Turok - While you're probably practiced in DWL, the '06 Civic can be deceptive with the iFCD reporting. At a steady-state cruise, until you get in the mid-50's, speed-wise, you should be able to keep the iFCD at a good 3-4 bars past the 50mpg marker, depending on temperature and incline, without losing speed. However, the iFCD likes to settle about 3-4 bars *below* 50mpg. Thus, instead of "+20%" territory, you're looking at "-20%" territory. My first two weeks with the car, I had to be careful not to keep the pedal pressed farther down than it really needed to be.
The really, really sweet spot seems to be between 40-48mph. At those speeds, I can almost peg the meter sometimes (at 30-39mph cruise, I *can* peg it at will, practically), and I'm often at 75mpg+ on the meter.
This
is temperature dependent - today, I had 35F temps on my 21mi commute to work(suburban/ secondary highway), and managed 58.4 on the averaging display - a new high for me.
At 7500mi, you should be well down the path to initial break-in. I only have 2000 on mine right now, and I'm in far Northern IL - very cold the past few weeks. Try adjusting your foot pressure a bit, and see if the results don't improve.
The EV-mode takes some practice. Again, my first two weeks with the car, I found it tricky to engage, but now, it's pretty much second nature. If you lift your foot off the accelerator (not completely off, but cover), and then engage it gently, you can get the mode to engage. One scenario is in city traffic where you're going about 30 or so, and the traffic in front of you slows, so you slow a bit to maintain your buffer. When you press gently on the go pedal again, you'll find EV mode engages for a second or two until you press farther. You'll feel the car 'jump' ever so subtly - even slighter than when the CVT re-engages from a no-load state at speed.
I use the EV-mode deliberately when in a slow-speed situation like my office park or neighborhood - and sometimes when in rush-hour traffic for those 15-20mph crawl situations. In fact, because of this mode, the '06 Civic Hybrid is the first vehicle I've driven where I can actually *increase* my mileage in those types of situations.
Another thing about the EV-mode. It takes a sharp eye / ear to catch it - because I can often initially engage it with ZERO bars of assist showing. Here's how you'll know you're 'in the zone' (besides seeing the 0-4 bars of assist)...
- Your tach will be at 1100rpm
- Your iFCD will shoot up to max
- Your will lose speed much more slowly than if you were coasting, but generally, you'll lose speed. If on a downhill, it's possible to actually *gain* a
mph or so.
- Your engine will be a lot quieter - almost silent (the lower end is still turning in the block, because the crank is connected to the motor - but you'll definitely tell the difference).
Depending on your SoC, and your speed requirement, you can hold this state for a good amount of time - I've had some good 1/4 to 1/2mi stretches with this - and your averaging display will show the benefit rather quickly. While it can be invoked at highway speeds (some report engaging it at 55-60mph), I generally find it kicking in at the lower speeds, and don't try to invoke it if I'm on the Interstate.
The one downside of our little 1.3L engine seems to be at 55mph or better - it's harder for me to keep the iFCD in that "+20%" territory without losing speed. So for now, I'm content for 65mpg iFCD display in that scenario. Hopefully, things will improve with temperature and miles.
And that is the truth from my perspective, having actually *driven* the car on a (near-)daily basis for 33 days as of today.
