20 minute round trips (kids to school and back)
Temp 80-100 (South Florida, so yes AC on full time)
Nearly 100% flat roads
40-55 miles per hour stretch of US1 with maybe 6 stoplights (90% of the drive)
25-30 miles per hour city streets (other 10% of drive)

2008 Civic Hybrid
44 psi tires
NO HYPERMILING

Any guesses on my expected REAL mileage. I look at the database here and some people are getting in the mid 30's. Before I take delivery of this thing and give up my 2007 honda odyssey exl with power doors, three row seating, sunroof and Dvd system that gets 19 mpg and is the nicest FREAKING car we have ever owned...I want to make sure that I will AT LEAST get the posted average here of 46 mpg.

I read Tarabell's article, but I don't know how practical that will be for my wife. She is not a lead foot, but I highly doubt she is EVER going to be hypermiling. With both my kids now in private school with no option of taking the bus, my wife will be driving this 20 mile loop 3 times a day plus running errands. I based my ROI calculations on the 46 mpg figure from this site. With the $100 drop in payment and the gas savings (figuring 20,000 miles a year and $4.25 a gallon gas) we stand to save $3,925 a year - or $19,629 over 60 months. It is worth giving up the van if the MPG boasted from this car is really attainable.

I simply want to know if 46 mpg is realistic given the typical 20 mile loop she drives. that is 80% or more of her driving.

 

Modifying your driving habits is the key to good fuel economy. You don't need a hybrid to get 46 mpg. The hybrid engine is just one component in the quest for helping you achieve high mileage. It seems every person that has complained about poor FE from the HCH-II, bought it with the expectation that they could continue to drive the way they have in the past and would magically get 40-50 mpg. This certainly is not the case.

If you teach your wife the basic FE saving techniques you've read about on this and other sites, you'll have no problem reaching 46 mpg. It's not hard, but its not free.

 

19

 

Well, other than the air conditioning and the lack of hills, that commute sounds a lot like mine (40-50mph with few stoplights). This is the kind of driving where the HCH absolutely shines because once you get it up to speed, it is very efficient at keeping that speed. The distance of 20 miles will let the car stay in the right temperature and the frequency of 3 trips per day will keep it there. I would say you have about as much of a slam dunk (condition wise) as it gets.

The only variable I can't comment on though is your wife. If she were a true lead foot, there isn't a chance, but you don't describe her that way. My wife drives normally and gets about 45mpg in our HCH, but her trips are a lot shorter and hillier than yours. I think you should be fine to hit 46mpg.

 

You are currently getting 19 mpg in your Odyssey. 19 mpg is the new combined EPA of your Odyssey.

Since 42 mpg is the combined EPA of the Honda Civic Hybrid, that's probably the best place to start for an approximation.

However, the combined EPA numbers are really low and you really should be able to improve on that number with just a little bit of effort.

 

Also, I used to own a 2005 Honda Odyssey (w/ VCM) that I pushed for fuel economy. Still, I only was able to average barely over 23 mpg over the last full year that I owned it. My Odyssey had a different transmission than yours and had a higher EPA rating than yours (20/28). For a comparison, I've averaged 59 mpg in my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid over the past full year.

 

Realistic? Easily. (Your commute sounds reasonably similar to mine, except I've got more hills but rarely use a/c)
Guaranteed? Hells no. There's no way any of us can guarantee anything.

 

I think you'll see 40-42 at first, and then, if you pay attention to just a few things (like keeping your speed mostly under 65, and not having the AC on max-blast & at 65 degrees), you'll see 45 or higher MPG. The Civic really likes longer trips (20 miles or more) at 55-65 miles per hour.
With the $$$ savings, I bet you'll be happy. The Ody is a sweet vehicle, to be sure, and I know how you feel about giving up that ride. My previous ride for a while was a super-sweet Jag XJ6. What a cruising machine! - but expensive to run. I don't miss it much now with $4 gas.

I get close to 50 (and often higher) on my 36 mile one-way trip to work, and 40 or more around town on short jaunts. I have a lifetime 46+ average. And we (I) drive this car for 85% of our vehicle needs. I do not cherry-pick which trip I take on which vehicle - my mileage numbers are 100% real, real, real. If I can run that errand on the hybrid - I do. Period. It costs me less to do so - and I send less of my money to the Middle East

 

My trip is not like your but you will get a good idea on how close you will be to the 46mpg you seek.

I drive 35 miles / 70 miles round trip with some steady climbs and one steep climb. I have my A/C on most of the time around 64-67. I also don't go below 70mph except on the hills. 90% of the time I am driving at 72mph. I do not hypermile or do anything out of the ordinary.

My average mpg over 6 months(tracked in Excel), 43.xx mpg! My savings over the past 6 months is about $160 per month.

 

Try this on her - every time she pulls say three 50mpg TANKS in the HCH, you will take her out for a nice dinner. Let me know how it works out.