Oh goodness no! Idling gets zero miles per gallon! I drive very gently for the first couple miles and try to keep the power band in the blue so as not to race the engine while cold. The engine will also warm faster if you are driving versus idling only. Your low numbers over the first few miles are quite normal. Once the engine is heated sufficiently, mpg numbers will rise. Using cabin heat will also cause the ICE to run more than normal.
Warm Up Engine for Better MPG?
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And my "A" Trip Counter numbers do include all warm up time, so that data is not missing. And the Trip Computer shows the real MPG number per tank. Only the "B" counter is reset to discount weather conditions, so you can see what the car does without that getting in the way. Even then, there is a little loss, as you are maintaining cabin temperature. So you can view the numbers either way.
For me, as I have not enjoyed a season of moderate temperatures with this new car yet, it allows us to get some ideas of what we can do to milk every mile out of this car. That being said, this is only fun and games to me. I'm not a hypermiler! At times I play around with it, but then feel the "need for speed", so it goes in phases.
Fun story...Yesterday I drove down to my favorite gas station (100' higher in elevation with a mix of speeds and traffic conditions) at 53.3 MPG (no warm up reset @ 41 degrees) in Normal Mode, gassed up (resetting all counters) and went directly into Sport Mode. From there I broke every "hypermiler" rule and tore through traffic to the car wash. After that I headed out I-84 East into CT as fast as I could go. I mean I really stretched Pearl's (my new nickname) legs and let it rip. At times going a buck five for extended periods (until traffic eventually got in the way), and always at least PSL +20 to +25. Basically pushing as fast as I could go, and seeing what this car could do "on the extreme end". Handled like a dream...tight, precise and smooth as it is at "normal" speeds. (Very interesting to watch power flow and see how the electric flows even at over a buck...plenty of power!...battery was still charging and reserving power.) Countermeasures engaged all the way, but no "bogies". Went up 8 from Toiletbury to 44 and checked the MPG, as the trek back to NY on 44 is a slow drive. It said 30.5 MPG...NOT bad! Riding back all the way in Sport Mode, which kept the battery fully charged until I came through some towns where I ran the battery out on EV Mode. One section of mixed flat and downhill went on forever in EV. That was cool! But where I could open it up again, I did. Doing my worst, MPG in the driveway was 38.7. My usual average driving in Normal Mode at PSL is ~48 per tank, but my wife drives the car M - F, so she is not as conservative as I "usually" am.
No matter how you drive this car, you're going to save gas. None of my other cars could touch 30 MPG at any speed.
Phil
This is why Honda did a great job designing this car and having the platform based on the Civic. You get the handling of a Civic but extra torque from the hybrid batteries. It's that torque, low center of gravity, and the planted handling of the car that makes it fun to drive in sport mode. You can't do this in other hybrid cars because they were designed for fuel economy first. The fuel economy for the Honda Insight is more like a surprise bonus to what the car can do. I think if everybody bought this car as a more premium Civic, fuel economy second, you would not be disappointed with this car. I'm not sure why anyone would buy an EX/Touring Civic when you can get more for less starting with the EX Insight.And my "A" Trip Counter numbers do include all warm up time, so that data is not missing. And the Trip Computer shows the real MPG number per tank. Only the "B" counter is reset to discount weather conditions, so you can see what the car does without that getting in the way. Even then, there is a little loss, as you are maintaining cabin temperature. So you can view the numbers either way.
For me, as I have not enjoyed a season of moderate temperatures with this new car yet, it allows us to get some ideas of what we can do to milk every mile out of this car. That being said, this is only fun and games to me. I'm not a hypermiler! At times I play around with it, but then feel the "need for speed", so it goes in phases.
Fun story...Yesterday I drove down to my favorite gas station (100' higher in elevation with a mix of speeds and traffic conditions) at 53.3 MPG (no warm up reset @ 41 degrees) in Normal Mode, gassed up (resetting all counters) and went directly into Sport Mode. From there I broke every "hypermiler" rule and tore through traffic to the car wash. After that I headed out I-84 East into CT as fast as I could go. I mean I really stretched Pearl's (my new nickname) legs and let it rip. At times going a buck five for extended periods (until traffic eventually got in the way), and always at least PSL +20 to +25. Basically pushing as fast as I could go, and seeing what this car could do "on the extreme end". Handled like a dream...tight, precise and smooth as it is at "normal" speeds. (Very interesting to watch power flow and see how the electric flows even at over a buck...plenty of power!...battery was still charging and reserving power.) Countermeasures engaged all the way, but no "bogies". Went up 8 from Toiletbury to 44 and checked the MPG, as the trek back to NY on 44 is a slow drive. It said 30.5 MPG...NOT bad! Riding back all the way in Sport Mode, which kept the battery fully charged until I came through some towns where I ran the battery out on EV Mode. One section of mixed flat and downhill went on forever in EV. That was cool! But where I could open it up again, I did. Doing my worst, MPG in the driveway was 38.7. My usual average driving in Normal Mode at PSL is ~48 per tank, but my wife drives the car M - F, so she is not as conservative as I "usually" am.
No matter how you drive this car, you're going to save gas. None of my other cars could touch 30 MPG at any speed.
Phil
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