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Well, I'd just like to introduce myself. I just recently purchased a 2006 Honda Insight used at the local honda dealership. They had just gotten it in on trade that day and I happend upon it as I was driving by to look at the new prius.

While I'm quite sure my daily commute doesn't lend its self to amazing FE (being my commute is only 3 miles one way) and I work 24 hour shifts... meaning I drive a measly 6 miles total to and from work in 2 days. I rarely take long trips but I mostly wanted to make a statement about my feelings about the current situation with fuel prices. I did however take a trip to Greensboro today, ~80 miles one way and I was quite impressed with myself as I managed a segment of 80.1 mpg in 26.1 miles.

This little car is amazingly cool :)

The hills in my area are nasty (at least in my opinion :) ) for this car as I'm having some issues managing to keep my FE up.

At any rate, I just wanted to say hello and thanks for posting all this wonderful info so I can read up to increase my FE.

Congratulations and welcome! I too own a 2006 MT Insight: an instant classic, tremendous fun to drive, and an oddly endearing car for reasons I still can't fathom. I too bought it mainly for FE and found myself liking it far more than I expected to, one of the two most fun cars I've over owned.

80+ mpg is excellent, especially on a first trip. As you get used to the car your mpg will increase on trips, but your short commutes probably will not yield that.

The Insight has an exquisitely delicate gas pedal, so it seems like you can get 3 or 4 different mpg readings while going at the same speed, depending on the pedal position.

Yes FE suffers on uphills but try to think of the uphill as the "pulse" in a Pulse and Glide, and coast down the other side in neutral. Doing this will often yield better mpg than driving on the flat. You'll soon find yourself acutely aware of elevation changes in the road, much more so than you ever were before!

As you get comfy doing this you may want to try FAS on the glides. As long as you turn the key back to the "ready to start" position your steering will not be affected (it's electric). Brakes will be fine for 3-4 applications, then you lose boost so you should probably restart the engine after the third use if you're still gliding.

The Insight gurus post here and get into the 160mpg range, albeit at low speeds!

Don't hesitate to ask questions, there's a LOT of Insight expertise here.

Hi caryfd227, Welcome to cleanmpg. Congratulations on getting an Insight. Is it auto or manual transmission? 80.1 in 26 miles is a really great start.
You'll probably find your mileage is worse when the car is starting from cold. 3 miles each way may be too short a trip to warm up. Maybe a way to improve that is an engine block heater (used way up north to keep the car warm enough to start at -40). Maybe some of the insight drivers here can advise you on that.
Hills are only nasty when you go up them. They're great going down! I have the same problem; some of my trips have a 1250' elevation drop with some ups and downs in between which hurts mpg a lot.
Have fun!
--Walter

Its a Manual transmission, red in color. Not my first choice in color but since its the first used insight I've seen in quite a long time I decided that it would do :)

I've been reading these forums and others for around 2 months so I've picked up on some of the mods/tips. I plan on installing MIMA but I have some other things to deal with first.

As bad as it sounds I was heavily involved in the tuner crowd, doing some minimal grassroots motorsports (mostly rallycrossing and track racing) and I used my track car as my daily driver. It was a 2005 subaru impreza STi tuned to around 500 wheel HP. So the change to the insight was quite dramatic since I'm extremely used to pressing the gas pedal and being able to go in a heartbeat.

As for the gas pedal on the insight... I've sortof developed quite a sensitive pedal feel with my track experience and I definitely noticed the range in FE with minimal adjustment of pressure. The old racing adage, smooth is fast definitely also applies to FE. I just about always drive without shoes for this very reason since I like to feel exactly what the throttle is doing (and wearing racing shoes daily just isnt an option ;)

I'm curious about some of the mods that some people are doing here, mainly improving on the basic design of the insight. I've been thinking about cutting the springs to lower the car a bit to effectively lower the frontal area, but then again that would really only affect the car for the most part at highway speed. Something that I rarely do.

One bad thing about my commute is that its almost completely uphill on the way to work and with only a 3 mile commute the car doesn't have time to completely warm up, although I'm almost positive with no traffic I could coast 2 of the 3 miles home without the engine even running. I've been looking at block heaters and I saw someone that had made an engine blanket to almost completely wrap the motor. That coupled with the prius thermos mod I'm thinking I could atleast get some heat into the motor. I do have a heated garage so that should help in the winter months.

Anyway, This is something completely new to me and just as fun as the racing part of my past. Thanks for the warm welcome!

On a side note, when I got my car the dealer installed new tires on it and the were not OEM. They put on Dunlop SP20FE 185/65/14, which from my reading are LRR tires but they have a tread width 20 mm wider than stock. I'm sure this has some effect on my FE, but to what extent I do not know. I do know that there should be some speedometer deviation from this and I need to remember that I'm actually traveling faster than my speedometer says I am.

That sortof irks me but I guess I'll have to deal with it :)

I used my track car as my daily driver. It was a 2005 subaru impreza STi tuned to around 500 wheel HP. So the change to the insight was quite dramatic since I'm extremely used to pressing the gas pedal and being able to go in a heartbeat.
... ...
The old racing adage, smooth is fast definitely also applies to FE.


500 HP to an Insight is quite a change. Still, the driving skills which you already have will serve you well.

--Walter

On a side note, when I got my car the dealer installed new tires on it and the were not OEM. They put on Dunlop SP20FE 185/65/14, which from my reading are LRR tires but they have a tread width 20 mm wider than stock. I'm sure this has some effect on my FE, but to what extent I do not know. I do know that there should be some speedometer deviation from this and I need to remember that I'm actually traveling faster than my speedometer says I am.
That sortof irks me but I guess I'll have to deal with it :)
This has been addressed in detail in another forum. The bottom line is that the OEM Bridgestone RE-92's gave the best FE of any of the tires tested, even LRR ones. They are not expensive so this is the first thing I would change. Also the alignment is zero toe (less drag) so if you have it aligned make sure it is done to specs.

I plan on installing MIMA but I have some other things to deal with first.
Even if you can't install it I'd get it now. Mike is making up what may be the last batch. And get the FAS module, it works really well because, unlike using the key, it does not involve rebooting the computers and the ICE will restart if the brake booster vacuum drops too low.
I'm curious about some of the mods that some people are doing here, mainly improving on the basic design of the insight. I've been thinking about cutting the springs to lower the car a bit to effectively lower the frontal area, but then again that would really only affect the car for the most part at highway speed. Something that I rarely do.
I'd be very leery of doing this. I've read reports of people losing underbody panels and the rear bumper skin when driving through very deep puddles. Lowering this would make the risk greater. Also the risk of smashing the lower lip of the radiator opening on parking lot bumpers.
Mods I have made are rather minor: MIMA/FAS, Huper Optik tinting of the rear hatch glass to try to control heat in the summer (remember that cooling air for the battery comes from the interior, so running the AC under very hot conditions may benefit the battery), better wiper blades (Honda ones chatter). Cosmetic mods: Wet Okole seat covers (red/black look great and very comfy) and 3M Paint Protection Film to protect the paint from the gravel that the trucks around here share with everyone else on the highway, metal plate for left footrest.
The Insight is a very carefully thought-out little package so changing one thing can affect others.

Caryfd227,
I Switched to the RE92's on my Del Sol and Civic VX and they were good for 2-3 MPG over a normal tire.

Just guessing here, do you work for the Cary NC Fire department?

One bad thing about my commute is that its almost completely uphill on the way to work and with only a 3 mile commute the car doesn't have time to completely warm up, although I'm almost positive with no traffic I could coast 2 of the 3 miles home without the engine even running.
You may not want to hear this but it sounds like a perfect commute for a bicycle (in reasonable weather). Uphill to work, combine workout with commuting, generate endorphins, arrive relaxed and happy, then downhill home when you're tired.
Or failing that a scooter.

Just guessing here, do you work for the Cary NC Fire department?

I do :)

You may not want to hear this but it sounds like a perfect commute for a bicycle (in reasonable weather). Uphill to work, combine workout with commuting, generate endorphins, arrive relaxed and happy, then downhill home when you're tired.
Or failing that a scooter.

My job sortof precludes me from riding a bike to work. Since we are at the mercy of staffing daily I could report to work one morning and suddenly have to go to a different station across town to fill the needs of staffing a truck, although this doesn't happen very often, it only takes once for there to be a problem. Carrying 60+ lbs of gear on a bike just isnt possible while being able to get to the other station in a timely fashion ;)

I do ;)

I don't get to Cary very often. I spend my time driving from Clayton to Fayetteville, my daily commute. If you are ever headed to Clayton, let me know. I have a few hours behind the wheel of a 5 Speed Insight and might be able to give you some pointers.

Not to bring a dead thread alive... but I went to dinner with my mother tonight and she was asking me about my quest for high fuel milage.

She didnt believe that I could get a higher average fuel mileage than her normal average in her minivan so I gave it all I had.

On a ~24 mile round trip through some nasty hills and city traffic in her 2002 Chrysler Town and Country 3.8L V6 2WD I managed an average of 26.4mpg.

The EPA listed combined fuel mileage is 18mpg. She was impressed to say the least since her average is around 17.

I hope she is think about your drive a lot. :)

Great job!