hybrid millage comes up short

[asmallsol]

http://www.wired.com/news/autotech/0,2554,...tw=wn_tophead_1

I say honda brings back the orginal 1st gen CRX hf. 60mpg's and no extra weight.

 

[Citizen_Insane]

There a lots of guys with LIFETIME mpg up in the 80-90mpg range with honda insights.

 

[posol]

E hits 65+ all the time...

 

[TurboMirage]

if that article is true, you are better off with a regular civic.

but, i dont trust those numbers. E has the hybrid, and gets what B said, plus i have a friend who has a civic sedan hybrid, and gets over 50mpg.

wednesday i go drive an insight... B)

 

[driverunknown]

THose hybrid civics are pretty cool. Four doors and great mileage.

 

[jamesA]

"I feel like a complete fraud driving around Cincinnati with a license plate that says MO MILES," says Blackshaw, who claims that after 4,000 miles his car has never gotten more than 33 mpg on any trip. The tenor of Blackshaw's blog shifted from adulation to frustration after his Honda dealer confirmed that his car was functioning properly, and that there was nothing he could do.

Can anyone say lead foot? I think it's driver error...this is the first I've heard a hybrid from personal experiences of people getting < at least 45 mpg

 

[94RedSiGal]

Originally posted by revolution8k@May 18 2004, 03:26 AM
Can anyone say lead foot? I think it's driver error...this is the first I've heard a hybrid from personal experiences of people getting < at least 45 mpg

Yeah, that driver must have some aggressive driving habits... it makes a big difference on the fuel consumption.

 

[Loco Honkey]

I get 18-22 MPG on 93 octane no matter how I cut it. Shut the fuck up about 31 MPG on piss water gas.

 

[94RedSiGal]

Originally posted by Loco Honkey@May 18 2004, 09:14 AM
I get 18-22 MPG on 93 octane no matter how I cut it. Shut the fuck up about 31 MPG on piss water gas.

It so apples and oranges.... the Alltrac driving experience>>>>>>>>>>> the Insight's, although E's driving makes it a lot more exciting time. Hehe.

 

[Loco Honkey]

Yeah, especially the dumbshit never stops at stop signs or uses his turn signals, and you're trying to keep up so you don't get lost because you don't know where you are...

 

[94RedSiGal]

Originally posted by Loco Honkey@May 18 2004, 10:17 AM
Yeah, especially the dumbshit never stops at stop signs or uses his turn signals, and you're trying to keep up so you don't get lost because you don't know where you are...

It's E's special variation of a rallycross.... it's even better at night without any tail lights. Hehe

 

[Loco Honkey]

That's when I'll just blast the highs. E, you're a good driver, but your road manners suck.

 

[94RedSiGal]

LOL! The Honkey hath spoken... once again! Are you referring to that drive from the Deja Vu Club to the Applewood Restaurant? Or does this scathing review cover his highway road manners too?

 

[Loco Honkey]

No, the trip from the club to the restaurant wasn't bad, because I had B in the car with me. I'm talking about just about every other time I've had to follow him on surface streets in my AllTrac. The issue isn't keeping up, rather, it's the fact that I've no freakin' idea what he's going to do next.

 

[94RedSiGal]

You forget that E is not a sane person... he actually may not know when he's going to turn until he does it. His head may be only full of random thought patterns...

 

[E_SolSi]

LMMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



yeah yeah my road manners suck :roll:



but back to the tard with the hybrid
he just doesnt know how to drive

i got my insight with 64000 miles on it... its lifetime MPG average was 53.3mpg... i have put about 12K on it since i got it, and i have already raised the lifetime average to 53.8mpg

i drive the car rather agressivly and i still average around 60mpg (last tank averaged 67.2mpg current tank is at 62.2mpg)

i have yet to average below 55mpg on any tank since i bought the car (including when i have autocrossed it)
shit even in the picture i took at 108mph i was still getting 20mpg... i really cant immagine how the fuck people are managing to average 33mpg

all of my driving has been mixed city/highway... i have not taken the insight on a real road trip yet i am pretty confident i can get 70+ for a tank on the highway (i usually do around 75mph)

the biggest reason for people getting shitty MPG in hybrids from what i have seen is generally poor shifting practice (shifting too soon)
hybrids are all about cruising milage... ie: the faster (shortest distance) you get up to speed means the more time (distance) you spend cruising in the uber milage range

lets say you are accelerating away from a stoplight/sign....

first method... low RPM shifting / slow acceleration... when shifting at low RPM (2-3K) your underpowered engine does not have ANY HP (at 2500 RPM the insight puts out a ground pounding 30 HP ) this means you are heavier on the throttle (lower MPG) and this means you will take longer to reach your desired speed (more distance covered at lower MPG = lower MPG average over all)

second method... higher RPM shifting / quick acceleration... reving out to a higher RPM (4K+) and accelerating quickly will usually yeild a lower MPG for the time that you are accelerating (maybe 5 or 10mpg lower)... but you will reach your desired speed in a far shorter time/distance allowing you to go into "cruising mode" sooner (better overall MPG)

quick acceleration is definatly key to better overall MPG... i have tried several methods of driving since getting the insight.... its almost a game now to see how high i can get the MPG average (my highest for a full tank so far was around 70mpg)

 

[driverunknown]

Great post. I wonder if that only works in a hybrid? Experiment time.

 

[E_SolSi]

Originally posted by driverunknown@May 19 2004, 06:21 PM
Great post. I wonder if that only works in a hybrid? Experiment time.

in theory it should work on anything

im not suggesting flooring it till you get up to speed... just quick acceleration (probly about 50% throttle) then go to the highest gear you can reliably maintain your speed in with light throttle (around 10%) (ie: 35mph in 5th gear is not a good idea *unless you have a JDM ITR tranny * you are just going to bog and require heavier throttle to keep your speed... so dont go into too high of a gear)

for instance around town i usually do about 40mph.... so when leaving a sign/light i accelerate hard (~50%) in 1st and 2nd (till 40mph) then go straight to 4th with light throttle (~10%) to maintain speed.... on the highway i do pretty much the same thing, but i go to 70-75mph in 3rd then straight to 5th with light throttle to maintain speed

you are getting up to speed in a far shorter distance... so you are covering more distance at a light cruising throttle pressure

one thing i have definatly noticed is gas milage is MUCH more effected by throttle position than it is by RPM... so dont be fooled into thinking because you are at 60% throttle at 1500RPM, you are getting better milage than you would be at 15% throttle at 3000RPM

 

[94RedSiGal]

hybrid millage comes up short

LOL.... this still really bothers me. It's MILEAGE not millage. Carry on.

 

[driverunknown]

THanks for the advice. My new job will help me try this out. It's about an hours' drive. 50% highway, 50% streets.