[shragae]

Just got my Insight yesterday and have put about 60 miles on it (40 just coming back from the dealer). The car says I'm getting 27 MPG???

Now -- I have been stuck in a lot of bumper to bumper stop and go traffic (interstate and highly trafficked road).

Is this because the car is new, or the traffic conditions? I'm a bit shocked at the low MPG.

 

[Mike.L]

The more miles you put on it, the higher the mpg will get. 60 miles the car doesn't have enough data for a good estimate. Also to get best mpg I suggest having "powerflow" up at all times where the tachometer is.

 

[Mr. Natural]

That 27 had to be traffic related. I never get under 40.

 

[ddsan]

MPG not going above 43-44

Hey guys,

How is your experience with mpg so far? My Insight Touring is at 2600 miles, I drive 80% in the city, not too many traffic jams, not quick braking or acceleration, but I can't make it above 44, should I take it to the dealer or this is just a normal behavior?

Thank you!

 

[ddemetra]

Look here at some data
http://www.fuelly.com/car/honda/insight/2019

You are definitely at the outlier area.
Go test just on highway driving next time you have a decent trip, if it’s that low you should bring it to your dealer
City driving is very hard to compare between cities due to how unique each city’s traffic can be.
Have you checked your tires?

 

[kayvee]

What mode are you driving in?
Sport, econ?

 

[SexyFlanders]

Are you using the Honda displayed data or tracking it on Fuelly? I've read several reports that the MPG being displayed in the car is less than actual, for whatever reason. I'd suggest keeping track on Fuelly if you aren't already.

 

[Mikeinohio]

Real mpg

If you take it to the dealer, don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. I suspect their response will be that mileage varies and your mpg is normal. Fuelly is the best source I have seen for real world mpg. Do make sure your tires are properly inflated (I would suggest 3-5 psi above the recommended pressure). I have test driven both an Insight and multiple Clarity and Accord hybrids. One Clarity showed great mileage, while the other one in the mid 40's. Both Accord hybrids showed high 30's and up to low 40's when I babied it. The one Insight EX I drove only had 5 miles on the odometer and it started out showing less than 20 mpg, but climbed to 49 average mpg after about an 8 mile city drive. So, the Insight performed the best of all my test drives. Your mileage will vary based upon your driving habits and the type of terrain you are driving through, but what you are seeing on your Insight does seem low. The salesman bragged about how Honda intentionally under states their mpg estimates, but that hasn't been my experience. I suspect there are performance variables and adjustments related to hybrids most dealers still don't understand. I haven't yet pulled the trigger on buying an Insight, but I plan to test drive the one I buy to check the mpg before I sign the papers on a sale. Even that won't guarantee my mpg won't degrade over time. I wish you luck.

 

[Data14]

You are not the only one, I have an EX and around 45-46mpg for almost 7000 miles. I have checked my pressure and added about 3-4 psi over recommended. I have no clue why I am getting quite a bit lower, currently experimenting my mpg on all 3 drive modes. So far my mpg was 48mpg on ECO only. 46 on Normal. 43 at the moment as tank is not done on sport with max regen braking.

I am measuring everything through Fuelly under Saph, as you can see I am quite a bit lower than all the cars in there. I dont know if I am supposed to drive grandpa style and piss everyone off around me by moving so slow. When I do drive highway it is usually 65-80mph. Dont know what to tell you but know you are not alone.

 

[ddsan]

Thank you for all your input guys. I will double check my tires pressure, I’ve been using Fuelly since I bought the car and mpg is pretty close to the one on the dashboard screen. It is kinda disappointing but I understand that the dealer won’t care too much. My car also has rattles coming from the center vents and from the door but the dealer can’t replicate (I even made a video of the sound but they NEED to verify it in person and OF COURSE my car doesn’t do it when they have the car), kind of miss my civic.

 

[ddsan]

And I tried driving in ECON and normal mode, no noticeable difference.

 

[J0j0yum]

I get about 60 mpg in the city and in traffic. Around 45-50 on the freeway and with my lead footed husband driving.

 

[Mr. Natural]

I’ve found that using the Eco Drive Display has helped me learn how to drive the Insight for better MPG.

 

[J. Bond]

"I dont know if I am supposed to drive grandpa style and piss everyone off around me by moving so slow. When I do drive highway it is usually 65-80mph."

LOL!

You just insulted millions of grandfathers -- some I know drive sports cars; others are rocket scientists and let it rip out on the roads out West. Few people I know run into problems driving at or a tad above the speed limit and sticking to the right lane.

But you also just explained your problem. Optimal fuel MPG in most ICE cars happens when driving around 55-60 mph. MPG falls off rapidly when driving faster than that, even more so when close to 80!

Plus, as you can see from the EPA ratings, the Insight as a hybrid ICE gets much better MPG in the CITY than on the highway! It falls off by a large 6 MPG when moving to the highway. And, LX and EX trims do better than the Touring by another 4 MPG. See chart.

...........City/Hwy/Overall
LX..........55 / 49 / 52
EX..........55 / 49 / 52
Touring....51 / 45 / 48

https://automobiles.honda.com/insight#

So, someone who drives the LX or EX mostly in the CITY is going to have a LARGE 10 MPG advantage over those driving a Touring on the highway (which is not you). And, likely closer to a 15+ MPG advantage if the Touring is often going 80 mph!

An EX getting 45 mpg if it's being driven a lot over 60 mph isn't that surprising! indeed, many drivers of conventional cars would relish such results!

 

[vietpolo]

I recently had a drive that was city traffic which was all flat and got about 44 mpg. Thinking back on it, there were a couple things I didn't do which I normally do. It's not uncommon for me to get 60+ mpg in city traffic.

1. Didn't max my regen braking.
2. Didn't use cruise control. I notice when using my foot to keep the speed steady, I use my power than cruise control.

Speaking of cruise control, I don't mind using it to adaptively slow down, but I rarely let it speed back up to what it was previously set since it usually uses too much power. When slowing down, at some point I routinely hit the regen paddle to the max which cancels cruise control.

 

[AMCooper63]

My former 2005 Odyssey always indicated 1PMG less than I calculated.

 

[ronnie]

Bad gas mileage

Drove from Spokane to Boise yesterday and only got 41 mpg. Drive in Econ mode and fairly conservatively, mostly 72-75 mph. It's a 400-mile trip and the roads are all 4-lane. Not sure why I got such bad gas mileage. Usually, I get better.

 

[J0j0yum]

Speed and little braking. Any hills? That will lower it.

My 400 mile drive was about 46 mpg that included fairly long inclines.

 

[Mr. Natural]

Winter blend gas? We have required 10% ethynol in Minnesota, then add winter blend on top of that and we are well below the EPA MPG ratings. Also having to run the heater might make a difference? Or maybe its not that cold there yet. We already have snow on the ground here.

 

[sleewa]

At 72-75 mph, 41mpg is probably not bad for the Insight considering it's probably mostly running on the engine and the battery impact (especially with its limited capacity) is low.