[Richard_RSP]

Hello everyone!

Just picked up a 2019 Insight EX this past weekend and thought I would do an introduction. My wife and I drive about 156 mile RT commute each day and was looking for something a bit more efficient than my VW Golf. Only drove it to work this morning (mostly 65-75 mph highway) and averaged 47.6 mpg driving the way that I normally do. I'm pretty happy with that (as I understand that MPG falls with speed) but sure will make some adjustments as time goes by.

Fun Fact: Out of the 28 cars that I have owned, this is actually the first automatic vehicle (or Hybrid) that I've ever purchased (for myself - the wife made the switch to Auto a few years ago). So, this might take some getting used to, but no worries - a fun project car WILL be happening.

Looking forward to being part of the forums!

 

[BlueSerenity]

Welcome. It will be interesting to see your mpg over time given the distance of your daily commute. Enjoy!!

 

[insightfully]

Welcome to the forum! The Insight is a great car to be your first automatic/hybrid. The engine (or non-engine) sounds and eCVT can take some getting used to over manual transmissions. But when you let the car manage itself as you've done, it does quite well on it's own. Look forward to hearing about your observations with the transition to the Insight!

 

[PHILBERT]

Welcome to the fold! :smile:

From manual shift to no shifting at all, not even automatic...as there is no transmission. That must be a culture shock!

Enjoy the relaxing ride. Nice and smooth...and quiet. Plenty of power in Sport Mode. Give it a try. It's fun. Great on hilly terrain too, as the electric motor has nice push.

Enjoy!

Phil

 

[Honda2019]

Welcome to the forum Richard. 28 cars. Wow! My Insight is my 7th: 1974 Capri, 1974 Capri (wrecked the first one), 1974 Ford F150, 1990 Civic Hatchback, 1999 Subaru Forester, 2006 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Insight. Hoping the Insight will last me 10+ years. We will see.

 

[insightfully]

Welcome to the forum Richard. 28 cars. Wow! My Insight is my 7th: 1974 Capri, 1974 Capri (wrecked the first one), 1974 Ford F150, 1990 Civic Hatchback, 1999 Subaru Forester, 2006 Subaru Legacy, 2019 Insight. Hoping the Insight will last me 10+ years. We will see.

Ah - the 70s Mercury Capri was one of our family cars that I loved! I'm overly biased, but as a stretch, I think the front-end length and proportions of the Insight are the modernized equivalent of the Capri.

 

[J. Bond]

Richard, welcome abroad. Definitely keep us posted on your reactions (and insights — had to say it) as you drive it more. You picked a winner!

 

[808_Insight]

Hi Richard. Welcome aboard.
I went from two Golf TDI diesels and then a GTI to my Insight!
It takes some getting used to but definitely is efficient.
Not so much fahrvergnugen any more though.

 

[Richard_RSP]

Thanks everyone! Have filled up a couple of times now and seem to be averaging just over 49 mpg overall. Given that a lot of my commute is 70mph, it appears to be inline with the EPA ratings and I'm happy with that!

The "transmission" (or whatever it is) is taking some getting used to. At first, I was playing with Sport mode and planning ahead to charge the battery for hills on the commute and help reduce the high RPM engine noise.. Eventually, I just decided to let the car do its thing in Normal mode and it doesn't really bother me as much anymore. Im just past the break-in period for the engine, so I can finally "give it the beans" in Sport mode (when I get back from this conference, that is).

I do like the car so far and am impressed, particularly for the money.

 

[evers]

Thanks everyone! Have filled up a couple of times now and seem to be averaging just over 49 mpg overall. Given that a lot of my commute is 70mph, it appears to be inline with the EPA ratings and I'm happy with that!

The "transmission" (or whatever it is) is taking some getting used to. At first, I was playing with Sport mode and planning ahead to charge the battery for hills on the commute and help reduce the high RPM engine noise.. Eventually, I just decided to let the car do its thing in Normal mode and it doesn't really bother me as much anymore. Im just past the break-in period for the engine, so I can finally "give it the beans" in Sport mode (when I get back from this conference, that is).

I do like the car so far and am impressed, particularly for the money.

It's funny you mention about the transmission. I'm still adjusting to it reving so high with minimal pushing on the accelerator (I mainly drive in Eco mode). Then again, it's only been 2 weeks since I've taken ownership.

 

[insightfully]

It's funny you mention about the transmission. I'm still adjusting to it reving so high with minimal pushing on the accelerator (I mainly drive in Eco mode). Then again, it's only been 2 weeks since I've taken ownership.

Try keeping an eye toward maximizing high voltage battery level (left indicator) to anticipate how hard the gas engine will work, and as a reminder to take advantage of regeneration (hills, braking) when possible to build battery level. Occasional use of Sport mode also helps to build battery quickly in a short(er) amount of time, because it's algorithm seems to prioritize maintaining battery level/power. (I turn it on when I know a hill is coming up, but I'm at the low-end of battery level.)

High battery level translates to more fuel efficiency due to more availability of battery/EV for power and less gas engine use. The gas engine labors less when battery level is >3-4 bars. Being above 3-4 bars of battery isn't always possible, BUT when you see the battery level falls into that range, you can know and anticipate that the gas engine will be working harder to power the car and re-build battery level.

Being able to anticipate when the engine will run at higher rpms helped me get comfortable with how the car works. Hope it helps you too!

 

[evers]

Try keeping an eye toward maximizing high voltage battery level (left indicator) to anticipate how hard the gas engine will work, and as a reminder to take advantage of regeneration (hills, braking) when possible to build battery level. Occasional use of Sport mode also helps to build battery quickly in a short(er) amount of time, because it's algorithm seems to prioritize maintaining battery level/power. (I turn it on when I know a hill is coming up, but I'm at the low-end of battery level.)

High battery level translates to more fuel efficiency due to more availability of battery/EV for power and less gas engine use. The gas engine labors less when battery level is >3-4 bars. Being above 3-4 bars of battery isn't always possible, BUT when you see the battery level falls into that range, you can know and anticipate that the gas engine will be working harder to power the car and re-build battery level.

Being able to anticipate when the engine will run at higher rpms helped me get comfortable with how the car works. Hope it helps you too!

Make sense. Thanks for the information, it definitely gives me a better understanding. I'll definitely try to apply this since I go through a lot of rolling hills on the highway. I'm already always maximizing the brake regen with the paddles when possible, with more preference with doing that rather than pressing the brake pedal.