: What are you getting around town in your Civic? What's considered
: "normal" for gas mileage? My son says he's getting around 17-18 mpg with
: a/c use and 17's mounted as wheels, and a fart bomb exhaust ('99 Civic
: EX coupe). As we didn't mount the wheels, I am guessing the speedo gear
: wasn't changed when the new wheel and tire size were mounted, so the
: actual mileage may be off from that, as well.
:
: Also, can you get a true reading of MPG when you fill up at half a tank?
: The reason I ask is it always seems like the first half of the tank is
: used more quickly than the second half? Myth, or true?
: TIA.
:

95 DX 1.5L w/automatic and we consistently get 28-29mpg avg, mostly city
street driving (commute doesn't need to include freeway <grin>. However, a
recent run up to LA county (from SD) returned 32.5 mpg. And I attribute this
'low' number to returning Sun early a.m. at speeds averaging 80-85 mph. Only
mod I have are 195/65r15 tires that replaced the 13" that came stock...

As to the first half tank going 'faster' than the second half... My school
of thought is an either/or situation. Either I'm feeling "Honda + gas
economy + full tank = Heavier foot driving" I'm more apt to 'open 'er up'
(ergo waste gas) vs 'Oh shit, I'm getting low on gas = driving more
efficiently' Or, The tanks are designed in a pyramidical (made that word up)
fashion and the sending unit only measures the vertical drop as gas is
consumed, ergo the bottom of the tank has more volume than the top half...
One would hope that the designers would take this into account...

My guess if you were only getting 17-18 mpg around town, somebody's driving
that car pretty hard ;-) Or have your friendly mechanic take a look at it.

Rick