LJG007

Greetings. I recently purchased a well cared for, low mileage (51K) '06 TSX AT and for the past month have noticed extremely low city MPG. How low? As low as 15.4 from my latest calculations. I use fueleconomy.gov, so my MPGs are calculated on each gas station visit, not MDI (which always seem to err on the high end) Anyone else out there with SUCH low MPG? My driving throughout the week is about 90/10 city/highway. I'm not particularly aggressive by any means. Is there something wrong with the engine? Should I visit the Acura dealership? Thanks all!

cls1000

I drive slowly enough to keep my RPM's in the 2.5-3k range while accelerating to get 20mpg in the city. If I drive normal, I'm looking at 2-3 less. If I drive spirited of any kind, yes, 15 wouldn't surprise me.

cls1000

Oh, and I always calculate the mileage when I fill it up. The indicator in my display (I have an 04 auto with nav) always shows about 1-1.5 minimum more than what I actually get, so I generally ignore it.

Ken1997TL

Whats your average speed?

llwtsx

I have an 06 AT and I do about 95% city, not very aggressive,
but way too many stop lights on my way into and back from work.
Anyway, I get about 18-20 on average. Calculated at fill ups, not MID.

Are you running stock wheels and tires? Heavier wheels/tires can impact
mileage, so if you changed those recently that could impact your numbers.

1Louder

The easy things to check for are proper tire inflation and has the oil been changed recently. 51K is not a lot so they probably went a long time beteen service intervals. Next, are the tires stock Michelins, or did they replace them? If they went with a sticky summer tire, that will contribute. The last frontier is driving style. I thought I was gentle on my cars too, but the MID showed me different. Drive with the MPG instant reading on, and see what is really going on when you push on the gas. There is a surprisingly fine line between moving the car forward at 10 MPG and 30 MPG - the instant display will help you train your right foot which is which. Accelerate as slow as you can without being a traffic problem, and anticipate stops in advance and just coast up to them.

I also have an 06 AT - you should be able to get 20 MPG, but 15 is not unreasonable if some of those above conditions are present.

nj2pa2nc

Try going for a highway drive for more than 20 miles.

SoCaliTrojan

I drive extremely aggressive and probably drive 99% city per tank (I rarely go on the freeways now). I have an 06 MT (55k miles) which means I'm in the higher rpm range most of the time (and MT is rated lower than AT as well). I get about 18.2 to 20.5 mpg per tank (I calculate it myself each time before driving off).

Are you using 87, 89, or 92 octane? For most people, the lower the octane, the lower the fuel economy (unless if that person mostly drives on the highway, in which case it doesn't matter). I use only 92 octane.

By the way, to clarify my driving style, I usually punch it hard from stop lights, I will always redline it when entering freeways, I downshift at lights instead of rolling in neutral, and I heel-toe through turns. All of these things mean that I am on the gas pedal to a certain degree. The one time I actually drove easy to maximize my fuel economy, I got it up to a little over 22. I don't think I have ever gone down below 17.

LJG007

Thank you all for the very helpful replies/recs/solutions. I just stopped by the station (Exxon Mobile) today, filled up about 8 gallons and was pleasantly surprised to see that I averaged 25 MPG. Of course I made some modifications, namely in the way I drive I guess. I am now much more vigilant with the instant MPG meter and have taken up the recommendation to not go over 3K on the tachometer. Additionally, I also drove more highway miles this week, about 60-70/30 city/highway split.

However, here another age old question, does the gasoline brand matter? I've been filling up with Exxon these days, however Hess/Citgo/BP with their slightly lower cost are looking pretty darn tempting. How about no name mom-pop stations? Thanks for all your input!

LJG007

I've also been thinking about going to Autozone and getting a bottle of the Lucas Fuel Injector cleaner. Any experience with this product? Works or wastes money?

1Louder

Glad you had some success. I drove a Honda Civic Hybrid from 2002 - 2006 and got a huge education in driving style. While tires, maintenance and weather may make a 1-2 MPG difference, driving style can make a 3-6 MPG difference, so focusing on how you drive is the biggest way to help.

Gas is always a fun topic here. In short, using a lower octane than recommended can lower your MPG (1-2). Some will argue that it doesn't, most will say it does. I don't think anyone has been able to reach any conclusion about one brand over another. I would look at the ethanol rating. When I had my Civic, Washington was switching over to a 10% ethanol blend (E10), and I noticed 2-3 MPG less on E10 than gas without it.

superstocksuperslow

kinda late but i recently got an 06 6 speed tsx. I replaced the crappy firestones the dealer gave me with bridgestone RE970's.. WHOLE ton of money but it is a WHOLE ton of tire for daily driving. I do mixed bout 50-50 of city and highway.. My mpg calculated from fill up to fill up averages around 30 give or take 3. BUT i am shifting at 2k every gear.. DO love bout this tsx opposed to my 06 wrx. but it does have a LOT less torque

LJG007

This might be a silly question, but can I expect higher MPG if I start driving with the "semi-manual" mode and shift around the 2's, which would mean basically 2-3 quick shifts back to back for much of my city driving?