Hi Everyone; well I've read all your comments and I thought why not add mine to the list. So; that being said, I purchased a new 2003 HCH when they first came out and I know you folks are not going to like these comments, however they are true at least in my case. The HCH did not get as advertised FE nor was it very peppy to drive and I found out real quick that trying to keep the battery pack charged was a real challenge at best and I am being kind. In other words you really couldn't keep it charged and my point is, I got rid of the car shortly there after. I was running the air on (Max-All-The-Time) and in alot of (You-Guessed-It) stop and go traffic and driving somewhere around 8-10 miles to office and back to home. The HCH just would not under those conditions do well at all. Did I forget to mention that in the summer it's around 95-100 Deg. and high humidity so A/C just keeps cycling. This HCH was White outside and a Manual trans. Now I just imagine there are a bunch of you that are going to jump all over this posting and give all kinds of reasons why this could be better but my point is if I like it or anyone else does or not it's still the facts and therefore I just wonder if the mag. that did the report on FE was not under similar conditions and more than likely not driving in a conservative manner. I read all the time how there are all these "Great" mileage stats achieved by members but usually what is not said is how these mileages are achieved by driving at 45 MPH and Coasting with the car in neutral or in alot of cases the key turned off so as not to lock the steering but to cut the ICE off, No-A/C and the list goes on. I will be glad when EPA does move to the (Real-World) FE Stats and then when the public looks at the MSRP and reads the Mileage Figures they are going to for the most part be pretty "Accurate." I have a 06 HCH ordered and can't wait to get it and I just hope that the mags. that I have read and they listed the FE that they got was close to the EPA FE ratings and hopefully since these mags. were using A/C and driving in a normal manner that Honda has really made huge improvements in the HCH so that it does get great FE with a run of the mill person driving the vehicle with "No-Tricks" involved.

Just for the record before some of you go beserk/crazy about my comments I just want you to realise that just because you can get these great FE with all the tricks etc. I'm not saying to you that you are wrong, go ahead if thats what is important to brag about I personally like the Hybrids for the bigger picture including FE if it can be attained under normal driving conditions and not where a person has to "Turn-Off" the A/C and drive way under the posted speed limit. I just hope that in the end that the Hybrids shine on their own without all the tricks to make them appear to be more than they really are.

Case in point I just read where "Jason S." just posted his FE with his Prius and I think it was (33) in Houston and he was surprised but guess what like he said it's "Hot" and the A/C was and is on all the time.

Just My Personal Opinions
Terry

BTW:
For those of you that (Did-Not) like the "Large Print or Colors" I left Them out:

 

Just so you know. I am exceeding EPA numbers and not rebooting. I do drive the speed LIMIT and that helps a lot. My driving is city. The problem with EPA numbers is that it assumes people know how to drive. In my experience I can attest that most people do not. How much sense does it make to go 50 in a 40 zone and then wait 30 seconds at a light? Not very efficient in my opinion. These bozo's pass me all the time while I'm going 40 and I meet them at the lights all the time. Yeah its the car and the programing from honda allright (yes i'm being sarcastic).

Sure a bad day or a particularly bad commute will bring it down and I believe people can get bad numbers. But I belive that someone that knows how to drive effieciently (not the same as slow and rebooting) can get at least mid 40s in a hch.

Anyone reading this that disagrees should start counting how many seconds they spend at a light. That will give you an idea how much gas you just wasted. Obviously your acceleration and or top speed was too high because you got to the light too early.

 

Tigerhonaker, I'd be challenged if I had an 8-mile non freeway commute in the Texas summer. Hypermiling is possible if you (1) limit your speed to 55 or 60, (2) conserve momentum by (to quote Hot Georgia "drive as if you had no brakes"). I'll add that if the car is baking outside, you want to roll the windows down and crank the fan on max to drive out the heat, then limit the A/C to coasting and braking if possible. Actually, I'd probably drive in the 45-50mph range.

Would the EPA take this into account? - Absolutely not

Would it take awhile to figure out how to hypermile in your conditions? - Definitely. It's in part learning the nuances, but maybe more not letting the people passing you up get under your skin (I still deal with that....)


Question for the HCH drivers: Is it easy to recal the battery pack? It's easy to recal the Insight and has been noted on several reviews. While the Civic charges better, it's also heavier than the Insight. I'd love to hear from anyone that has driven both an Insight and an HCH.

 

Hi Tigerhonaker:

___What you posted above may have been your facts, but it most certainly not everybody else’s. FAS’ing can propel an HCH’s FE far higher then the EPA so that is not an excuse. How you choose to drive is your business but stating your FE is the fact that everybody else will receive is the same as stating my FE is the same that everybody else will receive. Both of us know that neither statement is factual …

___With that, do you think Lakedude, RJBarlow, Hot_Georgia_2004, Kenny, and Tbaleno could have achieved higher FE then you did in your 03 HCH? Do you think they can achieve higher FE in the 06 then you can? I can tell you with complete confidence that they can and will. They would also receive higher FE when driving at a speed far greater then 45 mph. Where did you come up with that 45 mph/FAS’ing non-sense anyway? This is no fault of your own but you have to realize some drivers have more skill then others at pushing a hybrid or non-hybrid to higher FE then you may or may not be capable of just yet is all.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

For what it's worth, I have been driving on North Beltline in Dallas - a major non-freeway road with highs at or near 100. I've been getting about 70mpg cruising at 45mph on my Insight. I conservatively estimate I'd gotten in the low 50s in a pre-2006 HCH.

 

I actually do get 42-45 mpg without any oddball or dangerous "tricks". Sure, 42 isn't the same as 48, but I'm satisfied. I generally drive 55-70 MPH, and I run the AC moderately, but not on maximum.

I don't understand how anyone can get less than 38 mpg in this car!

 

Tigerhonaker,

I experience what you describe if I have to make lots of short trips around town. I'm beginning to conclude that my HCH needs stretches of uninterrupted cruising between 30 - 50 MPH if I want any hope of exceeding 45 MPG. My 25 mile commute is 25% stop and go, 75% stable cruising, which is why I think my car gets 46-52 depending on weather. I ran around town this weekend - took 3 short 2 mile trips to the store and back. Car was at 42 MPG (actually, went from 53 to 42, but I'm only 50 miles into the tank). That said, the HCH is still better than any other car (except a Prius or Insight) under those conditions. I don't think you'd get EPA in any car under those conditions.

 

Hi AshenGray:

___I do not know how you could only receive 42 mpg without performing dangerous tricks like running beyond the speed limits and other such skullduggery Please save your "oddball or dangerous tricks" speech for those that want to receive a pittance of what his or her car is rated for. In most cases, following the speed limits with a decently setup car will get you beyond the EPA. The tips as stated earlier bump you up well beyond the EPA, not just to it. Maybe you might consider a change in your habits as well?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

CR's mpg numbers on the city loop reflect very,very heavy"city "driving.Our 2003 Pilot delivered 12-13 mpg last year-exactly CR's numbers) when my son drove it 3 miles -one way-to school.There were 11 complete stops on that route-7 red lights rest turns and stop signs.The AC was always blasting-New Orleans is hot.The Pilot delivers 22-24 mpg hy-just like CR got on their hy loop-at 70+ mph with AC blasting,and a 1000 lb payload.
CRs numbers are good-but you have to eyeball their testing-it is a rough city loop.
The numbers you guys get aren't reflective of "average" drivers.You folks are mpg nuts(so am I but in a non hybrid sort of way-I brag about getting 25 mpg with my Titan on a highway leg-it weighed about 5600 lbs and I was driving about 68 mph.It is a full sized V-8 that is quicker than the HH(which is a very quick SUV).
CR generates good numbers,but most "normal" folks in mainly mixed city driving will beat their city mumbers by about 10-20%.The 4cyl Accord get 16 mpg in CR test-the average driver will get 20+.Some of you get high 20's in the city with the 4CYL AUTO TRANS Accord.Thanks.Charlie PS I got 20.9 mpg over 1600 miles with thew Titan-Flagstaff to New Orleans(average speed 71 mph)-The Pilot got 22.8 mpg-heavily loaded-same trip-speed. EPA 14-19 Titan 17-22 Pilot.AC's blasting,Titan bed loaded to waaay over the sides.

 

Although "we guys are mpg nuts" we are almost all just doing something which "anyone else" CAN do, if they want to.

It makes sense that CR would not perform any "hypermiler tricks" during their tests, but since they are such a well-known and respected media source, they should feel responsible enough to "asterisk" their results with "hey, our test is tough, most people get 10-20% better than we do in real-world driving."

If they don't do that, what happens? Joe/Josephine Public sees the CR story and says "those hybrids are a ripoff and a waste of money" and tells all his/her friends that also, which in the end hurts ALL of us.