[martyn1075]

RTP2017, just out of curiosity, how does your trip computer compare to your calculated fuel economy? Over my first 1,000 miles, the trip computer has averaged 1.8 MPG higher than the manual calculation. I'm wondering if you're seeing a larger discrepancy. If so, have you double checked your manual calculations?

I have noticed this as well but also your truck computer trip mpg vs your truck computer average mpg is slightly off, and not always in favour the way one would want to see it.

 

[martyn1075]

I think you may have an honest beef. If you take it in the dealer they will likely turn you away and say it's new needs to be broken in. To some degree they would be right in that comment New motors these days are quite intelligent and monitor driving conditions as well from the owners driving habits. The more it recognizes this pattern the more clear mpg you will see. City driving IMO is a nuisance when predicting mpg it's always weak results the highway is where the engine wants to sit in and give you a steady result. Not to many people can just highway drive which brings us to a average mpg, totally changes where people live.

I would say on average you should get better then your result so perhaps your on board computer is off and needs to be looked at. I would also suggest a back to back comparison with another demo RL 2 from the dealer. Same route same settings same driving and see what the trip computer says.

 

[martyn1075]

Congratulations on having your new baby boy! That's awesome.

Bad news sadly is you should be still getting way better than 19mpg highway driving.
To give you an idea I'm driving a new f-150 ecoboost 3.5 and my city only as a low is 18-19mpg and a high of 21.4mpg. The highway is incredible had it as high as 32-34mpg but in most cases it usually sets in about 24.8-28mpg. Of course the evil city with my combination is a killer so it ends up down in the 22-23.7 average highway with some city residential but we have hills everywhere to climb. Mix in the rest of the tank with more city and it drops again on average but that depends on your daily driving conditions. On a trip per basis it can be extremely good but I would expect your truck to be very very good as well.

I would estimate your highway to be similar as what I get. The city should better but some reason most are actually not getting as good city but also average combination mpg is same or lower in most cases. That surprises me a bit. I would have figured better city mpg with the smaller lower to the ground much lighter truck. I do find the ecoboost to be very intelegent engine with the 6 speed transmission as its set to always find the gear that allows the rpm to be its lowest. Until you step on it then it's an angry beast.

I think perhaps you may want to ask the dealer to check it out. Maybe like I said try out another demo and see how it calculates your test drive go back to back with the salesman.

Where you will actually find that time is another battle. I know that feeling oh so well.

 

[martyn1075]

^^^ Eggszactly.

As I stated earlier, people tend to lie (by addition or omission either maliciously, accidentally, or due to ignorance) and/or exaggerate to impress the world or themselves. That's why I generally disregard reports from "Chicken Littles" complaining about only getting 12 MPG or bragging about getting 28 MPG - those are outliers. By now, there have been enough Fuelly reports to establish reliable enough data that individual reports can be dismissed. According to real-world data, the 2017 averages 4 MPG more than the 2014 so far - which matches my personal experience.

4mpg is quite high if thats actually true. Computers are misleading quite large margin then. However would you then feel that RTP2017 computer is just being honest or there is something odd going on because ultimately thats what we are trying to do. Lol perhaps his computer is under estimating and mine is overestimating. I think its perhaps a little low or again maybe he has one honest computer reading.

 

[martyn1075]

I drive what I consider real easy and conservative normally. In the busier part of the suburbs with more frequent stop light, under my "normal conservative" driving I get 14-15MPG with/without eco mode on. When I want to, sometime I drive like my great grandmother pissing everyone else off on the road, a lot of anticipating and coasting to red lights, I can get 19-21 on the same roads with the eco mode on.

Frequent stop and goes and how you stop and go is the main driver of MPG it appears.

Freeway at 55MPH I can get the computer to say 29. 65MPH at 27. 75MPH at 24-25. 85MPH 23.

For that this long drive with 95% highway I calculated 26mpg.

I've driven full tanks before 90% busy suburbs, lots of lights, driving how I normally drive (not aggressive at all but also not making a point to achieve hight MPG and I get a calculated 14MPG.

You may consider the way you drive conservative, but is probably still aggressive compared to how honda drove during their certification.

I keep the odometer page up on my display with the "live" fuel use bar. If during city driving and you make a point to try coasting with the meter at or above the 30-40 mark most of the way, and minimum time spent accelerating below the 10 mark.

I am the same way as you these days. Your readings are exactly where I feel they should be other than eco mode is not implemented on my truck. This is why I think RTP2017 is a little low. My findings "different vehicle" more or less match your driving almost exactly. Maybe we are not getting that number 100% by the end of any given tank, but I think its within reason.

 

[martyn1075]

Mine overestimate by 2mpg

I'm sure mine does as well. Its what they do it seems. Highway is very good even with the overestimate factor, city ok but can be evil at times.

 

[martyn1075]

It's actual and it's factual. Here are the actual fuel economy calculations for my 2014 and 2017 Ridgelines:

Also, I document what the trip computer reports in the "Note" field of each fill-up. That's how I know the trip computer in my 2017 reads 1.75 MPG higher than actual.

EDIT: My 2017 is actually averaging 4.8 MPG more than my 2014, not 4 as I stated earlier. I was rounding down based on the historic fact that the fuel economy in every vehicle I've ever owned tends to go down after the new wears off. It never recovers or increases after it is "broken in" or has its first oil change. My best fuel economy is achieved in my first few tanks before it decreases a bit and levels off from that point forward - and I've got records to prove it.

Ah gotcha on on the 4mpg. For my own entertainment I have been recording off and on my findings more or less for fun but also to gain better understand of how my truck burns fuel. Overall been fairly accurate. I have even used the premium fuel (93 no ethanol) in one tank which seems to be doing a bit better so far. If I get the 31mpg highway reading I know right away it will not be that good by the time I settle into a residential or city situation to finish off the trip. However at the end of a mix driving it always is nearly the same on the same routes I drive almost everyday. One way or another it averages out.

 

[martyn1075]

:surprise:
WHAT! I can't believe you said that. Road conditions, traffic conditions and driving ability is so different from location to location and person to person, there is no way to disregard any individual results.
I can't wait to get my hands on a truck to get 30+, hand calculated and photo/video verified.

Do you mean to get 30mpg plus hands down average miles combined? or just 30mpg at some point of the calculation.

 

[martyn1075]

Assuming you're not joking, I truly don't believe that's possible. Over a several-mile stretch of flat, straight FM road at a constant 55 MPH, the highest I've seen on the trip computer is 28 MPG, which is about 26 MPG for me. I'm not a betting man, but if I were I'd bet you a hefty sum you can't get 30 MPG out of a tank.

"CANT GET 30MPG OUT OF A TANK"

Again sorry I'm probably not getting it, what do we mean, getting it on occasion, or getting 30mpg done deal fuelly terms. I would agree 30mpg as a fuelly no way, however to get a good highway as you mentioned 28mpg is doable for some but of course the end result is not 30mpg.

I have been fortunate to hit the dirty thirty on few occasions on the highway but as soon as you hit the city or residental I'm back to reality. The reality is good though and depending on where and how you drive sometimes you got some options on your overall MPG. Considering what we drive in my case a larger heavier and bigger engine I don't think we can complain.