[Moviemike]

I'm up to about 2280 miles. I've been using my 7 bullet points in the What I've Learned thread to very good effect! The temperature has gone up to the upper 50's, and most importantly the roads are drier, leading to (for me) a record high 66.7 mpg tank full last week.

Last week with the tank full, I headed out on my 3rd highway trip. This time to Salem, which is just like a trip to Eugene plus an additional 1/3 the distance on I-5. Although its warmer, the additional distance cruising at 70 mph should lower the overall trip mpg. My goal was to achieve 50 mpg for the round trip. On the drive to Salem Current Drive showed me 52.9 mpg, and 50.5 mpg for the return (wet roads and rain 2/3's of the way). I filled up at home the day following my return and Trip A showed 51.1 mpg This includes short trips with cold engine around Salem. On this trip I made much more use of ACC, set at 60 mph on the two lane, 70 on I-5.

1. With ECON on there is increased pedal travel in the throttle. Below about 50 mph that is useful to me for fine tuning acceleration for top mpg. Above 50 I'm really pushing the pedal to get power responsiveness for passing and etc. ECON off feels much more comfortable, with plenty of subtle power control in the 55-70 mph range that is not dis-similar to ECON on at slower speeds. (The ECON button in my old Civic Hybrid and gen 2 seemed to give greater access to ev mode, not the case in the gen 3)

1. I made lots of use of the white EV button for use in getting up to speed or for climbing hills (there are several in the 4-7% grade category). Pushing that button many times gets the engine off at times the system is not doing so on its own. Also in the on position the system sometimes seems more willing to dig deeper into the battery reserve before engine turn on. I think doing this helped my mpg a lot! Knowing the road also was important for occasionally using SPORT to build battery, and saving pushing white EV button on to near the top of hills helps some too.
2. I discovered that from a standing start, EV button off; the car will go forward with green EV light on till around where the power meter moves past the first notch past the green/blue charge/discharge line. At near that point, the light will go off and the engine come on. I found that starting out with the white EV button on, the engine can remain off till the power pointer moves past the blue / gray boundary. This can be a road conditions and traffic sensitive thing to play with, but retarding my acceleration to the blue /gray boundary can greatly reduce the amount of gasoline needed to get up to speed.
3. I really liked the ACC, it turns out to be all I'd hoped. I found that when passing a slower vehicle ahead, it best to change lanes further behind than usual, to prevent slowing for speed matching the other vehicle. Also found it best to cancel ACC when traffic speeds up after a mass slow down. This allows for gentler acceleration back to cruising speed ….also better mpg.

 

[mgldan]

I made lots of use of the white EV button for use in getting up to speed or for climbing hills (there are several in the 4-7% grade category). Pushing that button many times gets the engine off at times the system is not doing so on its own. Also in the on position the system sometimes seems more willing to dig deeper into the battery reserve before engine turn on.

Retarding my acceleration to the blue /gray boundary can greatly reduce the amount of gasoline needed to get up to speed.

Also found it best to cancel ACC when traffic speeds up after a mass slow down. This allows for gentler acceleration back to cruising speed ….also better mpg.

totally agree with these points. If I'm not being followed by other cars then I use these judiciously to eke out more MPG.

I wasn't really expecting to become aggressive about these tactics when I bought the car. It's like, I should be happy when I achieve the EPA rating of 45 highway / 51 city, because that's what I thought I was getting. But now I'm only happy with "more". Had I bought an ICE car I would be exploring things like 0-60 MPH time and handling.

 

[hasarad]

totally agree with these points. If I'm not being followed by other cars then I use these judiciously to eke out more MPG.

I wasn't really expecting to become aggressive about these tactics when I bought the car. It's like, I should be happy when I achieve the EPA rating of 45 highway / 51 city, because that's what I thought I was getting. But now I'm only happy with "more". Had I bought an ICE car I would be exploring things like 0-60 MPH time and handling.

I totally agree! It's all about getting moar! I get bummed when I have a drive that gets less than 60mpg. I should be satisfied with getting 52mpg (EX avg) combined, but I'm not!

 

[Moviemike]

totally agree with these points. If I'm not being followed by other cars then I use these judiciously to eke out more MPG.

THANK YOU !!


.

.... But now I'm only happy with "more". Had I bought an ICE car I would be exploring things like 0-60 MPH time and handling.

Want more? The Insight gen3 can deliver. Find a winding road with no people on it and speed limit 45. Drive it at 60-65 mph. Not enough challenge? Do it again with VSA off!


There are a series of corners like this coming down the Coast Range on the road from Eugene to the coast. A bonus is that since its a variable downgrade (from 7% at the top to 3% near the bottom) I can do it with the green EV light lit :wink:

 

[Insighter2019]

Hey, just wanted to see what’s the best setting for driving on the highway. Econ, Normal or sports? I am trying to get the best mileage so sports is out of the question. Please share your thoughts. Thanks

 

[insightfully]

In my opinion, it depends on terrain and HV battery level. To maximize fuel efficiency on the highway, you'll want EV to kick in as often as possible. Maintaining a HV battery level above 3-4 bars helps this, and sometimes building battery back up is helped by the Sport mode algorithm which prioritizes battery re-charge. Sport mode also helps under high load conditions like hills. If you're on rolling or flat highway terrain, Econ or Normal modes may be sufficient to build and use HV battery level in a balanced way.

I think the other key missing from your list is driving speed. The Insight's city rating is higher than it's highway rating (55/49 for LX/EX, and 51/45 for Touring), confirming that it's tuned for fuel efficiency at lower city speeds. Also, the highway rating is based on EPA testing at 60 mpg, so one should expect further efficiency loss at speeds above that.

Overall, for fuel efficiency on highways, using a "reasonable" highway speed and a balanced combination of modes determined by terrain and battery level should yield the best result.

 

[Insighter2019]

In my opinion, it depends on terrain and HV battery level. To maximize fuel efficiency on the highway, you'll want EV to kick in as often as possible. Maintaining a HV battery level above 3-4 bars helps this, and sometimes building battery back up is helped by the Sport mode algorithm which prioritizes battery re-charge. Sport mode also helps under high load conditions like hills. If you're on rolling or flat highway terrain, Econ or Normal modes may be sufficient to build and use HV battery level in a balanced way.

I think the other key missing from your list is driving speed. The Insight's city rating is higher than it's highway rating (55/49 for LX/EX, and 51/45 for Touring), confirming that it's tuned for fuel efficiency at lower city speeds. Also, the highway rating is based on EPA testing at 60 mpg, so one should expect further efficiency loss at speeds above that.

Overall, for fuel efficiency on highways, using a "reasonable" highway speed and a balanced combination of modes determined by terrain and battery level should yield the best result.

Thanks for sharing. I have the EX model. I guess I will try Econ mode going and normal mode coming back. I will not need the sports mode as there won’t be any mountain driving. I will post the mileage results when back.

 

[andrew28]

My personal preference below...

Traffic on the highway: Eco mode
No traffic on highway: Normal mode but I try my best to stay within the blue zone indicated on the DII.
Rare occasions: Sport mode for a few miles :smile:

 

[Magikhat]

. I always use eco but I also ONLY use cruise control on the highway. It does a better job than I can to keep that needle in the green. Even if I get a slight decline on the road on the highway I don’t recommend sport mode because typically there will not be enough charge to use EV with sport mode engaged. With the cruise
Control and in eco mode when I hit my normal slight downhill in the road( it is the slightest decline. Hardly downhill) the cruise control puts me in the green and ev is on maybe for 1-2 miles till I hit the next hill. There isn’t a whole lot you can do. I started using cruise control a lot more. I use it about 98% of the time because I am convinced the computer puts me in the green more than I can and does not rev as high as when I try. I just Turn on the acc and use 2-3 car lengths and it just drives. If the guy in front going 35 mph slows down. The car slows down to keep the 2-3 car lengths and that saves me gas because I’m not having to think about it most of the time and don’t have to hit my brakes. The only time I do not use cruise is when I have a big hill with no one behind me I will switch to sport with three left paddle hits and just cruise down that hill even if I go
10mph less than the speed limit I don’t care. Everyone is in such a **** rush. I just want my battery charged haha . When I hit the bottom of the hill I’m full charge. Switch back to eco and turn back on the cruise control .

Also if your on the highway and the exit is coming up . If no one is behind turn on sport , hit the left paddle three times and when you take your foot off the gas you will just cruise slowly to the stop sign. Grabbing all that battery power. ( I only do this when there’s no one close behind me) .

Yes these methods sound a little crazy but we gotta do what we can to get that charge.

Only thing to be mindful of is if you try to use the cruise on normal 25-45mph roads I don’t think it is perfect even with 2-3 car lengths set . Still gotta watch for cars that could just stop to turn. I think if you try to use only the cruise everywhere you will enjoy it. My wife already yelled at me for using it on the slower back roads

 

[andrew28]

Everyone is in such a **** rush. I just want my battery charged haha .

I finally understood why Prius drivers slow down for no reason after owning this car. Seeing the battery being charged on the power flow screen is somewhat satisfying.... Yet, I usually do my best to not annoy the driver behind me. It sucks following a Prius that starts to slow down where you have to ride your brakes in a regular car which wears down your brake pads.

 

[hasarad]

I finally understood why Prius drivers slow down for no reason after owning this car. Seeing the battery being charged on the power flow screen is somewhat satisfying.... Yet, I usually do my best to not annoy the driver behind me. It sucks following a Prius that starts to slow down where you have to ride your brakes in a regular car which wears down your brake pads.

Yeah. Don't be "that guy."

Well, you're "that guy" now.

Me too.

 

[Mobilcams]

From my observations over the last 11,000 miles.. 60-65 mph you get awesome gas mileage and EV mode lasts almost a half mile usually followed by about .6 -.7 miles of recharging the battery.. The car will keep doing this at 70mph as well, but you will lose a few mpg.. above 70 though, the car will go into direct drive mode and charge the battery to almost full (two bars from full).. I am sure this is so that regenerative braking is still available - plus you don't ever want to keep lithium cells fully charged for too long. After it hits that charge level, it will trickle charge the HV battery to keep all the other systems running (12V-climate control).. I have noticed before it reaches that level that your instant mpg gauge will be pretty low, but once it sets the battery up to the level it wants, you will get higher mpg (the engine is no longer loaded down trying to charge the battery and propel the car). Sorry for not being able to explain this clearly but it's the best I can do on two hours of sleep.

 

[insightfully]

From my observations over the last 11,000 miles.. 60-65 mph you get awesome gas mileage and EV mode lasts almost a half mile usually followed by about .6 -.7 miles of recharging the battery.. The car will keep doing this at 70mph as well, but you will lose a few mpg.. above 70 though, the car will go into direct drive mode and charge the battery to almost full (two bars from full).. I am sure this is so that regenerative braking is still available - plus you don't ever want to keep lithium cells fully charged for too long. After it hits that charge level, it will trickle charge the HV battery to keep all the other systems running (12V-climate control).. I have noticed before it reaches that level that your instant mpg gauge will be pretty low, but once it sets the battery up to the level it wants, you will get higher mpg (the engine is no longer loaded down trying to charge the battery and propel the car). Sorry for not being able to explain this clearly but it's the best I can do on two hours of sleep.

Pretty good explanation, for two hours of sleep! Your summary is similar to what I've experienced, but I'd add that choiceful toggling to Sport mode can also help get the battery 'up to the level it wants' (i.e. Sport mode is not evil). Speeds over 70 mph definitely trigger a different combination of electric/gas response for lower mpg, so I try to run at 65-70 mph.

 

[d3n13d]

This car really rewards you if you have the time and patience to stay in the far right lanes and just cruise behind the big rigs.. at 55-60 mph. Yesterday I made a 50 mile trip and did not have the luxury of staying much below 80mph in the express lanes.. I got about 43 mpg average for that trip. Not terrible unless you now have gotten used to 50+mpg trips.

 

[Insight_Driver]

Yeah, eco mode or normal mode, adaptive cruise control on at 69mph and at 60mph, depending on the section, about 50/50 in duration used.
My commute to work ( 40 miles ) at the end had ~56 mpg. Most of that is on the highway with 2 - 3 areas of stop and go.

Though, the commute to work is generally downhill, starting at ~250ft ending at sea level.
Couldn't compare same route going back home because I had to go an alternate route, though I got about the same mileage there, 54 mpg.

Never had A/C on - just cracked windows. In the morning the darn thing prevented me from going to EV mode - told me it can't because it is heating the cabin. Had to turn temp to low to turn that off... outside was low 50s, but sunshine.


Overall, I am very happy based on the first full day of driving, getting better mpg than expected, and the car being comfortable and fun to drive.

 

[insightfully]

Overall, I am very happy based on the first full day of driving, getting better mpg than expected, and the car being comfortable and fun to drive.

Nice! Sounds like you're on the road now with your permanent plates, rather than watching your car languish in the driveway. Congrats!

 

[Insight_Driver]

Yes,
plate snafu resolved.

Thanks.

 

[Insighter2019]

Ok so after driving more than 1000 miles. I can say that on highway the best way according to me is to drive with the cruise control on and with the Econ mode off as it’s very smooth ride. As for the mileage I was able to get 43 miles per gallon. I did try with the Econ mode on but personally I like the normal mode.

 

[808_Insight]

In my opinion, and this is my 3rd Honda hybrid. 2 Insights now and 1 Civic hybrid.
Sorry, I know that I will get hate mail for this.

This car is not a good highway car if you drive it like a "normal" car.
If you want to be a "hypermiler" and get anything close to epa and above, you really have to work it.
This care absolutely, positively, without a doubt, HATES hills, even the smallest hills. It will drop 10 mpg after a 40 mile commute even on the smallest mole hill that is on your route. The engine is under powered for that type of environment.
It struggles and whines and screams just going up tiny hills.


YES, I do achieve 52+ mpg on average on my 50 mile commute each day but I really have to work it.
If it is a straight freeway commute, set ACC at 70mph, no traffic, I will get maybe 44 mpg.
If there is a lot of traffic that is slow moving, I can get 60 mpg.
If I take back roads that are 40-50 mph with signals and stops, I can get 52.
It is not a good highway car for "normal" conditions.
When my wife drives the car like a "normal" car, her mpg sucks, and she really doesn't care.
To me it is a new game and challenge every day.
If you are ok with the challenge, and are ok with driving 'abnormally' - yes, you will love it and be able to beat the epa mpg.

 

[insightfully]

In my opinion, and this is my 3rd Honda hybrid. 2 Insights now and 1 Civic hybrid.
Sorry, I know that I will get hate mail for this.

This car is not a good highway car if you drive it like a "normal" car.
If you want to be a "hypermiler" and get anything close to epa and above, you really have to work it.
This care absolutely, positively, without a doubt, HATES hills, even the smallest hills. It will drop 10 mpg after a 40 mile commute even on the smallest mole hill that is on your route. The engine is under powered for that type of environment.
It struggles and whines and screams just going up tiny hills.

Don't see anything in your statements that warrant hate mail. Hills are definitely the car's weak point in fuel efficiency, to the point where I DREAD unexpected hills and have taken to pre-mapping terrain via Google Maps before any new/unfamiliar drives. Depending on the hill, my Average Fuel Economy (for the entire tank!) drops 1-5+ mpg from a single hill climb. I hope to make up the energy expenditure on the downhill side, but that also depends on the hill and/or how much charge the HV battery will store. If the car is really struggling on an unexpected hill and/or with low HV battery, I switch over to Sport mode to try to get more speed/momentum and build HV battery.

#HillStruggleIsReal