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MPG - The Silver Lining to Heavy Traffic Woes...

5231 Views 15 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  insightfully, 
H
With this new thread, I am seeking reactions from fellow members as well as your own experiences. Just today for the first time, I actually went into the evening rush hour traffic situation with a different mindset. Of course, virtually all of us hate bumper-to-bumper, heavy traffic on roads. However, there has been a mixed feeling within me: mostly disgust at my recent, evening traffic woes, but a nice opportunity to recover my mpg (for the tank of fuel that I am on).

I have - obviously - found that heavy, slow traffic is a boon for mpg. My mostly-highway and - usually - light rush hour traffic has not been great for my mpg. With a 10 AM - 6 PM work schedule, my light morning traffic and slightly hilly terrain has progressively lowered my mpg (over a tank of gas). However, periodic evening rush hour traffic with fairly slow traffic (under 25 mpg) has brought my overall mpg (for the tank of fuel) up considerably. Presumably like many of you out there, I kinda enjoy playing the mpg game with my Insight -- how high can I get it with some regen paddling and gentle driving? For the first time today, the teasing thought that played in my head was that I could kinda "look forward" to slower than usual rush hour traffic.

Please note that I am not necessarily talking about bumper-to-bumper traffic of 2 mph and then being stopped for a whole minute, etc., etc. I have gone through 10-25 mph rush hour traffic in the evenings and it is been quite good for my mpg...
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M
There's a stretch on 78 as you're nearing or passing Short Hills where I’ve had the mid-traffic pleasure of using EV mode, lane-keep assist, and ACC to let the Insight literally drive me at high MPG through rush hour. It’s bliss.
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D
Stop and Go Traffic is where the fuel efficiency of the Insight really shines. I am in the Dallas area and my commute home each day is about an hour each way (I know, sucks lol). That hour consists of stop and go traffic around 25 mph but typically slower. I am getting an avg of 65 mpg each trip. Sometimes it has been as high as 70mpg if I am really focusing on driving efficiency. Overall even when traveling at highway speeds around 65 I am still able to get around 55mpg. I have found that the vehicle usually gets better than EPA estimates.
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M
I would agree. I live in the Frisco area and commute to Dallas with similar results. Enjoy
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F
Bought my Touring exactly one month ago . I managed to drive 1800 miles with 49.7 mpg most of it in Eco mode. Most of it was freeway driving but... Los Angeles traffic is terrible(average speed was around 20mph) . One thing is for sure, this car loves traffic when it comes to mpg. I got almost 59 mpg in a day with heavy traffic.
Normal mode - I get around 45 mpg , but in my opinion ECO mode is good enough . You can definitely see the difference though -enough power to feel like in a regular car.
Sport mode - used it just to see how it is - plenty of power but what’s the use in all this traffic...
So far I’m very satisfied with these numbers.
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Freud said:
Bought my Touring exactly one month ago . I managed to drive 1800 miles with 49.7 mpg most of it in Eco mode. Most of it was freeway driving but... Los Angeles traffic is terrible(average speed was around 20mph) . One thing is for sure, this car loves traffic when it comes to mpg. I got almost 59 mpg in a day with heavy traffic.
Normal mode - I get around 45 mpg , but in my opinion ECO mode is good enough . You can definitely see the difference though -enough power to feel like in a regular car.
Sport mode - used it just to see how it is - plenty of power but what’s the use in all this traffic...
So far I’m very satisfied with these numbers.
Click to expand...
And use paddles for regenerative breaking just like an engine break (slows down the car and charges the battery). That helps too. - I’ve seen posts with guys using regen uphill ; doesn’t make any sense in my opinion
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Moviemike
romeoog said:
Hi guys,

New owner of 2019 Insight EX just put in 150 miles, and learning to drive like an old man trying to get that MPG up I have a heavy foot but so far so good.
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No need to become an old man. Just make some extra space to slow down and try to catch the green, when approaching a traffic light (this re charges the battery without use of gasoline, a small but meaningful amount if done all the time.). Ease up a little off the line. Once you get to speed (even a high speed), maintain a steady speed, no speed up slow down rah rah stuff. Use cruise control on flat terrain for this.


ENJOY the car !! Take the MPG Challenge and develop new driving skills, become a "hyper-miler." with a big number on fuelly.com.
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Moviemike said:
No need to become an old man. Just make some extra space to slow down and try to catch the green, when approaching a traffic light (this re charges the battery without use of gasoline, a small but meaningful amount if done all the time.). Ease up a little off the line. Once you get to speed (even a high speed), maintain a steady speed, no speed up slow down rah rah stuff. Use cruise control on flat terrain for this.


ENJOY the car !! Take the MPG Challenge and develop new driving skills, become a "hyper-miler." with a big number on fuelly.com.
Click to expand...
Still learning, I think I just tried what you said, press on the gas a little more to catch up to speed then let off and its on the green and stays there so far thats working good, I signed up with Fuelly before I even pick up the car :grin: so i'm can't wait to see what my real mpg is like, so far its much better then anything else i been driving...
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Moviemike
romeoog said:
Still learning, I think I just tried what you said, press on the gas a little more to catch up to speed then let off and its on the green and stays there so far thats working good, I signed up with Fuelly before I even pick up the car :grin: so i'm can't wait to see what my real mpg is like, so far its much better then anything else i been driving...
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Read what I wrote again.


When I wrote "green" I was referring to a traffic light, not so much the colors on the Insight's instrument panel.
Allow the car to coast more as you approach traffic lights or stop signs.

Maintain a steady speed.
When starting off from a dead stop "ease off a little" on the gas.



The above tips will improve mpg in any car. With an Insight, the mpg improvement should be even greater.
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ScottyWM
Over the holidays we took the car out to look at the decorations. Driving mostly through neighborhoods at slow speeds. Got 71 MPG !! Normal mixed driving we're getting about 47-48. We don't try any of the tricks to improve mpg like warming it up or turning off the heat or seat heaters, just drive it like a regular car.
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S
Real world NY area rush hour mpg...

New to forum and seriously considering the Insight...already own 2 Honda’s..;)

I have the unfortunate luck of a 150 mile commute 3 days/week..from Bridgeport, CT to Nassau/Suffolk border. So I-95, Throgs Neck, LIE or NSP..

I’d leave no later than 6am, and leave Long Island around 3:45pm..no later than 4.

New job is not an option for me, at least not for another 2 years. Hotels and Airbnb too expensive so have to suck it up for a while...

Thought on mpg, especially around LIE-Cross Island PKWY area and I-95 past Stamford which is extreme stop/go....?

TIA...
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S2sailorlis said:
I have the unfortunate luck of a 150 mile commute 3 days/week..from Bridgeport, CT to Nassau/Suffolk border. So I-95, Throgs Neck, LIE or NSP..
[...]
Thought on mpg, especially around LIE-Cross Island PKWY area and I-95 past Stamford which is extreme stop/go....?
Click to expand...
It looks like there's a ~300 ft elevation difference between Lake Success to Bayside, but the rest of the route has brief climbs and descents. And for the timeframe you mentioned for your return route, it looks like you'd typically have low congestion for ~half your commute until you arrive at Port Chester/Greenwich. City mpg (<45 mph) is generally better than highway mpg (>60 mph) for the Insight, since the gas engine doesn't run to directly power the wheels. (Less gas usage = higher fuel efficiency.) You'd have a mix of these conditions on your route.

The Insight does well in "rolling" terrain, since it helps with the cycle of using then rebuilding the high voltage battery charge. The gas engine kicks in to help power the car for hill climbs, but you can regain battery charge/fuel efficiency on the descent. Your route looks like it might work for that, as long as you're okay with the 'engine noise' during the climb portion like most of us owners. Try the car out on hills to see how the gas engine works/sounds on climbs and how battery charging happens while going downhill.

If you like what you see/feel in these conditions on test drive, then maybe this is the car for you - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/3...ikes-dislikes/438-horrible-engine-roar-6.html

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andrew28
S2sailorlis said:
New to forum and seriously considering the Insight...already own 2 Honda’s..;)

I have the unfortunate luck of a 150 mile commute 3 days/week..from Bridgeport, CT to Nassau/Suffolk border. So I-95, Throgs Neck, LIE or NSP..

I’d leave no later than 6am, and leave Long Island around 3:45pm..no later than 4.

New job is not an option for me, at least not for another 2 years. Hotels and Airbnb too expensive so have to suck it up for a while...

Thought on mpg, especially around LIE-Cross Island PKWY area and I-95 past Stamford which is extreme stop/go....?

TIA...
Click to expand...
What's your current car and mpg on the same commute? What's the traffic like on your commute?

I don't have a long commute but do deal with traffic. In my experience stop and go traffic the Insight does well. Since you're moving and regen braking constantly. What you don't want is tons of standstill traffic where you're not moving much. During the summer you can idle longer with the battery but in the winter the gas engine will come on more often due to the heater. When the gas engine is on and you're not moving it's essentially 0mpg. I think you will do well mpg wise since it's a 150 mile trip. You have lots of room to make up for the low mpg areas unless that whole 150 mile trip is standstill traffic. :p
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S
I’m getting rid of one of the cars so this would replace that car. Good point re winter. But I guess that would be with any hybrid car.

Thanks for the tips.

andrew28 said:
What's your current car and mpg on the same commute? What's the traffic like on your commute?

I don't have a long commute but do deal with traffic. In my experience stop and go traffic the Insight does well. Since you're moving and regen braking constantly. What you don't want is tons of standstill traffic where you're not moving much. During the summer you can idle longer with the battery but in the winter the gas engine will come on more often due to the heater. When the gas engine is on and you're not moving it's essentially 0mpg. I think you will do well mpg wise since it's a 150 mile trip. You have lots of room to make up for the low mpg areas unless that whole 150 mile trip is standstill traffic. :p
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Very insightful, insightfully! Appreciate the input. Yes your correct with the mix of traffic flow with the worst part generally when I hit CT border.

It’s between the Corolla Hybrid and Insight. I did drive a Corolla, non hybrid SE, as a rental for a week. I actually liked it but suspect the Insight is better...



insightfully said:
It looks like there's a ~300 ft elevation difference between Lake Success to Bayside, but the rest of the route has brief climbs and descents. And for the timeframe you mentioned for your return route, it looks like you'd typically have low congestion for ~half your commute until you arrive at Port Chester/Greenwich. City mpg (<45 mph) is generally better than highway mpg (>60 mph) for the Insight, since the gas engine doesn't run to directly power the wheels. (Less gas usage = higher fuel efficiency.) You'd have a mix of these conditions on your route.

The Insight does well in "rolling" terrain, since it helps with the cycle of using then rebuilding the high voltage battery charge. The gas engine kicks in to help power the car for hill climbs, but you can regain battery charge/fuel efficiency on the descent. Your route looks like it might work for that, as long as you're okay with the 'engine noise' during the climb portion like most of us owners. Try the car out on hills to see how the gas engine works/sounds on climbs and how battery charging happens while going downhill.

If you like what you see/feel in these conditions on test drive, then maybe this is the car for you - https://www.gen3insight.com/forum/3...ikes-dislikes/438-horrible-engine-roar-6.html
Click to expand...
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S2sailorlis said:
It’s between the Corolla Hybrid and Insight. I did drive a Corolla, non hybrid SE, as a rental for a week. I actually liked it but suspect the Insight is better...
Click to expand...
Good luck with your decision! For the amount of time you're in the car, interior comfort and features might become priority. The Corolla Hybrid has a slight edge on fuel efficiency (and better highway mpg), but the Insight has more interior features and excels at city driving.

Here are a few articles/threads where the 2020 Corolla Hybrid was contrasted to the 2019/2020 Insight, which might be helpful:
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