I must agree with mmrmnhrm. That five-mile commute is doing you in for mileage.

 

Folks,

I don't mean to stir the pot here, but I think that there are at least a few items of merit in this claim.

My Civic Hybrid has a lifetime average of 38 MPG actual (8K miles in Northern CA).

This is much less than I expected, and I would not have bought the car if this was the expected mileage.

The 49/51 promoted by EPA and in Honda's advertising is BS. My best tank was just shy of 43 -- and I have measured every tank in an Excel spreadsheet.

Just another perspective. I do like the car, but am disappointed in the mileage.

I also think the mileage reported on this website is BS -- or I have a defective car. The average reported here is 46 for a HCHII. No way. I have never gotten close to that number.

Doberwiler

 

Did you really accuse people of lying and you are not trying to stir the pot....

1st time poster. 4500 miles on 2007 HCH-II.
1st tank 48 mpg
Latest tank 55 mpg. (computer read and confirmed by calculating at pump)

Was up to 60 MPG for 1/2 a tank (well 270 miles or so) with my usual commuting. Now I am on a week off and doing lots of short runs and my wife is driving - down to 52 MPG.

If you get 38 mpg, do you know what you got before on your last car? My last car got about 20 by its onboard computer but was always more like 18 when calculated. The HCH is more accurate and usually under shoots the mileage.

 

Yeah, and those of us posting photos of our info display are really masters of Fark.com style PhotoShop manipulation. Whatever.

 

Now that's the attitude!!! If you can't beat them, call them all liars.

My current tank is at 74.9 mpg and 650 miles. Say what you will.

 

Doberwiler, I can assure you that the mileage on this website is not BS.

I had a 2004 HCH and my short commute was about 7 miles of city driving in Phoenix, where I was of course forced to use MAX A/C every day from about May 10th to October 10th, and I ended up with a lifetime MPG of about 48 MPG in that car. As you may or may not know, a short commute (especially in the wintertime) makes for reduced MPG because the engine never reaches optimum operating temps and therefore cannot fully utilize the hybrid system.

My TCH is averaging about 35 MPG over a similar driving pattern.

There may indeed have been a little fudging of the numbers by people who come to this site just to make fun of us or to play around - but the vast majority of regularly visiting members, if not all of them, report their mileage completely as their car achieves it and completely honestly.

Anyone who spends the effort and time and learns how to drive their hybrid vehicle can achieve excellent MPG from virtually any but the VERY shortest of commutes.

Good luck to all........

 

Well I am very confident the numbers reported here are accurate, specifically related to the diligent member postings. While I do not have the patience to continually acheive great mileage numbers I know for a fact I can acheive 4.3 L/100KM in a daily commute and I can easily acheive the 4.7L/100KM rating.

While I tend to average between 5.3 and 5.8 its not indicitive of what this vehicle can do.

Quite honestly I am amazed that on a commute route (which is much different than the "ideal" testing conditions utilized in establishing the EPA) I can acheive the numbers I do.

Cheers!

 

Where in Northern CA are you? I will be happy to meet up with you if you are generally close. If you're in the foothills or up past Auburn in the hills, your average of 38 may be close to accurate (Although I do drive to Auburn (Up Hwy 80) and Shingle Springs (up Hwy 50) and average pretty well. I live in Sacramento (Carmichael) which isn't a very flat or level road area. My wife drove our 07 HCHII for the first 3 weeks (about 1,200 mi) and averaged 38 mpg. I have been driving it ever since (now has 4,500 mi) and my average is 50 mpg. It is truly all about the driver. We had the same 6 mile commute to work (both work at the same place). She did run a few more errands with our daughter, however I have taken many short 1 mile trips to the store and pick up milk, cigs, etc and I don't have the problem. I also take longer 20-30 mile trips and do computer repair for small businesses.

I just took a trip from Sac to Walnut Creek and back yesterday and averaged 55 mpg over 175 miles (I reset trip B as I left the house). My speed was about 70 the whole way there. When I got there the FE showed 54 mpg. On the way back, I left at 3:30 pm so I hit rush hour slow downs in many spots (Benicia bridge, Cordelia junction all the way through to the Nut Tree, the clogged Yolo causeway from an earlier accident, then the I-80/I-5 merge congestion all the way through Norwood Ave). When I got home the FE showed 55 mpg, so I gained pretty well considering the 10-20 mph rush hour traffic.

I recommend this car to anyone who asks about it. I told someone about it yesterday and when I said I get over 600 miles on 12 gallons she about had a heart attack. I told her that there are some getting 800+ on a tank on this forum, and while I'm still trying to figure out how they do it, I'm very happy with 600 miles a tank! I don't tell them it's an amazing magic car. I do give them the rundown of how you can drive the HCH the same way as your other car and they will see good results, but won't see the best results unless they adjust some of their driving techniques and actually learn how to drive for max FE! I give them the straight story, telling them my wife only averaged 38 but she was a lead foot and never wanted to learn how to drive the car (easy starts, coast/cruise as much as possible, learn the sensitive gas pedal on the HCHII, etc).

So Doberwiler, if you would like to meet up somewhere, let me know. I truly would like to see what you're doing to get 38 mpg and show you what I'm doing to get 50 mpg. PM or email me.

 

Posting photos of the display proves nothing. Any genius out there can add fuel and not hit reset on the display. Not that I'm saying you did this but please, display photos prove nada.

 

I think the 49/51 carefully tested/measured by the EPA are accurate for the EPA city/hwy tests they perform. These do not however, ensure that any invidual owner/vehicle/route combination will meet/exceed these values.

I am sure that the mpg readings you are logging are accurate for your vehicle/route.

Perhaps you could take the vehicle on a different, longer route at some time and see how the mpg responds, or test drive another one on the same route to see if it also gets 38mpg. This may help you determine if it is your particular vehicle that is the issue.

I agree that the typical (average) HCH2 owner is not getting 50mpg average, but many are, including those posting to this sites log and to the EPA log below.

The HCH2 and other fuel efficient vehicles are good high FE tools, but using the tool for a difficult route or using it incorrectly will give dissapointing results.

Shared MPG Estimates for Honda Civic Hybrid

We have revised the 1985-2007 EPA MPG estimates to make them comparable to EPA's new 2008 MPG estimates! Click to learn more about EPA's new MPG estimates.
User MPG EPA MPG
Average Range Comb City Hwy

2007 Honda Civic Hybrid 43.0 35 - 56 42 40 45
4 cyl, 1.3 L, Automatic (CVT), Regular Gasoline, HEV, EMS No. of Vehicles: 29
Show All

2006 Honda Civic Hybrid 46.1 32 - 72 42 40 45
4 cyl, 1.3 L, Automatic (fully variable gear ratios), Regular Gasoline, HEV, EMS No. of Vehicles: 82
Show All

2005 Honda Civic Hybrid 44.5 37 - 52 40 39 43
4 cyl, 1.3 L, Automatic (fully variable gear ratios), Regular Gasoline, HEV, EMS