Better gas mileage

Sorry for my lack of consistency with posting. That always seems to happen during the Summer months.

Last November, you may remember that I purchased a 2005 Honda Civic. What a great car. I realize that it isn't flashy and it doesn't make any sort of a "statement" when I drive it, but I love it anyway. This is my second Civic. I drove the first one for nearly five years and then went through a "truck phase." I have since repented of my budget-busting ways and I'm back to driving a more economical vehicle.

One of the main reasons I bought a Civic was for its excellent gas mileage. When I first drove it off the lot, I noticed that I was only getting around 29 miles per gallon. While that was much better than the 16 mpg's I was getting with my FJ Cruiser, it was still far less than I expected to get.

Since November, I have tried a few things that have truly helped me get better mpg's. The first thing I did was change the oil to an "all synthetic" option. Then I spent a month or so using 89 octane gas exclusively. I checked the air filter to make sure it was clean and I regularly check to see if my tires are inflated at the correct pressure.

Making those changes caused my mpg's to climb to 34 mpg, then 35, then 37 and 38. On my last tank of gas, it had climbed to 39.4 mpg. I just changed the oil again so I'm hoping that I will be over 40 mpg on this tank.

I had no idea that gas would be over $4.00 / gallon when I traded my FJ for the Civic, but the timing couldn't have been better.