[PlanoAK]

First of all I am impressed at this site. I used to own the original king of MPG a 1991 CRX HF! I love that car but as fuel prices were low I got rid of it and bought a small truck. Now my frontier can get 30 mpg my personal best on a tank was 30.45 mpg. Now with gas prices here in Dallas hovering around $2.40 Gal. I am wondering if there is a better way. My questions are as follows

1. How many miles or years can the battery pack realistically last?

2. Can I expect to average almost 70 mpg with consevative driving(remember I had a HF so I know how its done best MPG in HF 65mpg)

3. Has anyone driven one over 200,000 miles? I'm betting the I can

4. Am I stupid for not considering this sooner?

Thanks
Andrew

 

[Wayne M]

It depends!

It depends!

1. How many miles or years can the battery pack realistically last?
Mine was 104,00 for a 2000 model. Seems the problem may be resolved in later models. Look for a 2003 or later.

2. Can I expect to average almost 70 mpg with consevative driving
My 'best mpg' so far averages about 55 - 60 depending on commute conditions. Also seems to be 85% uphill in GA Folks with modified cars / better technique can get more.

3. Has anyone driven one over 200,000 miles?
Yup, several folks are at or past 200k! Mine might get there some day.

4. Am I stupid for not considering this sooner?
Unlucky, maybe, stupid? Kinda doubt it. Courrier gig? Did that once myself, turned out to be just another scam for the company, no money in it for the drivers. That was costing $20+ a day when gas was just over a buck, in a Toyota pickup. :x

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Hi Andrew and welcome to the forum :!:

1) The first 8 years and 80,000 miles are "free". (Honda IMA warranty) Many Insighters in here have well exceeded this number and still are on the original pack. Perhaps 10/150K is a realistic upper number but as with all things automotive YMMV.

2) For a previous CRX HF'r with a 65MPG record shouldn't be a problem but it does drive a bit different. My HF personal best was 57.

3) We have one member with reported miles well over 200K

4)Ummm, YES

HTH!

 

[PlanoAK]

Re: It depends!

It depends!

1. How many miles or years can the battery pack realistically last?
Mine was 104,00 for a 2000 model. Seems the problem may be resolved in later models. Look for a 2003 or later.

2. Can I expect to average almost 70 mpg with consevative driving
My 'best mpg' so far averages about 55 - 60 depending on commute conditions. Also seems to be 85% uphill in GA Folks with modified cars / better technique can get more.

3. Has anyone driven one over 200,000 miles?
Yup, several folks are at or past 200k! Mine might get there some day.

4. Am I stupid for not considering this sooner?
Unlucky, maybe, stupid? Kinda doubt it. Courrier gig? Did that once myself, turned out to be just another scam for the company, no money in it for the drivers. That was costing $20+ a day when gas was just over a buck, in a Toyota pickup. :x

Well I have been in the industry for about 15 years and I do pretty well. Only 55-60 ??? Seems like to me that mods will do wonders for this car. As any Fellow DSM owner knows all to well 1992 Talon AWD not bad on MPG for a car than can do 4 sec 0-60 and 12 sec in the 1/4 as well as get 30 mpg on the highway

 

[bfivelover]

2. Can I expect to average almost 70 mpg with consevative driving(remember I had a HF so I know how its done best MPG in HF 65mpg)


Thanks
Andrew

With conservative driving you might average 80 MPG. I drive conservatively (55-60 MPH mostly) on a 60+ mile commute and usually get between 74 and 82 MPG, a little less if I drive slightly faster. If there were no other traffic on the road and I could drive 50 MPH the whole way, I'd probably get 90 MPG. Your mileage will also be affected by where you drive. In the city with lots of stop and go, your mileage will be lower. A commute on the highway, it will be higher. Being in Dallas, if you use the air a lot, that will also knock down the mileage a bit. I hardly ever use the air, even in 90+ temp with high humidity.

 

[kNOwtalent]

Greetings Andrew,
Like you I'm a courrier. An insight has a lot of pluses and a few minuses for us.
The pluses are gas savings and parking in small spaces. I get about 63 mpg over the course of a tank. The best daily was 74.4 over 300 miles that was on a mild day making long driving segments. Today is the other side, mostly short runs in the LA heat (A/C on) and traffic and I'm getting 62.5 over 160 miles. Considering your current ride take your gas bill and cut it in half. The minuses are a Big repair every 2 years or so if like me you average 7500+ miles. this offset by some repair savings on the timing chain and alternator and brakes. The other issue is space. If you work is title and process you're fine if you doing print work you could have some problems.

 

[bfivelover]

The minuses are a Big repair every 2 years or so if like me you average 7500+ miles.

What "Big repair every 2 years" are you talking about :?: I've had mine three years and put over 100,000 miles on it, doing only the scheduled maintainance.

 

[newInsight]

1) The first 8 years and 80,000 miles are "free". (Honda IMA warranty) Many Insighters in here have well exceeded this number and still are on the original pack. Perhaps 10/150K is a realistic upper number but as with all things automotive YMMV.

Does this apply only to the original owner? (Mine is used and has super low miles...would love for it to qulify)

____post script
I think I found my answer in this string

Confused about IMA warranty

 

[kNOwtalent]

The minuses are a Big repair every 2 years or so if like me you average 7500+ miles.

What "Big repair every 2 years" are you talking about :?: I've had mine three years and put over 100,000 miles on it, doing only the scheduled maintainance.

Greetings Bfivelover,
Im banking on replacing the IMA and BCM and ECM every 2 years based on the fact that I drive 7500 miles a month and an average failure rate at 150k miles. These numbers seem about average also the CAT will have to be replaced aswell. All in all my Geo metro would prolly cost less to opperate but It has 400k miles on it and things are going on it fast. My metro wont let me drive in the carpool lanes alone and my insight will

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Then its looks like you'll be a happy banker kNOtalent

While its good planning to "bank" on battery replacment at a regular interval (of your own choosing, just don't get too optimistic) the MCM & BCM won't likely be a regularly updated replacement. 02's and back are the only ones so far that its _desireable_ (but not required) to update with a new pack.

HTH!

p.s. newInsight, Yup :!: you found it

 

[chrs]

My best tank with a CRX HF was 55 mpg; my average in my Insight is 84.6 mpg; best tank 90 something, best trip 103 mpg for 150 miles (better on some short trips). With the feedback from the MPG display and from this forum, I've learned a lot, and I am more extreme about going slowly on back roads in the Insight than in the CRX, so the numbers don't compare directly, but if you could get 65 in the HF, you will set records with an Insight.

Charlie

 

[jbrasure]

1) The first 8 years and 80,000 miles are "free". (Honda IMA warranty) Many Insighters in here have well exceeded this number and still are on the original pack. Perhaps 10/150K is a realistic upper number but as with all things automotive YMMV.

Does this apply only to the original owner? (Mine is used and has super low miles...would love for it to qulify)

____post script
I think I found my answer in this string

[quote:3frlpd5x]Confused about IMA warranty

[/quote:3frlpd5x]

Honda warranties go with the car. It doesn't matter how many owners were involved.

 

[dfiore]

highest mileage yet

My hybrid pack gave in at 120,000. I am about to hit 227,000 miles with no signs of leaking or burning. My transmission needs to be rebuilt, though, as it is grinding in 1st and 2nd, downshifting. I fix computers in Florida so I do about 50k a year. If you can make the cargo area work for you, it is the best vehicle to have.

dfiore
Hudson, FL