Caution: This may be offensive to hypermilers.

I've had my Honda Insight for five years come this September. Finally made my first long trip, 1986 miles on a trip from Dallas to Estes Park, Colorado (Rocky Mountain National Park).

Drove all day Friday to a motel in Fort Collins, Colorado. Was cruising at the posted speed limit at 75mph on I25, about 20 miles from Fort Collins. Of course some were passing me at 80 miles per hour - it's an autobahn there.

Someone blasted by me at 85mph or so.

Ho-hum.

This time is was not a Ford F250 pickup, sports car, etc.

It was a 2005 blue Prius.

Yes, I did what I occasionally do, and put the Prius back into my rear-view mirror.

He let a couple of minutes pass by, passed me again after another running start. Got some comfort knowing while my car was five years older, it was an equal or nominally better. I'm probably confirming suspicions my dream car would be either a hybrid Mini-Cooper or the Batmobile-looking Insight II concept car.

I passed him once again.

....then....

we both noticed this.

....we both mutually agreed call it a draw and go at the 75mph speed limit....

....and avoid being the first hybrid racers to get busted in Colorado.

...if only I was half that fast running a marathon two days later...

Yes, I should be ashamed, but it's kind of funny...

In August, I'll try getting 75mpg the next time I'm there for a change....still got 59mpg averaging 75mph.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

If you had been caught, you might have been able to convince the judge the radar was wrong. It is well known that hybrids are underpowered go-karts. No way one was going 85.

Actually, at times we were going 90mph.

That part of I25 has an elevation of about 5,500 feet. I need to hypermile it in August, because my fuel econimy was better than expected. I'll cover mountain driving in another thread, but airliners cruise at 30,000 feet to increase their FE. Case in point: the second airliner that impacted the World Trade Center was going in excess of 550 miles per hour. At sea level, the air density almost caused the 767 to break up before it impacted.

I did feel a bit silly in this Insight vs. Prius race as we are both in the brotherhood of hybrids. It's kind of like the IMA vs. HSD debate.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

The last few days have been a learning experience. That HSD vs. IMA board is both interesting and thought provoking, however it is getting a little caustic. I have learned a great deal and my misconceptions have been cleared up, however things get taken too personally. So much for the brotherhood of hybrid drivers.

It has been said:
Hybrid drivers come in 3 flavors, greenie, techie and cheapie. Pick any 2.
2005 Prius, Melinium Silver over gray, package 5 (AI)

Hey,

Is the Insight II concept car legit? Where did this photo originate? Are there any plans to produce it?

I bought a 2000 Insight and kept it for over a year. I averaged 66 mpg in mostly city driving, but then it developed a "Check Engine" problem with mpg decreasing steadily to 52 mpg. After having the vehicle in to the dealer 7-8 times and having all sorts of things done, Honda eventually offered me a new 2002 Insight in replacement. Since my daughter was graduating and did not want a hybrid, I traded the Insight in for a Honda Prelude for her---and have MOURNED my Insight ever since!

Now I am trying to decide between a 2005 Insight (sales have tanked bigtime in the U.S. and a new car has to be ordered and built) and a Prius (sales---AND price---have increased), and I am torn: Fred Flintstone futuristic design and substantially better mileage for Insight vs. more luxury and more practicality for Prius. Maybe I'll buy both! If I can talk "the boss" into the Prius---but she's resisting!

I LOVE the Insight II concept car---if it's coming out anytime soon, I may wait.

Anyway, please share whatever info you have on the Insight II AND whether the Insight itself will continue as a 2006 model.

Thanks!

Hipockets2_2

I'd love to get the Insight II - in black and get out of the car dressed as...

....Batman!

Some have commented the Insight II looks like the Batmobile, although the one in Batman Begins is nothing like it. That Batmobile looks like a Trans-Am crossed with an earth-mover or Humvee powered by a jet engine.

Not much has been said about the IMAS, dubbed the Insight II. I doubt the rear of the flight control replacing the steering wheel will make it on the streets. The possibility of a car that performs like a Mini-Cooper, yet gets 80mpg is seductive....

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

Hipockets,
What about the cheaper, almost as efficient as the prius, civic hybrid?

My hydroponics experiment

You ever notice how hard it is to lip read cartoon characters?
"Crazy is what the sane call Delta Flyer"

tbaleno,

I don't like the Civic styling---the futuristic look, the more the better, is my taste. The Insight has it; the Prius a little bit; the Insight II or IMAS is even better!

By the way, there are some other sites with great IMAS info. One posting from last October at Auto Trader says that the IMAS release date is the autumn of 2006.

Anybody out there have any more good data on this?

Hipockets2_2