Ridiculous MPG Challenge #1 - 10 mile trip

jpleong · 08-20-2009, 12:30 PM

EPA? Isn't that the government organization that dropped a giant bubble around Springfield (Eepuh! Eepuh!)?

Well, forget the EPA "estimates!" Ignore "regular" driving habits!

I want to challenge you to the first of a series of "Ridiculous MPG Challenges."

This is your chance to show off your skills, annoy your loved ones, piss off the tailgaters behind you, and all-around have fun with your car!

All you need is you, your Insight, and a digital camera.

The first challenge is...
An as-near-10 mile trip of your choosing. Just snap a picture of your MID with the average FE screen and trip distance traveled. The only rule is to be safe -no behavior that puts you or other people in danger. You pick where, you pick when, you pick how. Of course, tell us where and tell us how you did it. Like to cheat? Tell us how you cheated! If you happen to have a beautiful route or destination, snap a pic of that, too!

Have fun!
JP

Cobb · 08-20-2009, 12:50 PM

First person to break over 150mpg gets a bonus prise.

Give me a few days, I can do 74mpg in 9 miles safely.

jpleong · 08-20-2009, 01:10 PM

Here are my first two...

The first pic is of my drive off the dealer lot. I took my Insight on the Ronald Regan Highway in Cincinnati to a cookout at my in-laws. Max speed on the highway was 55-60mph depending on the particular limit with cruise on. AC on, ECO on, and gentle accel/decel. The MID had actually peaked at 51.1mpg on the highway but by the time I got off the exit and whipped out my phone it dropped to the displayed average of 50.8mpg over 9.4 miles.

The second pic is me really trying around the undulating hills of northern Kentucky three weeks later. No AC, ECO on, max speed reached was 55mph for three or four miles on a state highway using pulse-n-glide. I was actually driving kind of aimlessly over that 9.6 miles but I stumbled upon two beautiful churches. The Cathedral was at the point that I snapped the pic of the MID and at the bottom of a very nice hill. The "country" church was at the top of another hill. That's the closest I've ever come to 70mpg.

JP

buglermcd · 08-20-2009, 03:34 PM

I'll give you one in November. I'll be heading up to the mountains again. I'll trip it at the top and see what comes out on the bottom. Pretty sure if they had a sideways 8, I'd get it.

HybridforCollege · 08-20-2009, 04:03 PM

Time to draft a few feet behind some big rigs on the highway!

blueridge · 08-22-2009, 02:48 PM

welp i just did this on thursday.. i told my wife i was going to try to get the best MPG i could while i took her to work.. remember i live in western NC mountains.. up and down hills.. etc.. oh and i forgot.. i got my first trophy during this trip.. i was almost near it anyways.. but i never saw the trophy.. i didnt notice it until i got home that afternoon..

here is your challenge top score..

this was up and downhill.. the first part of the trip was downhill about 6 miles.. then it flattens out with some smaller hills before hitting some larger hills.. i kept the 150mpg all the way til about 15miles in the trip.. then i hit some steep up hills.. how i did it..i coasted down most of the hills and some where i could see the hill start going back up i would speed up to keep my momentum going back up hills.. while keeping the mpg MID at 100mpg.. sometimes getting to 70+mph downhill to fight going back up hill.. i would let it slow down til about 45mph before i would give it some gas.. trying to keep the GREEN on the MID as much as i could.. by no means was it a fast trip but it was a fun trip trying to keep 150mpg as long as i could..

here i am on the way back..

and here is the end of my trip at the end of the day.. i think i did pretty good..

i can confirm.. 150mpg is the top the MID will show.. if not i would of prob got more

Fl_Fyr_Fytr · 08-22-2009, 03:43 PM

As soon as I read 10 mi trip I figured a mountaineer would get all of us...

**MN Driver** · 08-22-2009, 06:11 PM

Ahh, 150mpg, this is also the top mpg that the Insight 1st gen shows, as we know with retepsnikrep and his PHEV Gen 1 Insight that gets 150 Miles per UK gallon.

jpleong · 08-22-2009, 10:04 PM

Blueridge... Awesome! Care to post your wife's commentary as you took her to work? I'm sure she was thrilled

Now I need to find some mountains...
JP

Cobb · 08-22-2009, 11:05 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxesXMF2Bfs

I bet a few times around I could hit 80. Keep in mind I "drove" my car and it was under its own power. It was not towed, pushed or coasted down a mountain. No force charge or anything out of the ordinary. I just used my foot and gave enough gas to avoid assist, regen and keeping the mpg bar at 100.

I take this route twice a day and with ac off and cruse on 36mph I get 74.