That all- important first calculation

[Sidot]

Just filled up my new mk3 for the first time and have done the ACTUAL miles covered full tank to full tank .
The one true way of determining MPG.
10 miles on car when collected with full tank.
303 at station when filled up. 33.84 ltrs ÷4.646 = 7.44 gallons.293 miles ÷ 7.44 = 39.38mpg.
All mileage done stop start short journeys around town.
Should I be pleased with 39.38mpg? I am. A bigger more responsive engine than 1.2mk2 and more mpg.
I think the previous car was giving about 35/ 36.
Well done Honda.

[Paulwhitt20]

If you only do short journeys round town a hybrid would be better. Pity Honda don't make any anymore.

[Hobo]

Not important to me, as long as the car is not obviously burning petrol and appears reasonably economical I fill up when it needs it and cannot be bothered to calculate MPG and worry about what I am getting.

[Pine]

Your MPG will improve over the next year or so as the engine beds in and loosens up. My fuel consumption was better in year 2 and even better in year 3.

[John Ratsey]

Is the car manual or CVT? Honda's official urban cycle test mpgs for the SE are 46.3 for the manual and 52.3 for the CVT.

Other factors are (i) the dealer may not have completely filled the fuel tank which would give you a worse mpg on refilling; (ii) engine starting from cold much of the time; (iii) the auto idle start not working (there is a long list of conditions when it won't work plus I reckon it's also temperamental and doesn't always work when it should).

If you can get the car out of town then you should see a noticeable improvement in the mpg. I've just refilled after a 3 day excursion which roughly comprised 60% A roads (including going through towns), 25% motorway and 15% B roads, country lanes and a good dose of hills and bends. 401 miles / 32.23 litres = 56.6 mpg. The car's computer reckoned the mpg from the last refill was 61.7 which is 9% optimistic.

[trebor1652]

Sidot l think you will find it is 4.546 litres to the gallon. :-))

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[Sidot]

Sorry, yes you are right it's 4.546. It was a typing error not a calculating error.
I'm not a " high revs " type of driver so I expect my mpg to improve.
The car is a manual SE and I use the idle stop.

[John Ratsey]

If you are using the auto idle stop then I would hope you can get a few more mpg. Driving style may affect the fuel consumption. We have been discussing in another thread about the CVT's propensity for briefly revving up to 2500 - 3000 rpm when pulling away and it could be that Honda worked out that this was more fuel efficient than keeping the revs lower. It's something to consider. Somehow they programmed the CVT to give better economy under urban driving than a manual gearbox version in spite of the gearbox itself being mechanically less efficient. And also try to decelerate as if your brakes don't work. Everytime the pads have to rub against the discs represent energy being wasted.

[Sidot]

Great tips John thank you.
I will try to wring every last mile out of this engine / tank.!
I will also try the 2500/ 3000 revs pulling away style. .although I was always a " gentle on the right foot " kind of driver.
That green  / blue light thingy helps too.

[trebor1652]

 Many years ago I fitted a green/blue light thingy and it was called a vacuum guage, probably the best extra I ever fitted, it does a good job of showing that a heavy right is not a good thing.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[John Ratsey]

Great tips John thank you.
I will try to wring every last mile out of this engine / tank.!
I will also try the 2500/ 3000 revs pulling away style. .although I was always a " gentle on the right foot " kind of driver.
That green  / blue light thingy helps too.

I'm inherently light with the right foot unless there's a real need to get a move on but have come to accept that the CVT gearbox likes to put on a few revs to get the car moving. With a manual gearbox letting the revs build up can be achieved by delaying the gear changes rather than being heavy with the right foot. Once the car is up to speed then get the revs into the 1000 - 1500 rpm range. There may be scope for skipping a gear. The CVT is very willing to quickly make substantial changes in the engine speed (and hence the logical corresponding gear). Perhaps it is this aspect that lets it achieve the claimed economy but the claimed urban mpg seems to be (as with all cars) a work of fiction unless Honda used the car's computer instead of calculating from the distance and fuel. I have seen 52 mpg on the trip display on 5 mile urban trips provided there aren't too many obstacles but the computer seems to be about 9% optimistic.

[Sidot]

This new mk3 driving awareness is good for me.
Being an older driver I may have got into some habits that are not conducive to fuel efficient motoring.
I'm trying to get through the gears quicker keeping the green lights on and , as John said decelerate rather than brake when slowing down.
Having six gears instead of five is the thing that does confuse me, I sometimes am unsure of what gear I'm in !!