If by "push" you actually mean to literally start the car, let it idle, and physically push it down the road, then yes you're correct. If you drive the Civic in the upper RPM ranges and actually try to drive the car hard, it will get dismal fuel mileage as well, down in the lower teens. Go take your Civic to a track day somewhere and report back what kind of mileage you get on a race track. I've had my Honda at quite a few track days and I got mileage below 10mpg....of course my Honda wasn't grocery getter as is the new (and old) Civic.