I can believe a mid to high 20's for someone spending lots of time driving in stop and go traffic. Its the people that post 15-18mpg numbers that I cant figure out.

Here is my progress so far:
I got 283 miles to 9.104 (31.08 mpg) gallons on my first tank, 307.6 to 9.857 (31.21 mpg), and 248.6 to 7.502 (33.14 mpg). Will need to fill up again this evening to add another point of reference.


For my commute I drive 73 miles (1.5 hours) to and from work (146 miles a day).

The one way trip is 61.5 highway miles. I hit 2 choke points of traffic each day on the highway then the other 11.5 miles involve traffic and stoplights. I have to travel about 15 miles of steep hills/mountains.

The highway miles are at 75-85mph and the AC is on when its hot out. Its been on for the last 2 week

 

Just think if we all belonged to a Hummer club. The guys complaining would be talking about 5 mpg city, and 12 mpg hwy. The guys bragging would be proud of 18 hwy. Not to dis the Fit owners with less than 20 on average--something HAS to be wrong with your cars.

 

LOL very true! As much as I love my F-150 4x4, I don't love the 12 MPG I get when driving it. There's a reason it only sees fishing and work duty now, which ironically enough, probably makes the ole Ford happy anyway

 

Because you live in NC. "in-town" driving is different from place to place, but there's simply nothing like having to drive in a big metro area like NY, boston or LA. I'd expect fit mileage in Raleigh to vary from 30-40 mpg because you're doing mostly highway and high-speed local road driving (at least that's what I remember from going to college down there). it seems like you're happily on the top side of mpg.

By comparison, yesterday near times square it took me about 20 minutes to get down a single crosstown block and around the corner onto 7th ave. That's neither an exaggeration nor, lamentably, unusual. Sitting there all the while, burning gas, as the light cycles from green to yellow to red over and over again and you literally haven't moved an inch. I think only a hybrid could deal with that and still salvage some respectable mileage. There's no way a conventional engine can rate 33 mpg if it spends a lot of its time running while standing still. unfortunately the prius was out of my price range, but I couldn't be happier with my fit and wouldn't trade it for anything if I could.


BTW, I spent last weekend in rural NJ and did 160 miles on a 1/2 tank. Now that I'm back in the city, I'm watching the gas gauge creep down while not putting many miles on at all. But what can you do? I'll happily take 25-26 mpg as long as i'm in my new baby!

 

cityfit,

DAMN you make me happy that I don't live in New York. No disrespect meant. NONE of the EPA estimates of any car take your kind of driving into account. You would be better off with a motorized skateboard and a backpack. Even under your circumstances with the Fit not having a chance to reach the EPA estimates, at least you are getting better economy, bad as it might be, than most of the surrounding traffic.

 

none taken. I know how bad it is. Unfortunately, since I'm a musician I often have to haul around equipment, instruments, etc. and need to have a car. I actually once considered getting one of those bicycle baby-trailers, loading it up with stuff and towing it on my bike to gigs (ah the crazy things you dream about when stuck in traffic with nowhere to go!).

Still, I'm happy. My last car was a 1987 Mercedes 300E, which was rated at 18 city miles under optimal conditions. Can you imagine?

Honestly though, I have to say the best thing so far has been parking. I park on the street b/c a garage in my manhattan neighborhood goes for 400-500 bucks a month, and since I got my fit I'm sliding into all those tiny little spots most people (like a lot of the jerks who drive SUV's in the city) have to just just cruise on by. Cruising around looking for street parking used to take 5 mintues or an hour, depending on the day, time, and pure blind luck. But in this car I've haven't yet circled the block more than once before finding a spot I could fit into. The time it has saved me in parking more than makes up for the extra 10mpg I would get if i lived in the country. (Damn, hope i didn't just jinx myself)

 

I manage to turn in some good mpg around here 36-42 regularly. I found out about 20 mpg using the A/C around town in hot Las Vegas. It is possible...

 

Your situation is quite understandable its just funny that some people that have driving conditions like yours complain that they get bad mpg like its the cars fault

 

The car was advertised to get 31 mpg city. When its 20% less than that, I'm going to complain.

 

Maybe you should sell that crappy car

 

I actually love my Fit, I was just expecting to get better mileage. However, if what everyone is saying is true, if i got a different car, my mileage would still be about 20% lower than claimed.

However, with the new EPA estimate at 27 mpg city, 25 isn't so bad!

 

You should check out what they do to get the EPA estimates:
How Vehicles Are Tested Fuel Economy Test Schedules

City is 11 miles over 31 minutes with 23 stops. 18% of the time is at idle, so 5.58 minutes. max speed of 56mph, and avg speed of 20mph.

When I checked and saw what the tests involved i was pretty surprised myself.

 

woo-hoo finally hit 29 mpg combined city hwy (85%city 15% hwy) this is actually ectremely good because some days driving to work i don't even get out of 3rd.

this last tank i filled with super (i figured if it says 87 and ethanol is a power robber maybe i should get a higher octane at 91 and with the ethanol blend maybe i will get the true amount of efficiency out of the engine). i guess it worked!

or maybe finally breaking 500 something clicked after the breakin period and the computer figured out my lead footed driving habits and leaned out the mix... so i still feel like im driving hard but it gives me less fuel to burn

 

To all with bad mileage...take this questionnaire and if you answer 'yes' to any, then it's you - not your car:

1. Do you feel rushed when you drive (in a hurry)?
2. Do you curse other drivers because they drive 'too slow'?
3. Do you imagine yourself to be a NASCAR, etc driver?
4. Do you imagine you are in a Porsche,etc?
5. Do you live in the mountains or in NYC?
6. Do you like the 'Fast and Furious' movies? (If 'yes', then there's a whole 'nother can o worms!)

 

The octane level will not affect MPG's, but as you said, ethanol does. There's no more 'power' in 91 octane than 87, it can just can take higher compression than 87 can. If you have a high compression engine, you need 91, and the Fit doesn't need it - no extra benefits to be had for the extra $$$.

The only way the 91 octane will get you better MPGs than 87 is if the 91 doesn't have ethanol, but 87 does. Even if this is the case, it will still probably be cheaper to use the 87....

I'd chalk up your better milage to the break in - mine got better too....

 

i agree with the break in period... cause once it hit 500 something changed with the way the car runs; i think my advanced neuro processor was finally broken in for the new car and erased the pre-existing programming from driving a silverado

 

That's only 15 MPH!!! You can go faster on a road bike (bicycle). I can average 22 MPH on mine. I know you're talking about traffic lights, but cyclists can get to the head of the line.

I wish I still had a short commute (like 10 miles)... I'd ride my bike! Save my car the mileage, wear & tear

 

I am getting mediocre gas mileage too - not 20 mpg but 28-30 mpg. I have a MT Sport and I do 50/50 hwy/city driving.

Actually the mileage is the same as or less than my 1991 beater. I just expected a lot more out of a 2007 econobox, I guess.

Yet to break 1k miles, though; we will see how much better it is at 10k.

 

Wow!
That's disappointing to hear. Sorry for your poor results neighbor. As I have posted many times in the past, I live in the Santa Cruz mountains and drive twisty up-and-down roads aggressively when traffic ahead permits, and so far with an AT Sport, my worst mileage has been 27 with two passengers, a roof rack, and a stiff head wind, and best is 38 mpg. empty w/no roof rack. I hope that your results improve.

 

Hey all,
Well, first of all, I live in the D.C. Metro area and drive 30 miles one way to work on 2 of the most congested roads around here. I have a 15 mile trip down I-270 & another 15 mile trip on the beltway (I-495/I-95). On an average day it takes me 1 hour to get to work (average, 30 mph). Speeds range from 0 to 75 or 80!

I usually try and keep it down around 70 when I get a chance to run it, most of the time I'm creeping along in 4th or 5th gear at 25 to 35 mph.

With all of the above criteria, I get an average of 36.4 miles per gallon after about 2200 miles.

I have a SSM 5M Sport. I am very happy with the milage I'm getting. My 95 Neon auto averaged 28.8 running the same "course." & the 99 Mazda 626Lx gets 24.5.