mpg 97 civic

I was looking at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ and it rates my vehicle at
37 (city) and 40 (hwy). With the way I drive I have never been real
close to that. Never, not even when I first bought the vehicle. I can
get a combined 35-37 pretty easily with my drving style. What is the
real mpg for my vehicle and how do they come up with the high numbers
posted on that web site.
I check my 2003 3L v6 camery on that site and they are low on the city
and just right on the hwy. what gives, anyone with a better place to
look?

Thanks

john
http://johntaylor.somee.com

 

then be happy with that. my civic is rated 32/38 and i dont think ive
EVER seen 38mpg. i average around 30-31.

read what the test consists of. its all scientific

why does 3mpg make a difference in the whole scheme of things? you can
read magazine reviews, and they post their average. i doubt itll be the
same as yours either.

 

It could be worse. The Accord Hybrid can't manage even 20 MPG in city
driving because it's not a real hybrid and the transmission isn't too
bright.

 

if you have one somethings wrong with it. my mother drives one and gets
at least 25 mpg and all she does is city driving, of course she has the
lightest foot of anyone I know. She tells me that on the highway she is
getting 28 mpg, thats better than my Camery and she has more power in
that Hybrid.

 

Exactly which 97 civic do do you have? The 1.6 SOHC engine? Auto or
manual? Hatchback?

I'm looking at 1997 Hondas at that same website. None of the vehicles
are listed as 37/40.

The first entry is for a Honda Civic VTEC-E (FFS) with a 5 speed
manual. This is listed as 37/44. Is that the entry you are looking at?
This sounds very much like a Civic HX.

Well, is yours a 5 speed manual VTEC-E?

VTEC-E is Honda's mechanism for improving low-RPM engine efficiency.
That's why VTEC-E models have good mileage.

What happens under VTEC-E is conceptually simple: at low RPMs, one of
the two intake valves on each cylinder is nearly closed: it opens very
little compared to the other valve. This means that the fuel/air is
coming in mostly through one valve only, so that it circulates faster
and swirls around in the cylinder. It turns out that this good swirling
improves the combustion efficiency, allowing less fuel to be used.

 

It doesn't if it's the difference between, say, 500 and 503 mpg.

Because then it's only a 0.6% difference.

But 33 miles is 10% longer than 30 miles.

Are you saying that a 10% difference doesn't matter?

 

pretty much.

if i had *been* getting 33, and it dropped down to 30, id look for a
solution to the problem.

but if the govt. says its good for 33, and i only get 30, i would just
live with it.

as the acronym says... "YMMV"

your mileage may vary.

 

I had a 98 Civic Hatch, 5spd and no AC. I would average 36mpg in
City/hwy for the summer. My all time best was 47mpg, while cruising
around 55mpg on the hwy.

My wife has the same model car, but it's a 4dr, Auto with AC. That car
doesn't get driven much and averages about 30mpg in the summer.

Pars