Yes, I noticed this same thing with the mpg on my 05 CRV.

"Elle" <elle_navorski@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:RlhWe.106$Gg1.66@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink .net...
> "Remco" <whybcuz@yahoo.com> wrote
>> jim beam wrote:
>> > A. Smith wrote:
>> > > Honda's web site says the 2006 Civic gets EPA
>> > > 38 mpg with the manual transmission and 40 mpg
>> > > with the automatic.
>> > >
>> > > What's "wrong" here?
>> >
>> > nothing. the system's been programmed to shift for economy - after
>> > all,
>> > the ecu /does/ know how much gas is being injected. pretty simple.
>>
>> Right! I think you'll have a hard time getting lower mileage/gallon
>> with a stick than an automatic on any of the new cars.
>
> One more voice: In fact, this trend has been going on for several years.
> Many automatics have been trumping manual transmission cars for fuel
> economy, back to the mid/late 1990s or so, IIRC. "Variable Valve Timing
> and
> Lift Electronic Control" (VTEC) has been a big factor in this, IIRC.
>
>