Thanks for the gearing explanation.

I also wanted to update my mileage numbers. Unfortunately the road trip we scheduled never did happen. However, I just had my second fill-up and am pretty pleased. Tank 1 = 23.9 MPG. Tank 2 = 24.0 MPG. The numbers reflect suburban driving. Some interstate, but mostly around town.

 

I just brought home a new 2012 5 Sport Manual yesterday. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of mileage it gets, hoping to do better than the 21/28 EPA estimates. That isn't likely to happen until I stop mashing the gas and flinging it into the corners though.

 

"...The slang term Shorter is usually in reference to how quickly the final drive gear selection helps the vehicle accelerate."

Shorter is also a reference to the older way to express gear ratio, in 'gear-inches'. Gear-inches dates from the earliest days of the safety bicycle, introduced to replace the bikes with the huge front wheel that you pedaled directly, like today's tricycles (aka, penny farthing). The safety bicycle was just like today's chain-driven bikes with sprockets. Gear-inches is the equivalent wheel diameter you would have if the pedals were directly driving the wheel. Therefore, if you have a ratio that requires more than one revolution of the pedals for each revolution of the wheels, the gear-inches are shorter.

Speaking of shorter, my 2007 manual 5-speed GT is at 3000rpm at 100Km/Hr (60 mph). That's short!!

 

I am averaging mid to upper 20s. On highways, best I've got using good ole fashioned regular gas is 31 mpg!
I have an '09 automatic.

Dom

 

My last tank only got 28.5 mpg with a mixed bag of city/highway driving. Mine's the 5 speed manual. I'm looking forward to a long drive to see if I can replicate the 36 mpg I got on my 900km trip in February (achieved only by drafting big rigs).

 

Thought that since I'm rapidly approaching the 1 year mark (in ~2 weeks), I'd post the fuel mileage results for our first 15k miles.

Probably 60% city / 40% highway

Lifetime mpg = 25.2 mpg

Best 2 tanks = 29.0 and 30.2
Worst 2 tanks = 20.0 and 20.7
Not too far off the official 21/28 ratings.

Former vehicle was an '01 Odyssey and it's lifetime mpg (over 6 years we owned it) was 19.7 mpg.

An increase in fuel economy of 27% which at 15k miles/yr and current gas prices means a savings of ~$600/yr.

Not too shabby, and the 5 handles SO much better than the big boat Odyssey did. Our two kids are growing fast (6 and 10 yrs old), so I'm not sure we'll be able to stay in the 5 for ten years, but we'll see.

Matt

 

If my two kids (now 18 and 15) are any indication, you won't need the van for more than another six to seven years; by then the first will have his or her own car and can share in the fetch and carry duties for the younger one.

 

My first fill up netted me 23.1 MPG in roughly 55% rural highway 45% city driving. Not bad for a fist tank and a lot of less than economical driving on my part. So far I love this car!

 

Drove from Troy OH to northern Cincinnati, four fairly large adults onboard, a mist in the air, and the A/C on to keep the humidity at bay. Drove approx 20 miles in town stop and go. The rest was out on the road, cruise set at 70MPH. With less than 1000 miles on the clock and the tires at the recommended pressure, we got 27.2MPG.

That's is exactly the soft spot, much lower and I would have been disappointed and much higher I would have been surprisingly impressed. But 27, for large people, misty weather, and the A/C on; yeah, I'll take it.

 

I just got back from a weekend interstate trip in the 5. Average MPG was 31.2. I suppose what I have been reading about the 6-speed manual 5 getting better than EPA estimates is turning out to be true.