In learning to drive pre hybrid vehicles the jack rabbit starts (fast acceleration), from stops was always gas guzzling... so we were taught to get better gas mileage to avoid these kind of starts and ease up to the speed you wanted.

Now with my 2005 Honda Civic Hybrid if I do a jack rabbit start, then the IMA kicks in real hard to help out. But if you ease up to the speed you want, it does not help much.

So that brings me to the question of which kind of start is better for my hybrid? Has anyone out there done any reasearch or testing?

 

in my opinion, use the assist for a mini jack rabbit start , to brake the grips of inertia, a body at rest tend to stay at rest , and then take it slow and gradual till you get to crusing speed. In essence I use the assiist with gas to break interia of a body at rest.

 

Adjust your trip meter to reflect and test your question.

Before I understood how to operate the trip meter, I never knew what my exact mpg was. Historically its been 52.2

Since I am more aware of this I am averaging 56.0

THe change has been that I drive moderately 60 mph max and try and utilize routes that are primarily highway.

I also accelerate under 2k rpm always.

Having the petal to the medal so to speak kills mpg.