Quote: CR's engineers say Insight's 38 mpg overall fuel economy is one of its few highs http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewConte...05052327&EDATE Thus starts this PR Newswire story about the '10 Honda Insight. And that is literally as far as I had to read. CR reports that the Insight gets 38 MPG overall. This is what I am getting: I've been averaging 57.2 MPG over the last 1500 miles. Or to put it another way I've been getting about 400 miles out of a twenty dollar bill. I haven't reset Trip B since I bought the car so the lifetime average is sitting at just about 54MPG. (I actually hit 54 after the picture was taken yesterday) Trip B resets after 9999 miles like my '03 HCH, but Honda was nice enough to include a total mileage option on the Trip A odometer: I don't consider myself to be a hyper-miler (not that there's anything wrong with that). I simply drive the speed limit or a little under. I use the cruise control most of the time. If I need to drive on the interstate I keep it at 65MPH and try to find a big-rig to draft. I coast to red lights and avoid jackrabbit starts. In other words I just use basic fuel saving techniques. Consumer Reports screams on their website: Quote: Unbiased Expert Advise! What makes Consumer Reports different? We anonymously buy every car we test and drive each thousands of miles And yet they state the Insight gets 38 MPG overall. Either CR has an agenda they are hiding from their readers or they just employ some really lousy test drivers and/or "reporters" As for the rest of their garbage reporting, with over 10K miles logged in just a little over three months, I am in this car a lot. I drove over 400 miles yesterday alone. The car is comfortable, handles well in every situation I've encounered so far and has more than enough accessories to satisfy me. I love this car and am liking it more each day, Consumers Reports not withstanding...

CR refuses to state how they arrive at the score for each vehicle. In other words, how much does each variable: fuel economy-performance-comfort, etc. play into their ratings. It is much better to read the owner reports on their forum.

2005 4WD Escape Hybrid

Best Interstate tank trip E20 MPG 34.6 for 271 miles along I-80 in Indiana and Ohio. May 2008

Best multiple road tank trip E20 MPG 36.2 for 202 miles in Southwestern Pa. July 2008.

Best multiple road tank trip E50 38.1 MG for 246 miles in Northern Wisconsin Aug 2012

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...el-economy.htm
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car..._test_fue.html

They've finally updated the chart at http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/c...ient-cars-206/ to include the current gen Insight.

38 mpg is overall mileage. They don't draft people nor do they do use any special techniques for driving hybrids nor do they use trip computers. The OP has obviously learned some techniques to optimize mileage on IMA cars via the HCH.

06 Toyota Prius, had 04 Nissan 350Z; mom has 07 NAH

Today I got 50.9MPG on my last tank. This is driving slower than dirt on buzy streets. My lowest was 38.3 (my first tank of the dealer).

According to my MGP program I am averaging 44mpg.

So honestly, CR is driving the car like, well... err.. how to put this nicely... well, like a CAR!.

----
1987 Chevy Spectrum - 200,000+ Miles -Junk Yard
1994 Honda Civic DX Coupe - Truck Hit it
1998 Acura 2.3 CL - End of Lease
2002 Acura TL 3.2 - End of Lease
2004 Acura MDX - End of Lease
2007 Mercedes ML350 -Lemon
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid w/Navi - Sold
2008 Acura TL w/Nav - Sold
2010 Honda Insight w/Nav - Current

I was shocked when I saw the CR ratings to be candid. I think they are normally pretty good about not playing favorites. The mileage was shocking - but more was their comments about the car - most of which (granted I am only at 3 days post purchase!) I am just not agreeing with.

The 2010 Prius drive was so numb - but certainly better pick-up (as you would expect) and the Insight is Honda typical - a great feel of the road.

At any rate - I agree rear visibility is poor and they are really knocking that. I too wish it had the rear video in back up.

I must admit - I am still in the glow of my new toy - but I am simply baffled by the rating.

Mike

A couple things:

I don't drive "slower than dirt" on busy streets. I drive the speed limit. And of course if Consumer misReports is driving their test HIH like a "car", I guess that means I must be driving mine like a, oh I don't know, how about a cucumber! Or maybe I'm driving it like a fishbowl!

Second, as for learning "some techniques to optimize mileage on IMA cars", I guess slowing down and driving the speed limit is now a "technique to optimize mileage on IMA cars".

And when I say I use cruise control most of the time, one might be tempted to think that the car is driving itself, except for the steering, "most of the time".

But I admit, I'm busted. You see I did learn a "special IMA Hybrid technique" for engaging the cruise control. Method follows:

1) Always engage CC with left hand, after all, all hybrid drivers are lefty environmental whackos. Failure to do so will result in Consumer Reports avg mileage of 38 MPG.

2) When engaging CC Big Yellow Taxi MUST be playing on the radio/CD/USB. If you can engage during the line that says "I don't care about spots on my apples", that is good for an extra .5MPG. Failure to play Big Yellow Taxi while engaging the cruise control will result in Consumer Reports avg mileage of 38 MPG.

3) This is the most important piece, and also the trickiest. When engaging the cruise control, you MUST have your copy of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring open to the page that is equal to the speed you want to go. That is, if you want to set CC at 55MPH, have the book open to page 55. If you want to engage at 40MPH, have the book open to page 40, etc, etc. Failure to do so will result in Consumer Reports avg mileage of 38 MPG.

If you just follow thes steps you too can achieve more than the 38MPG Consumer misReports says the Insight is capable of.

Bonus pics, latest mileage. (Hint: It's more than 38MPG):


(Trip B hasn't been reset, actual mileage is 12441)

I am not going to take either side on this issue. A lot of people do read CR for their information so to bash them doesn't really help the issue. Also, the techniques used to acheive our mileage than what they would use.

A lot of people here speak of their car like it is a crippled or handicapped vehicled. The car is a car. Yes it can get low mileage and Yes it can get high mileage. The best I have gotten on my car is 51mpg.. Do I get that every week? NO. Last week I got 46mpg. That's without AC on.

In Fact the lowest MPG I got on my car is 38.

The real root of the issue is Honda's unwillingness to admit that they WERE targeting the Prius and that they DID fail to compete with it once the new model came out.

Now I have not driven the new Prius, but I can tell you the old Prius drove like crap.
To me, my car is not an Appliance. I need to enjoy my car. And that is why I choose the Insight!

END

----
1987 Chevy Spectrum - 200,000+ Miles -Junk Yard
1994 Honda Civic DX Coupe - Truck Hit it
1998 Acura 2.3 CL - End of Lease
2002 Acura TL 3.2 - End of Lease
2004 Acura MDX - End of Lease
2007 Mercedes ML350 -Lemon
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid w/Navi - Sold
2008 Acura TL w/Nav - Sold
2010 Honda Insight w/Nav - Current

I certainly don't have a problem with anybody in this thread. If I get a little snarky and bust stones a little that's just the way I am. My bark is worse than my bite.

Having said that, I DO have a problem with Consumer Reports. With their misreporting here I truly believe they have an agenda they are keeping from their readers.

I have no proof of course, but since they are an American company, and American companies are run nowadays entirely by lying, cheating crooked scumbags, I wouldn't be at all shocked if that agenda involved kickbacks from another company.

That's the way America works now. Pay me enough money and I will present whatever "facts" you need me to.

To hell with Consumer Reports, I will never trust another "report" of theirs again...

So, if CR rates a Chevy SUV with Bad marks.. but in actuallity it is a really good SUV with very few issues and excellent cargo space and ride you would think they are right on the money?

My point it, this is their opinion of the car. When compared to other cars in its class it doesn't meet their expectations. This is what this type of company does. There is no agenda, they are just reporting how they feel about this car.

Honestly, I do not have a problem with this car. The problem I have is all the toys Honda left out of it but is available on the JDM and European Model.

When you also consider that its competition is not THAT much more and can also have more stuff in it, that is where consumers start to look.

You may know a lot about the car, but the average person looking doesn't.

Just some food for thought.

----
1987 Chevy Spectrum - 200,000+ Miles -Junk Yard
1994 Honda Civic DX Coupe - Truck Hit it
1998 Acura 2.3 CL - End of Lease
2002 Acura TL 3.2 - End of Lease
2004 Acura MDX - End of Lease
2007 Mercedes ML350 -Lemon
2007 Honda Civic Hybrid w/Navi - Sold
2008 Acura TL w/Nav - Sold
2010 Honda Insight w/Nav - Current

And that is my problem with Consumer Reports in a nutshell. They MUST be reporting their opinion because as I have conclusively proven they sure as hell aren't reporting the facts.

My problem with CR has nothing to do with WHAT they are reporting on; If CR says a good SUV with few issues and a good ride has a lot of issues and a bad ride I would call bs on that as well.

Consumer Reports is entitled to their opinion of course. What they aren't entitled to is their own facts.

They either took the EPA/Honda mileage estimates and acted as nothing more than stenographers, in which case they are lying about this:

or they actually DID drive the car "thousands of miles" but did so in such a way as to minimize the mileage.

Again, I don't know why, I just know they did. And know this because I regularly, with minimal effort, achieve well over 50MPG.

Consumer Reports has a hidden agenda re: the Insight. Period.