Automatic Civics?

[KrazyDawg]

I have a 1995 Civic EX Automatic with 119,000 miles on it. I'm currently averaging 29-30 MPG. No mods installed unless you want to count the K&N air filter. I also use acetone but am not able to determine if it has led to an increase. I've had two occasions where I've hit 39 MPG.

[GasSavers_Minger]

So...highway driving from Rochester to Buffalo and back (Hour each way) I averaged an even 40 mpg...was a bit cold and drafted what semis I could find. Stuck around 65 mph the whole way...not bad for that speed.

[mkiVX]

i have a fully loaded (heavy) 1999 civic ex auto sedan
i could not muster over 33 mpg
i bought a scanguageII and i got 45mpg going up the cajon pass.. i could not believe it

[suprapsu]

I heard you shouldn't neutral coast in an automatic because it will burn out your tranny.

Originally Posted by Scott_in_Tulsa

I have a 2000 Civic Coupe EX w/ auto trans. I just bought it 2 months ago with 63,000 miles and have been getting between 33 and 35 mpg. I just hit 35 mpg with the last tank doing as much neutral coasting with the engine running as possible.

I have a 76 mile daily commute (round trip) and it is 90% highway with little traffic. I can pretty much leave the cruise on the whole time but have been testing the neutral coasting concept since I can do so without ticking off the other drivers when I slow down.

[GasSavers_bobski]

Define:

Originally Posted by suprapsu

burn out your tranny.

and I might entertain that idea. I've been neutral costing my auto CRX for years without issue.

[theholycow]

The question of automatics being damaged by neutral coasting has been argued to death. There's no reason why it would be a problem, and some people have extensive experience proving it.

[AMX]

I previously had a 1993 Civic LX sedan. I got low to mid 30 MPG with it, with no extra gas saving techniques. Now I have a 2002 Civic LX sedan and with my gas saving techniques, I have been getting 40 MPG (US). Both cars are automatics.

[Beelzebubba]

Originally Posted by suprapsu

Anyone here with Automatic Civics? I have a 94 Civic DX 4 door and got 25 MPG. a bit disappointed.

I've always owned cars with manual transmissions (all Hondas except my current Mazda3), but there have been several Civic automatics in my immediate family over the years. The '92-'95 DX/LX models (1.5L 102hp) with automatic were only rated a few mpg below the 5-speed manual's rating of 40mpg highway. My dad had a '93 DX manual and my step-mom had a '95 LX automatic. The manual would easily exceed the 40mpg highway figure if driven sensibly and near the speed limit...and it averaged 37mpg overall. In the automatic, my step-mom struggled to top 30mpg overall. When I drove it, I barely got 28mpg! In reality, the manual transmission got about nine miles per gallon more than the automatic- rather than the 3-4mpg difference in the EPA ratings.

The problem, I strongly believe, is that the automatic transmission was FAR too eager to kick down to a lower gear. While it made the cars feel 'peppier' than a lot of the competition, it also took a toll on fuel economy. The '96-'00 Civic improved quite a bit in this area- partly due to revisions to the A/T and partly because of simple increases in power. The '01'05 models with automatic are worlds apart form the older ones- smooth as silk, for the most part. They'll kick down when you floor it and actually want power, but not just climbing a small hill or lightly accelerating. The '01 redesign not only included a new (and very 'intelligent') automatic transmission but also additional increases in horsepower and torque @ lower rpm.

And there's more than you ever wanted to know about automatic transmissions in the Honda Civic. =)

[GasSavers_bobski]

The eager-to-kick-down behavior you experienced in the '95 LX may have simply been a misadjusted cable. That transmission's electronic control is limited to locking the torque converter. Shift points are decided by throttle position (judged by a mechanical cable linkage) and vehicle speed. The cable linkage can be adjusted to change the amount of throttle required to make the transmission kick down.
The '96 model year transmissions switched to fully electronic shift control, with grade logic control (fuzzy logic programming) built into the TCM. '01-05 models still used D-series motors, so the transmission was probably just a further refinement of previous generations.

[cat0020]

I have a 1990 Civic DX Hatchback with automatic transmission.. little over 100400 miles on the original engine. Recently replaced the distributor, sprakplugs and wires... first full tank of fuel added and it's gotten me over 390 miles.. I'll find out how much fuel I used when I fillup in a few days.