Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Someone asked me how I got a 95 mpg US tank (2.5 L/100 km) in my Insight

SpeedyCorky · 04-30-2013, 03:15 AM

Yeah i've been following your Insight shananagens for awhile now; and myself having recently purchased an Insight....I feel strongly that I hypermile daymn near to the max; yet i've often wondered how on earth you pull such good numbers... granted i've only driven my Insight about 1500 miles, its fairly stock; I regularly average ~80mpg on my 20 mile commute - I can now see how you are getting such good numbers....

your 2 big advantages are:
1) long trips. not too hard for me to break 85 or even 90mpg when i travel over say 40 or 50 miles, sometimes i can even get mid 90's mpg. consistent, long trips like that is HUGE towards good MPG numbers. short trips to the hardware store or whatever - KILL overall mpg numbers.

2) your route is boarderline cheating! its on flat, deserted backroads where you can legally and safely go 50mph (or BELOW!)... my commute is 85% freeway, and i gotta keep at least 50 to 55mph or people are loading their guns behind me, and I live in California!!! bad enough some of the big trucks pass me like i'm standing still! so the ability to cruise at 45 to 50mph is a major major factor with your numbers.

if i had these 2 conditions to my favor, i'm quite confident i could do 90mpg tanks consistently; maybe a bit more. I average about 80mpg on my route to work (best was 90mpg, i did it ONCE), but i also use the car for shorter trips, so that brings my overall tank average down to usually around ~75mpg.

So folks, realize that MetroMPG has some seriously ideal conditions going for him. his numbers are not replicateable in the real world - under real world driving conditions that 99% of us face. i'd say any 70mpg tank average for the Insight, under normal, real world conditions - is pretty respectable; 75mpg daymn respectable - and anything beyond that is entering either sub-human, or at least semi-cheating (not real world driving conditions!)

and of course Metro, no ill will intended w/ this post. just wanna put out there more explanation of your numbers, and what should be possible/expected with more normal driving conditions. cuz for awhile there i was pretty disappointed I couldnt average 90mpg. i was like WTF is he doing that I'm not!??!?! then i started looking into your route, and then read this posted and it all confirmed what I had suspected - very ideal driving conditions! Even so tho, ~96mpg - even with ideal conditions - is some gosh darn tootin' hypermiling!

04-30-2013, 03:15 AM	#11 (permalink)
SpeedyCorky also races Sportbikes!!! Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Bay Area, California Posts: 88 Mo' Mon-nay! - '00 Honda Civic HX 90 day: 52.26 mpg (US) Carbon Silver - '06 Honda Insight 90 day: 82.2 mpg (US) Thanks: 11 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	not too surprised; and not too real world MPG either Yeah i've been following your Insight shananagens for awhile now; and myself having recently purchased an Insight....I feel strongly that I hypermile daymn near to the max; yet i've often wondered how on earth you pull such good numbers... granted i've only driven my Insight about 1500 miles, its fairly stock; I regularly average ~80mpg on my 20 mile commute - I can now see how you are getting such good numbers.... your 2 big advantages are: 1) long trips. not too hard for me to break 85 or even 90mpg when i travel over say 40 or 50 miles, sometimes i can even get mid 90's mpg. consistent, long trips like that is HUGE towards good MPG numbers. short trips to the hardware store or whatever - KILL overall mpg numbers. 2) your route is boarderline cheating! its on flat, deserted backroads where you can legally and safely go 50mph (or BELOW!)... my commute is 85% freeway, and i gotta keep at least 50 to 55mph or people are loading their guns behind me, and I live in California!!! bad enough some of the big trucks pass me like i'm standing still! so the ability to cruise at 45 to 50mph is a major major factor with your numbers. if i had these 2 conditions to my favor, i'm quite confident i could do 90mpg tanks consistently; maybe a bit more. I average about 80mpg on my route to work (best was 90mpg, i did it ONCE), but i also use the car for shorter trips, so that brings my overall tank average down to usually around ~75mpg. So folks, realize that MetroMPG has some seriously ideal conditions going for him. his numbers are not replicateable in the real world - under real world driving conditions that 99% of us face. i'd say any 70mpg tank average for the Insight, under normal, real world conditions - is pretty respectable; 75mpg daymn respectable - and anything beyond that is entering either sub-human, or at least semi-cheating (not real world driving conditions!) and of course Metro, no ill will intended w/ this post. just wanna put out there more explanation of your numbers, and what should be possible/expected with more normal driving conditions. cuz for awhile there i was pretty disappointed I couldnt average 90mpg. i was like WTF is he doing that I'm not!??!?! then i started looking into your route, and then read this posted and it all confirmed what I had suspected - very ideal driving conditions! Even so tho, ~96mpg - even with ideal conditions - is some gosh darn tootin' hypermiling! __________________ 2000 Honda Civic HX with mild aero mods 2006 Honda Insight MIMA, FAS, no passenger sideview mirror, race style drivers mirror, front and rear underbody aero, temporary front air dam Last edited by SpeedyCorky; 04-30-2013 at 03:23 AM..