3rd Honda Civic
I now own my 3rd Honda Civic in 20 years. Its a 2005 model, EX “special edition”. My previous Civics include a 1987 DX hatchback and a 1997 DX Sedan. My current Civic has 1.7L, four-cylinder VTEC engine, generating 125 HP. The power to displacement ratio is 125/1.7 = 73. The newer Civics (2007) use more advanced valve timing to generate 140 HP from a 1.8 L engine, for a 78 HP/L. However, the city mileage, which is where it counts for me, did not improve in 2007 due to the larger engine displacement. The 2007 model is rated at 30MPG in the city, with some journalists estimating 27 MPG in real-world driving. In contrast, my ‘05 Civic gets 10% better mileage, achieving 29-30 MPG regularly, in stop-and-go city driving. In a recent drive from Santa Clara to El Capitan State Beach in Santa Barbara, I measured 394 miles on 9.5 gallons, or 41.4 MPG, the best mileage I’ve ever had. I had an even better result on a recent trip from June Lake (east of Yosemite) to Santa Clara, driving 363 miles on 8.1 gallons, which is 44.8 miles per gallon! This is even more impressive considering the car was fully loaded with camping gear, while driving on winding mountain roads with the A/C on much of the time.