Tesla Model S vs. Honda Insight MPG

Chart is based on 3 fuel economy reports for the Tesla Model S and 262 fuel economy reports for the Honda Insight.

Tesla Model S MPG

Year	Body/Powertrain	flat, hilly, or mountainousLand	driving style: very light to "lead foot"Foot	A/C use: none to heavyA/C	constant stop and goTraf %	many stops per mileCity %	stop every mile or twoSub %	fairly steady speedHwy %	Hwy Spd	MPG
2012	4dr Hatch 416-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD	flat	lead	none	0	90	0	10	65	86.7

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Tesla Model S Electric Fuel Economy

Year	Body/Powertrain	flat, hilly, or mountainousLand	driving style: very light to "lead foot"Foot	A/C use: none to heavyA/C	constant stop and goTraf %	many stops per mileCity %	stop every mile or twoSub %	fairly steady speedHwy %	Hwy Spd	MPG
2016	4dr Hatch 373-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD	flat	lead	none	0	33	66	1	60	10.0
2012	4dr Hatch 416-horsepower Electric 1-speed automatic RWD	flat	light	none	10	10	10	70	110	18.4

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Honda Insight MPG

Year	Body/Powertrain	flat, hilly, or mountainousLand	driving style: very light to "lead foot"Foot	A/C use: none to heavyA/C	constant stop and goTraf %	many stops per mileCity %	stop every mile or twoSub %	fairly steady speedHwy %	Hwy Spd	MPG
2011	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD	flat	med	light	12	31	26	32	79	44.7
2011	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	mtns	light	none	1	10	23	66	58	52.9
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD	flat	light	none	3	10	16	71	66	47.0
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	flat	light	light	7	27	24	42	66	45.9
2009.5	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD	flat	light	light	20	30	30	20	65	45.8
2006	2dr Hatch 73-horsepower 1.0L I3 Hybrid CVT FWD	flat	v.lt	hvy	1	1	1	97	60	59.9
2005	2dr Hatch 73-horsepower 1.0L I3 Hybrid 5-speed manual FWD	flat	med	none	0	0	40	60	60	50.0
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2001	2dr Hatch 73-horsepower 1.0L I3 Hybrid 5-speed manual FWD	hills	light	light	0	20	25	55	63	59.1
2000	2dr Hatch 73-horsepower 1.0L I3 Hybrid 5-speed manual FWD	flat	light	light	13	15	30	43	80	61.4

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This page shows only averages. See all the Honda Insight fuel economy data.

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TrueDelta Reviews the Real Gas Mileage of the Tesla Model S

Tesla Model S Real Gas Mileage: Pros
Year	Comment
2013	If the Tesla Model had a conventional gas-powered engine, few people would care about it. Plenty of established companies offer stylish, powerful, and luxurious sedans. Why place a $70,000+ bet on a new car from a new company? The reason just about everyone (and their mom) has heard of this upstart car company and its first completely in-house product is that the Model S, with its battery-powered electric motor, was engineered to render conventional cars passe. For anyone who must have the latest tech, it is the car to get. Two battery sizes are offered, 60 kWh and 85 kWh, the latter an additional $10,000. (A 40-kWh battery--actually a 60-kWh pack electronically limited to two-thirds of its capacity--was initially offered, but few early adopters opted for it and it has been discontinued.) The EPA rates the former for the equivalent of 94 mpg city, 97 mpg highway, the latter for 88/90. For reference, the much smaller, far less powerful Nissan LEAF is rated 129/102, considerably better in city (actually suburban) driving but not much more efficient on the highway. Among gas-powered competitors, the Audi A7 is rated 18/28 and the more powerful S7 is rated 17/27. Tesla's big advantage over other electric cars involves their shared primary limitation, range. In EPA testing, the LEAF's range was 75 miles, and other electrics in its price and size range manage about the same. In the same test, the two Model S packs achieved 208 and 265 miles, respectively. (Note: Range is significantly shorter for all electric cars in cold weather or when running the A/C.) Consider cost per mile, and the Tesla's fuel economy seems even better. At the national daytime average of 12 cents per kWh, the cost per mile is about four cents. (Charge at night, when rates are often discounted, and it's even less.) In comparison, an Audi A7 or S7 has a fuel cost of nearly twenty cents per mile. The average driver can save over $2,000 a year by driving a Model S. The major downside of the Tesla's electric powertrain (beyond purchase price) is the time required to charge its battery pack. With twin onboard chargers ($1,500) and a high-powered wall chargers ($1,200 plus installation) each 62 miles of range requires an hour. Easily practical for typical daily driving, but not for long-distance travel. For long-distance travel, Tesla is building a network of "Superchargers" and battery swapping stations. The Superchargers can provide half a full charge in 20 minutes. Free use of these is a $2,000 option with the regular pack and included in the price of the larger one. You'll be able to have the battery swapped in as little as 90 seconds. But the swap will cost $60 to $80 and you'll have to stop on the return trip to have the original pack re-installed or pay an additional charge. These stations will make long-distance travel feasible, but it will still be less convenient and/or more expensive than in a gas-powered car. see full Tesla Model S review

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TrueDelta Reviews the Real Gas Mileage of the Honda Insight

Honda Insight Real Gas Mileage: Pros
Year	Comment
2020	Honda's initial approach to hybrid powertrain technology wasn't a winner. A weak electric motor (13 horsepower in the case of the 2010 Insight) sandwiched between a gas engine and a CVT wasn't able to deliver nearly as much of a performance or fuel economy bump as the much stronger electric motors in Toyota's radically different hybrid system. Starting with the 2014 Accord Hybrid, Honda tried a new approach. The new system relied entirely on a much more powerful (166 horsepower) electric motor to drive the wheels up to 43 mph, and only then directly engaged the gas engine via a single-speed transmission. This was the sort of elegant "we keep it simple" solution Honda used to be known for, and it worked far better. EPA ratings of 50 mpg city and 45 mpg highway were best-in-class, topping the Toyota Camry Hybrid. This system received further tweaks when the Accord was redesigned for 2018, with mixed results for mpg (now 48/47). The Toyota Camry, also redesigned for 2018, now scores 51/53 or 44/47 depending on trim level. When I learned that a new Honda Insight would utilize a similar hybrid system with a 1.5-liter engine instead of the Accord's 2.0-liter in a smaller, lighter car, I had high hopes. Could a 60-mpg rating happen? Well, it didn't. The Honda Insight LX and EX score 55 mpg city and 49 mpg highway in the EPA's testing. The tested Touring trim, with larger tires and a higher curb weight, scores a little lower, 51/45. Pretty good. But a Toyota Prius (58/53 or 54/50, depending on the variant), a Toyota Corolla Hybrid (53/52), or a Hyundai Ioniq (57/59 or 55/54) scores better. In my testing, the trip computer reported averages ranging from 45 mpg to 75 mpg in suburban driving. (Whether the system opts to charge or draw energy from the battery pack has a big effect on the reported average during short drives.) In one 20-mile drive around hilly Ann Arbor the trip computer reported an impressive 64 mpg--and 93.6 mpg during the initial three miles. But in a Toyota Prius I averaged 65 mpg over the entire week despite some colder weather--it struggled to top 60 when the air temperature fell to 40--and observed trip averages over 90 a couple of times. Air temperatures were usually in the 60s during the week I had the Insight, optimal for fuel economy. The Honda Insight disappointed in highway driving. When cruising near 80 mph, a speed at which it can't take much advantage of its hybrid configuration, the Insight averaged 40 mpg. Good, but little better than a non-hybrid Civic. I observed a bit over 60 mpg on the highway in the Prius. Given these results, I struggled with listing fuel economy among the reasons to buy the new Insight. On the one hand, all of its direct competitors have higher EPA ratings. On the other, the Insight's mpg compares very well to non-hybrids, and fuel economy will be a primary reason people buy one. see full Honda Insight review

What Our Members Are Saying about the Real Gas Mileage of the Honda Insight

Honda Insight Real Gas Mileage: Pros
Year	Body/Powertrain	Comment
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Averaging 45mpg see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	40-45mpg. Slower you drive, better the milage see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	It gets better than advertised. 44 in town, 44 highway see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Just about the same as the Prius. Look at Fuelly.com and see for yourself. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Fantastic! Driven frugally, I am getting 46mpg at 60/40 hwy/city driving. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	getting 52mpg highway and about 46 city, maybe someone at toyota paid off the epa to rate this car low, because i have NEVER gotten under 45 mpg on the highway. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Econ Mode for just a three mile drive and got 53 mpg though traffic was very light. Afterwards during normal traffic driving, not using the Econ Mode, plus a very short drive 1/2 mile up and 1/2 mile back I got 36 mph engin cold. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Great gas mileage. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	The highest available at time of purchase. see full Honda Insight review
2010	4dr Hatch 98-horsepower 1.3L I4 Hybrid 7-speed shiftable CVT FWD	Getting near 50 MPG is fantastic after owning several cars that barely got 20 MPG. see full Honda Insight review