Quote:
Originally Posted by bikenfool
The downshifts are quicker than what an eco driver would want, they come up with some tradeoff btwn sport and economy that the average driver likes. I haven't heard of any cars that have weak top gears that needed to be babied. Keep it in as high a gear as you can.
|
In a G1 Insight, I've had instances where I've run into hills that have required
2nd gear to climb. Leaving it in higher gear will also run the risk of running down the hybrid battery, and converting between electrical and mechanical energy is often more lossy than simply downshifting and rev'ing it a bit.
However, this car is more the exception than the rule. It has a 67HP 3 cylinder, and a 5th gear that that is under 2000RPM at (lower) highway speeds.