I currently drive a Dodge 2500 3/4 ton diesel pickup lifted on 37s ~50+ miles round-trip. Time to fix that. My budget is $7-10K range for the right car.

I was originally looking at the 04/05 Civics; a little research showed that they seemed to get a bit better MPG than the 06+, but IMO looked better than the 01-03, and fell in my price range. I noticed the interiors of the 06/07 look a lot nicer (in pictures), I haven't gone to look at anything in person yet.

How much nicer/better (if at all) are the 06/07 models over the 04/05 models? It looks like there are some of these later year models that still fall in my price range. Realistically, how much worse is the MPG? Thanks guys.

 

You will read a lot of horror stories about people not getting near the mileage that was listed on the car. I believe those people drive it like maniacs and expect 40mpg. I can tell you that I do about 50hwy/50city driving, and I get about 32-35mpg, every time I fill up. I have an 07, and if I were you, I'd go with a 2010 or 2011. The earlier models (06-09) have some issues with cracked blocks and other misc. things. The cracked block issue is covered for 8 years unlimited mileage, but I just wouldn't want to deal with it, you know? So get a 2010 or 2011 and you should be golden. The interior is very nice in this generation, so I'd highly recommend these models. Hope that helps.

 

I'd love to have one, but a 2010 is about double the budget I'm looking to spend. I'm looking mainly to get back and forth to work reliably at a better cost than this truck I'm driving now. I almost thought about getting another 92-95, but decided I wanted something newer. Not that new though.

 

I gotcha. In that case, I would look for anything from 04 - 07. The newer one will give you the better interior and probably lower miles for just a little more $. For the right price or miles, I'd get any of those years... The EX model on the 06-07 plays mp3/wma, and probably other things that weren't there before. That's always good to have...

 

I had a new 04 coupe with an auto trans I was getting 43 mpg on the highway just before I sold it.

Then in 07 I bought a new lx coupe with a 5 speed, that car got an incredible 41 in town and 39 on the highway.

The 07 had a lower gear ratio I believe which made it fun and quick in town but hurt it on the highway.

Now I have a 12 si with a nicer interior that got 37 mpg in town when I got it driving nicely to break it in, now that I drive it a little harder it gets 31 in town.

all of the cars interiors are a little dull,(Plain) looking but depending on your taste a dash kit can make it look better.

 

Ah, so they are getting better MPG on the road than these estimates are from this site?
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find....n=sbs&id=23502

Looks like the 'actuals' are getting better MPG ratings.

 

Your gas mileage depends on the weight of your foot on the fuel pedal, drive it like a nut and you will see ridiculously low mpg.

I drive and treat my cars like they are going to last me forever, frequent oil changes, rotating and keeping an eye on pressure in my tires etc.

If people did half the things they should do these cars would last nearly forever, but they don't, those are the people who complain the loudest.

 

I drive with a fairly light foot in my truck, but my MPG's aren't very good. Any ideas why?

 

because racecar

 

I love those.

 

I have a 96' Honda accord(2.2l 4cyl non-vtech) and I want better gas mileage on my car. The best I got on the highway driving back and forth to work was 30. But lately driving around town all the time it's like 23 miles per gallon :/

Do they make high pressure tires that will fit the stock rims of my car? I'm thinking something that will hold 45-50 PSI?

Also, what's the main reason newer hondas can get 40MPG and up on the highway? Somebody told me it's the ECM making it more efficient. Is this true? (Assuming optimal conditions) isn't it also the gear ratio? And I imagine weight plays a small effect as well. Is their one contributing factor?

 

I believe the newer i-vtec in the R18 plays a huge part in fuel economy. Like some have said.. you drive like you stole it, and you'll get bad mileage no matter what.

 

LOL WTF...where did that come from...

 

Me? Here...

http://asia.vtec.net/Engines/RiVTEC/index.html

 

That's pretty technical.

Will driving in lower gears conserve fuel?

 

It really helps when at cruising speeds... read the article I posted up there ^

 

Keep in mind the 06/07 civics actually get better highway mpg with an AT than with MT. I believe that was the first year that ATs became advanced enough to do that.

I believe if you drive an 04 then drive an 07, you will notice a big difference in handling. Also keep in mind that the 06/07 coupes have a sportier suspension than the coupes of the same years. Also keep in mind that 06 was the year of a major overhaul of the civic line. There were a few little kinks that did not get worked out until the 07 model year.

Personally if I were in your position, I would spend the money on an eg, like you said. Find a good clean one with little to no rust, decked out with rear disc brakes, some good springs, maybe some racing seats. Who cares about the engine or how many miles are on it. You can always get a fresh one from japan (with 35-45K miles) to swap in it. They don't make them like they used to. Today's cars have a bunch of stuff like dbw and other stuff that adds weight and thus robs fuel economy.

 

You really, honestly, truthfully think the "enormous" amount of weight added by DBW decreases gas mileage? Really? How much does it add exactly? 20lbs? OP is asking for a commute car to work and back on a budget, not a project car he can swap the motor in. Read the first few posts.

I'm still puzzled why you would think DBW adds weight? Where did you hear that? And to say it's significant to gas mileage is just baffling...

 

Dave is that a civic on the trailer in the backround? And a few mods on the truck might get you better mpg...

 

Read MY post. I said that today's cars have a bunch of stuff like dbw AND OTHER STUFF that adds weight and thus robs fuel economy.

And for a given trim, lets say EX coupe MT, an 07 civic is several hundred lbs heavier than a 95. Some of these weight-adding features are great, but some, like dbw, just take control away from the driver and make the vehicle more dependent upon computer systems.

But you obviously like dbw, so I am not going to try to argue with you, or further baffle you.

To the OP: Let us know once you get a chance to test drive some cars, and tell us what you think.

 

I didn't say I liked DBW, I just misunderstood your statement, that's all. IMO, I wouldn't buy an almost 20 year old car just because it weighs 200 lbs less. Again, that may just be me, but the OP wanted something dependable, so I could not recommend a 95 unless it had under 150k on the odometer and a good maintenance log.

 

My guess is it would be nearly 20 years of advancement in safety requirements and the fact that the current Civic is roughly the size of an early to mid 90's Accord.

 

I had an 05 lx sedan for about a year. It was pretty good on gas but when I upgraded to an 08 si the 6th gear helps alot when driving long distances. Power wise theres no question the si kills it and is a lot smoother of a ride. If your looking for a comfortable ride with a little bit of ***** in the engine and decent on gas id go with something between 06 and 09

 

Personally i think 04-05 has better interior quality but 06+ looks more sportier. also 04-05 has a better visibility through all the windows. In a 06+ i can't see the hood, i can only see 6ft out and have to guestimate where the hood is. (i'm a short fella). other than that i think they are both great cars.