[b1shmu63]

I think Billy and Excell are both achieving lifetime mileage oround 90 MPG, but for most of us achieving over 70 LMPG is awesome.

The folks on that site seem rather in the dark regarding hybrid battery performance and warranties. I suspect that most of the population is as well. This too will pass. It seems that the majority of Insighteres have not had battery issues. For those that have it is not clear if this is a problem with one cell going bad or a problem with some other aspect of the system. Hybrid abttery costs will come way down in the future as well.

I get a little pissed when I see Diesel presented as proven, trouble free, and environmentally sound. Turbo chargers do not last forever and are not cheap. Diesel fumes have been proven to cause lung cancer. When certain car companies tried to introduce Diesel engines to the North American market they had so many problems that they stopped building them. The internal forces created by high compression and the explosive action of Diesel igniting place high stresses on the engine and these problems are only now being addressed by the use of expensive advanced computerised technology. Hybrid technology actually reduces the stress on ICE engines and so far the technology has been remarkably reliable.

 

[b1shmu63]

Hi Wayne, I use you mileage claims as my upper end refference. Tonight coming back late from doing some computer work in Kingston I managed 89.7 miles per U.S. Gallon on a 48 mile trip. It's up hill and I was driving with the lights on. The route includes many hills, curves, villages, and a 5 mile stretch of gravel road. It's not exactly the summer either, :wink: but the radiator cardboard seems to work well. 0W30 synthetic too!

 

[b1shmu63]

Thanks to all for the interesting discussion, pics, tips.

If you own a 5 speed Insight in good working order, read and understand all the techniques on this forum, then practice them until they become natural, you won't need any other proof than the readout on your own vehicle.

Just don't peeve other drivers! They may have a legitimate need for speed. I do sometimes. :wink: My recent 89.7 MPG was done at 3:00 in the morning, and I saw only 4 or 5 other motorists. If someone is gaining on me I signal and pull over in one of the many small villages (where the speed limit is 30 MPH) to let them pass. If this is not possible then I drive at the speed limit. Enjoy!

 

[b1shmu63]

That's a really good description of the Insight. I don't have any issue with someone getting 76 in a CVT once in a while. I managed 111 on one 20 mile trip from Sharbot Lake to Bollingbroke this summer. It was an amazing fluke. 56 for a LMPG sounds right. I find John1701's LMPG of 49.4 in a car that weighs 1,000 pounds more, uses non LRR tires, and runs on ethanol blend more impressive! I suspect he will break 50 as his engine wears in.

Bottom line: If you can't get record breaking gas mileage in an Insight, you certainly won't get it in any other car!

 

[b1shmu63]

Foxpaw, you're absolutely right. The preponderance of evidence argues that such numbers are achievable. A video taped drive would prove nothing. A modest tail wind or slope would skew the results. Pragmatic Wayne has already gathered and recorded waaaaaay more info than I would dream of, and he readily shares his insights. Asking him to do more is unreasonable.

Getshocked: Put some extra racing air in those tires, change to 0W20 synthetic, Make sure you have a good 12 volt battery, install the rad block and hot air duct, change your tranny oil to 5W40 synthetic, turn off your AC, find a straight level road on a warm day with a little tail wind and head off at a steady 40 to 50 MPH in your 5 speed Insight. You will prove it to yourself!

 

[b1shmu63]

Chris, the fellow with the video camera was Guillermo. He has it set up on a tubular steel frame like a roll cage in the hatch area. Nice job! An interesting note is that he bought the car second hand off a fellow who was the mileage champ at that time. I didn't catch the name though. "G" doesn't drive for mileage, but man oh man he cetrtainly knows how to navigate around those pilons! Going for a run with him is certainly an eye opener.

I have a five speed. I try to maximise lean burn by accelerating in 3rd to 55 and then lock in at 100 MPG+ and let the speed gradually drop over a couple of miles to about 45, then start the cycle again. If the road has a gradual down slope I can maintain higher speeds and stay in 5th. On long valleys I let the speed creep up into the 60s going down and then bleed off into the 40s going up. If someone is following I forget all this and just drive at the limit, letting them pass when I get into a village. Roads here are all single lane 2 way rural routes. Sometimes I get to play the mileage game, sometimes I don't. Arround here many folk drive open box trucks and get 15 miles per gallon with a tail wind! Many of them need the trucks for farming, construction, hunting, hauling trailers, or just getting in to their properties.

 

[b1shmu63]

What Insighter would bother to download 2 hours of the worlds most borring driving just to prove what they could readily experience firsthand?

"G's" slalom driving videos are another matter entirely. Small download, very entertaining, instructional, and a great promotion for the Insight! Two thumbs up!

 

[b1shmu63]

Don, don't feel discouraged. If I drove short trips in the city mine would be way worse. If you are doing over 60 MPG, you are achieving three times the national average! When I drove through the winter mine dropped from 73 to 68.