2016 Civic Owners Forum Talk Optimizing Fuel Economy

It’s interesting to see what lengths certain Civic drivers will go to to maximize fuel economy. Monday finds our friends at CivicX.com exploring methods of measuring and maximizing 10th gen Civic MPG.

Do not try this at home

Without mentioning any names, some Civic driver’s have been known to throw their 10th generation coupes and sedans into neutral, and turn off the engine while coasting downhill in an effort to maximize MPG, in other words HYPERMILING! In this day of cheap gasoline and 40 MPG engine technology, hypermiling outside of competition is mostly a ‘thing’ of the past

While this is a viable option for some drivers to increase MPG while sitting at a stop light, stuck in traffic, or rolling into one’s driveway, with all auxiliary, active safety and accident preventative measures depending on the ignition for activation, it ain’t worth it Johnie! Read our latest Civic drive review here.

At what highway speed is my Civic most fuel efficient?

As is stated time and time again by automotive journalist, manufacturers and car salespersons, “your MPG can and will vary,” dependent on weather, road condition, personal driving style, fuel formulation and service cycle.

Based on my own driving experience of several decades, backing off on the gas peddle, limiting rabbit starts, high speed passing and quick transitional lane changes will increase average fuel economy, as will running a premium brand gasoline and running a synthetic engine oil. Also, low tire air pressure can and does reduce fuel efficiency.
As to highway speed

That’s more often than not dictated by the flow of traffic. In practice, most vehicles burn less fuel at lower RPM. In other words, your Civic regardless of generation or model year will generally burn less fuel in final drive on a relatively flat road surface. When we run uphill, greater load is placed on the engine, thus more fuel is burned. A greater passenger or cargo load will burn more fuel, as will incessant stop and go traffic, rabbit starts and hard braking.

I found optimal fuel efficiency at 68 mph in our 2016 Turbocharged Honda Civic “week in the seat.” Read what CivicX.com Forum members reported here. What is your average MPG?