[jnewell]

My Secret too good Mileage:

1) Drive like granny (no offense to any grandmothers out there)
2) Check the tire pressure every tank

I drive +-5 the speed limit. Sometime this invokes th ire of other drivers. I only do so on multi-lane highways where I can be easily passed by non-hybrid drivers. My house is 4 miles from the PA turnpike. My destimation is within coasting distance of my exit from I-95. So basically I access freeway for 99% of my commute wich I realize is a little rare. Granted I have only owned my insight 3 months so I am still learning the tricks of the trade.


-Jon

 

[Resist]

Just a word of caution, don't be so fuel frugal that you drive so slow to the point that it inspires road rage on the part of other drivers.

 

[originalbadbob]

During the summer I spent a lot of time trying to break my "record" of gas mileage to and from work. I'm only 1/2 mile from the interstate on each end of my 50 mile commute, so I have pretty much the best of possible situations. The disadvantage that I have is that the terrain is hilly. There are several two mile uphill stretches in each direction, and I coast down them when I can. I run 55 mph minimum and whatever I get to on the downhill side (approx 70). My best mileage was 90.1 on the round-trip commute and 86.6 for the tank. Now that I have done that and it is cooling off, my mileage is averaging in the mid to low 80's, so I picked up my speed to about 62-65 and I'm getting high 70's on the tank. For the extra 20-30 miles I could go on a normal tank (not a record breaking one) is now costing me about $1.50.
I still want to see if I can get from home to Key West, FL and back to Miami on one tank of gas....1044miles, but I guess I'll have to wait until next spring/summer. Just getting to Key West wouldn't be much of a challenge.
8) robert

 

[james]

Humm... Watch the weather forecasts: maybe you can pick up a 100 mph tailwind on the return journey

 

[Elmer]

Milage with the auto transmission

I'm new to this forum and I am at the point of ordering a new insight. My wife doesn't drive a stick so we have decided on the Varible auto option.
What can we expect for real world milage with this system? and how well does it perform?
Thanks
Elmer

 

[jbrasure]

Re: Milage with the auto transmission

I rented both the manual and CVT Insights before buying one. I fell in love with the CVT, and that's what I own today. It doesn't get as good gas mileage as the manual, but I really love the behavior of the CVT. It accelerates smoothly, and you'll never feel a gear shift like you do with traditional automatics. Power management is also easier with the CVT. In general you don't have pay attention to the battery level, because it stays nearly full all of the time. It's also good at climbing mountains, because it can use whatever gear ratio it needs.

Expect to get around 55 MPG on the highway, and maybe 48 in the city. If you drive it very carefully and don't go fast, then you can get 60 MPG on the highway.

Hope that helps.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Re: Milage with the auto transmission

Hi Elmer and welcome to the forum :!:

If you spend some time in here reviewing MPG posts you'll see that to get the ultimate MPG that either an AT or MT Insight is capable of requires a different driving style. Generally slow down to the speed limit. All the MT techniques apply to the CVT (AT) its just that the CVT won't be capable of the same hyper MPG. And has already been written above it does have its advantages for the sacrifice.

There are several Insight owners who's driving needs put them in the frequent short trip category with corresponding low MPG. They just have to remember that any car driven in this pattern will also exhibit a similar percentage loss. Its just that an Insight's percentage loss, when converted to MPG is an eye opener :shock:

HTH!

 

[Subterfuge3927]

And then there are the hypermilers that live 3/4 mile froma freeway and drive 100+miles one way on avg for a commute, that get sick milage :twisted: