I just purchased a pre-owned 05 HAH w/ 37,332 miles and I've been disappointed with the mileage I've been getting off the bat. I am still on my 1st tank but w/ 182.5 miles down and just above a quarter tank left (computer 22.5 mpg) I feel something isn't right for city driving. I've been very stringent about how I drive it. I realize w/ colder weather (flux b/t 40-70 F) and learning how to drive the car all take its toll on mpg's, but I was expecting 25 mpg at least. I'm also using techron fuel cleaner as well, which might be hampering my FE. But I noted when I 1st test drove the vehicle the computer was averaging around 22 mpg as well. I just thought who ever drove it before me was a heavy driver. I am very pleased with the car over all. Great amenities and lavish interior. Plus the car looks very well taken car of and the dealer has sold and serviced it though out the previous owner ship of the car. I've noticed the battery stays between 3-4 bars and I've only managed to get 5 bars once. The dealer filled it up when I left the lot but I'm confident he put reg gas in it. I'm going to check out the air filter to see how it's condition is but other than that I'm at a loss as to reach the spectacular FE's I've seen for the HAH's on this site. I would really like to get upwards of 27 mpgs in normal city driving. I've looked over the mpg sticky and I didn't find much to help other than the contacts for honda. Any and all advice greatly appreciated. Btw VERY NICE SITE, MOST IMPRESSIVE!

 

I have an 05 as well and the first thing to check for max MPGs is the tire pressure. I suggest adding more but never more than the sidewall max pressure rating. A couple psi down and my mpg is dropping.

Try to get the car to shift into 5th asap which is around 39mph or so. Once in 5th the mpgs climb nicely.

You also have to accelerate a little harder than you would think in order to get any IMA to kick in and do some good. If it never kicks in, whats the point of having it.

You battery charge level is like mine as well.

It really takes time to get into sync with your car. A hybrid car doesnt just give you mpg's, BUT the mpgs are there for the taking once you learn how to do it. It will take a month or so, no matter how well you think you can drive at the moment for mpgs. This is not a slam onto you, its just a fact.

Unless there is something wrong with your car which I doubt, your mpgs should pop up real soon.

best of luck to ya.

 

my tire sidewalls say max psi @ 44 psi and I've got them up to 36 right now. Do you think I should bump it up to 40? That tip about the 5th gear is a big help. I'll try to push acc a little more and see what comes of it. Thanks for the advice.

 

The ride will become a little harder and the mpg will get a little higher and come much easier too.

I have had my HAH for a more than a couple yrs now, and find I can stand 40-41 without any problem. The tires look like brand new and not wearing out at the center.

I have tried 0w-20 and would never bother with it again. I have used 5w-30 and seen no difference either so I just use 5-20 as recommended by Honda.

Once you hit 5t gear you can drop back approx 4-5mph and stay in it too. Most of our slower streets are 35 so I do have to go up to like 40, get into 5th and then slow down a bit if there is no traffic in front of me to occupy the traffic cops.

The mpg will come, hang in there. While it can be done, dont expect anything over 29 with ease in the harsh city traffic.

 

Quentin
While we don't usually drive much in city traffic our average mileage is around 27 with a mix of country roads(55mph) and 1 to 2 mile trips to the market and such.Now that the cold weather is here I've noticed the display is at 22 mpg.This reflects the short trips made with this tank of fuel and the cold temperatures.Generally our full tanks go from a low of 24.5 to a high of 40.5mpg on long trips.As the seasons warm up your mileage should increase....especially if you take a drive on the expressway.

 

Thank you so much georgej and TonyK for all the help. I just topped off my 1st tank today and with tires fully inflated and with the IMA trick I'm getting 27's ....NNNIIICCEEE . I'm feeling green and I likes. Excuse my humor but I just didn't expect the performance hike to be as productive as it is. One thing I've noticed is that I do drive mostly around my university with low speed grinds b/c I'm so close to campus. With this in mind I've tried to get the blue to spike but take off is a bit nasty in 1st gear so I usually inch into 2nd then start pushing blue. Does this sound right in your opinion? And if I'm going to be doing a lot of meandering around 10 - 30 mph should I just Mrs. Daisy it and ride the ECO as much as possible? Most of the time I've got someone in front of me so I can't get much of a take off. Sorry for the lack of common sense if any applies.

 

I use smooth (not slow) take-offs and regularly see 27-29 city. Others are saying they take off rather quickly and get about the same mileage. So I guess it's a wash. Try a tank one way and then try a tank the other. See what works best for you.

 

Jolthead,

Good for you. Now that you have the car able to provide the mpgs the rest of us get, its time to experiment with your own driving style. Before you know it, it will be natural and you wont even think about it.