I learned about this today so now you all do too
The Honda Insight is a car all the way back as far as 1999. This crazy vehicle was able to achieve an EPA MPG (with modern tests) of 49 city and 61 highway. Original testing was actually 67 city and 71 highway, at that! This crazy little engine has a maximum of 78 horsepower, combined between the Inline 3 SOHC Honda engine and a 10KW (13HP) electric motor. This motor is used as the starter, the alternator, and a motor together, but it actually has a separate starter motor in case the hybrid motor dies, using a separate 12v starter battery as well.
While 78 horsepower doesn’t sound very great, keep in mind the following: the coefficient of drag is 0.25, and if weighs a maximum(!) of 1,964 lbs, or 891 kg. What does this mean? It can still reach a maximum speed of up to 112mph! Not to mention, modders that get ahold of these things can push it far beyond these limits, with someone putting in a Honda J32A2 engine and getting 295HP in this little thing! That would put it at approximately capable of a top speed of about 192mph!
Not to mention, not only is this thing super light and nimble, it still has respectable crash ratings, and while parts for it may be hard to find, this car is one of the coolest and most efficient one can buy, even today
Edit: Found a link I like even better for the main link, original link here
It gets better. Things like the geo metro were able to get rediculous mpg just by being light and simple. No electric motors necessary. Makes you wonder how far we’ve slid backwards now that we’re accepting 30mpg as good.
Not that far as long as you are okay with a car as tiny as the Insight or the Geo Metro. Here’s the two of em compared to a VW Up! for example.
My brother had a Plymouth Horizon that was similar. It took a while to get moving but it would scream down the highway getting in the 40+ miles per gallon.
However a minor parking lot bump we barely felt cracked the steel bumper and pulverized the styrofoam surrounding it. It was a thrilling ride, not least because there was nothing to save you.
Two decades later, My current Subaru can’t even get 30mpg. However it’s one of the safest cars on the road, much bigger, all wheel drive, crumple zones, airbags all around, collision avoidance, many more features, and triple the power. Safe and quiet at any legal speed, and them some.
I know which one I’d pick