WPWoodJr

When i tested the sport back in June, i gave the stereo a quick test and noticed, even with the bass all the way up, it did not have that much bass. Now, i was listening to FM radio and i didnt reall play around with it aside from treble and bass so maybe these settings will improve. But if they dont, I would probably be looking to hook up like 2 10" subs to the factory system. I know using the factory system with subs is kind of a faux pas but, i would rather keep the factory system.

 

Someone did mention swapping the actual speakers for "Blackpunkt" or something like that but, i donno.

I'd say it has decent low bas but not sub-woofer quality bass. You need to play something better than FM radio to hear it though! Try a CD or hook up a USB drive with music on it. Also, make sure its in "Stereo" mode not "Surround" mode because surround mode makes the bass less prominent.

I've spent some time tweaking the Sony Premium Sound system.

My daughter has a Gen II Prius (2007). She's home from school so I took the Prius out on my test loop. This loop is 14 miles long and I've taken the FFH around it a few times, getting 54-55 mpg.

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Here's my my story about the flip key.

See my story behind getting a flip key for the FFH.

You will be very pleased.

I just got the key, came fairly quickly. Took it to the locksmith, he said that the blade was not quite right because if you look at it from end-on you can see that the thin ridges on either side of the center groove are not as wide as on the 2010 FFH key. He said that would cause the cuts to go too deep and it very probably would not work in the lock. Does your key blade have have that issue? Look at it end-on and compare to the original key. I'm reluctant to try cutting it and lose a $50 key!

Here's an article on the myth of pulse and glide. You may not be getting as great an MPG boost from P&G as you thought.

heres a peek of the subs in action thats going in the Fusion,this was shot in my F150.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwS87QmSFJ8

Wow where will you put those bad boys in the Fusion?

Wow, those are amazing numbers. Even with your numbers going home your average is very impressive. I'm anxious to see how things average in the fall, when I can stop using the A/C.

 

Congrats on breaking the 60 mark, which I'm sure puts you in a very small class of your own. That's territory usually reserved to the Prius owners. Pretty cool to pull that out with a full-sized sedan.

Well, I live on the ridge above Valley Forge, so the general trend is downhill going to work. But that's the only time I've broken 60. I'm trying to do it on a more level course though. Wayne Gerdes was able to do it on a regular basis while he had one for testing, I'm a bit perplexed how. I went out on a drive yesterday of 14.7 miles and got 54.3, some granny driving when others weren't around. I'm experimenting with acceleration rates. To get >60 I think I need to be a full time granny and do things like shift into neutral on long glides, which I would not normally do.

My car average (reset at 175 miles, now at ~1080) is 43.4 mpg.

I also broke my record today going to work - 60.4 MPG vs 57.4 - I modified my normal technique by applying more power than I had been before when using the ICE.

 

The route to work has a lot of downhill in it. Normally I get about 36mpg on the way home, although I have gotten 38. Today I got 33, but I think I was building up too much speed with the ICE, then having to slow down.

I got 39.6 mpg on the way home today. Hoping to break 40 as this route is very hilly, more uphill than down.

Was not being too much of a granny either

Broke my record this morning with a surprising 50.2mpg for the commute (according to the computer). Traffic was perfect and I hit many of the lights, allowing extended stealth mode driving.

I also broke my record today going to work - 60.4 MPG vs 57.4 - I modified my normal technique by applying more power than I had been before when using the ICE.

The route to work has a lot of downhill in it. Normally I get about 36mpg on the way home, although I have gotten 38. Today I got 33, but I think I was building up too much speed with the ICE, then having to slow down.

I had a 2004 Acura TSX (which as I'm sure you are aware is in the Honda family) with navigation before I got my FFH. The navigation on that car is more advanced than the one on my FFH, so I can imagine how advanced the newest version on the Insight is.

 

My parents who are totally electronically ignorant were able to use the navi in my TSX with just one lesson when they came to visit me. I am sure they could not use the one in my FFH because I still have "scratch my head" moments and I've owned it for a month.

 

The Honda/Acura navi system also functions completely when driving unlike the FFH's (unless they changed that on models newer than my 2004).

 

The Garmin Nuvi 660 I have for our RV sucks. It is about as user unfriendly as it can be. I defy you to figure out how to change the time zone on the damn thing without going crazy. The FFH is light years ahead of a Garmin.

There's only a few things you can't do on the nav when the FFH is driving. So far it hasn't been an issue for me.

I really like the Garmin interface. Why would you change the time zone? It knows what time zone you are in already.

I posted this MPG update in my blog:

Today I filled up the tank. For consistency I went to the same pump I used last time. The car took 9.826 gallons (with no "top off"); the tank mileage was 434.6 miles, leading to an average of 44.23 mpg.

The car's MPG reading, which I had reset before this tank, was 45.2 mpg; it seems to be reading a little high (2% in this case and 6% high last time).

Driving conditions were approximately 45% highway (55-65 mph), and 55% suburban, rolling-to-hilly terrain. I generally left A/C off but not always.

Not bad for a car whose EPA rating is 41 city / 36 highway! :happy feet:

Wow, great pics, thanks for posting! Please post pics when you replace the amp.

Do you have the Nav head unit with Sony upgrade?

Will you replace the head or just run the amps off it? High level or low level outputs?

How many channels does the stock amp have? Is it 5.1?

Will you be replacing the rear speakers too?

Really appreciated. Mine sounds harsh and sometimes distorted in the bass. I can't play it loud, drives me crazy.

Before I file this into my brain as the tire pressure/contact patch gospel, please tell me that you are in the tire industry and this is the absolute truth.

Here's and interesting article about tire pressure on police cars:

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11652

Myths about pressure

 

Let’s put to rest some common misconceptions. The tires will not balloon out creating a peak in the center portion of the tread when tire pressure is above 35 psi. There is a steel belt that prevents this from happening. Also, you are not overstressing the tire with higher pressure, and the tire will not be forced off the rim with higher pressure. The picture above is Bobby Ore of Bobby Ore Motorsports driving a Ford Ranger on two wheels. The tires on the left side have 100 psi in them, and they happen to be tires and rims from a 1999 Crown Victoria! This is a dramatic example of how pressure holds the tire in shape, and how much stress a tire can handle.

Mine came from the dealer at 40, which surprised me. At 35PSI the ride is a fair bit better. I went back to 40 until I find out what the story is. It seems they are all coming in at 40 or so from Ford.

 

Jon

My tires are at 35 after almost a month. Haven't touched them since I picked the FFH up at the dealer.

WP -- Here's how I look at this. I bought the FFH mainly because I liked the styling and I liked the basic mileage. But I also like it because it adds something to my driving interest: I'm not looking for true hypermileage but I do set minitargets for myself on a per trip basis, e.g., can I get to and from the market across town today (ca 6 mi round trip) at + 40 mpg (yes I could: 42.3). This just makes driving fun.

 

The other aspect you point to, however, the possibility of annoying other drivers when you lug along at a slow speed I don't worry about so much because I try not to do that to my fellow drivers; however, I have changed the way I approach stops that I see ahead, and I like the feeling of turning my car into a very expensive golf-cart as I glide to a stop. I have been driving for almost 50 years (!) and driving the FFH is the most fun I've had driving any sedan (have driven some true sporty cars in my day, ranging from muscle cars to Alpha Romeos).

I agree, I love driving around in stealth mode. I drove through Princeton, NJ today in EV mode the whole way.

Someone else posted that the FFH was more fun than any other sedan they'd driven too. It is fun, but not in the exciting way that a sports car is, more of a mental challenge.

What I don't like about driving for good mileage is that one slip-up can ruin the tank mpg

A lot of good discussion on this topic over at Prius Chat:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-p...th-trouble.html

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Oryon - your luck continues.

 

Ford just extended the open allocation until the end of the year for the FFH and MMilanH. The next "upset" date is September 30. You should order before then to take advantage of the $1,700 tax credit. If you order after 9/30, the credit become $850.

 

My fleet buddy tells me to plan on 8 to 10 weeks for delivery. Seems like 8 is the most likely, based on the experiences here. The various government agencies are ordering a lot of Fusion Hybrids. Don't know iof that will slow down the scheduling process. (Presiden Obama already has his.)

Great news!

Obama really has one? Personal or in his fleet? Wouldn't he be driving in a bulletproof limo?

As mentioned in the manual my mileage has increased about 2 MPG since hitting 1000 miles (the break-in period).

I think my mileage has gone up too, although I tend to put it down to my greatly improving driving technique

Yes, that's what I saw. Not an option since they don't come in H11, but PIAA makes a Super White in H11.

Problem is they are not Long Life LL - so how hard is it to change these bulbs yourself? Does this car

have daytime running lights? That would surely shorten their lifetime.

No daytime running lights.

Conclusion: Both the Insight and the FFH are well built well designed cars but there are big differences. The FFH is a real driver's car, rock solid at highway speeds (75 mph/120 kph) and offers true electric performance in bumper to bumper/grid lock conditions. The FFH is a very comfortable car and people over 5'-5" tall can sit comfortably in the front and rear- ride is Euro style. The Honda two biggest features are its versatile hatch back and the Navigation system standard (one of the best I have ever seen) on the LX package.

 

Hope that this helps!

I'm curious, what's so great about the nav on the Honda? Is it comparable to a Garmin?

I have a 2010 FFH. It has the same key as prior Fusions. No need to wait. Works great. Took the service writer 1 minute to progam. For $49. plus shipping it is a great deal. The key is usually available. I followed it for a couple of months before I bought. Email the supplier for availability.

I ordered one too - can't wait!