Hi Bohous:

___I don’t know how far up in New England you live but I am located half way between Chicago, IL. and Milwaukee, WI. It has been known to get below freezing for a number of days in the winter here too

___Anyway, I don’t let my Insight warm up at idle in the drive as it is just wasting fuel imho. She warms up while idling through the subdivision and through the back of a mall on the way to the Interstate with me in it. I have a technique for this but it may only work with sticks or maybe even just a 5-speed Insight for all I know??? Anyway, cold short trips are murderous on mileage no matter the automobile. There simply isn’t a way to get around it other then blunt the cold start to heat up with a Block heater (I have one on order at this very moment for next fall/winter) or having it kept in the garage w/ a block heater. Even with that piece of HW, cold temps give cold AIT’s (Air intake temperatures) and poor fuel/air mixing so your fuel economy is being pummeled from that … Colder oil in the sump is more viscous which is bad. Lower overall coolant temps take too much heat from the block which is too cold to begin with … It is a real viscous cycle and even those of us that use warm air mods can only help our little wonders only so much in really cold temperatures. Just be thankful you don’t live in the upper regions of Canada or Alaska I guess?

___In my short time behind the wheel of the Insight w/ warm air mods installed, I usually have decent heat output ~ 2 miles out in 32 degree F temps and maybe 4 - 5 miles out in 0 degree temps. I would suspect a HCH or Prius to do much better given the larger amount of fuel consumed and/or the 04 Prius warm bottle coolant (thermos). And a tip to go along with that … If it is lets say 32 + degrees, I don’t use the heat at all. I just continue to wear my jacket and gloves while cruising down the road … If its 0, I set the Auto climate at 61 degrees/ Econ - No A/C and maintain the minimum. Before I come to a stop, I shut down all climate controls so as to enable Autostop far below where it would be available normally. I tend to push the mileage envelope and I doubt you want to go this far

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net