Disappointing gas mileage

[jsw2233]

If I have to name one thing that my V missed most of my expectation, that must be its fuel economy. After 6 months and 4000 miles, I can only manage20mpg combined, usually at or below 18 mpg in city. With a rating of 20/26, I am not expecting Prius range but expecting 20 mpg city and may be 23 overall? March issue of Car and Driver was critizing Mazda CX7 for being 19 mpg. I decided to go for the V instead CX7 thinking the fuel economy gain was good enough to give up some (a lot!) power/fun. I'm starting to regret that decision because looks like I am not saving much gas.

Dear Honda, the CRV's 4 cylinder is one of the most thirsty I encountered, drinks like a V6 or turbo. Please fix it to at least the advertised numbers because with gas prices this high, I believe that's a really important reference number for buying decisions. No wonder both C&D and CR rate Rav4first partly because of its efficient V6. I am starting to agree, why not get extra horsepowers without paying mpg?
Thanks!

[PINODY]

20 MPG avg. here too! :( Even though we have a nicer interior, sometimes I regret not getting the Rogue - and it already comes packaged with all the ace$$ories and HID's too! :o

[Edd]

Ditto. I have about 4k on my 5-month old '07 EX-L 2WD. My average MPG is 19 or 20, maximum. I have no long-distance freeway commutes. I drive prudently.

Fuel economy for this vehicle is simply not there. I'm seriously considering selling it in a few months to get something more efficient. Very disapponting-- considering the CRV's smaller SUV size, 2WD, and expected Honda technology.

[t_simmonds]

My 07 CR-V EX AWD has averaged 27.5 mpg in the summer months and in the winter snow the average dropped to 26 mpg. I have been very satisfied with this. I have about 25,000 miles now.
Daily commute is mostly 2 lane highway - 35 miles one way.

[jsw2233]

My 07 CR-V EX AWD has averaged 27.5 mpg in the summer months and in the winter snow the average dropped to 26 mpg. I have been very satisfied with this. I have about 25,000 miles now.
Daily commute is mostly 2 lane highway - 35 miles one way.

I drive mostly city driving (80/20) too. Looks like the problem is more in the city driving. I do not have seperate highway only data to see if it's 26 mpg but I highly doubt it. I suspect this is due to the nature of VTEC engines - little low end torque, high revving. Therefore I have to step on the gas harder at low speed. But again, I'm expecting advertized number like 20 mpg, less than 18 mpg is not acceptable for a 4 cylinder.

[gary696]

If I have to name one thing that my V missed most of my expectation, that must be its fuel economy. After 6 months and 4000 miles, I can only manage20mpg combined, usually at or below 18 mpg in city. With a rating of 20/26, I am not expecting Prius range but expecting 20 mpg city and may be 23 overall? March issue of Car and Driver was critizing Mazda CX7 for being 19 mpg. I decided to go for the V instead CX7 thinking the fuel economy gain was good enough to give up some (a lot!) power/fun. I'm starting to regret that decision because looks like I am not saving much gas.

Dear Honda, the CRV's 4 cylinder is one of the most thirsty I encountered, drinks like a V6 or turbo. Please fix it to at least the advertised numbers because with gas prices this high, I believe that's a really important reference number for buying decisions. No wonder both C&D and CR rate Rav4first partly because of its efficient V6. I am starting to agree, why not get extra horsepowers without paying mpg?
Thanks!

I, too, was very interested in the Mazda CX-7. The biggest problem with the CX-7 is that it requires premium fuel. That, in itself, is a big increase in the cost per mile. Also, turbos don't spin for nothing. I'm sure your mileage would be less than with your CR-V's.

[jsw2233]

I, too, was very interested in the Mazda CX-7. The biggest problem with the CX-7 is that it requires premium fuel. That, in itself, is a big increase in the cost per mile. Also, turbos don't spin for nothing. I'm sure your mileage would be less than with your CR-V's.

That's not true for 2008, Mazda realized the disadventage and reprogram ECU to premium fuel is recommended, not required. Again, C&D test it as their long term vehicle and got 19 mpg, which not much worse than my V's 20mpg. But for that, you get additional 78 hp and 92 lb-ft! Don't get me wrong, I love every other aspects of my V, it's a fine vehicle still, I just feel like misled by Honda on the gas mileage on a 4 cylinder compact SUV.

[Green Tea V]

To be honest, I am a little disappointed with the gas millage of my 08 AWD EX. I am barely averaging 21mpg with mixed city and highway driving. Compared to the Xterra and Wrangler, both of which I was considering, the CRV is definetly superior in terms of gas millage. I guess I expected something around 23 mpg to be easily obtainable.

[gary696]

That's not true for 2008, Mazda realized the disadventage and reprogram ECU to premium fuel is recommended, not required. Again, C&D test it as their long term vehicle and got 19 mpg, which not much worse than my V's 20mpg. But for that, you get additional 78 hp and 92 lb-ft! Don't get me wrong, I love every other aspects of my V, it's a fine vehicle still, I just feel like misled by Honda on the gas mileage on a 4 cylinder compact SUV.

My latest research before my decision to go with the V rather than the 7 reported that the 7 can use regular "in a pinch". I fear that long term use of regular fuel would be detrimental to the life of the engine.

I only wish that the V's rear seats would fold with the convenience of that of the 7's.

[Edd]

It's also important to consider that the current Gen CR-V is more "cross-over" than "SUV". I've read comments on other Honda sites that mimimize the less-than-stellar fuel economy complaints by arguing that the mileage is "...pretty good for a SUV."

Well, my 2WD CRV is essentially the station wagon model (albeit a tad taller) that Honda no longer manufactures. As such, it should achieve decent fuel economy. It is not an SUV: it has no larger engine, no higher towing capacity, no truck-like frame, no fortified off-road 4WD drivetrain and suspension, and no 7(+) passenger seating. It's simply a 4 cyliner, 5-door wagon that seats up to 5.

The CRV is a nice vehicle, however I think Honda engineering dropped the ball when addressing fuel economy for the vehicle.

[aslguy]

I've got about 7500 miles on my 07 AWD and I'm averaging about 24 mpg (mixed city/highway). I'm satisfied with that.

There's a difference between driving prudently (read: slow) and driving to maximize your mileage. In city driving it's better to accelerate quickly up to speed and then use the gas pedal as necessary to maintain your speed. Accelerating slowly burns more gas longer than accelerating quickly and then easing off and maintaining.

I also coast a lot when I can, going down even a small grade. You'll be surprised how that will boost your economy.

[Badgerland]

alsguy, I think you make some valid points about fuel economy. I believe that some of our readers just don't drive their CRV's as you described and it CAN burn into their mileage. A perfect example is my wife and I; we both drove the exact same route for a week during the same time of day and I was able to achieve 2mpg better that she was. It's really a matter of learning "how" to drive your vehicle the best way. We have just a tick under 30k on our 07 and we have averaged 23.8mpg for that entire period. As the temps warm and winter gas goes away, it will creep up to 24 just as it did last year.

Don't baby your engine, but don't floor it to start either. Trying to keep the rpms under 3000 while speeding up to road conditions isn't the most fuel savings method for a Honda engine. JM2C as YMWV.

[pepollock]

Two things: don't trust the dashboard readout to give you accurate figures. If you want real numbers you need to check it the old fashioned way: fill the tank all the way, write down the mileage (or re-set one of the odometers to zero), drive until you need a fill-up, fill the tank all the way, note the mileage driven and gallons put in, do the math. (divide the miles by the gallons) This assumes the odometer is accurate. It's not, but it's close enough.

Second, I notice a big drop in mileage at speeds over 65. At 75+ (common interstate speeds) the aerodynamics of the CR-V start to hurt bigtime. On secondary roads the "aerodynamics" of your right foot make a huge difference.

It's no Honda Insight, but I still love filling-up next to an Escalade or Navigator.

[Edd]

I've got about 7500 miles on my 07 AWD and I'm averaging about 24 mpg (mixed city/highway). I'm satisfied with that.

There's a difference between driving prudently (read: slow) and driving to maximize your mileage. In city driving it's better to accelerate quickly up to speed and then use the gas pedal as necessary to maintain your speed. Accelerating slowly burns more gas longer than accelerating quickly and then easing off and maintaining.

I also coast a lot when I can, going down even a small grade. You'll be surprised how that will boost your economy.

Valid points. I do operate the CR-V in that fashion, however. This is my 6th Honda vehicle (all 4-cylinder powered, Accords and CR-Vs). My '07 CR-V achieves the poorest fuel economy of all of them. I was most impressed with my larger re-designed '03 Accord EX-L 4-banger. Super economy for a larger, comfortable sedan. The 2.4 has obviously been tweaked since then, but the higher output apparently equates to noticeably more fuel use.

[greenteacrv]

I run 35 psi in my tires and have been checking the mileage in my '07 EX-L AWD for the past 9,000 miles...............23.6 mpg avg with approximately 60% hwy and 40% local/urban. I get better gas mileage in warmer weather with the better blends of gasoline not used during the winter around here.

[kenl]

mph, is up to the driver, and the terrian, my 06 adv are 23 mpg, in city and 26 on hwy, daily trip, is 74 miles all hwy miles, on interstate, ive got better by watching my tact, and keeping it at around 2,200 rpms, from 60 to 75 mph, your fuel will go down, close to 27% also the crv is around 3,450 on weight, so I feel it does good for a awd suv...kal

[wdcrv]

'08 CRV - AWD

18 - 19 city
23 - 24 hwy

1500 miles on vehicle.

Not great, but it's my wife's ride, and a hell of a lot better than the '00 Tahoe 5.3L I took her out of!

Which, by the way gets about 12mpg city, and 16 - 17 hwy (with a tailwind!).

She loved her Tahoe, but really likes the CRV (me too) by the way.

[97bubba]

Hi All, My wife andI just finished a trip from Northwest Illinois to Nashville TN. It was 1100 miles and change. We averaged slightly over 23mpg for the whole trip including a full tank of driving in and around the Nashville area. Although it was not stellar mileage and I had to buy a gas cap in Nashville (Darn CEL) I feel it is acceptable. The CEL would come on every other tank full. Even with the 3 click deal. Hasn't been on since, best 7.00 I have spent in a long time. LOL Dave :D

2003 CR-V LX AWD

[davos]

Yep
I don't think CRV is that good on mileage either.
It's OK in city driving but highway is a bit disappointing - I was getting same mpg with mu 02 Gr Cherokee sporting 4.7l V8 with waaaaay better acceleration and comfort.

[silvercrv]

I must say that I am quite happy with the mpg my wife and I have been getting on the highway. We have only taken one trip where we did mostly highway driving and we saw 28.6 mpg. City is not great , we see 18-20. For a vehicle tis size and practicality I think mpg it is quite good. My CRV is still pretty new at only 563 miles, so I am looking foward to see what I can get out of it as I put more mikes on it.

[X-Brawn]

I'm not too disappointed as I'm getting better then 15 to 16MPG. I'm almost to 23 MPG now with my mixed driving. I drive about 30 percent highway, and 70 percent city, as my CR-V is also my daily commuter. I do enjoy seeing $25 (at 3/4 empty) to $40.95 max (@ $3.15 per gallon) versus the almost $70 fill ups with the Ridgeline I traded in. I figure with my modest driving I should be able to get 23 MPG regularly as calculated by the good old way.

Folks, it isn't much better with the mileage on the RAV4 so it isn't all bad. :D

[Deano]

My wife has a 2007 Rav 4 and i bought the 2008 4 w/d CRV and average in town the Rav gets about 21 and the same for the CRV. I only have 2,000 miles on mine but last highway tanks have been 25-26.3 and her Rav only got 21 this last time. It has got 24 several times highway. Only thing i don't like about the CRV is the rear seats don't fold flat like the RAV limiting hauling room inside. Honda seems to downshift much more than i like. Rav is only a 4 sp auto and hardly ever downshifts with plenty of power to spare. Maybe the Honda will get better as mileage grows. If i had to own one so far it would be the RAV.

[noahinboston]

i drove my 08 2wd brand new to florida from boston two days after i purchased it... iwas averaging 25-26 mpg at 75-80 mph... which i thought was fantastic... same mileage on the return trip. i get back to boston, refill it with premium shell for some reason, and then it drops to 13-16 mpg around the city, driving it modestly... i changed out the break-in oil a tad early to mobil 1 synthetic and put in a K&N air filter ($50, autozone) a few weeks ago... the mileage is creeping back up. FYI

[spotpup]

Interesting that fuel economy is all over the place. We live in Central Ohio and have to deal with the winter fuel blends. On average 90/10 city/highway, we are seeing 23-24. On the last pure highway trip, it got 27.5, without cruise and averaging 71MPH. I've verified the trip computer against the fuel pump and odometer and it is accurate. I've made two changes to the V, first I put in a K&N airfilter and second, which gave the biggest boost in my numbers was to take the tires from 10 psi below sidewall to 2psi over sidewall. Yes I know the risks running them hard and have run all my vehicles (SUV's, Cars, Pickups) +2 or +5 over sidewall. No I do not see uneven wear and the last time I changed tires I still had 1/8th tread depth at 85K. Oh, one last thing, I only have the climate control in auto or run A/C when needed. This time of year it is on vent or heat pretty much all the time.

If you're running soft, the ride is better, but you pay at the pump. At 3.35/gal, I'll take the firm ride any day.

Just my $.02.

[ecarfar]

If I have to name one thing that my V missed most of my expectation, that must be its fuel economy. After 6 months and 4000 miles, I can only manage20mpg combined, usually at or below 18 mpg in city. With a rating of 20/26, I am not expecting Prius range but expecting 20 mpg city and may be 23 overall? March issue of Car and Driver was critizing Mazda CX7 for being 19 mpg. I decided to go for the V instead CX7 thinking the fuel economy gain was good enough to give up some (a lot!) power/fun. I'm starting to regret that decision because looks like I am not saving much gas.

Dear Honda, the CRV's 4 cylinder is one of the most thirsty I encountered, drinks like a V6 or turbo. Please fix it to at least the advertised numbers because with gas prices this high, I believe that's a really important reference number for buying decisions. No wonder both C&D and CR rate Rav4first partly because of its efficient V6. I am starting to agree, why not get extra horsepowers without paying mpg?
Thanks!

My other car is a PT Cruiser with a 2.4L engine, just like the CRV, and it gets worse mileage and weighs a lot less and isn't 4-wheel drive. Yes, there are worse 4 cylinder cars out there.

[Edd]

Another tank fill...and I'm currently getting a tad over 17 MPG in city driving. I'm very unhappy with this fuel economy issue, particularly for a new (2007) 4 cylinder, FWD wagon with under 4500 miles.

Honda better address this issue quickly or they'll feel the pain of Toyota's technology within the next year or so.

[TDIIDman]

I have about 3000 miles on my new 08 EX-L 4WD and am getting 21-22 in town and 27-29 on the highway. I really think a lot of the variation in what people are getting reflects differences in style of driving. Having feedback from the mpg display on the dash has allowed me to optimize my fuel economy by accelerating gently and just 'lightening up on the pedal' as much as possible. I've been pleased with the fuel economy thus far- one would be hard pressed to find another 4WD SUV with as many nice features as the CR-V has getting significantly better fuel economy. Just my two cents worth.

[X-Brawn]

Another tank fill...and I'm currently getting a tad over 17 MPG in city driving. I'm very unhappy with this fuel economy issue, particularly for a new (2007) 4 cylinder, FWD wagon with under 4500 miles.

Honda better address this issue quickly or they'll feel the pain of Toyota's technology within the next year or so.

Don't feel TOO discouraged. New Honda cars/suvs can take up to 10,000 miles to get their final and true MPG rating. I suspect with my mixed driving I'll be able to get 22-23MPG. My parents are a bit disappointed with their mileage, but I remind them what they were getting with the (rarely driven) Ford F-150 and it's Triton V8 engine they traded in for.

[Gardenguy]

Completed a 480 mile trip today. Almost all of it was highway. Mileage yesterday (245 miles) was 28.7 mpg. Mileage today, return leg, was 30.4 mpg. Major difference was weather. Yesterday is rained, sometimes heavily, the whole trip. It was more difficult to keep a steady consistent pace. This is pretty common for my vehicle. Key is to drive below 70 when possible, even at 68 mph I can see a difference versus 70. I use cruise whenever possible. Around town mileage is about 22-23. The car has about 5000 miles on it. I added a roof rack and think it cost me 1-2 mpg. On one trip, before roof rack, I got a little over 33 mpg on the highway. :) :)

[sparky]

I calculated that my 01' CRV EX Auto got 30mpg doing 65mph w/air conditioner running on a recent trip to the beach. Not bad at all! This was w/4 people and luggage. Going into a headwind as well. (Using 89 oct. Shell gas.) City (70%) and highway driving around 21mpg. Just had a new set of yokahama TRZ's installed before the trip and the tires rode/handled just great. I'm most pleased!

[Edd]

My best City mileage so far has been 17.5 MPG. I convinced that this is a typical result for current-Gen metropolitan driving.

I simply don't know how folks are getting above 20MPG in city driving.:confused: I guessing that some of the higher "city" MPG figures presented are from owners that aren't necessarily driving in Metro areas. There's simply no way my CR-V is going to achieve higher metro MPG.

[Badgerland]

My best City mileage so far has been 17.5 MPG. I convinced that this is a typical result for current-Gen metropolitan driving.

I simply don't know how folks are getting above 20MPG in city driving.:confused: I guessing that some of the higher "city" MPG figures presented are from owners that aren't necessarily driving in Metro areas. There's simply no way my CR-V is going to achieve higher metro MPG.

I think that there are many different types of "city" driving for folks and to compare it very difficult. I look at the long term mileage of the vehicle and in my notebook I have every mile driven, gallons entered and MPG for the cumulative mileage of both city\hwy, winter and summer we are getting 23.9 mpg in just under 30,000 miles. Our mileage didn't start to improve until about 4,000 miles and the CRV was broken in.

[CRookinV]

My initial MPG was 19, once the motor was broken in I started to get 22 MPG. Did a little research and everyone said once you hit 10k it will get even better!

Sure enough 17K I'm getting 29 MPG highway and 24.7 City. my vehicle is
4WD. I keep an eye on my tire pressure, change the oil every 5K, use CC at 70 mph (since law is 65 mph)

Last week I set the CC at 75 MPH and got 30 MPG but did not want to take a chance on a ticket.

so, like everyone told me. Be patient you'll get better MPG

[Edd]

My initial MPG was 19, once the motor was broken in I started to get 22 MPG. Did a little research and everyone said once you hit 10k it will get even better!

Sure enough 17K I'm getting 29 MPG highway and 24.7 City. my vehicle is
4WD. I keep an eye on my tire pressure, change the oil every 5K, use CC at 70 mph (since law is 65 mph)

Last week I set the CC at 75 MPH and got 30 MPG but did not want to take a chance on a ticket.

so, like everyone told me. Be patient you'll get better MPG


Those are remarkable figures. I'm skeptical of the Highway/City MPG calculations, though.

With all due respect, my current Gen CRV, with 5k+/- on the ODO, will simply not achieve a 7 MPG increase (...my current 17.5 to your 24.7 City MPG) operating in a Metropolitan area. It simply isn't going to happen. The percentage is too great.

My MPG figures are quite accurate and come from calculating strictly dense city driving. No freeway commuting--no open roads. I think similar accurate highway MPG could be achieved by someone traveling highway-only commutes (Sacramento to SF daily, for example). The "combined" city/highway figures that I read on this Board are, frankly, vague.

So, if I sound disappointed it's because, well, I am. My neighbor's 5 year old Buick with a Supercharger (that hauls butt, by the way) gets better gas mileage than my '07 2WD V. Had I been aware of this mileage issue I would have shopped around for a larger SUV with a larger engine. My .02, of course....

[CRookinV]

Those are remarkable figures. I'm skeptical of the Highway/City MPG calculations, though.

With all due respect, my current Gen CRV, with 5k+/- on the ODO, will simply not achieve a 7 MPG increase (...my current 17.5 to your 24.7 City MPG) operating in a Metropolitan area. It simply isn't going to happen. The percentage is too great.

My MPG figures are quite accurate and come from calculating strictly dense city driving. No freeway commuting--no open roads. I think similar accurate highway MPG could be achieved by someone traveling highway-only commutes (Sacramento to SF daily, for example). The "combined" city/highway figures that I read on this Board are, frankly, vague.

So, if I sound disappointed it's because, well, I am. My neighbor's 5 year old Buick with a Supercharger (that hauls butt, by the way) gets better gas mileage than my '07 2WD V. Had I been aware of this mileage issue I would have shopped around for a larger SUV with a larger engine. My .02, of course....

No offence taken!

I'm extremely pleased with the MPG I'm getting. my driving habits have drastically changed in the last few years. I use CC most of the time on the highway. I avoid hard acceleration and I'm easy on the brakes.
As far as maintenance I change the oil at 5K, air filter at 15K and keep my tires inflated to specs.

sorry you're not getting the MPG some of us are.

just found this from one of our members, also getting MPG into the high 20's

http://www.crvownersclub.com/forums/t2555/

[Baboy]

Those are remarkable figures. I'm skeptical of the Highway/City MPG calculations, though.

With all due respect, my current Gen CRV, with 5k+/- on the ODO, will simply not achieve a 7 MPG increase (...my current 17.5 to your 24.7 City MPG) operating in a Metropolitan area. It simply isn't going to happen. The percentage is too great.

My MPG figures are quite accurate and come from calculating strictly dense city driving. No freeway commuting--no open roads. I think similar accurate highway MPG could be achieved by someone traveling highway-only commutes (Sacramento to SF daily, for example). The "combined" city/highway figures that I read on this Board are, frankly, vague.

So, if I sound disappointed it's because, well, I am. My neighbor's 5 year old Buick with a Supercharger (that hauls butt, by the way) gets better gas mileage than my '07 2WD V. Had I been aware of this mileage issue I would have shopped around for a larger SUV with a larger engine. My .02, of course....

I still have only about 1,200 miles on mine. Here's my experience so far. Overall, I am getting 20mpg since I bought the vehicle. Most of my driving is local, so I don't hit the freeway much. But I have been on several longer drives. One from Sacramento down to Richmond, then back, when the car was practically new. I got about 27mpg on that trip.

Later, with about 600 or 700 miles on the clock, I went out to a casino about 60 miles away: the drive is about half freeway, half open country roads. I started with a fresh tank and reset the counters I use for myself. I cruised at speeds of 70-75 on the freeway, and at 55-60 on the country roads. The first part of the trip was all freeway, and I was getting 32mpg at that point. Overall, I got 30mpg for the trip.

City driving is a different story. Well, actually, it is two different stories! My immediate local area is an obstacle course of stop signs, speed bumps and traffic lights. This area encompasses most of my regular shopping. If I drive a little further afield, I can better use of major city streets (still no freeways).

On my most recent tank, I stayed almost purely local--and was struggling to get more than 16 mpg! But that's in an area where I can rarely get above 25 or 30, and where I am stopping for a sign or a light about every 100 yards or so, or slowing for bumps. (We also have a lot of roadworks in this area, so traffic is generally slow anyway.) Under these conditions, there's no way to get great figures. No matter how gently you speed up from a standing start, a car at rest requires a lot of energy to get moving. If you have to stop a lot, your mileage will suffer.

Late in the tank (last quarter), I did go further afield. It was still "city driving" (no freeways) but these are more major roads. Unless it's rush hour, I can get up to 45 and maybe go a quarter-mile or so without stopping. My mileage suddenly improved and I ended the tank at 18mpg overall.

With only 1,200 miles done, these figures should improve. Once the engine settles in, I expect to get 20mpg or better in mixed local/city driving. If my location and routine didn't involve so much purely local driving, I'd expect a little higher than that. For freeway driving, I already know I can get around 30mpg, and that should improve over time too.

Edd, you said you drive in "strictly dense city driving" and get 17.5mpg. That indicates a lot of stop-start driving, due to lights, congestion, etc. My own experience shows that even in city driving, various conditions can make a difference of 2-5 mpg, so maybe that explains some of it.

[jpod]

I don't keep records but I do know that after about the first 1000 miles, neither my computed nor my indicated mileage has dropped below 22MPG. This includes several separate tanks consumed exclusively in stop and go driving in San Diego. So I can say that my overall average for stop and go city driving is at least 22MPG. I don't drive like some of the folks in Bimmers, but I do my fair share of lane changing, accelerating, braking and sitting at stop lights.

Based on my own experience and what I've read here, I'd say that under the best conditions one might get 24MPG in stop and go city driving but under the worst conditions one might get as little as 16MPG. And considering some things that can happen in the big city, like toppled cranes or burning refuse trucks, all on a hot or cold day when it's best to keep the motor running, mileage might be a lot less.

I suspect there are better cars for stop and go city driving than the CRV-maybe a Prius. But the CRV is a crossover. It's designed to go safely and comfortably from the 'burbs, to the freeway, through some stop and go city driving and then back home again. Across this spectrum of driving conditions it gets pretty good gas mileage-probably between 22 and 25MPG. That's not too bad.

[Baltimore Barbara]

I've had my car since Saturday, 7/5/2008, and with a little over 200 miles on it, the average MGP for the last 150 or so miles (mostly city) since I picked it up hit 23 this morning. It's gradually increasing as I add highway miles commuting to work, of course. I'm probably driving more gently than I might otherwise because the mpg display makes me more aware of the effect on gas mileage.

The salesman told me he got 29 in one on a trip to New York a couple of weeks ago at 75 miles an hour.

[Honda 367]

I think everyone's experience is different and unique. I have a larger SUV and it gets terrible mileage when I am driving locally under 25 mph. However, when I am driving on the highway, I get much better mileage. In local driving, all vehicles will suffer from poor gas mileage.

[Badgerland]

I've had my car since Saturday, 7/5/2008, and with a little over 200 miles on it, the average MGP for the last 150 or so miles (mostly city) since I picked it up hit 23 this morning. It's gradually increasing as I add highway miles commuting to work, of course. I'm probably driving more gently than I might otherwise because the mpg display makes me more aware of the effect on gas mileage.

The salesman told me he got 29 in one on a trip to New York a couple of weeks ago at 75 miles an hour.

First, never trust what salesmen tell you as they want to sell you a car. Second, you are on your 1st tank of gas; it takes several THOUSAND miles for your engine to completely break in...longer if you baby it. While you shouldn't jackrabbit start, there is no reason that you can't take the tach up near the 5-6k range and let it breathe...Honda's LOVE to rev!

Post some photo's of you new baby!:D

[Swampbaby]

I've been very pleased with the mileage on our 2008 CR-V. The first week I took it on a 1905 mile trip which included 4 days around Washington, DC and was happy with the 28.6 overall. Just on the highway with cruise set at 72 it was just over 32 mpg. The next week I went on a 2 day trip of almost 900 miles, stayed at about 68 and the mileage was still at 33. At home the local trips are never more than 4 miles with the stop signs to go with it and the mileage right now is 24.3. Since we left a truck getting 16.5 at its best you can see why I'm a happy camper.

[t_simmonds]

My 07 CR-V EX AWD has averaged 27.5 mpg in the summer months and in the winter snow the average dropped to 26 mpg. I have been very satisfied with this. I have about 25,000 miles now.
Daily commute is mostly 2 lane highway - 35 miles one way.
Now that summer is here and I have switched to Mobil 1 5-20 I am averaging 30.6 on the trip computer - I have not reset this for 9800 miles. I now have about 36,000 on the CR-V. My experience is that the trip computer may read .2 to .3 high. I manually check my mileage every 3 or 4 tankfuls and I usually calculate about .25 mpg less than the computer showed.
Still, I am getting over 30 mpg and I am very pleased with this.

[CRookinV]

I live in Brooklyn and get around 25 mpg in city driving, and I consistently get 29 mpg on the highway.

I use Cruise control at 70 mph on the highway and this has returned the best mpg (I saw 30.69 on one trip)

I've learned not to be aggressive (sometimes I feel like my mom but hey I'm trying to get the best mpg)

ps. 20k miles (MPG's got better after 10k)



My best City mileage so far has been 17.5 MPG. I convinced that this is a typical result for current-Gen metropolitan driving.

I simply don't know how folks are getting above 20MPG in city driving.:confused: I guessing that some of the higher "city" MPG figures presented are from owners that aren't necessarily driving in Metro areas. There's simply no way my CR-V is going to achieve higher metro MPG.

[Davecr-v]

City driving is bad I was getting 17.5 with light short trips in NYC and around queens and I drive efficiently. I try and make the auto tranny shifts under 2k revs

[cactusbill23]

I'm at the 3rd week in my "08" EX-L, so I'm still trying to establish a mileage mark. So far, though, I notice a pronounced fall-off in gas mileage in big city driving (Phoenix), as opposed to the open highways. I traded a 4.3L V-6 S-10 Chevy truck with lots of torque, so when I had to get out of the way of these PHX speed freaks, it responded well. Dodging the same maniacs in my CR-V requires me to mash the gas pedal, thus the mileage in town drops to around 19-20. That's still way better than my truck was (13-14 City). In pure highway driving at my new 4-dollar gas mantra of "5 mph under the speed limit", I get a solid 28-29 mpg! The time difference is in minutes, and its SO RELAXING to be completely free of worry about John Law nailing me with his radar gun. Last weeks business round trip to Tucson averaged 27.3 mpg for 340 miles. I think the secret is being v-e-r-y gentle with the accelerator, allowing the beauty of this perfectly engineered 5 speed auto to minimize fuel flow for you. Its not possible to do that consistently in city traffic, but you can still do better by pretending that an egg is between your shoe and the gas pedal at any point that you have an option. Lastly - USE THE CRUISE CONTROL! Its the very best way to max out your mileage figures.

[jpod]

Welcome cactusbill. I like PHX but because of driving behavior there I tend to avoid it. The term "speed freak" tells the tale.

I greatly enjoy driving around the rest of the state, and in the past I have usually tried to do that at 90MPH (sometimes 100MPH when I thought I could get away with it). But like others I'm trying to learn to love easy cruising at the speed limit.

The CRVs fairly accurate indicated average MPG helps. It is gratifying to leave a big city, set the cruise control to 70 and watch the indicated average start creeping up. It's even more gratifying to resit the average at the beginning of a cross country tank, set the cruise to 70MPH and watch the average rise rapidly to 30MPG or so.

And I find driving steadily at 70 only makes a drive from Tulsa to San Diego about an hour longer than trying to do 80 or 90.

Happy CRVing,
JPO

[Black Pearl]

Welcome cactusbill23! Glad to hear you are enjoying your new CR-V. It sounds like in fuel economy you are doing quite well. Good luck with you new car and we will be looking forward to hearing from you.

[2008CRVEXL]

The gas mileage my leadfooted wife gets is 22 mpg mostly City, when I drive its 23.5 mpg. I find the honda MPG indicator is innacurate. I do it the old fashioned way.

[jpod]

I agree the indicated average is not as accurate as a computed average, especially for city driving. But I've learned that for my car at highway speeds the the indicated average is consistently about .5 MPG higher than the computed average. That's close enough for me.

In city driving I ignore the indicated average MPG. But at sustained speeds on the open road, I check it fairly often. These days instead of trying to keep the speedometer above 80MPH on the highway, I try to keep the indicated average MPG above 27. So the indicated average MPG readout has helped me change my driving behavior for the better.

JPO

[X-Brawn]

I'm at the 3rd week in my "08" EX-L, so I'm still trying to establish a mileage mark. So far, though, I notice a pronounced fall-off in gas mileage in big city driving (Phoenix), as opposed to the open highways. I traded a 4.3L V-6 S-10 Chevy truck with lots of torque, so when I had to get out of the way of these PHX speed freaks, it responded well. Dodging the same maniacs in my CR-V requires me to mash the gas pedal, thus the mileage in town drops to around 19-20. That's still way better than my truck was (13-14 City). In pure highway driving at my new 4-dollar gas mantra of "5 mph under the speed limit", I get a solid 28-29 mpg! The time difference is in minutes, and its SO RELAXING to be completely free of worry about John Law nailing me with his radar gun. Last weeks business round trip to Tucson averaged 27.3 mpg for 340 miles. I think the secret is being v-e-r-y gentle with the accelerator, allowing the beauty of this perfectly engineered 5 speed auto to minimize fuel flow for you. Its not possible to do that consistently in city traffic, but you can still do better by pretending that an egg is between your shoe and the gas pedal at any point that you have an option. Lastly - USE THE CRUISE CONTROL! Its the very best way to max out your mileage figures.

That is true about the cruise control. I've learned to use it whenever possible and it DOES help.

Also, welcome from another Arizona member!

[AirGibson]

Chalk up another one in the "satisfied" column. We have an '07 CR-V EX-L w/ Navi. With an even mix of city / highway including an "average" amount of stop / go traffic, we get 26-27 average MPG when driving normally. For a small SUV, I think that is excellent.


Highway mileage exclusively, we typically average 29ish. However, we can get 33+ if we don't mind keeping it at 55 and don't run into stop & go traffic. If you really wanted to milk it with the hypermiling techniques, I'm sure it could go over 35 MPG.

City mileage, we usually see 22-24 average if we drive it normally. However, if I use some of the basic techniques such as limited A/C, engine off at stop lights, slow accelleration, etc... I have gotten city milage up to 27 including a substantial amount of red lights and traffic.


In my opinion, the three biggest factors improving my mileage are:
1) Drive like grandma. The CR-V gets into top gear somewhere around 45 mph, if I recall. 45-55 mph is going to be the sweet spot for the most efficient speed, I would estimate. I expect the torque converter locks somewhere in that range as well, but I'm not sure on that. The more you get above 60 mph, the more you are fighting drag.
2) Pretend you don't have brakes (safely, of course). IOW, smooth out your constant stop / go behavior as much as possible. The more you brake, the worse your mileage. This will yield big dividends for the people talking about constant city driving. Instead of accelerating up to an intersection, braking, then turning, just coast to the intersection instead to reduce how much braking is needed, possibly to the point where none is needed.
3) Engine off when idling for long periods. If I am stopped at a red-light that I know will hold me for 30 seconds or more, I key it off, put it to Neutral, key it back on, and wait to crank up.


I would suspect a lot of the people complaining of very low mileage in the city likely find themselves in a lot of stop & go situations. Tons of red lights, stop signs, rush hour traffic, almost never in top gear, etc... all while running the A/C. That is going to be extremely difficult to get quality efficiency out of any vehicle in those circumstances.

[Black Pearl]

Nice first post! Very informative. You mentioned shutting off the car at intersections. My buddy at work lived in Europe for several years and he said that some countries in Europe it is a law to shut off your engine at red lights. I have always been a little leery...what if it fails to start? But it sounds like it works well for you.

You are right about hitting the brake. It converts inertia that you paid for into heat. I think that is one of the reasons that I don't get better gas mileage in Pittsburgh. He have hills and curves. You blow the money going up hill but you have to brake downhill and you lose inertia that could help you on the next hill.

When you apply the brake, what does your instantaneous MPG gauge do? Mine shoots off to the the 60 side (to the right) and stays there until I get down to about 10 mph, then it slowly drops down. A friend of mine has an 08 and he says that his instantaneous gauge shoots down to very low reading the instant he hits his brake.

Again thanks for the great first post, and we will be looking forward to hearing from you.

[spotpup]

We just completed a vacation from Columbus to Hatteras NC. Loaded down with a car carrier on top we averaged 27.1. Not bad at all. The environmental controls were set to auto so the AC was in use. Over the July 4th weekend, we made a run over to Wheeling WVA and averaged 34 for the weekend. The V's performance really improved with the long road trip and we know have 8K on the odometer. As AirGibson stated in his post, I keep it at or just below the posted speed limit, and avoid long idle periods. The other thing that really helps with the fuel economy is to not use the cruise in hilly areas. On relatively flat roads (Columbus and west) it works great, but the V tends to downshift quite a bit and this kills the overall mileage. You can do better managing the throttle yourself.

A couple extra things I do to increase my mileage is to run my tires at sidewall pressure. It gives you a firmer ride, but I'm willing to sacrifice this for the increased MPG's. I also run synthetic in the engine and a high flow air filter (K&N). I know many do not like them, but I've had great experience with them over the past 20 years.

Around town, my wife's rabbit starts and stops kills the mpg's and she averages 22. I can get in the V and by the end of the day have it back to 25.

We did a short trip last Sunday without AC and was able to get an average of 36 highway for the day. This includes four people and one very happy dog.

For the size and weight, I've been very impressed with the ride and economy of the V.

[Honda 367]

^Thanks for sharing excellent suggestions. I know I tend to drive above the speed limit and kept wondering why I didn't get as high mileage that I was expecting.

[cactusbill23]

While I applaud any & all methodology designed to minimize the useage of fossil fuel (and reduce the drain on my wallet), we who live & toil in Arizona (and surrounding states) are usually prevented from utilizing the "Ignition OFF at traffic lights" routine. Here, average daily summer temps are often past 110F - sometimes 116F & up. Zonians have to bail out of their cars within seconds of parking to avoid wilting like lettuce in a microwave. If this fuel thing gets worse, I will consider that tactic during our "winter" (Nov 15 - May 1) which is -for that period of time - arguably the nicest weather of any place I've ever lived. Chalk up another one in the "satisfied" column. We have an '07 CR-V EX-L w/ Navi. With an even mix of city / highway including an "average" amount of stop / go traffic, we get 26-27 average MPG when driving normally. For a small SUV, I think that is excellent.


Highway mileage exclusively, we typically average 29ish. However, we can get 33+ if we don't mind keeping it at 55 and don't run into stop & go traffic. If you really wanted to milk it with the hypermiling techniques, I'm sure it could go over 35 MPG.

City mileage, we usually see 22-24 average if we drive it normally. However, if I use some of the basic techniques such as limited A/C, engine off at stop lights, slow accelleration, etc... I have gotten city milage up to 27 including a substantial amount of red lights and traffic.


In my opinion, the three biggest factors improving my mileage are:
1) Drive like grandma. The CR-V gets into top gear somewhere around 45 mph, if I recall. 45-55 mph is going to be the sweet spot for the most efficient speed, I would estimate. I expect the torque converter locks somewhere in that range as well, but I'm not sure on that. The more you get above 60 mph, the more you are fighting drag.
2) Pretend you don't have brakes (safely, of course). IOW, smooth out your constant stop / go behavior as much as possible. The more you brake, the worse your mileage. This will yield big dividends for the people talking about constant city driving. Instead of accelerating up to an intersection, braking, then turning, just coast to the intersection instead to reduce how much braking is needed, possibly to the point where none is needed.
3) Engine off when idling for long periods. If I am stopped at a red-light that I know will hold me for 30 seconds or more, I key it off, put it to Neutral, key it back on, and wait to crank up.


I would suspect a lot of the people complaining of very low mileage in the city likely find themselves in a lot of stop & go situations. Tons of red lights, stop signs, rush hour traffic, almost never in top gear, etc... all while running the A/C. That is going to be extremely difficult to get quality efficiency out of any vehicle in those circumstances.

[KMT]

Just drove from LA to Bakersfield and back today (~230 miles) and averaged 27.9 mpg (averaging 75mph). This was with the a/c on and windows were opened at times (I'm a smoker). If you don't know the area, between LA and Bakersfield is the grape vine which is a steep mountain highway. Overall I was very impressed with the mileage.

[Biker1651]

I have a 2006 crv and I trying to inprove the MPG. Does anyone know if and where I can get a aftermarket MPG computer so I can keep track of how I driving.

[crv403]

My Pilot is getting better mileage than my CRV. I have been very disappointed with 2 things on my CRV: 1 - Gas Mileage 2 - ROAD NOISE.

My dealer told me that 300 lbs. of insulation equated to 1 mile to the gallon.

I have had my 2006 CRV EX AWD for 5 months. We bought it used with only 14,000 miles on it. I have yet to see anything over 21.5 mpg. I have a few friends that have a CRV and they "say" they are getting 24 mpg; so is my salesman's crv. We get 19 to 21.5. Even driving 55-60 on the freeway; I've never seen anything over 22. My Pilot gets between 20 and 29.

The road noise is just unacceptable in the CRV. I have undercoated the entire vehicle (over honda's selected spots.) I plan to put down some dynamat.

Also, out of all the hondas I've owned, this is the first one that I've actually had to take into the dealership for problems that they are not able to fix(right rear brakes are getting hot). In the 5 months I've owned the vehicle, I have taken it in 3 times. There won't be a 4th time. I'm too busy for car problems; that's why we drive honda's. I will sell this vehicle for an accord if we have one more problem. The brake problem is still not fixed.

[rdorman]

We just completed a vacation from Columbus to Hatteras NC. Loaded down with a car carrier on top we averaged 27.1. Not bad at all.

We just got back from a Columbus to SC trip! 26'ish but that was fully loaded with five passengers hauling you know what through the mountains (and every where else for that matter).

[jpod]

crv403,

Sorry to hear you're having so much trouble with your Gen II. I really enjoyed my Gen II. I got about 22 MPG in suburban driving and about 26 moderately leadfooted highway mileage. And the road noise diminished dramatically when I put good touring tires on it.

I understand what your are saying about being too busy for car problems though. I'm retired and don't really do too much but I'm too busy for car problems. I want to get in the car, turn the key and go. And indeed that's one of the main reasons I drive a Honda.

Its hard to advise you as to what to do at this point. Buying another used car, no matter what brand is no guarantee of reliability. But maybe you should find a really good Honda dealer to buy a certified Honda from and cut your losses.

Good Luck
JPO

[dudley07726]

Just took a 205 mile trip and averaged 30.8 MPG overall.
Fantastic for a AWD. This is the best I have done with this vehicle.

2007 EXL w/ Nav 4WD

[slappomatt]

brand new 08 CRV auto. we have about 700? miles on it. The AC has been on in it since the day we bought it. mostly in town driving. and we average right around 21. not bad for a suv I think.

[X-Brawn]

While I applaud any & all methodology designed to minimize the useage of fossil fuel (and reduce the drain on my wallet), we who live & toil in Arizona (and surrounding states) are usually prevented from utilizing the "Ignition OFF at traffic lights" routine. Here, average daily summer temps are often past 110F - sometimes 116F & up. Zonians have to bail out of their cars within seconds of parking to avoid wilting like lettuce in a microwave. If this fuel thing gets worse, I will consider that tactic during our "winter" (Nov 15 - May 1) which is -for that period of time - arguably the nicest weather of any place I've ever lived.

Another 'Zonian here as well, and at NIGHT if it is in the mid to low 80s I'll drive with the AC off, front side windows down and moon (sun) roof open.

One of the better trips I've done was roundtrip from Tucson to Phoenix I averaged 25.6MPGs. I plan on doing the same trip this weekend, but this time it is the Diamondbacks Vs. Marlins! Go DBacks!

Now, coming back from Bisbee to Tucson (solo, beautiful, drive) I averaged about 28MPG.

[Pegusis]

My 1997 Cr-v gets at minimum 32 mpg Canadian gallons. It has over 332000 Km on it now. When I bought my brand new 2006 Kia Rio 5 I was supposed to get 50 miles to the gallon, but I only started getting 50 miles to the gallon after the first 5000 to 6000 kilometers were on the car, before that maybe 35. So perhaps you need to put a few more kilometers on the truck to break it in before you get the better mileage.:rolleyes:

[Rotor]

My new 2008 EX-L didn't have tires properly inflated.

Inflating tires properly (or just a little bit more) seemed to make a difference. Some people might think that MPG improves after a few thousand miles, but that may be only because of later maintenance... which might include inflating tires.

Do that now. You might be surprised, more so on highway.

(New here. Just got it last week!)

[Paul58]

I have to agree, I checked the tire pressure in our V after getting it home from the dealer (1st day of ownership) only to discover the tires only had 30 lbs in each tire! I inflated them to 35 lbs in each and have been averaging 28 mpg mixed hwy/city ever since!

[QuinGood]

Many of the gas stations in the major metropolitan areas are selling ONLY ethanol-enriched fuel for all their grades. I really think that might be the reason for the poor gas mileage many people are reporting.

I just purchased my second CR-V.

The first one is a 2003 EX-L, which my daughter drives almost exclusively. When she started school in Iowa last year, I noticed that she seemed to be going through a lot more gas than she had at home. She told me she was using ethanol mix gasoline (because it was cheper by $.30-40 cents a gallon) wasn't driving "that much." Like most parents, I thought "Ya, sure." When I drove up to school with her last August, we got good mileage until we got up there & put ethanol mix in the gas tank. I didn't keep track of the mileage, but the tank lasted TWO days. This was driving back and forth from the storage place to get her moved in. I asked one of the locals up there about the poor fuel efficiency and he said that a lot of people didn't get good gas mileage with the ethanol mixes.

I told DD NOT to put ethanol in her tank anymore (unless it was an emergency). Her MPG has improved back to 21 in town & 28-29 on the highway.

I talked to the service people at the Honda dealership at home about what I had experienced. They said the timing on the CR-Vs wasn't set to burn ethanol fuel & needed to be adjusted in order to get good fuel efficiency. They said starting in 2008, the vehicles are equiped with a "flex fuel" chip that tells the fuel injection system that the car is using ethanol fuel and to adjust accordingly.

When I picked up my "new" CR-V (2006 SE) from the dealer yesterday (120 miles from home), the gauge showed I had half a tank. That should have been more than sufficient to get me home. The fuel gauge dropped by 3/16ths by the time I arrived at my first gas station, 30 miles away. All they had was ethanol mix (only 10%, they said), so I drove on. The needle was almost to empty when I got 60 miles away and to a gas station that had non-ethanol fuel available.

I suspect ethanol may be demonizing other people's gas mileage and wanted to pass on my story.

[susieb17]

I get my worst mileage in the city. If I keep my foot out of it and do not push the tach over 2500 rpm I get 25 in the city. I am averaging 28 mpg overall. Freeway is typically 28 to 30. 2 wheel drive. I would have liked a bit more but it is better than my Pacifica at 22 mpg.

[billigin]

I have the 08 EX-L with 2500 miles on it. Although I really like the vehicle, the 14 MPG range that I am getting is on par with a V8 4x4 full size truck. The dealer tells me I can expect better mileage after 12000 miles. I sure hope so. If I was not misled by the false fuel ratings I would have got the turbo charged Acura RDX. Even my brothers 01 240 HP Acura MDX gets better mileage than my CR-V. I realize it is winter and I am in break-in period, but it has a long way to go.

[Black Pearl]

Your gas mileage really sucks! I saw no differenece in my mileage before or after 12,000 miles so I think you dealer is giving you a line of BS.

We have had a few (perhaps 2 or 3) members report low mileage like you are getting but most are getting 19 to 24 in city. A lot of it depends on how much traffic you must sit in. Check your tire pressure and if you use only one brand of gasoline, try a different brand. I get 2 MPG less with Sunoco than I do other brands. Apparently the ethanol level is higher.

Fill the tank, take it on a road trip with interstate driving and see how you do. Traveling the speed limit on a reasonably level interstate, you should have no trouble getting in the high 20s.

Welcome to the club and good luck with your fuel consumption.

[Badgerland]

I have the 08 EX-L with 2500 miles on it. Although I really like the vehicle, the 14 MPG range that I am getting is on par with a V8 4x4 full size truck. The dealer tells me I can expect better mileage after 12000 miles. I sure hope so. If I was not misled by the false fuel ratings I would have got the turbo charged Acura RDX. Even my brothers 01 240 HP Acura MDX gets better mileage than my CR-V. I realize it is winter and I am in break-in period, but it has a long way to go.

Gas mileage is VERY subjective. My sister-in-law gets single digit mileage on her MDX because (i have driven with her) she hits the gas hard and stops at the last instant. I agree with Black Pearl that certain gas DOES give you worse mpg's. How is your mileage on a road trip at the speed limit? If I set the cruise at 65mph and go... I will get 26mpg very consistently (summer). But with this winter gas and colder temps I will only get 24mpg on the same route.