Hey Civic enthusiasts,


My wife's 98 civic hatchback dx auto with 79k and original engine and tranny just got 29.5 mpg on the last tank.

She uses the A/C more than I would like her too, and drives all city miles.

I'm wondering if I should be pleased with this mileage, or is there more that I can do to increase that to 32-35 mpg.

Also, we are taking a long road trip with it soon, and I'm wondering what kind of mpg I should expect if I cruise at 60 mph (more like 80 mph, the way I drive).

I've read that using the A/C can cost you an average of 15% more fuel than not using it.


With it getting hot this week, will our civic drink much more gas if the wife is using the A/C on her commute to and from work every day?


Thanks

 

I have the cx version of your car, lighter with less, and I get about 35 city/ 40 highway after a tune up. You are getting decent millage seeing as you have more. A/C drains gas takes alot of fuel to power it.

-Make sure your tires are properly adjusted
-Less weight
-Less a/c!
-Basic tune up: Spark plugs, air filter, pcv valve (wires if needed)

= Smoother ride and great millage!

 

yes a/c will affect mileage somewhat. But more important is the driving style. driving smoothly and avoiding using a lot of throttle will help. also on highway trips high speed lowers mpg. Ive heard around 50-55 is the optimal speed for mpg. But obviously on highways this can be unsafe. check tire pressures, run them a little on the high end. has the car been tuned up recently. make sure plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter are all good. run some fuel system cleaner through the gas tank.

 

my mazda protege was getting 33-35mpg (rated 25/30) with ac on and the windows down mostly at 60mph+, had a clean filter, new spark plugs, brand new nitrogen filled tires, etc etc. i dont believe a/c has a large effect on a small engined car honestly.

lol crackin down on the wife for a/c usage... say gas is around 4$/gallon... 100 miles at 30mpg is 3.333 gallons of gas, 13.33 dollars... 100 miles at 25mpg is 4 gallons, $16 dollars

$2.67 difference every 100 miles... skip a latte or pack a lunch and bam, problem solved even at a hefty 5mpg loss. id rather have the wife cool and happy rather than sweaty and pissed off i.e. even a $24k prius will net you ~10.68-13.35 saved every 100 miles.

id bet you see 30-34mpg on the trip, 29mpg mostly city driving on a bone stock auto civic is pretty normal

 

i thought on mythbusters proved that riding down the road with the windows down kills the areodynamics more then if u had the A/C on with the windows up you would net nearly the same mpg. as he posted its more going to depend on ur driving style. if driving on interstates u will probably see anywhere between 30-34mpg as posted above as long as its not in the mountains and climbing alot of steep hills.

 

Driving style is key. I think Click & Clack said that full throttle up to speed, then light on the throttle when cruising yields the best mpg. The idea is to minimize the amount of time accelerating. Too much time on the brake pedal is not good, so it's better to keep some distance from the car ahead.

If considering a tune up, don't forget the O2 sensor!

 

29.5 mpg with AC seems normal. because my friends civic dx automatic gets about 31 without AC.. he has a heavy foot so its constantly quick starts and hard stops, he drives mostly highway miles also......my advice is use AC only when going 50+ mph and a constant speed... you waste more gas using AC on streets