2006 Honda Civic LX review from North America

Battery stopped holding a charge after only two years old. Dealer replaced under warranty.

A tad expensive, but decent ride. Overall what you would expect from an average economy car. Accelerates and handles nicely, and generally comfortable.

Unfortunately, the car gets absolutely atrocious MPG, anywhere between 22-28 MPG. Yes, my tires are properly inflated. No, I don't drive like a maniac. I've contacted the dealer about this problem and they've assured me that this is normal. When I inquired about it being frighteningly off-course of the advertised 30 city, 40 highway mpg claims, I was told that was under "ideal conditions." As previously stated, my tires are inflated, my trunk is empty, and I'm driving with MPG in mind. How much more ideal can you get?

I mentioned that my first car was an 87 Porsche 944 with 180k miles, a 2.5 liter engine, and in desperate need of a tune up, and it got around 23-25 mpg, to which he said "huh." This doesn't seem to be a normal problem, as I've gone through forums trying to find possible answers from people with a similar problem, and almost everyone has come up with the same answer: the dealer says it's normal. I call BS, a little insignificant 1.8 liter engine getting 22-28 mpg is NOT normal.

If I decide to buy another Honda, or really any car from now on, it'll be after a 300-400 mile test ride to see how far off base the stupid EPA estimates really are. The only explanation I've seen is the ethanol blend in gasolines. Either way, still not happy.