I was amused when I read you kept trying to recharge this |plug-in| hybrid’s battery, which is a reservoir of inexpensive and potentially very clean energy, using the expensive to run and relatively dirty gasoline engine “out of some sense of guilt and shame” of using it up. That’s the whole point of a plug-in - to…

30mpg is a tough sell these days considering there is a full size pickup truck which gets that. 40-45 is easy with most compact Japanese cars.

In my first gen Honda Insight, I can lose 25mpg+ “just” by changing the tires to a non-LRR with 20mm wider tread.

Yes, now is the perfect time to buy a pickup, at the peak of their value and right as gas is starting to creep up in price.

There are manual transmission hybrids. No plug-in hybrids, to my knowledge, unfortunately.

28, divorced college grad with a clean driving record, I pay $325 per year in Vermont for my 2000 Honda Insight with a trillion miles on the odometer.

Unlikely, but regardless, this ignores the fact that the absolute weight of a wheel is less important than the weight distribution. If more of the weight is near the outer edge, the wheel will have greater inertia (rotating mass) even if the weight is the same.

It won’t hurt it, but you’ll get about half the gas mileage as if you keep it around 2k when “cruising” around town.

My manual Insight has 5 gears. 5th gear is great for highway cruising - the 0.9L 3 cylinder is turning at a leisurely 2700rpm at 80mph. Unfortunately, to get this tall final ratio, the rest of the gears are insanely far apart. I often feel like 1-2-3 could use a 1-2-3-4 covering the same range, and make the current…

All aluminum, nothing to rust. Has a water-cooled exhaust manifold, so you get heat quickly. Never had a problem living on a dirt road in the mountains of Vermont. All wheel drive and ground clearance is for chumps.

I’ve just crossed 250k miles on mine and it’s only ever had oil changes, tires, and a 12v battery. The front suspension is starting to get a little creaky.