This is my first post so I am a newbie...

I just could not wait until Spring to get my new Fit, so I had a 09' White Fit Sport M/T ordered at my local dealer, leased it, and took delivery in December.

Then the coldest temperatures in years came, and some of the worst stormy weather. Wasn't exactly a nice way to break in my new baby, but living in the Midwest it would have to face it sometime.

There are nearly 1,400 miles on the tank, and average has been 22-25 MPG...best I've gotten is 28 with 80% highway driving on that particular tank. I have only broken 300 miles on a tank once and I nearly ran out of gas doing it. The MPG gauge is always off by at least 5 MPG, that I will have to report to Honda. I know that is a widespread issue.

The problem seems to worsen when the temperatures are brutally cold. During our recent snap where we had a week of -30 actual temperatures, I saw the MPG gauge drop to 15 MPG! It was so bad that my Tire Pressure Gauge lit up (at least I knew why that was happening).

That being said, the car is a daily driver, and I make the 5.21 mile trip twice a day, 5 days a week. I drive rather aggressively, yet not insanely, though I do realize that my revving above 3k RPM between shifts does not help. So you could say that, aside from the short road trips we take on occasion, I do about 80% city, 20% highway driving. I really haven't "broken in" the Fit much yet, so I could just be jumping the gun.

Am I getting what I deserve? Should things improve with the onset of warmer temperatures? I can't modify the car much, considering that I am leasing it (it was a better option for our family than to buy in the grand scheme). Any advice?

Oh, and one more thing. Living in Iowa, we are nearly always at the mercy of Ethanol (corn) blends which I know definitely can cut into economy. They can be avoided though, at a price.

Thanks for the help!

 

Hey betho welcome to FF!! Now about your mpg issue, I got about 1800 miles now and I live in IL and its cold here and I've been getting a steady 27mpg here. I know that in warmer climates fuel economy may be better but I think maybe its still a new engine and needs more of a break-in period.

 

Super cold weather + super short commute (5 miles) + winter formulation gasoline + aggressive driving = crappy gas mileage. Even if you drove like grandma I suspect you might have a hard time breaking 30mpg with your environment and commute.

 

yeah ur not going to get good gas mileage with that kind of driving...the car cant even warm up over 5 miles. Cold weather alone makes ur mileage crappy. Its recommened to shift around 3k, it actuals get more mileage that way and i would suggest taking a day to go for a loooonnnggg drive to break in your car. that 5 miles each way is a terrible way to break in a car.

 

can't wait for the weather to change and the winter gas is gone.

 

What is "winter gas"? Never heard of anything different chemically in gasoline sold during different seasons.

 

What?s the difference between summer-blend gasoline and winter-blend gasoline? - Ask.cars.com

 

5 miles?
I would walk or run. In the summer I would bike.
Really short commutes like that are hard on the car and the fuel economy.

 

If you lived somewhere with seasons (i.e. cold winters), then you'd have heard.

 

No matter what you drive in the winter the mileage is going to suck compared to spring/summer/fall, but you can help it out a bit by not letting the car warm as much for one, make sure your tire pressure is correct (remember, you lose about 1lb of air pressure for every 10 degree of temp drop) and maybe trying some fuel injection additive too, not to mention making sure your air filter is clean