Columbus, Ohio

2007 Civic Si Sedan at 1,500k miles – MPG over 30!

So I’ve put over 1,500 miles on the car now and let me tell you, all the miles have been wonderful. I’ve been keeping track of my gas mileage and I am happy to report I am getting over 30 mpg at every fill up thus far. I’ve filled the car up 6 times now and the worst fill up I got 30.1 mpg. The best mileage I’ve seen is 31.4 mpg. My last car, a 2000 Civic EX Coupe, ranged from 29 to 36 mpg. The month before I purchased the new Civic I was averaging between 32 and 34mpg. This is a good comparison since I have not changed my driving routes or habbits in the past 6 months. I do drive mostly highway miles though.

Gripes

Yes, I have a few gripes about the car. They are small but they could make a difference. Here’s the list.

  • The chrome Honda symbol on steering wheel reflects the sun into my eyes at times. Has anyone taken it off without ruining the look of the steering wheel?
  • The steel shift knob will conduct heat like no ones business. On sunny days I have to drive with a towel on the shift knob. I know the shift knob looks cool but the look is not worth burning your hand over. I am looking for a leather shift knob cover to resolve this gripe.
  • The location of the second power adapter in the center console is not convenient.
  • This is more of a thought than a gripe. The location of the cup holders is not ergonomic in my opinion. It does allow you to put larger than normal containers in them but they are not easy to reach when driving. In particular, I find it difficult to open a can of pop at the angle I sit in the seat.

Anyway, these are small issues I have with the car and they certainly don’t make me regret buying the car. The car is awesome! I think everyone should test drive an Si to truly appreciate what a small car can be if a manufacturer puts the effort.

14 Responses

  1. i think the cup holders are sweet. never got a glare off the H in the staring wheel the shifter does get hot but not hot enough that I would cover it.

  2. I just got a new Civic Si Sedan about a month ago and my mileage has not been nearly as great as yours. I’ve filled up about four times after buying the car and the mileage I’ve gotten is between 23.6 to 25.6 mpg. I don’t think I drive the car too hard. I never get close to the redline and I only accelerate hard when going on a freeway on-ramp. I drive it in the mid 80 mph range daily. I guess I drive about 68% freeway, 32% street out of the 265 or so miles between fill-ups.

    Do you ever notice a slight lag in acceleration when you come off the line – for example, when the light turns green? Sometimes when I accelerate normally from a full stop there is quite a noticeable lag time in response. It’s like when I step on the gas the car doesn’t immediately jump from the line. This happens occasionally but not all the time. I’m trying to figure out a pattern or what causes this to happen. I’ve been driving a stick for over 13 years now so I don’t think it’s a question of my shifting/clutch abilities. It would be helpful to know if anyone else has this issue. If not then I’ll have the car checked by the dealer. Thanks!

  3. if you are so concerned with gas mileage and never redline why would you buy an si? you should have bought a hybrid. the si is not meant to get great gas mileage. i put over 6k on my 2007 si and never got 30mpg. best i ever had was 27 and that was mostly highway driving. but i don’t have the si any longer. i now drive a 2007 black honda ridgeline rst. the si was fun but the ridgeline is way more pimp and i needed a truck to pull my ski boat.

  4. Hey Phil,

    You just bought the 2007 Civic Si and you traded it in already? I hope you didn’t loose money on the deal.

    I occasionally use the power, and when I do my mileage goes down. But I don’t drive the car hard 100% of the time, though I am sure many other Si drivers may do. I like having the performance. I don’t think you could get me to drive a hybrid until they make a sport model that performs as well to the Si. Actually, if someone did make a fast performing sub compact hybrid, I would seriously check it out.

  5. i want to trade my 06 on a 07 0r 08. i wonder how much i would lose. i didnt’ get the nav system and now i which i did. i love the look of the new si sudan but i don’t want a standard.

    thanks
    eric

  6. I purchased my 2007 Si in March and now have over 15,000 miles on it. (yes i drive a lot) I commute to college 200 miles a day three days a week, three other days I drive at least 80 miles round trip to work. Between myself and my brothers we have definitly given this car a work out, however it seems to like it. I get anywhere between 32-34 mpg and I tend to have a lead foot. When I am on the interstate(which is the majority of the time) my average is about 80. After reading the other postings, I do agree with the gripe about the shifting knob. I have burnt the palm of my hand more than once, but i like the look of it so I refuse to cover it up. My SI is also black which doesn’t help the situation.
    I am pleased with my vehicle, I have driven many small cars in the same catagory, but would definitly refer a friend or two towards the SI. I love interior, the power, and the look. It doesn’t get any better.

  7. It recently dawned on me that very sporty cars that use aluminum/metal shift knobs are driven by enthusiasts/professionals who wear leather driving gloves. It’s probably going to make me look strange when people see me driving with leather gloves in the middle of the summer, but it does make a lot of sense.

  8. In reference to gas mileage, there are many factors that can cause differences in gas mileage. I was listening to Click and Clack a few months ago and they mentioned a couple methods of driving that could effect mpg. First, shifting down and using the engine when rolling to a stop will cause your car to use more fuel. Shifting late (at high rpms) when accelerating will as well. The pause between shifts can also effect mileage.

    This is how I drive my Si. I don’t use the transmission and engine when I am slowing down. I keep the clutch kicked to the floor when slowing down/stopping, but I always have the transmission in the gear I want it to be in if I need to accelerate at the speed I am currently at. When I am behind other cars that are moving slowly, I waste no time to get the car into the highest gear possible. When I am in a 25 mph zone, I’ll use 4th gear and let the car go between 25-30 mph. In a 35mph zone, I typically use 4th gear, sometimes even 5th if traffic is cruising at about 38mph+. At 45mph I can get the car into 6th gear. I also don’t waste anytime when I shift between the gears. I know some friends who leave a good pause between shifts, even when they are accelerating fast!

    Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t drive like this all the time and days that I do open her up, I observe mileage that is less than desirable (23-26mpg). I think the point I am trying to make is, you have a lot more control over your mileage vs performance with this car, and it’s up to you where you draw the line on fun and function.

  9. I just got a civic si sedan 6 days ago and LOVE it! If I could F__k it, I would… seriously, I’m not kidding…Anyway, I was reading posts about the shift knob heating thing… could you not just cover it with something while it was parked. That way you’ll save your palms from being scorched every time you park in the sun. Just my 2¢.

    Oh and stop with the gas mileage already! If you really cared about the gas mileage, I mean REALLY cared you would have bought an EX, have some fun! 🙂

  10. I just bought an 08 Si about three days ago. My first tank averaged 30 mpg. I am also in 6th gear by 38 mph the majority of the time. I probably would have gotten better, but I opened up on it a couple of times, it a shame to have all of that horsepower and not use it. I have had 3 CRX’s, 2 Civic EX’s, and none of them compare to this car. Did they get better mileage, you bet. Were they as much fun to drive and as cool as this car, not even close. I thought about the EX, but the difference in gas was negligible, about $7.00 per week @ 15,000 miles per year, with the EX using reg and the Si using premium.

  11. My point with the gas mileage was, you could own a awesome performing car and still get decent mileage. There are cars in the same class that get about the same mileage but don’t perform at all. With the way gas prices are lately, I like to be able to decide when I want to get 30mpg (shift early and often) or when I want to burn an extra 1-2 gallons in the tank for the performance.

    You can’t avoid getting 30mpg with this car driving on the highway.

    The real test will be this winter, I am a little concerned how she will handle in the snow and ice.

  12. I just got a 2008 sedan, and I really do love it. I have no idea what kind of gas milage I will get, but I do know it’s hard to stay off the fun pedal. This car just makes such glorious noises when you rev it up.

    I had a Civic DX that got 38mpg easy before this. Great car, but quite boring. It’s worth the extra gas money to drive an exciting car like the Si.

    You probably already found this out, but in the Si is a fantastic winter car. The limited slip diff in the front give it great traction. Not as good as AWD, obviously… but miles beyond the DX I had with it’s open diff. That thing would just spin one tire and go nowhere.

    Enjoy your Si!

  13. I’ve as well learned that this car is great in snow. The limited slip diff. makes a huge difference as you said.

    This is my first car with ABS brakes. ABS brakes present a different problem driving in snow and ice, you can’t pump the brakes if you start to slide. But, you can bring the car almost to a stop in first gear without touching the brakes. You’re basically using the limited slip differential to do the stopping, and it does a good job at preventing the sliding.

    If your car has ABS brakes and you have any respect for pedestrians, other cars, your car or your safety, you should drive considerably slower when driving on snow/ice. Cars with ABS brakes will never let you lock the tires to dig into the ice, so if you hit a smooth stretch of ice, plan on maintaining the same speed and direction. The slower you’re moving, the safer you’ll be. Luckily, these kind of road conditions only happen a few times a year here in Ohio.

    My last car was a 2000 EX, it was a fun and reliable car, but did not get as good of gas mileage as the DX/HX models. I was always trying to make the EX do a little more than it was capable of doing. In the snow, I learned to pump the brakes a lot on that car, as well as shift down. Because I didn’t have a limited slip diff, shifting down did not always work. Sometimes it would cause the front right wheel to pull the car.

    Another interesting difference between my old EX and the Si is with the cruise control. If I set the cruise at 65mph with the Si, it stays at 65. Driving from Columbus to Cleveland, there are some serious hills the car climbs on I-71. The speedometer never budges. The EX, on the other hand, would slow 1-3 mph going up a couple of those grades.

  14. You guys are leaving out one important feature: traction control. The 07’s and 08’s have a feature to prevent slipping while accelerating in snow and ice. This is perhaps just as important as anti-lock brakes because if you need to be able to move forward.

    Tires can play a big part in your mileage. I have gotten pretty good mileage out of my Hankook Evo’s, average around 29mpg mixed.

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