I am not trying to sterotype Hybrid driver, but some of these hybrid drive makes me annoy, and they are likely to causing accident.... My lately observation when I was behind a hybrid car...
1. They are extremely slow 30 or 35mph where speed limit is 40 (Driver are not old folks).
2. Sudden / often brakes, when there is no cars ahead.
Those cars already save much enough gas, they don't need to drive it extremely slow, for using electric motors or make sudden brake to charge up their battery. These guys are causing trouble on the road. I hate to drive behind a HYBRID.

 

You must be behind some noob hybrid drivers. I can only speak as a Honda Insight (5 spd) driver but 5th gear is really usable from 35 mph (at 100-125 mpg ) so it's actually better to drive the speed limit on slower roads. On the highway, its a different story as driving slower will get you better mileage if there's nobody around to draft behind. Othersiwe, drafting will get you better mileage than driving slow.

Your next comment about them hitting the brakes often is pretty much blasphemy to most of us. To get the best mileage possible, you don't want to touch the brake...ever. Now this isn't possible but you get the picture. The hybrid systems will provide a trickle charge even when just cruising so there's no need for hitting the brakes unless you need to slow down. The only thing you might see from a seasoned driver is holding the brakes a long time with minimal pedal effort as the regenerative braking will kick in and provide a heavy charge without actually using the friction brakes. It's useless to do this unless you know you really need to slow down.

If the hybrids you talk about are mostly Prius' then they might be trying to stay on battery power (the Prius can go up to 30 mph on just battery, while it lasts).

 

I rarely see any Honda Insight.. Most of the time when I was behind a hybrid.. it is a Toyota Prius.

Road are public and shared by everyone. There is nothing wrong for a driver to drive within speed limit or hitting a brake if he think there is a necessary to do so. But it is totally selfish to ignore others safty or blocking traffic to driving too slow or hitting brake often.

 

I don't think Honda makes too many Insights. I think the demand is there, but I suspect they don't profit much from them because of high manufacturing costs. I really like the car though. Kudos, Kapps.

As for driving too slow, five miles under the speed limit is not extreme. You have a MCS, francisk. Why not just pass the slow pokes and allow them to go as slow as they want. No passing zone on a two-lane road? Find a seldom-used shortcut with lots of twisties. Both you and the hybrid driver will be much happier.

 

i felt this way behind Saturn drivers... :impatient it feels like people that are slow and do not reflect on new opportunities end up with Saturns.

ok, now im stereotyping and will get my spanking.


just kidding to all you loooosers, i mean, Saturn drivers.

 

Yeah, and I would include hybrid drivers too...(Now see what I dragged myself and you into )

 

I never follows any slower cars in purpous, and would never notice that slower car is a Hybrid unless, it really block my way by driving slow on a single lane road.
If I have choice, I won't follow them.

 

as far as the two main hybrids go: insight and prius...both failed in looks, but the Prius is a better engineered car... therefore you see more on the roads...cool concepts with both maybe in a few years they'll be able to produce a battery for one that wont cost $3000 or one that will last a while...