Very informative about different versions of VTEC:
VTEC - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I for one just got my 08 Civic EX on Saturday, and so far, after almost 200 miles, I have almost a half tank left, and I have only gone above 3k RPMs a few times, and above 5k RPMs ONCE.
Even keeping the RPMs fairly low, I have found that I accelerate along with the rest of the cars around me just fine, without being too slow or too fast. Coming from a 1997 Chevy work truck, this car feels (and is) a lot faster! My other car is a 2004 Mustang GT Convertible, which is what I drive when I want torque
-John