Gas mileage: WTF

[Dr. Jimbo]

I don't get it. I see posts of 25 to 30 mpg. I have a K&N FIPK and people report better gas mileage. I got 20+ mpg last tank. Sometimes I get 22 to 23. I've gotten 25 to 26 on long freeway trips. I don't drive that hard. On a tank that I hit vtech a lot, i'll get 20 to 21. If I'm conservative, 22 to 23. How do you get 25+ consistently? 65 miles per hour with cruise control on? I use Shell V-Power (V for Vtec) and change my oil regularly with Mobil 1 synthetic. Any other suggestions than driving my S like a little old lady?

[gomarlins3]

I get about the same as you do.

[Java Junky]

Yeah Doc, I posted a Twilight Zonely similar post 'boud'a year ago. I consistantly run in the 20 to 21 range with mostly local drivin' n' maybe see 23 when I'm on the highway. Okay . . . once I saw 23.
If you're gettin' what you're gettin', I'd suspect that your idea of "normal" (Don'cha jus' love that word?) drivin'z a bit more "spirited" than spirited.
Might I even say that "A" word in public without causin' some kind'a self-righteous uproar? Could your drivin' possibly be considered "agressive" Doc?
Bu'cha godda admit: it's a small price ta pay for wearin' the trademark grin, y'know?
Be well n' don't stay up so late.
Java

[Dr. Jimbo]

Yea, you're right. I love to drop it down into 3rd and stomp on it and pass some idiot on the cell phone. I love it when the vtec kicks in with the K&N...WWWAAUUUUUUGGHHHHHHH!. I don't do it a lot on some tankfulls and a lot on others, but my mileage doesn't change that much. I wanted to put the little smiley vtech guy off of the smiley list... where did he go?

I think of myself as an offensive driver and not a defensive driver. And when I say offensive, I don't mean a$$hole, I mean look for the slots, use turn signals and move forward without collateral damage. Not like some of the ricers that just cut through traffic. I'm more of a carver. Way too many people on their cell phones on the freeway in California, you have to treat them like a slolam course.

[Tee-Dub]

I'm only on my third tank of gas since I bought the car, but I'm getting the same as you. I think a lot of people don't know how to properly figure MPG, or they just like to exaggerate!

[jagg]

granted, I could spin a yarn 'r two.......BUT i'm certainly not fuel economy figurin' out challenged.

I consistantly get between 26 and 27 mpg. Very little highway driving, say appx 10% of my total miles could even be considered a "highway"
On the other hand, i do even less "city" driving. Spirited driving is my specialty. Once a week stewie sees triple digits......keep that on the down-low.

regards,
jagg

[mahalos]

On the highway, since it was new, my 07 s2k has turned great milage... as high as 34 with the wife driving and no AC in really Flat Dakota country with speed not exceeding 60mph. Happened only once, but it regularly gets 28-30 romping around interstates in NEngland

In town, low to mid 20's. I remember reading someone who said his milage improved like magic after having the valves adjusted following a cam issue... who knows??

[Tee-Dub]

I'm low to mid 20's with 50/50 city highway. According to my manual the valves aren't even to be looked at until way after 100k miles, did I miss something? Also, I've never owned a car that needed valve adjustments, why does this one?

[Java Junky]

Godda big, very efficient bike mill under 'er hood Tee-Dub. 'Comes with the territory.
Be well.
Java

[Java Junky]

The amount that you've godda drag the anchor also figures very heavily into the MPG game. If you've got clear sailin' n' no reason (Well, maybe an over-enthusiastic corner 'r two) to get on the brakes it makes a huge difference. If you're constantly havin' to pull it down for traffic 'r whatever n' then, hopefully, gettin' back up to speed. Plugged into some traffic jam doesn't help the numbers do anythin' but dive either.
If you've been usin' the brakes alot durin' a tankful, you don't wanna be lookin' at the numbers.
Be well.
Java

[s2000isu]

If I cared about my mpg I would have bought a prius and if I wanted to feel the wind in my hair I woulda got a scooter. But ya it seems youre pretty average.

[Scooterboy]

Originally Posted by s2000isu

if I wanted to feel the wind in my hair I woulda got a scooter.

I have several scooters and an "S". The scooters get around 100mpg and my "S" averages 25mpg. I have gotten as high as 34 and as low as 19.

[Java Junky]

34 Scoot?????
Maybe it's 'cause your Stewie's spendin' so much time with your scooters?
Man, I godda be doin' somethin' really, really wrong.
Be well.
Java

[s2kx2]

The best I have seen with my 05 is 28 mpg. My 01 has never gotten more than 24 mpg...that is probably because I drive it harder than the 05.

[Dr. Jimbo]

Kinda like I figured. I guess I should just drive it like it was intended to be driven. Since it doesn't make much difference if I baby the S or get on it the way I like...hell, I'll go for vtech!

[s2000isu]

Lol Dr we all let it go the first but we dont drive phones.

[s2ook]

I regularly get 35+ on motorways and the highest has been 37.

I don't drive fast on motorways anymore due to the ridiculous numbers of speed cameras on the roads in the UK so I save that for B road blasts on a weekend.

I also remember reading that MY99-01 had the worst fuel consumption for AP1 (mine's MY52), what year is your car?

I also found that using Redex fuel system cleaner after an oil change with Amsoil 10W30 improved my mileage quite a bit although I may well have been driving uber efficiently on that occasion. Incidentally, I've been known to get 50+ miles before I lose that first bar on the fuel gauge!!!

[Dr. Jimbo]

Are you on the metric system or is your S a hybrid? I don't think I'll ever see #'s like that in my '01.

[Elusive8S2k]

I constantly get 27-28 mpg and the highest has been 34. I tend to hit 30mpg about 1 out of every 4 tanks. All I've done is installed an Injen intake and an HKS exhaust for the engine. I drive my car fairly hard but not too hard. Highway miles prob 50%, city 50%. I NEVER go under 27mpg. And yes, I hit vtec a lot and no I'm not exaggerating. I'm pleasantly surprised at my gas mileage. I do not use synthetic either.

[s2ook]

The occasion when I got 37 was due to slipstreaming a lorry for about 40 miles because I was being anal and looking for a Shell garage for v-power (99 RON).

In the end, I realised I probably wasn't going to find one and decided it was probably best not to play fuel light roulette since i'd already travelled some distance with it lit.

By the time i'd found a petrol station I must have travelled over 40miles...

And no, I don't use metric measurements for fuel efficiency. Many of the UK guys have got over 35mpg and I believe one has reported over 400 miles from a tank!!!

[Tee-Dub]

400 miles on a tank? Dang! My best so far (in the three tanks I've run) was 259 miles. It took 11.7 gallons to fill. 2005 model.

[s2ook]

I've just realised you're going by US gallons which is slightly different. In that case i've got upto ~31mpg.

[Java Junky]

Why'm I feelin' like this thread should only be considered if one's wearin' waders?

[controller]

I have gotten 29 - 30 before. Same situation as s2ook, was on a drive from Chicago to Columbus, cruise control between 65 and 50 due to construction, followed trucks most of the way there. The drive was on a weekday morning so that was all the traffic. Never hit vtec the entire tank.

Otherwise, in a mix of city and highway, I'm getting 24.

[jagg]

no waders needed java....
i'll photograph my fuel slips and odometer if ya like. (yesterday-- 290 miles, 11.097 gallons at fill up)
regards,
jagg

[s2ook]

IMO the Jekyll and Hyde personality of the car is one of its most appealing aspects.

If I drive motorways and A roads the fun factor is diminished and I would rather have a car which returns good MPG. Conversely, on a B road blast as MR Honda intended, the enjoyment factor goes through the roof. I, for one, would rather save money on boring trips to enjoy on spirited drives rather than have a car which guzzles juice. I understand that fuel costs are marginal in the US compared to the UK (I pay $3.96 per gallon for 99 RON) so this probably isn't that much of a concern.

However, if you factor in running costs per se then this car is very good value in comparison to other cars with similar performance attributes.

[Dr. Jimbo]

I'm not so concerned about the $. 5 mpg difference is about $6+ difference per fillup (if my math is right). That's a small price to pay for the joy of driving an S the way it was meant to be driven. Driving to Lake Elsinore I got 25+ at an average of 90 miles per hour. I guess its the accel/decel that gets me.

[DJJSR]

Dr. J - 90 miles per hour!! You're a menace to society. I didn't think the red cars would do 90.

[Dr. Jimbo]

Dj, It thinks it's blue.
Well when you're out on the 210 and the 15 and some of the other big California freeways at the right time of day/night you can haul ass especially if someone in front of you is clearing the way and someone is behind you to cover your ass.

[s2000isu]

Seems kinda silly talking about fuel mileage when we drive a car that goes through tires every 10k miles or needs premium.

[Java Junky]

I think newly tattooed said what I was thinkin'.
If I'm gonna push the red button, it's Howdy-Doody time.
Oh . . n' the red buttons . . . they come oud'a Modena.
Be well.
Java

[Dr. Jimbo]

OK then isu, let's talk about tires. I have 12,000+ miles on my Riken Raptors (a Michelin company). Z-rated, Look good, stick great and I still have at least 50 % tread left.
Am I not driving hard enough?

[DJJSR]

"If I'm gonna push the red button, it's Howdy-Doody time."

I'm adding that one to my list of quotable quotes. Are you sure George Bush didn't say it?

[s2000isu]

Def not because I trashed my tires in 6-7k miles. If youre tires have more than 50% treat at 12k miles then either you have tires made of plastic or you drive mostly on grass. On a side not not once while spinning tires did I go you know I think this is going to hurt my fuel mileage.

[Dr. Jimbo]

These tires are so much better than the Coopers the guy had on the car when I bought it. There was so much road noise. Nope, the Riken's are good and sticky in the twisties. I tried to ebrake a 180 and I got about a 45. They've been great tires. I got them for about $80 each installed at Tire Pros. I put them on at 50k and I've got 62k and they still look great.

[s2ook]

Nearly all cars are a compromise at the end of the day. I'm not saying fuel efficiency is anywhere near the top of the list but realistically how many people would still buy the S if it averaged say 2mpg?

The difference for me between averaging 200 and 400 miles from a tank is over $100 in the UK at the moment.

As a daily driver on the weekly grind it's not worth me ragging the car as I would on the weekend. I'm not saying I abstain from engaging VTEC when the situation is right but since about half the mileage i've clocked over the past year has come from motorway miles, there is no benefit to driving hard. I save all the hooning about for the B roads where I can enjoy it and keep my licence devoid of convictions.

[jagg]

i don't know off hand what kind of tires i'm wearing on stewie, but i am a " b" roads kind of guy.

regards,
jagg

[Java Junky]

Well, I'd imagine that there'z a huge difference ta be had in mileage acquired while havin' to stop, 'r, slow for every rollin' roadblock that mindlessly drifts (No. Not that kind'a drifts) back n' forth from lane to lane while, textin', shavin', fixin' make up in the rear view, n' whatever that guy with the monkey stickin' oud'a his sunroof was doon. I'd jus' godda put that on the lower end'a the MPG thing.
Bein' out in the boonies somewhere, where your main concern is wildlife (You know: moose, bears, deer, coyote, tree rats, chipmunks . . . anything bigger'n Stewie) will probably gain you higher MPG.
Jagg . . . "b roads"? Aren't those the ones where they always got some woman screamin' ta beat the band?
Be well.
Java
Oh! Those were "b" movies.

[jagg]

Ursula Andress in:

ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT STEWIE.

coming soon to a run down drive-in near you!

[Kalm_Traveler]

Well...I've had my 02 for about 7 months now and have consistantly had between 24-27 mpg depending on how much VTEC is used. I keep trying to hit 30 but it's just not happening.

to S2ook,
Not sure where you heard that we have cheap gasoline here, but the place I fill up at has been floating around $3.40 per US gallon all year. Not a whole lot cheaper than your $3.96 that you mentioned earlier... and I don't even live in the gas-expensive part of the country