I would check the tire pressure too. Honda sets them at 32. Inflate them a bit more up to, say, 38.

If you have any tires below 32, then that's probably one of the main culprits in your low mpg.

 

The biggest thing is to use that mpg graph! Watch how your driving affects it. For me the greatest factors to bump up that mpg is to use your brakes as little as possible by coasting to a stop and getting up to 55-60 miles per hour and finding that sweet spot on the accelerator so that you maintain that speed while acheiving 50+mpg. Again, I cannot stress the importance of using that mpg graph. It's located pretty well where you're not keeping your eye off the road.

I just got my HCH last week and with almost 400 miles on the tank, I'm averaging 49.7 according to the computer. This is with about 60/40 highway/city driving and not doing much more than stated above. Of course, all of the advice from members on this forum has been a great help too! Next step is to inflat tires and maybe I'll get over the 50mpg mark!

I'm not sure if living in a hot climate has been a big factor also, but it doesn't seem like any braking in period was needed on my car. <knock on wood>

Good luck. I'm sure it'll get better as you get used to driving the car for fuel efficiency.

 

Very good points - especially the one concerning break-in.

I have driven quite a few HCH-II's (including my own) and I almost lost count of how many 2008 models I have driven in. In almost all of them, some of them with much less than 1000 miles on the odometer, I am able to push the mileage I usually get out of my 2006 and 2007 models.
So, I can clearly and confidently say that vehicle break-in is not the biggest factor. Breaking-in the owner is.

Now, this is not to say that the vehicle break-in is bogus. Not at all. As many of you know, a whole series of "things" just seem easier to perform and hold on a properly broken-in HCH (like holding on to a 70+MPG steady state cruise, longer gliding, etc)


Still, one's willingness to learn remains the primary key to great FE success. Add a little element of opportunity, climate conditions, and as many have said: "There's nothing your iFCD gauge, a helping HCH-II community and Tarabell's article cannot fix"

Good luck;

MSantos

 

I would so love to start a business that taught people how to drive their HCH's (or any other Hybrid for that matter) to their best potential, or at least take a 1 hour drive in an HCH that someone is getting crazy low mpg out of to see if it's the car, location, or driver. I've seen this question posed so many times here alone on GH. It hurts to see people getting under 40mpg in this car! While I can't say I get 60+mpg like some on GH do (I'm still trying to figure out how they do it without doing FAS and other somewhat tricky techniques), I am consistantly at 49-52mpg and 600-650 mile tanks. My licence plate even says "(top) I get at least (plate) 600 MILS (bottom) on every tank". There were a few tanks during the winter before I got my block heater that were under 600 miles as I think I averaged 44-45mpg during the extra cold/long winter for northern california (48mpg after the block heater).

I really noticed NO change after the "break-in" period and first oil change (M1 0w20 Synth) around 7,500 miles. I was hoping to bump into the 55mpg range, but I guess I was already doing everything I could in the car considering the road conditions in this area. I got my best 55mpg tank right before the first oil change!

Everyone here gives really great advice and suggestions. I look at the car like I'm going on a diet... you need to sacrifice some things (hard acceleration, excessive speeds, etc) for better things (better mpg, lower maintenance costs, etc)!

 

One thing you do need to do is say goodbye to the 70 to 75 MPH speeds if you want a decent fuel economy. MY HCHII is my second Hybrid, after an HCHI, and I've learned with both that speed knocks the MPG down. I typically would drive mine at 62 MPH on the freeway, and now do at 57 MPH, and have noticed that even that 5 MPH drop has noticably increased my fuel economy. Quick acceleration will also kill MPG, work towards maximizing the RPMs to 2000 or less....there is a reason the Tachometer is so prominent on the dashboard. It takes time to modify bad habits, just as it does take time for the car to break in, up to 10,000 miles. Good luck.