2010 Honda Insight twelve-month test: October 2009 update
October was our first full month with our long-term Honda Insight. When we first picked up the car from Honda, I was frantically trying to figure out how we could rack up 20,000 miles in a year. I'd even thought about driving the car from Los Angeles to the Detroit Auto Show in January (note to self: buy snow tires). My wife -- the Insight's primary custodian -- kept telling me not to worry about it. Now here we are, one month into our year-long test drive, and Robin's already racked up over 2,300 miles. And we're not just talking about a whole lot of runs to the grocery store -- Robin has already used the Insight as a family car, a moving van, and a pickup truck. Find out how things are goin in my long-term Insight October 2009 update. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Robin Gold
Are you basing your MPG numbers on the car’s computer, or are you calculating them yourself? Reason I ask is that our Scion xD displays MPG too, but it’s always a couple MPG higher than it should be (I calculate it manually as well). I’d be curious to see how accurate Honda’s MPG calculator is.
Same here. My 06 LTD tracks 25mpg on the freeway, but, when I track it manually between fillups, I get 27.
Not terribly impressive mpg #’s. My ‘05 Civic has averaged 34-35 mpg mixed and my Mini is just over 36. Both are quicker and definitely more fun to drive…especially the Mini.They’re not as roomy, but that’s my last concern.The biggest issue I have is the looks. I just don’t buy into the Prius clone design. I’m getting excited about the pics I’ve seen of the CR-Z though!
So far, seems like it might work for you, although I couldn’t justify the price for the 41 MPG on that alone. I just filled up our 08 Mazda 3, and calculated 34.8 on mostly highway commuting. I don’t baby the gas, regularly running 70, and this is at least the third time I have beat 34MPG in this car. I actually seem to be good at beating the EPA estimates though, as I have been able to get over 27 in our Pontiac Montana (rated 26), 40 in a 92 Tercel (38), just under 40 in a 96 Saturn SL2 (37), and over 30 in a ‘94 Grand Am V6 (29). Which makes me wonder what I would be getting in a Cobalt XFE like I wanted to get with a Hwy rating of 37, compared to my 32. And a XFE can be had for around 16,000.
As for the blue-tooth, I know my phone (LG) and headset (Motorola) will disconnect and reconnect every once on a while. I have not figured out if its the phone or the headset.
Oh, all the MPG ratings I listed are based on the old (pre ‘08) system, except the Mazda and the Cobalt.
I find that the cars’ computers are generally pretty accurate. Those numbers are sourced from the car’s ECU, which needs to know exactly how much fuel is flowing to the engine in order for it to run right. The odometer could be off, which would throw off the MPG figures, but it would also throw off my figures if I calculated manually.
In order to calculate MPG manually — and get accurate results, you can’t just fill the car until the pump clicks off; the automatic shut-offs vary too much. You have to brim up the tank until you can actually see the fuel in the filler neck. It generally takes several minutes — you have to wait for the bubbles to settle — plus it’s bad for the environment what with all the escaping fuel vapors. Since Robin does most of the fueling, I can’t ask her to do that every time she fills up. It’s just too much of a pain.
Still, it would be interesting to do a couple of manual fill-ups and see how it compares with the computer.
Jeff and Don — Loan your cars to Robin for a month, and *then* we’ll see what sort of fuel economy they get!
— Aaron