I have a 2003 Honda Accord 4 cylinder with manual transmission. I find that
at 50 MPH, 2000 RPM in 5th gear, I get the best gas mileage. On a trip
from Canton, TX, home of the BIG Flea Market, to Austin, TX, I averaged
more than 50 MPG. On a short trip on IH 35 from San Antonio to Austin,
it averaged more than 50 MPG. To get that economy, I use no air
conditioning, no cruise control and use the built-in navigation system
computer to show me the instantaneous gas mileage number. I find that
seeing the gas mileage number in real-time helps me drive for highest
economy with little effort. Unless the highway is totally flat, the
cruise control does not drive as economically as I can. I routinely
get more than 45 MPG on the highway.

Using the air conditioning, using the cruise control and driving faster
that 50 MPH drops the economy to 36-38 MPG. I always use the lowest
priced grade of gasoline.

In town economy depends on the time of day. Non-peak time driving can
yield as much as 32 MPG. That is a achieved by coasting when possible.
Typically in Austin, during peak traffic times, the number is only
26-28 MPG.

This Honda was bought new and has been driven over 60,000 miles. No
repairs have been needed yet. I change the oil every four months with
Castrol 5W20, clean the leather, wash and wax the paint and that is all.

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James D. Howard Austin TX USA jdhoward@helps.com