The Nevada and Utah highway systems are efficient and often afford long stretches of open range roads. Some sections in Utah have posted speed limits of 80 mph. And like in Nevada’s desert, only a few small cities interrupt the rolling hills, sage brush and often jagged and rust-colored rock formations

After driving 455 miles on the first day from trek from Sacramento to Ely, Nev., in my Honda Civic (Touring Edition), I followed the next day with 202 miles from Ely to Cedar City, Utah, just in time to attend the Tour of Utah bike race press conference.

My motel in Cedar City was less than a mile from the media headquarters, so I walked to and from the press center and didn’t drive during stage 1.

On the morning of stage 2 of the Tour of Utah from a start in Escalante to Torrey, I opted for an alternate route from Cedar City to the finish in Torrey. It was a 136-mile drive often along two-lane highways and almost always advancing at least at the posted speed limits of 60, 70 and 80 mph.

2016 Honda Civic: fast and hot

Temperatures have reached into the 90s on all three driving days of the my trek, and I’ve traveled with the air conditioner on constantly. With largely open roads with no other vehicles in sight, I was surprised at times when the speedometer reached 87 mph. The Honda advanced smoothly — as if it were moving 20 mph slower.

The drive also included several brief sections advancing through twisting ascents and descents near rock formations. I’m not an aggressive driver, and I took the turns slowly with the Civic handling the winding maneuvers without issue and only limited by my hesitations.

Before the trek, I stopped for refueling and with the result another impressive effort in my 2016 Honda Civic. I’ve listed my mileage statistics to date below:

Fuel stops, Tour of Utah
Starting odometer reading 7,080. EPA mileage rating, 31 mpg city/42 mpg highway.

7/30, Austin Chevron, Austin, Nev., 9.322 gallons, $2.79 per gallon, total $25.53. MPG, 37.6.
8/2, Smith’s, Cedar City, Utah, 9.051 gallons, $2.34 per gallon, total $21.26. MPG, 38.7.

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