The key to this is understanding that the IMA system is a compromise. It is *not* designed to offer the most efficient use of petrol. It is designed to /improve efficiency without a serious loss of performance/.

If you want to optimise fuel economy you buy a car with the smallest engine possible and you accept that grannies pushing shopping trolley carts are going to be overtaking you.

The energy used by the motor comes from your fuel tank just as much as the energy used by the ICE. The 'only' (and note the quotation marks <g>) thing that the IMA system does which is green is reclaim some of the lost energy.

Worse still IMA cars are wasting energy by lugging a ruddy great battery around with them all the time.

Now don't get me wrong:I love the idea of IMA and if only Honda can get around to shipping some more to the UK I'll be ecstatic to own one. You just have to understand that IMA isn't the most fuel efficient motor vehicle you can buy.