On another thread, we've shifted to talking about shifting. For you experienced Insighters, how accurate do you think the shift indicator is? I've been using it mostly, but sometimes it seems to tell me to upshift too early, so that there's not enough power. I'm finding that around 2000 rpm is a good time to shift, but there are exceptions, such as on hills.

When I test-drove this car, the previous owner (who did NOT get good mpg) said it should be upshifted late - meaning very high rpm.

Thoughts on the automated lights?

 

the upshift light is there for maximum economy. it wants you to shift at low rpm and load the engine down in the next gear. works fine if you are not in a hurry. very light throttle application after each shift will get you great mpgs.

if you want to sacrifice maximum mpgs, shift later after brisker acceleration.

everything's a trade-off.