Woo Hoo! Just picked up my new Civic
Created July 1, 2008, at 12:45 am by Steves1150plus50
Well, after anxiously waiting for a few weeks, my new '08 HCH came in. Jennifer and I went down to the dealership, picked it up, and promptly took it for a 200 mile drive through the local So Cal mountains.
What a great car! Comfortable and peppy enough (hey, if I wanted more pep I woulda kept my 2000 Shelby Mustang)... Over the first two hundred miles of ownership the car ran great, averaging 41.2 MPG over city streets, twisty mountain roads and freeway.
One thing I noticed is that this car really rolls...literally. Coasting down the mountain my brakes got hot enough to smoke. In all my years of driving these mountains, I've never experienced this before.
Another thing I noted was that the handling was great! IMHO much more road feel in the Honda than the Prius I test drove.
Both J and I feel we made a great choice with this car...
Steve in So Cal
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Congratulations Steve.
41.2 MPG combined mileage for your first try is pretty good. Just imagine what you'll get a few months from now as you get to know the car even better?
The car will roll even better if you press up the tires to a few PSI below their Maximum rated pressure. I would set them to 42 PSI as a starter, then just enjoy the longer glides and the even higher fuel economy. :)
Cheers;
MSantos
As soon as I feel ready to go outside and brave the heat I am going to increase the tire pressure as you suggest. Thanks for the tip!
41 mpg sure beats the heck outta my ex-Nissan Xterra...
Cheers,
Steve in So Cal
Steve
Listen to msantos, he knows what he's talking about.Just bought a new 2008 civic hybrid myself and because i was reading all his tips I'm avg
49.5 mpg and thats without inflating the tires. I live in chicago area so I dont have mountains to deal with. Good luck. Forgot to mention I only have 400 miles on the car
Yep, while doing my research on the car I read many of the threads he responded to. I really appreciate his willingness to teach and contribute to all the newbies to hybrids...Seems like a great guy in a lot of respects.
What tips are you using to achieve that 49.5 number? We are driving nearer the speed limits rather than exceeding them, coasting to stops, and generally driving more gently.
Cheers,
Steve in So Cal
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