Winter fuel, short trips and city driving? Sounds about right.

 

I bought my 2024 on 1/17. I've filled it twice. I got 20.6 and 20.3. That was probably about 70/30 and 80/20 city/hwy. I am very light on the gas pedal. I watch far ahead. I anticipate and coast, not stay on the gas and brake. I'd about guarantee you your driving style is more aggressive as almost all are.

Do you use the fuelly app or similar to track actual usage and give real mpg not an approximation from the dashboard? Or use a pencil and paper and calculate real mpg yourself? The fuelly app on your phone is convenient and while the fuel is pumping you can enter everything except the total gallons. One quick entry when the pump clicks and you've got an exact number.

 

Thanks, Actually I drive like you ! I have kept track of everything when I get gas,the actual over 2,500 miles is 16.9 ,the car computer shows 17.1 . On trips, we always take the wife's car ,so I don't think I'll be on a real highway trip anytime soon ! Thanks

 

For what it is worth. I basically only drive very short trips around town with the eco button on all the time and get something like 18 mpg, basically the same as you. On the few long trips I have been on it is more in the 24-26 range.

 

Short drives, cool down cycles, are hard on oil. Fuel gets past the rings due to over rich condition required to operate a less than fully warmed up engine. Operating the vehicle for longer periods, say 40 + minutes, helps purge that fuel from the oil. Modern Direct Injection seems to have made it happen easier (for oil getting contaminated.)
Get out & drive, people. 😄

 

All ICE engines accumulate fuel in the oil, some more than others. That's pretty much normal, regardless of the type of driving, in city, highway, etc. As long as the oil contamination is within "normal" level, that does not pose any issue to the engine. For the RL's V6 engine, the normal is under 2% of fuel in the oil, as stated by Blackstone.

I drive my RL 98% of the times in city traffic, doing 3 - 6 miles round trip with one or more stops, the engine barely reaches operating temperature at times. The first oil change for my RL had been over a month ego, with 3K miles on the odometer. Blackstone report shows:

Even under these condition, the fuel content, viscosity, etc., are within the acceptable limits, even for city driving pretty much all the times. Just change the oil yearly, as specified by the manual/MM.

As for the mileage with mostly city driving, it's 12 - 13 MPG in the winter and 17 - 18 MPG in the summer. During my vacation trip last summer, mainly highway driving, the mileage was around 26 - 27 MPG. It's pretty much the same as my Maverick with EB2.0 engine had been under the same driving conditions. That's not too bad for a N/A V6, 3.5L...

 

You people must hammer down... I get close to 21 mpg on every tank. On the highway I get about 25 mpg.

 

I agree, if I do not drive short trips I always get around 21 mpg. And I was/am unfortunately hard on the suv error truck. I just wish it were a real truck.

 

I average about 22-25 most of the time - I drive a short distance to work. I have gotten above 31 MPG on long trips by driving relaxed, using ECO, VCM, and watching the green ring.

 

I'm probably 50/50 city/highway. It's warmed up in the 40s(F) a few days (northeast, winter blend of fuel, 87 octane, 10% ethanol), but still in the 20s(F) other days. I'm averaging just shy of 22MPG per the dash.

 

The usage of my 2024 Ridgeline is about the same as your usage. I have a bit lighter foot I guess because my vehicle's fuel mileage is 18mpg with less than 2K miles on the vehicle.

On individual trips I've managed 20mpg but under special circumstances like to today I was out and about in some pretty heavy rain and was driving a few MPH slower than usual. So was everybody else.

 

Or, you could run on propane.

 

I had a ‘21 BE that I drove for 50k miles and it gave me 22.5 mpg over the life of the vehicle. Traded for a ‘25 BE in late October and avg 19 so far. And that’s because I’ve taken it on 2 road trips. I was regularly seeing 17 mpg around town. I’m hoping it’s just winter blend gas and just being new and tight. We’ll see what happens in the summer. But definitely showing so far that it’s not as efficient as my ‘21

 

Just had my 1st road trip March 12 of any distance in my 2024 Ridgeline. ~200 miles north to KC MO and after 2 nights made the return trip home March 14.

Had one passenger and light luggage load.

Averaged ~75mph on the way up and gas mileage was 23.5mpg. Full disclosure had a 10mph to 14mph tail wind the whole way up.

Averaged ~75mph on the way home and gas mileage dropped to 17.5mpg. Had a strong head wind (>20mph with gusts nearly 40mph) the whole way home.

Oh, as an aside I'll mention once back home and on familiar roads and vehicle usage the engine is running better. Nothing crazy better but better. Better throttle response. Just a bit more pep.

Had 1405 miles on the vehicle when I left and when I returned odometer had 1893 miles. So in total I put 488 miles on the truck. About 50 miles driving around inside KC MO/KC KS city limits the rest all freeway.

Not sure what to put this change/improvement down to.

Break in complete? Well, at 1400 miles I would think the bulk of the break in was over with.

I drove a new car, 2023 MINI JCW, 873 miles from Loveland CO to Benton County AR over 2 days. The 2nd day as the miles passed 500 and went up the engine was running noticeably better. I had made the effort to even though I was on the freeway to subject the engine to varying RPMs and loads and avoid driving at a constant speed/RPM for too long. So I have experienced first hand the transformation a new engine makes as it breaks in. For the Honda to need >1400 miles rather than (other cars) 1200 miles to reach a good break in stage is kind of hard to believe.

Hard to believe that at 1400 miles the engine needed the cobwebs blown out of it. But as I resume my normal usage of the vehicle I'll see if I can feel the engine lose some pep.

Filled up the tank with 87 E10 at a very busy Walmart gas -- just a few blocks from the Walmart Home Office complex -- before I left home.

Before I left KC MO I filled up the fuel tank with 87 E10 at a Quik Trip gas station. Only difference between the gasoline that I know is I paid at least $0.25 more per gallon at the QT for 87 E10 compared to what I paid at Walmart.

At home I've used 91 E10 octane gasoline from Walmart, QT, Casey's, Philips 66, and an indy station that sold 91 ethanol free gasoline in a number of my vehicles. Never noticed any change for better or worse. I settled on Walmart gasoline because in this area is is the least expensive gasoline.

I'm not complaining the engine perked up. Enjoying it and hoping it lasts. Just a pleasant surprise after returning home.

 

Just had my 1st road trip March 12 of any distance in my 2024 Ridgeline. ~200 miles north to KC MO and after 2 nights made the return trip home March 14.

Had one passenger and light luggage load.

Averaged ~75mph on the way up and gas mileage was 23.5mpg. Full disclosure had a 10mph to 14mph tail wind the whole way up.

Averaged ~75mph on the way home and gas mileage dropped to 17.5mpg. Had a strong head wind (>20mph with gusts nearly 40mph) the whole way home.

Oh, as an aside I'll mention once back home and on familiar roads and vehicle usage the engine is running better. Nothing crazy better but better. Better throttle response. Just a bit more pep.

Had 1405 miles on the vehicle when I left and when I returned odometer had 1893 miles. So in total I put 488 miles on the truck. About 50 miles driving around inside KC MO/KC KS city limits the rest all freeway.

Not sure what to put this change/improvement down to.

Break in complete? Well, at 1400 miles I would think the bulk of the break in was over with.

I drove a new car, 2023 MINI JCW, 873 miles from Loveland CO to Benton County AR over 2 days. The 2nd day as the miles passed 500 and went up the engine was running noticeably better. I had made the effort to even though I was on the freeway to subject the engine to varying RPMs and loads and avoid driving at a constant speed/RPM for too long. So I have experienced first hand the transformation a new engine makes as it breaks in. For the Honda to need >1400 miles rather than (other cars) 1200 miles to reach a good break in stage is kind of hard to believe.

Hard to believe that at 1400 miles the engine needed the cobwebs blown out of it. But as I resume my normal usage of the vehicle I'll see if I can feel the engine lose some pep.

Filled up the tank with 87 E10 at a very busy Walmart gas -- just a few blocks from the Walmart Home Office complex -- before I left home.

Before I left KC MO I filled up the fuel tank with 87 E10 at a Quik Trip gas station. Only difference between the gasoline that I know is I paid at least $0.25 more per gallon at the QT for 87 E10 compared to what I paid at Walmart.

At home I've used 91 E10 octane gasoline from Walmart, QT, Casey's, Philips 66, and an indy station that sold 91 ethanol free gasoline in a number of my vehicles. Never noticed any change for better or worse. I settled on Walmart gasoline because in this area is is the least expensive gasoline.

I'm not complaining the engine perked up. Enjoying it and hoping it lasts. Just a pleasant surprise after returning home.

Ring seat used to take 5000+ miles

 

My '25 RTL is on its third tank of fuel. First tank form the dealer, second by me which calculated to 23.3mpg. I have a 23 mile trip to work, country roads with max 45mph, so 50 miles per day. I think my 2017 was ~22.xmpg lifetime, so this is on-track for new vehicle.

 

A forum member named Kodiak who was engineer involved in the development of the 1st Gen has commented on the ROC forum that it takes up to 10k mile for the engine to break in.

 

Kodiak was Gary Flint, the chief engineer for the GenI.

 

Update. Im at 3,500 miles, and finally took a long highway trip. Computer showed right at 26 mpg. Actual was 25 over a tank of gas. I am pleased with that !