was yours built? Mine was August 07, and I experience almost exactly the same numbers you do. The dealer is of no help. One thing I have noticed is that the transmission shifts a lot harder than the 03, and it definitely has to downshift much more often on the highway. It also seems a lot more anemic than the 03 was. I belive something is wrong, but as I said the dealer is of no help. A friend of mine with an 08 LX-P gets 25 MPG mixed. I am lucky to get 21-22 MPG. I've seen numerous posters with the V-6 Auto, and they get better numbers than I do. The BS about ideal conditions and stuff doesn't wash with me. The new ratings are more conservative, designed to be more accurate of real conditions and drivers. My 03 came very close to the old EPA ratings of 24/34, but not this one. Keep in mind that the 03 model is now rated at 21/31 with the new ratings. Very disappointed in the economy of mine. BTW I have 19000 miles, and have seen no improvement at all. I usually get 20 MPG unless I do highway driving, and then I can get maybe 23 or 24 mixed. The most I have ever gotten was 28 MPG, all highway. The 03 I4 Auto would get 34 MPG on the same trip. My car drinks gas for a 4 cylinder. I also would not expect it to get any better, at least not substantially.


When did you purchase your car? You may want to check this TSB (http://http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/showthread.php?t=12853) just in case it hasn't gotten the update.

Mine does not get stellar gas mileage but I stopped caring about a month after I bought the car. It goes where I want it to go and has plenty of power for me. As long as mechanically there is nothing wrong I don't care if it gets 18 mpg or 28 mpg. It is still better than the Tahoe.

Also, if you bought this car for improved fuel mileage, you should have bought a Civic or some other small econobox. The Accord is big and weighs a fair amount to rely on the I4 to keep it moving.

I got the same mileage before I put in the K&N air filter. Now that i get 450+ freeway miles to the tank. The engine sound much better too.

The dealer "says" the knock sensor ECU update has been performed. The warranty claims lists it as being done. With all of the issues I have had with that dealer, I am not so sure. They seem incompetent. When asked to hook it up to the HDS to see if it has been done, they say there is no need it says it has been done. I bought this car expecting similar mileage to the 03, as the ratings are the same as compared on the fueleconomy.gov site. If I had known the mileage would suffer so much, I would have bought a Civic. I still think something is wrong with my car (like the ECU update). It doesn't seem to be near as powerful as my old 03, and definitely drinks more fuel. Even with the 2.5 gallon larger tank, I usually have to fill up with less miles on a tank before the low fuel light comes on with the new Accord. I have also had inexcusable failures on this car, even for a early build. Both front struts were defective, the drivers side front wheel bearing was defective, loud popping from the rear deck when going over bumps. I can maybe understand the pop/rattle, but come on, how long have we been making bearings and struts?

I have the I4 EXL coupe AT and I've noticed since the change to winter gas that my mileage has decreased from 24-25mpg to 22.5-23mpg on my average drive to work each day, which is about 10-15% highway and 85-90% city.

I haven't driven much highway in the past two months, but I averaged between 29-31mpg during the summer and fall, which is what I expected.

I haven't seen anything below 22mpg yet...:)

BTW, I'm approaching 6K miles so my car isn't totally broken in yet according to most posters here where 10-15K is when most of these cars are at max efficiency.

ds

my cars first tank of gas had about 300 miles only on it when the light came on. It rose steadily every subsequent refill til the best I have seen is 32mpg and almost 500 miles on 1 tank on a complete highway stretch of driving.

I have never approached these numbers. A couple of tanks were as low as 19 MPG. I don't think we have winter blend gas here, but if we do I've seen no change in MPG. Today, I got 23 MPG with 50% highway. The knock sensor update would make sense to me, because if the timing is retarded unnecessarily, fuel economy would suffer. Perhaps next time I go in to the dealer, I will push the issue to get them to connect the car to the HDS and make sure the update has been performed.

Interesting mpg posts. My 04 4 cylinder 5 speed manual EXL got 40mpg on trip to Shiloh Tenn from Hammond, LA. Cruise set at 70mph and auto AC set at 74. Straight shot on I-55. My 2007 6cylinder 6 speed MT Sedan averages 26 mpg city/highway. Best on highway trip at 70mph and AC set at 74 was about 38mpg. I have always found that Honda's EPA estimates were conservative. BTW gas has jumped here by more than 20 cents a gallon for regular in less than 24 hours. God I am sorry I did not buy that SUV or hemi!

are you riding with passengers? do you have alot of stuff in the trunk weighing the car down?

No, only a small suit case (less than 20 lbs). Tires are inflated to pressure on door jamb. I don't think it is the way I drive either, as I have always gotten what was on the sticker in all other Honda's, except this one.

I had a project last year on my former job (BMW fac rep) where I traveled with a Continental tire engineer for a week. His best advice all week was "always run 1 more lb of pressure in all the tires than what is called for on the door jamb" - not a huge sacrifice in ride quality, and better tire life and mpg.

Works for me.....

It's passed half the tank on my accord and I have ~138 miles on the trip meter since I filled up... Mileage hasn't gotten better but worse. 3000+ miles on the odometer.

Here are my results so far. I know it's a brand new car (less than 1 month old), its winter, and it's my first time driving stick so I'm gonna be shitty, but c'mon.

my current mpg's since pickup (dec 11)

12/11 - full fill
12/18 - 21.749 mpg
12/23 - 24.498 mpg
12/29 - 25.317 mpg
01/06 - 23.171 mpg

i do about 80% city/20% highway. i do drive quite aggressively on the highway, so i know i kill the chance of having good gas mileage on the highway. the 25 mpg fill did include a little more highway than normal.

wow, i cant figure out why you guys are getting such bad gas mileage......i drive pretty spirited and right now im getting 200 miles to half a tank. and im usually getting around 28mpg mixed driving.
my first fill up got 29mpg, my second i got 32 mpg with 90% highway.

If I drove highway 80-90% of the time, I would get 400+ per tank. What really effects the mileage is the city driving.

09, Lx with 18" wheel , avg about 25miles/gal.

I have an 07 and mostly higway driving and get 33 to 37 all of the time...

Im also getting about 18 mpg in my EX coupe. Im assuming its the winter grade fuel and its only at 5k miles right now. Compared to my truck its great. I`ll see how it is during the summer.

I'm getting 28-30 mpg average w/I4 & manualTrans. & 4k miles...

Just filled up today, I got 23 mpg! Highway and City!

Funny... I never went any lower than 22 mpg (10.5 l / 100 km) in the 11 months I've owned my Accord. Typically I get about 26-27 (8.5 -9.0 l / 100km) and got as high as 34-35 (6.8 - 7 l / 100 km) on a 100% highway run (Cruise Control at 120 km/h - about 75mph - over 500 km)

I typically get over 700km on a fillup - most of the times without the low fuel light coming on. (Though I'm not the softest driver either)

I actually drove a 2007 Civic (DX-G AT) for a week without getting a much better fuel consumption...

What's your RPMs like at different speeds? I'm at about 2100 RPMs at 60 mph, about 1500-1700 RPMS around 40 mph. When I'm in the city driving anywhere from 25-40 mph, I'm at about 1500-2000 RPMs.

I try to keep as close to 1500 rpm in city driving and usually succeed in keeping it under 2000. I still get like 21 mpg.

Guess I got one of the good ones... I drive mostly highway at an average speed of 70-75mph and get at least 425 miles per tank. I could probably average 30mpg if I slowed down.

I rarely make it to 400 miles/tank. I mostly do city driving, so that is probably why. I definitely did think that I would have better mileage though.

I have a 4cyl Accord Coupe, 2008 also.
I was equally surprised that my mileage is about 22 mpg in mixed driving.
I do not have a lead foot and have about 3,300 miles on the car.

I thought that gas mileage on Accords gets better between 5-10,000 miles??

I thought that gas mileage on Accords gets better between 5-10,000 miles??

My car is currently at 11,000 and i haven't noticed an improvement.

a hint,

when you have your heat on hit the AC button so that the AC is off. You can get at least another mile or two per gallon. It works for me.

I've had 28-29MPG constantly and I think it ****s. My '99 V6 has been constantly getting 27-28MPG. If I knew that the I4s of the Accords weren't as efficient, I would have gone with the V6...

I used to get poor mileage 25-27 mpg. Complained to dealer service dept. They told me to disconnect the neg. battery cable for @ least 10 mins. Then reconnect it so the ECU
refreshes itself. The ECU controls/monitors a host of functions including ambient temps. In a nut shell. Disconnect the battery during the beginning of each season. My average mpg has increased to 30 mpg. I have an I-4 w/auto.

I've had 28-29MPG constantly and I think it ****s. My '99 V6 has been constantly getting 27-28MPG. If I knew that the I4s of the Accords weren't as efficient, I would have gone with the V6...

theres alot of factors with that though, your 6th gen was lighter, and sohc. but doesnt the accord advertise 22 city 31 highway? 28-29 is pretty good to me since you probably don't do 100% highway driving.

gas is going back up

My average is 21.7 MPG, with a best of 26.57 MPG, and a worst of 19.31 MPG. 95% of my driving is in the city with trips of 10 miles or less and a fair amount of idling. On the highway I tend to drive 75 in the city and 85-90 when out in the desert. I live in the Phoenix metro area so my air is set at 68 for about 8 months out of the year. I don't think the mileage is too bad.

I hope auto isn't really that far off from stick.

I never get below 21 city. all highway, right after I got the car, I got 32 mpg and I was probably going 70 mph on cruise. if you go faster than that and vary speed mpg will decrease a lot.

mixed driving i usually get around 27 since I do mostly city.

you shouldn't be doing that bad.

the automatic is WAY different... I'm getting below 300 miles on a full tank right now. But there are rare times when I do 70% highway driving and get 28 MIXED mpg

yeah around 70 percent hwy gets me 28 mpg mixed with my stick...so thats the same as your AT. probably biggest differences come in all city driving.

hwy with stick i get 32 mpg observing speed limits
or 31 speeding.

city i never get below 21.

yeah around 70 percent hwy gets me 28 mpg mixed with my stick...so thats the same as your AT. probably biggest differences come in all city driving.

hwy with stick i get 32 mpg observing speed limits
or 31 speeding.

city i never get below 21.

I wish I could get 21 in the city... I swear that I'm going to get around ~250 miles on my current tank out here! That's like 13 MPG. I know... it seems impossible but I do know how to calculate mpg correctly.

I should have gotten the V6 bleh.

Maybe I should get a scanguage...

wow thats pretty bad......i average 200miles per half tank, even when im flying thru gears i average about 190miles per tank.

wow thats pretty bad......i average 200miles per half tank, even when im flying thru gears i average about 190miles per tank.

wait what? 190 miles per tank? that's insane...

I just went to FL and got 28-29 MPG there and back doin 80-90 all the way, 500 miles per tank.

I just went to FL and got 28-29 MPG there and back doin 80-90 all the way, 500 miles per tank.

So what kind of car do you own? Why not put it in your profile so it shows with every post.

wait what? 190 miles per tank? that's insane...

i meant 198 per half tank haha

I'm averaging 21-23 mpg too in mixed highway/city driving. Though I'd be getting around 25-28...

I been getting 16 mpg in the city 260 til the light

But when i got it I took it out for a long trip Highway i got 250 to the half way mark.

I just filled up the other day and had about 320 miles and 20 MPG. This is with about 75% city and 25% hwy. Any tips on getting the MPGs up?

Well, I'm really wondering if the gasoline in the mid-atlantic and northern states are getting higher levels of ethanol this year.. Just throwing it out there.

Prior to November, my normal track to work got me ~25mpg or 235 miles off of 9.5 gallons. Each fill-up since Nov., my mileage to and from work continues to decline. Right now, I'm sitting at 176miles nearing 1/2 tank myself keeping my rpms below 3K (just crossed 6K miles). I'll probably get to 200-205 before crossing the half-line or ~21mpg. Granted I drive 85-90% city driving, but something seems off.. I can attribute some of the lower mpg to using "auto" air for the car, which cycles between a/c and heater, but I wouldn't think 4mpg.

I accept the fact that my listed mpg is 21/30 so I'm happy to stay above the estimate, but am wondering how the 4mpg drop? :dunno:

Thoughts?

Those are bad numbers...

My 8 month old 08 EX-L/5M has 8000 miles on it...

Here in the Twin Cities...with my heater going on full more often than not...and 50/50 Split Hwy/City...I am getting 25MPG consistently...

I did a 4000miles road trip (trunk filled to capacity and 3 passengers) when the car only had a 1000 miles on it...all HWY...mostly cruising at 65mph...I hit 31MPG...

And people saying you should buy an Econo Box if you are worried about mileage are off their rocker...one of the BIGGEST selling points for me when purchasing the Accord was its advertised fuel economy...if Honda is cheating me on that, I'd rather PASS on their product...

I just filled up the other day and had about 320 miles and 20 MPG. This is with about 75% city and 25% hwy. Any tips on getting the MPGs up?

Man, I've never seen mileage that low with my car. My first tank was the worst, and it was 21 mpg. Since then I haven't gotten less than 23 mpg on a tank.

If I were you, I'd be looking for a stuck brake caliper or new spark plugs. Those are the two things that have caused bad gas mileage in my previous Hondas. When I switched to Bosch Platinum +4s in my Integra (stupid, I know) my mileage dropped from 27 mpg to 19 mpg. Then when I put the Honda recommended NGKs back in, it jumped back up to normal.

I wouldn't expect either of these problems with your new car, but those are the places I'd start.

I have the 4cyl EX accord.
My gas mileage isnt as good as I would expect from a 4cyl honda. One of the selling pts for me was the fairly good gas mileage. But what I'm getting is near small SUV levels. Yeah I know its not a small civic, but the gap in mpg shouldn't be this wide.

On a full tank 75 city/25 hwy, I get about 330 miles, avging a lil over 21 or so mpg.

I wouldve thought mixed driving, I would yield about 24/25 mpg. Like the other post, if I knew this about the 4cyl, I wouldve passed for the 6 cyl or maybe wouldn't have bought the accord.

I'm at about 6000 miles so I hope its true that when you hit the 15k mark, that mpg gets better.

im driving 100% city and im getting about 21 MPG

when i was driving about 80% hwy i was getting about 30 MPG

Question...

Does listening to my music at high volumes(>35) affect mpg?

It just seems odd to me that the fuel economy differs so much from my 7th gen. It is consistently about 4 MPG less in the same conditions.

When I switched to Bosch Platinum +4s in my Integra (stupid, I know) my mileage dropped from 27 mpg to 19 mpg. Then when I put the Honda recommended NGKs back in, it jumped back up to normal.



My family owns an auto repair center, and we know all about the problems with the Bosch plugs. Do not ever use them in any vehicle under any circumstances.

That said, my EX-L Navi 4 cyl runs like a dream and gets great mileage. The way you drive makes an absolutely HUGE difference in MPG with this car. If you think you are driving a hot rod, you will have terrible mileage. If you drive it like the comfortable cruiser it is, you should see around 24-25 MPG in mixed driving. I recently took a trip to Orlando and in 100% highway driving I saw 33.6 MPG at 70+ MPH the whole way, with a passenger and lots of luggage.

I have driven at 75 MPH with cruise, on mostly level highway, for an entire tank, and only averaged 28 MPG. It may be that this model is just very sensitive to the way you drive, but I wouldn't expect the previous generation to be that much different.

Question...

Does listening to my music at high volumes(>35) affect mpg?
Yes. Turn your volume down and you will see your MPGs go up. Turn the radio off, and you can get close to 40 MPG.

:lmao:

:lmao:

It was a real question... anything that uses the battery will cause a car to use gas. I would assume that jacking up the volume to level 35 will increase the electricity input. I know that at high speeds, the gas used to charge the battery for the stereo is negligible. But I was wondering HOW much gas the stereo system really uses when driving at speeds below 35MPH? :dunno:

Just found this site. I have an 08 accord LX-s 4cyl coupe, live in western PA. Bought it about 6 months ago and only have about 3000 miles on it. Just getting the first oil change now. I am a honda junkie and have owned a few civics and an accord. The first 3 or so tanks I got about 22 mpg with most of that being city. Then all of a sudden, the next tanks from then on, I can't even get 8mpg. I am looking at 16-17 mpg city, and I drive so easy that it's not even fun to drive anymore.

I spoke to the dealer and they said to bring it in, but they are 45 mins away. I am convinced that something must be wrong with this car. But who knows what the dealer will tell me, probably too bad. I bought this car to get a little bit nicer of a vehicle, more room, and still get fair fuel mileage by buying a 4 cylinder, but so far I am disgusted. Heck, I would be completely happy if I could average 21 or 22 in the city, but that seems impossible.

I read one member disconnected his battery to reset the comp. Not sure if anyone else has had luck with that. Any advice would be appreciated. If I wanted to pay this price for gas and tires, I could have bought a Tacoma Pickup. thanks

I actually joined this forum to gauge real world gas mileage for my 2008 I-4 Accord EX (automatic) Sedan. I have been averaging between 22-23 mpg mixed driving and wondered if this was normal. Many of you seem to be experiencing the same mileage. I'm hoping to see better numbers at 15k like several have mentioned, and I will check on that TSB.

The disheartening part is that I have been driving a rental Nissan Maxima V6 the last 3 days while my bumper cover is being replaced, and it's mileage seems to be slightly better than my Accord!

Just found this site. I have an 08 accord LX-s 4cyl coupe, live in western PA. Bought it about 6 months ago and only have about 3000 miles on it. Just getting the first oil change now. I am a honda junkie and have owned a few civics and an accord. The first 3 or so tanks I got about 22 mpg with most of that being city. Then all of a sudden, the next tanks from then on, I can't even get 8mpg. I am looking at 16-17 mpg city, and I drive so easy that it's not even fun to drive anymore.

I spoke to the dealer and they said to bring it in, but they are 45 mins away. I am convinced that something must be wrong with this car. But who knows what the dealer will tell me, probably too bad. I bought this car to get a little bit nicer of a vehicle, more room, and still get fair fuel mileage by buying a 4 cylinder, but so far I am disgusted. Heck, I would be completely happy if I could average 21 or 22 in the city, but that seems impossible.

I read one member disconnected his battery to reset the comp. Not sure if anyone else has had luck with that. Any advice would be appreciated. If I wanted to pay this price for gas and tires, I could have bought a Tacoma Pickup. thanks

I understand how you feel! I'm at 170 miles since my last fill up and I'm almost on my reserve tank of gas. Well... I'm going to install HIDS, so I'm going to have to disconnect the battery. I'l report back to see if the mpg gets better.

I actually joined this forum to gauge real world gas mileage for my 2008 I-4 Accord EX (automatic) Sedan. I have been averaging between 22-23 mpg mixed driving and wondered if this was normal. Many of you seem to be experiencing the same mileage. I'm hoping to see better numbers at 15k like several have mentioned, and I will check on that TSB.

The disheartening part is that I have been driving a rental Nissan Maxima V6 the last 3 days while my bumper cover is being replaced, and it's mileage seems to be slightly better than my Accord!

Yes, let me know if you dig up any info on technical bulletins. Since I am sure they won't offer the information out of the goodness of their heart. thx :)

I have a 2009 Accord Coupe EX automatic and get 25 MPG pretty consistently in mixed driving here in NY. Highest ever was 28, and actually, it has dropped to about 25 MPG lately. I expected that due to the winter fuel blend here in NY. I have gotten that kind of gas mileage pretty much since I bought the car, and I definately don't drive conservatively. I would definately bring that into the dealer if it has dropped that much. Good luck.

Looks like I am well on my way to another 16mpg tank, and going for 1st oil change tomorrow. And then this sled is going to the dealer next month! I have heard some people talking about using your heater and it draining gas? I know A/c usage will greatly reduce mileage due to running a compressor, but I have always kept a hot car, and never noticed a difference.

Might try a different gas station this fill up. been using the same one for a while now....

Yikes guys! I love my 4cyl 5MT. I'm no slouch in it and love to wind the engine when I have a chance. I'm getting 25mpg around town (rural), 30mpg @ 50/50 city/hwy, and 33 all highway (35 if I keep the speed down...). Its been this way since tank #2 and I'm around 6,000 miles now.

heagy80, keep in mind the AC turns on when you turn on the front defrost.

Does anyone have results from bringing their car to the dealer on this issue? Do they just poo poo it and say it's your fault or did they get results for you?

Yikes guys! I love my 4cyl 5MT. I'm no slouch in it and love to wind the engine when I have a chance. I'm getting 25mpg around town (rural), 30mpg @ 50/50 city/hwy, and 33 all highway (35 if I keep the speed down...). Its been this way since tank #2 and I'm around 6,000 miles now.

heagy80, keep in mind the AC turns on when you turn on the front defrost.

Mine doesn't come on when the front defrost is on. Well at least my light isn't on. My 02 civic ran the AC with the defrost, and I hated that. Never really understood it either, especially since you couldn't shut it off.

Does anyone have results from bringing their car to the dealer on this issue? Do they just poo poo it and say it's your fault or did they get results for you?

I haven't gone to my dealer yet, but will be soon. But yes, if there is anyone out there who has had some results with the dealer, please let us know.

Mine doesn't come on when the front defrost is on. Well at least my light isn't on. My 02 civic ran the AC with the defrost, and I hated that. Never really understood it either, especially since you couldn't shut it off.

Yes the AC runs with the front defroster on. if you hit the AC button again you will see just right of how high the fan is "A/C off" come on then you are running the heat with out A/C

Reason is that the humidity is what defrosts your front shield so with the AC on it gets rid of it quicker. Try it when it rains in the spring youll see what i am talking about. take care

Looks like I am well on my way to another 16mpg tank, and going for 1st oil change tomorrow. And then this sled is going to the dealer next month! I have heard some people talking about using your heater and it draining gas? I know A/c usage will greatly reduce mileage due to running a compressor, but I have always kept a hot car, and never noticed a difference.

Might try a different gas station this fill up. been using the same one for a while now....

Heater has no effect on gas mileage, it does not apply any drag on the engine. It just takes some waste heat that would have gone out into the atmosphere and directs it into the passenger compartment.

Heater has no effect on gas mileage, it does not apply any drag on the engine. It just takes some waste heat that would have gone out into the atmosphere and directs it into the passenger compartment.

It may waste gas when the car is warming up because the engine is cold. But BenjiBoy is right. The heater is basically taking heat from the engine and placing it into your cabin.

ANY HVAC button you touch engages the A/C compressor, so if you don't turn it off ('A/C off' on the screen), it'd waste gas even in heater mode.

IF you turn the compressor OFF, then having the heater on would make no difference in fuel economy. As a comment, even when the system is off, it keeps the last 'mode' and 'temp' setting you had before, and if you don't have the 'recirc' button engaged, air still comes out of the vents at the set temperature and mode. I have it set at 76 and 'feet', and rarely have to turn it on at all, but every time I do, have to turn the freaking compressor 'off'. Oh well, no car is perfect.

ANY HVAC button you touch engages the A/C compressor
Only for auto climate...they had to do something to keep the driver awake so they made AC turn on just to annoy you

Yes the AC runs with the front defroster on. if you hit the AC button again you will see just right of how high the fan is "A/C off" come on then you are running the heat with out A/C

Reason is that the humidity is what defrosts your front shield so with the AC on it gets rid of it quicker. Try it when it rains in the spring youll see what i am talking about. take care

Wha??????? With the A/C off, the defroster is blowing dry, heated, winter air (which has very little humidity) onto the windshield. Hence, there is absolutely no need for A/C in the cold weather months in temps below freezing. Shed dat A/C OFF!

Wha??????? With the A/C off, the defroster is blowing dry, heated, winter air (which has very little humidity) onto the windshield. Hence, there is absolutely no need for A/C in the cold weather months in temps below freezing. Shed dat A/C OFF!

Depends on how cold you get...if you get "cold" like in CA, where it's 45-55 degrees but it's also moist, yes the AC helps. AC doesn't run below freezing temps anyway.

dude i4 are allways like this if u hammer it will drop down but if you drive normaly its perfect
when i drive normaly i get around 380miles and plus but if i hammer it i might just be getting 140mile from a full tank

First off, went to the dealer.. Not the dealer that I bought the car yet. They reported no new service bulletins or updates, and just said that we have hills in Pennsylvania and we get wrose gas mileage than most. (It is cold here of course also, average of 20 degrees in the winter) And to let it break in fully at 5k miles before trying to check for accuracy. I am at 2900 now.

I did look into the defroster and yes, I was probably running the AC once in a while. I don't have an AC OFF switch on my model, but you have to hit the AC button on then off to get it to turn off. Why they don't have it just light up when it is on is beyond me, why should we have to guess?!?!

Not sure if this really should casue a 5 or so mpg difference, but I guess I will try anything at this point.

and ADRAMMELECH, I drive my car as eay as it can be driven. Never hammer on my cars (they cost too much to repair).

Even when the AC button is not lit, the AC is running if the defroster is running, always. No two ways around it unless you start cutting or bypassing some wires. But it does not cause -5MPG. If you ran the defroster all the time it would be -1MPG, maybe a bit more...no way that is the problem.

The dealer just said that we have hills in Pennsylvania and we get wrose gas mileage than most.

Bull! look at my location!

What do you get for all highway miles? Those are better to compare because driving style doesn't come into play as much. Average speed?

Bull! look at my location!

What do you get for all highway miles? Those are better to compare because driving style doesn't come into play as much. Average speed?

I haven't had any real highway miles on this car since August and that was a city/why mix and I believe that tank was about 25mpg. I know that is not a great indicator, but it's hard for me to record any highway miles, when I rarely drive them. But taking a trip to DC next month, so I guess we'll see.

The Dealer also said, well, honda gives a 5mpg difference each way on what the sticker states. So basicall you could average 16 city or 26. WOW. hmmmmm

The Dealer also said, well, honda gives a 5mpg difference each way on what the sticker states. So basicall you could average 16 city or 26. WOW. hmmmmm

I don't think that's Honda; I believe the EPA controls the fuel economy portion of the Mulroney.

I haven't had any real highway miles on this car since August and that was a city/why mix and I believe that tank was about 25mpg. I know that is not a great indicator, but it's hard for me to record any highway miles, when I rarely drive them. But taking a trip to DC next month, so I guess we'll see.

The Dealer also said, well, honda gives a 5mpg difference each way on what the sticker states. So basicall you could average 16 city or 26. WOW. hmmmmm

wait... I actually got 250 miles on my last tank. So... that means I can make the dealership do something about this? or what :dunno:

wait... I actually got 250 miles on my last tank. So... that means I can make the dealership do something about this? or what :dunno:

Yeah, right! hahaha. I just don't get it. With so many people getting great mileage, and all these road tests rating the car som highly on being fuel efficient, I just believe that we who are having trouble either got a bad batch, or are missing something.

But it really pisses me off because it makes me not even care to drive the thing, yes I am cheap, but it I have a car that ****s gas like a truck, I might as well own a truck. The tires cost about the same too.

I have 2008 4-cyl EX. I bought it as a demo with 8K miles and it currently has 11,000. I've been experiencing low fuel economy. My first tank of gas, which was about 60/40 city and hwy, I got about 320 miles on the tank and 19MPG. The more hwy driving I do, the economy is slightly better. Around 22-24 MPG. The best I've had, which was pure hwy, was 28MPG. This is nothing close to the EPA standards.

Some issues that I've noticed with the car that I believe may be attributing to the low economy is due to the transmission and the shifting. I've noticed erratic shifting while I'm driving where the car will constantly downshift if I'm coasting which increases the RPMS or if I’m accelerating, it will sit in a low gear instead of up shifting to a higher gear.

The dealership said that this is normal and that it depends on the weather and gas. They also mentioned I should expect to see better economy around the 10-15k mile mark.

Has anyone experienced this? Any reccomendations on how to deal with it?

Feel free to read the window sticker that came with you car. It says:

CITY MPG

21 (Expected range for most drivers 17-25 mpg)

HIGHWAY MPG

30 (Expected range for most drivers 24-36.)

I would agree that the car is slow to upshift, unless you kick it hard, which does seem odd.

Feel free to read that most people on here aren't driving 100% city miles. Even taking into account below average city miles, highway miles should pull us above the 20-22 mpg range, but it isn't.

I think the output is too high on Honda's performance 4 bangers, and the vehicles weigh too much on top of that. Our TSX gets CRAP mileage in the city, and even got as low as 16 mpg before she was fully broken in! A year and a half later and well broken in, and she's still lucky to get 20 in all city driving. I can squeeze 22-23 in the city if I really baby it, but if we wanted to do that, we would've purchased something else...

I understand that you don't buy a performance oriented vehicle and expect stellar MPG, but something has to give at this point. It's really sad when Honda's 4 cyl engines aren't offering much more over the V6 (if anything at all). Maybe a 6 or 7 speed auto would help? Maybe tuning down the 4 cyl slightly and really separating the trims? There's definitely options out there.

I've said on this forum that my avg. mpg since Nov has been ~22mpg vs. 24-25mpg during the Summer (90% city/10% highway).

I'm glad to report that my drive from Richmond to MD and back I got 28mpg going up at 75-80mph and on my way back in cruise at 70-72mph I got 31mpg. During the summer over the same run, I got 32 mpg consistently.:D

I think it is primarily the winter gas hurting my mpg the most, but I do agree the weight of the new accord despite the boost in HP is hurting city mpg...

ds

I've said on this forum that my avg. mpg since Nov has been ~22mpg vs. 24-25mpg during the Summer (90% city/10% highway).

I'm glad to report that my drive from Richmond to MD and back I got 28mpg going up at 75-80mph and on my way back in cruise at 70-72mph I got 31mpg. During the summer over the same run, I got 32 mpg consistently.:D

I think it is primarily the winter gas hurting my mpg the most, but I do agree the weight of the new accord despite the boost in HP is hurting city mpg...

ds
To me, the 8th gen auto is a total catch 22: go w/ the V6 and you get pretty much the same numbers as the I4 b/c of VCM, and you get that much more engine. But at the same time, VCM kind of worries me and I've heard a lot of complaints about how it acts thus far (I haven't driven one yet, though, so I can't compare at this time)...

Bull! look at my location!

What do you get for all highway miles? Those are better to compare because driving style doesn't come into play as much. Average speed?

yep......i also live in pa, about 50% of my driving is backroads w/hills.
im constantly getting 398-500 miles per tank depending on how spirited or slow i drive.

I drive conservatively most of the time and I have had low tanks around the 21mpg mark, only about 3mpg better than the V6 4Runner that I got rid of in favor of my 09 I4 auto coupe Accord.

The Accord in it's latest iteration (like most other newly designed cars) is bloated to a degree, meaning there is a constant growth in size and weight.
The 2.4l seems torque deficient at the bottom end of the powerband. Couple this with auto transmission shift logic that seeks to downshift at the slightest of inclines and hold lower gears til topping a grade and you've got a recipe for poor(er) city mileage, especially with lots of stops and starts.

A couple of tips I noticed which helped my city mpg is to try and hit at least 41 or 42 mph if possible and practical in city driving. I have many 35 mph zones around where I live and if you don't hit the necessary speed to get into top gear with the torque converter locked up your mileage will suffer a bit. Try to do pulse and glides where possible (see CleanMPG for details) and try to set the car up to coast as much as possible to take advantage of the fuel injector cutoff that the ECU will enforce when the car is warmed up.

I'm planning on buying a Scangauge II to try and finagle things a bit more, but FWIW I too am frustrated that I have to put this level of driver concentration for mpg results in a 4 cylinder Honda Accord.

Well I got 17. mpg on this last tank. What was interesting is when I went to the dealer last time, I complained about the mileage. After I left I thought.. "oh I forgot to tell them to leave my tire pressure alone" Since they love to reset it to a nice smooshy 32 PSI. Well when I went to reset it, noticed theat they put 38 PSI in it. Nice way to try to shut me up, won't work though. My 4 cyl still ****s gas like my dads Tacoma 4x4.

The more I drive this vehicle the more I notice how it is heavy and underpowered, and how nice it is to drive my Fiance's new altima coupe, same size motor, yet so much lighter. And the thing shifts and barely gets past 2k rpm's. alot less room, but nice. I am a honda fan to the core, but this accord has really disappointed me. Suits me right for buying a first year model before doing the necessary research. I just thought honda wouldn't get it wrong. But they did. I guess I will wait till I get a new job and make enough to get something else, haha.

im getting about 370 on a whole tank...check ur tires...

My commute is 40 miles a day, flat land and no highways and I am averaging 24.6 MPG.

... Very disappointed in the economy of mine. BTW I have 19000 miles, and have seen no improvement at all. I usually get 20 MPG unless I do highway driving, and then I can get maybe 23 or 24 mixed. The most I have ever gotten was 28 MPG, all highway. The 03 I4 Auto would get 34 MPG on the same trip. My car drinks gas for a 4 cylinder. I also would not expect it to get any better, at least not substantially.

i have 08 ex 4 cyl. same situation as you. getting below 25mpg on mine.

So I'm not the only one getting crappy mileage. I've been doing 19-21 mpg with a mix of maybe 60/40 hwy/city. The car just broke 2000 miles this weekend on our first road trip. With me doing some city driving and then mostly my wife driving on the interstate between 65 to 70mph (before stopping to fill up the tank at the last cheap gas), we got 26mpg total.

Even though I have many gripes about my car(dimming headlamps,remote that doesnt work, etc) I admit that my gas mileage is what I expected .
Have 12,000 miles on my I4 exl and am getting 25 all around. My last trip was mostly highway and got 30mpg-and that was going 75-80 mph most of the way.I use reg gas and always change oil every 3 months or 4 with synthetic regardless of what the computer says.

i have 08 ex 4 cyl. same situation as you. getting below 25mpg on mine.

I think we should all remember the automotive industry disclaimer: "Your mileage may vary!" :yes:

spoke to some AHM staff today at a industry meeting...they admitted that city driving is the problem and not the best on the I4...too big of a car for the motor/trans shift points. "it's the way it is"...was the response - I expected nothing more....

09 EX-L with spirited driving mixed 60 percent highway,40 city i cant break over a 25mpg average. Just ticked over 2000 miles, so hoping after broken in and with warm weather she may get over 25-26. Still have to remember the accord is no compact. A friend of mine bought a cobalt xfe and can't get over 27 combined. So for me I would rather drive something decent, with pep, and that will last then get an extra 1 or 2 mpg. Everything has a way of evening out.

i drive all city and my MPG are pretty bad. i also drive spirited a lot of times so that's another issue.

Gosha what are you averaging normally?

18-19 or so. i just filled up my car to the top so i will measure it now. i also put on an intake and bumped my tires to 40PSI so well see how it will measure out now

I'm almost all city driving too...maybe 80 city and 20 hwy...and these cold Chicago weathers...i'm averaging about 19. 23 in the summer w/the same City and hwy driving. And i don't drive hard. WTF?? Hopefully mpg's goes up after 10K miles

yeah people say hondas brake it around 6-10k and then it gets better so lets hope

I'm at 6k miles for my auto cpe and drive pretty conservative. The mpg for a split of 70/30 city/hwy here in SoCal has crept up slightly - my last tank was almost 24 combined. I run 91 octane now and I did seem to get a slight increase just from that change. I think 91 allows for more spark advance and better low end response at light throttle versus when I ran 87.

In the end, this Accord is the most "work" I've ever had to put into of any car to get good combined fuel economy.

I agree with cdt2833. The 8th gen accord requires a lot of work to get decent mileage. I've never had trouble meeting EPA ratings or exceeding them with any other car. That includes two Toyotas, two other Hondas, and a Ford truck. It would seem to me that the 4 cylinder in the 8th gen must be too weak for the weight of the car. I used to regularly get 34 MPG in an 03 Accord sedan when taking a full highway trip. I'm lucky to get 29 MPG at best with my new one.

spoke to some AHM staff today at a industry meeting...they admitted that city driving is the problem and not the best on the I4...too big of a car for the motor/trans shift points. "it's the way it is"...was the response - I expected nothing more....

Did you ask them why they won't fix the defects on the car? Dimming headlights, rear shelf creaks/defective welds, bad brakes, poor mileage, vibrations, oil consumption problems, etc?

With Accord sales down 40% year over year, I would think that Honda would be trying to stimulate sales by having a better product.

i get about 23.5 mpg with my auto v6 with spirited driving and about 80 city/20 hw

well Guy's i traded in an 08 Civic which was getting 39 on the Highway to and 08 Accord 5-sp i4 and i also getting 20-25 it is Cold right now in Albereta hut i have had civics and accord as well and this is BS you pay a good buck and lose the MPG i have not had a chance to go to my dealer yet but he is going to get an ear full know that.

well Guy's i traded in an 08 Civic which was getting 39 on the Highway to and 08 Accord 5-sp i4 and i also getting 20-25 it is Cold right now in Albereta hut i have had civics and accord as well and this is BS you pay a good buck and lose the MPG i have not had a chance to go to my dealer yet but he is going to get an ear full know that.

Another case of someone getting blamed for something that's not their fault and something they can't fix.

Had my I4 on the highway this weekend and ran 160 miles roundtrip. I decided to fill up the tank even though she was showing only a 1/3 tank down because I wanted to get pure highway mileage. Running at speeds averaging 80 mph, my Accord returned a decent and nearly on-the-numbers 29.57 mpg. Had I kept her at 65 mph and maybe used cruise control, I think the EPA estimate of 31 mpg would be very attainable. Regular mixed driving averages about 22-23 mpg.

I get 30mpg or better on highway drives with the 4cyl. Had a 06 civic lx and would only do about 34 mpg. For slightly less fuel mileage I now have much more car!

i drove to maryland a few weeks ago, and i did a few spirted runs when the road was clear. i got 32mpg highway with redlining a few gears atleast 8 times during that trip.

Mine is getting better - still city driving only - but at 3000 miles I'm up to 20-21 from 18-19 at 1000 miles....

I have about a 20 mile communte each way into Baltimore every day, it is mostly highway but still get some city. I have gotten 26-28 mpg on every tank since the day I picked it up. I have not taken any trips yet but I am thinking I will be able to push over 3o maybe even into the low/mid 30s on a trip up to mass over the summer.

I record all my fuel and econmy on a spread sheet. I get, on average during the winter 23 to 25 and in the summer i have got as high as 29 one time. Honestly, Its a little disapointing that a 4Cyl doesnt get more. Knowing what I kknow now I would have got the 6cyl.
I have a 2006 Toyota Sienna Giant Nerd Van and I can frive that hard and get almost 27MPG.....Thats a van with a 6cyl.

I'm getting about 24 mpg right now, with 19's. Guess it's ok.

I have a V6 and I get 400 miles (18.5 Gallons).
320 ****S for a I4 man

I don't think that's Honda; I believe the EPA controls the fuel economy portion of the Mulroney.

Just a FYI...it's Monroney, so named for Senator Mike Monroney from Oklahoma who got the legislation passed requiring the price labels on all new vehicles...:thmsup:

yea my MPG ****s i wish i got a V6

yea my MPG ****s i wish i got a V6


What's your MPG with the CAI?

What's your MPG with the CAI?

i drive about 95% city and im getting about 20 MPG

I wish I had gotten the V6 as well...

However, I did realize that I can get good mileage on the highway if I drive slower than 64 miles per hour w/ CC. I can get even better mileage below 55 w CC. Still... my mixed MPG ****s. In the city, I try my best to accelerate as slow as possible and just quick enough before the guy behind me gets angry. I still get horrible MPG.

HOPEFULLY my first oil change will magically help my MPG! After ~40 more miles, I'm going to hit 5,000 miles on the odometer =) :thmsup:


Edit: I just got 33 MPG on a 180 Mile trip with 2 passengers and cargo. I had CC on and never went above 65 miles per hour. I pissed off alot of drivers on the right lane but at least I FINALLY GOT GOOD MILEAGE!

A buddy of mine at work has Rev for the iPhone (basically a scanguage). We decided to try it out today. Driving at 60 MPH on the Interstate, cruise control on, flat road, I was only getting 28 MPG. Drops to 27 MPG at 70MPH. Seems my relatively low numbers are not to due to my driving style. Either some of these guys getting good FE do a lot of coasting, or something is not quite right with my car. 60 MPH probably yields some of the best FE on these cars, and if I am only getting 28 MPG, no wonder I can't crack 30MPG on a tank. Or, perhaps, it is the dreaded 10% Ethanol that nearly EVERY station around here has mixed in.

A buddy of mine at work has Rev for the iPhone (basically a scanguage). We decided to try it out today. Driving at 60 MPH on the Interstate, cruise control on, flat road, I was only getting 28 MPG. Drops to 27 MPG at 70MPH. Seems my relatively low numbers are not to due to my driving style. Either some of these guys getting good FE do a lot of coasting, or something is not quite right with my car. 60 MPH probably yields some of the best FE on these cars, and if I am only getting 28 MPG, no wonder I can't crack 30MPG on a tank. Or, perhaps, it is the dreaded 10% Ethanol that nearly EVERY station around here has mixed in.

Don't understand what's wrong with these new Accords, maybe it's your tire pressure :dunno: I get 32MPG @ 60MPH cruise on my Mazda's V6 and they run notoriously rich (12 A/F vs. 14+ on most Honda's). Even at 70MPH cruise it gets 30MPG, and the gearing is crazy, 3000RPM @ 70...

Don't understand what's wrong with these new Accords, maybe it's your tire pressure :dunno: I get 32MPG @ 60MPH cruise on my Mazda's V6 and they run notoriously rich (12 A/F vs. 14+ on most Honda's). Even at 70MPH cruise it gets 30MPG, and the gearing is crazy, 3000RPM @ 70...

My tires are all inflated to the door sticker rating. I may try to increase the pressure, but the ride is already somewhat harsh on our horrible South Carolina roads.

I got from Rock Hill, SC to Erie Penn on one tank of gas (543 miles) i got 33.6 mpg average speed was 71.3 mph (with speed up to 110+)

A buddy of mine at work has Rev for the iPhone (basically a scanguage). We decided to try it out today. Driving at 60 MPH on the Interstate, cruise control on, flat road, I was only getting 28 MPG. Drops to 27 MPG at 70MPH. Seems my relatively low numbers are not to due to my driving style. Either some of these guys getting good FE do a lot of coasting, or something is not quite right with my car. 60 MPH probably yields some of the best FE on these cars, and if I am only getting 28 MPG, no wonder I can't crack 30MPG on a tank. Or, perhaps, it is the dreaded 10% Ethanol that nearly EVERY station around here has mixed in.

it doesnt plug into the obd port, so its not very accurate.
best way is to record miles per tank. i broke 400 miles on 15.5 gallons and that was driving EXTREMELY hard with practically no highway miles.

I get about another 500kms(310 miles) before the light comes on.

it doesnt plug into the obd port, so its not very accurate.
best way is to record miles per tank. i broke 400 miles on 15.5 gallons and that was driving EXTREMELY hard with practically no highway miles.

That's not true, it does plug into the OBD-II port, it just transmits the info wirelessly to the iPhone. That alone doesn't make it accurate...my SGII wired to the OBD-II port and is still off by 6-8% on MPG.