33MPG in San Francisco

[way2hand]

-Insight 2 EX
-ECON mode
-40psi
-Carefully acceleration, but keep the traffic float
-Coasting

I got really bad milage in the hilly SF where most are city miles. In the city, I got 30MPG, but I do see it can reach 40MPG while driving highway. Combining City and Highway is around 33MPG. Does anyone share a similar experience?

I am wondering how the 2010 Prius doing? It has a bigger battery for city...

However, the insight is smaller (better to find parking), has a better interior/exterior look, and tight handling.

I wish Honda to improve the insight by:
- making it a plug-in lithium FULL Hybrid
- adding couple more horsepowers for the hills
- putting nicer interior materials

maybe it's too much to ask, but I think technology can make it feasible in the future.

[steve_b1]

I'd be willing to do the San Francisco "49 Mile Drive" for some data... not sure the "best" way to go about it but I'm sure someone can figure a meaningful way of doing it. Should be a pretty good test I would think & I suppose we could always add to it by having someone gps-record a local route to add on a few more miles, etc..?

49-Mile Scenic Drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Moviemike]

Originally Posted by way2hand

-Insight 2 EX
-ECON mode
-40psi
-Carefully acceleration, but keep the traffic float
-Coasting

I got really bad milage in the hilly SF where most are city miles. In the city, I got 30MPG, but I do see it can reach 40MPG while driving highway. Combining City and Highway is around 33MPG. Does anyone share a similar experience?

I am wondering how the 2010 Prius doing? It has a bigger battery for city...

However, the insight is smaller (better to find parking), has a better interior/exterior look, and tight handling.

Looks like we drive in a very similar way, in similar weather conditions, but I'm in a slightly flatter and more suburban driving terrain. See my mpg at Blue Bird (Honda Insight) | Fuelly

I've parked next to a Prius and found that the overall length is almost the same, but the Prius exchanges reduced trunk space for more rear seat leg room.

The Prius gets its best mpg by opperating on battery only at very low speeds (10-20 mph), which would be great in the Market St area. The I2 gets its best mpg in the 35-50 mph range, great for a suburban or rural area.

The I2's better handling, and Honda's record and reputation for low maintainence vehicles are differences that make a difference for me.

[JamesQI2]

I drive around the city quite a lot as well. Mileage has been around 35-38 on Econ mode. My Insight gets around 43-45 on the freeways which evens out to about 39-42mpg. I try to drive on smooth streets such as Pine, Bush, Lincoln, Fulton, etc.

[amorris]

Hills just kill the mpg on my Insight and my Prius. I've seen some people comment on the Prius forum that you get all the energy lost on the uphill run back when you go down the hill, but that is a physical impossibilty (your potential energy may be the same, but you cannot escape the conversion losses). I can well believe that hilly San Francisco would reduce your mileage to what you are seeing.

[Ehetleos]

Nothing but mountains and steep hills where i live. Yet, if i am gentle on the pedal, drive slowly and take into account all the advice written in this forum on how to save on gas, i can still see 40-45mpg...

[Mikeyt1818]

I dont mean to brag, I dont mean to boast but in flat S Florida with 70% city driving I get 44-46 MPG's every single tank with AC on auto set for 74 degrees. I will be driving up to visit a friend in S Carolina next month. I will report back on mileage in the hills are I was told there are quite a few up there. I hope I can still keep the MOG's above 40 on that trip!

[way2hand]

I took a trip to LA last week. Here's what I found out:

- 36MPG on Highway I 5 @ 80 MPH
- a little over 40MPG combine driving L.A.
- Weather makes difference

Then I was back to North Cal. We got colder weather and more hills. I think that's the reason why the MPG is so off.

* I also found out when I am approaching to a stiff hill and the battery is not at optimal level, I should shift from D to S, so that the gas engine would stop charging the battery giving out max power to cope with the hill.

[runtohel121]

^^^I drove to Las Vegas 2 weeks ago. My average MPG throughout the 1,100 mile trip (back and forth) was around 38 mpg. Going up hill on Highway I15 is a pain without the IMA assist. Straight roads and hills are huge impact on the Insight unless you drive slow but that didn't happen for a 9 hour road trip (each way).

[Cobb]

Man. I wonder if CA uses a different formulation for their gas than the rest of the country?

If I set the cruse to 75mph, I see 47mpg on mainly level surfaces.