finally! Nirvana!! Other honda insight owners... sounds like the hybridfest is the place to be... I'd better start moving my schedule to be there.

here is a copy from a letter I just wrote and posted on old school...

I think (stress the word - THINK) I am learning how to "surf" the highway for better mileage. Stress getting mileage on slopes down, hold stable on the way up (or borrow someone's draft) and surf the next hill. I also give myself a 10 mph leeway rather than hold perfectly at top desired speed. This probably isn't new stuff to you all, but its improved my mileage 7 mpg to 65mpg on a trip. I am so looking forward to picking up new skills. Where should I look on this site? B

I want to reach the golden mean of 77mpg on a trip. Is it possible??
Also... are there any Insight owners near Ann Arbor??

 

I'm already there, assuming the display in the car is somewhat accurate. The display says average is around 74mpg for my daily 30-miles-each-way commute. I'm still only about halfway through my first tank of gas at >400 miles so I have no way to check. Am I dreaming?

The average said 7.6mpg when I picked up the car, probably because the dealer ran it at fast idle for a while to charge the battery. As I drove it the average just kept going up so I zeroed one of the tripmeters after about 50 miles. Showed mid-50's and went on up to 66mpg, and was still going up! So I zeroed lmpg (was this a crime?) because I figured the first bit was unfair, and after two commutes it read 72.5 mpg, and since rose to 73-74mpg. May go higher because I just bumped tires up to 40/38psi.

My commute is about 5 miles of 40mph, then I-95 for about 25 miles of rolling terrain (55-65mph for me, everybody passes me), then a short bit through town, and finally up into a parking structure which causes a hit.

I never imagined driving this little beast could be so much fun!

 

So I've had the LB (Little Beast) for two weeks now and the gas gauge was down to the last two LED bars of about 20. Time for Baby's First Fillup. On the way home tonight I decided to stop at the I-95 rest area and fill up (Mobil). I'm not sure how full the dealer had filled it before delivery, but I filled only till the pump autostopped. It took 9.427 gallons for its first 707 miles (if you believe the odometer), or 75mpg-ish. I reset Tripmeter A and resumed my trip.

Amazingly, when I got home my average for the last ca 30 miles of my commute was 83.4mpg!!! (if you believe the onboard computer). This is probably no big deal to all the more experienced drivers here, but it sure shocked me! Granted the LB started off fully warmed up, I didn't need A/C, and I was working hard at it. I don't think there was a tailwind. And the car isn't broken in yet and I have a LOT to learn about driving it.

So far no one has hassled me on I-95. I'm guessing it's such a tiny car they may think it can't go any faster. Perhaps a more normal-looking hybrid like a Civic might get harassed more for driving at low speeds.

I'm SO glad I got the LB!

 

Great job in your new "little beast"!

I find that immediately after refueling, it's easy to get a great run on the FCD. But it doesn't last. Darn.

Enjoy your Insight.

 

I just joined, sorry it's not insane but should help.

 

Odds are the onboard computer IS correct.

As for you, like the rest of us, what you'll probably find very difficult to learn is when you're fueling up - try not to grin so much. The others, the ones fueling their gas guzzlers could turn violent.

By the way, best of luck with "LB"!

Fred :-)

 

I'm smiling pretty much the whole time I'm in the thing. I'll have to work on scowling.

Still on the same tank of gas and clinging to 79mpg. It dropped to 78 but some concentrated foot control coming home last night brought it back up to 79. Certainly isn't easy, at least for me!

 

John

Congratulations on getting one of the last new Insights. I have a 2000 and love it. I'm sure you will learn to love yours too. Good start on your MPG. Your FCD is almost correct, they are usually 2-4% high. Don't compare the FCD and the gas pump until you have several thousand miles on it. The problem is the pumps are very different from each other. Even if you use the same pump for every fill, there are many things that effect the shut off piont like how many other people are using the station when you are (pump pressure), air temp, fuel temp, car load, car direction, how far the hose is inserted, etc,etc. The FCD isn't perfectly correct but it is consistently wrong.

Check out the upper end of the mileage data base and you will find that it is possable to do 100+ MPG tanks. It's a lot of work and the conditions have to be right but it is possible. This and several other hybrid, Insight, and mpg sights can give good advice on how to maximize your mpg. You will want to get your lmpg up as high as possible, because when winter sets in you will take a big hit. Good luck with your new car....Louis

 

Hey!
We made it to 64.2 MPG.

Somebody or several somebodies has been adding some great tanks to the average.

We might just might make it before the cooler weather starts affecting the numbers.

 

I have just two tanks so far but both are good.

The first one was out the door from the dealer so I don't know how full it was to begin with. I fill just until the nozzle clicks off. The numbers (gallons put in/ trip odometer reading) for the two tanks agree reasonably well (75.0 and 77.1). Is it OK to post the first one or not?