Honda Pilot Mileage Issues

[stukin]

In 2009, I bought a 2007 Pilot from a dealer in CT. I'm a VERY conservative driver, but I still can't get better than about 14 mpg maximum. I had a 2004 Pilot, exact same everything, that easily got 18-21 MPG, so I was expecting about the same from the '07. My usual mileage now runs about 11 to 14 mpg, depending on whether it's city or highway. That's not even remotely close to the EPA rated mileage. The dealer has been of absolutely no help, so I'm ready to move on to another brand. This is my 4th Honda, and it's likely to be my last. I was thinking of trading to a 2014 Subaru Forester, but it's a little small for my purposes. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like the Toyota Highlander, but the local Toyota dealer totally sucks!

 

[Ryan]

14MPG is indeed low - http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/pilot

Based on the fuelly report, I would say something is wrong with the car (and it has nothing to do with it being a Honda). First of all - where do you live? If you live in a particularly cold environment with snow, your average MPG is going to naturally be low.

Have you checked the usual suspects?
- Make sure you're using the correct type of oil - Hondas usually use a light weight oil for efficiency.
- Check your tire pressure - the correct pressure is listed in your driver door jam.
- Are your tires the correct size? - having a tire that is wider than the OEM spec can cause mileage to go down. Are you riding on your original wheels? I had a friend who was hell-bent on dropping their car on 20' wheels - they never realized that doing so would obliterate their gas mileage.
- Air Filter - is it clean?
- Spark Plugs - when were they last changed? Are they free of excessive carbon buildup?
- Oxygen Sensor - if it's really dirty or bad, it could cause your engine to throw off your fuel/air ratio and bring your mileage down.

 

[NutBucket]

Yeah, something isn't right. Find a competent mechanic.

 

[Vasp]

get a bottle of bg44k and add it to the fuel tank full of gas. see if that makes a difference

 

[LTC8K6]

In 2009, I bought a 2007 Pilot from a dealer in CT. I'm a VERY conservative driver, but I still can't get better than about 14 mpg maximum. I had a 2004 Pilot, exact same everything, that easily got 18-21 MPG, so I was expecting about the same from the '07. My usual mileage now runs about 11 to 14 mpg, depending on whether it's city or highway. That's not even remotely close to the EPA rated mileage. The dealer has been of absolutely no help, so I'm ready to move on to another brand. This is my 4th Honda, and it's likely to be my last. I was thinking of trading to a 2014 Subaru Forester, but it's a little small for my purposes. Does anyone have any suggestions? I like the Toyota Highlander, but the local Toyota dealer totally sucks!

It's really not rocket science to figure out the cause of low mileage.

There have been good suggestions in the replies.

A slipping transmisson can lower your mileage as well.

What has been checked on it? What maintenance has been done? How many miles are on it?

 

[Arkaign]

Hopefully you can get it fixed.

If you indeed want to swap out, look at :

Mazda CX-9 (super nice!)
Toyota Highlander
Chevy Traverse
Hyundai Santa Fe (great budget choice)

All have tons of room, good driving vehicles for their size, and should do better in real world fuel economy.