Contact Keith by e-mail.

As some of you recall, I had been considering selling my smart diesel and getting a used Honda Insight. It was feeling like the limits of the car as far as fuel economy was concerned had been reached. I had already surpassed 100 mpg several times, getting as much as 126 mpg imperial in June 2006. I felt that the Honda Insight would offer the ‘next challenge’ - delivering better fuel economy numbers in day to day driving.

But used smarts are becoming cheaper in Canada, and my car was not quick to sell, despite it’s flawless condition. All this to say… I needed a new motivation to seek better day to day fuel economy.

And I did find it, at gassavers.org. A few weeks back, I acquired a second hand fuel economy computer that plugs into the OBDII port of the smart. After calibrating the unit with a GPS and verifying fillup data, my day to day numbers have improved by 15% - close to 10 mpg, or .5 L/100km.

Having instant feedback on fuel consumption is a great motivator - and also enables you to make some driving style adjustments that result in lower consumption. On some trips to/from work I can get close to 100 mpg. My best thus far was 2.9 L/100 km / 97 mpg.

A few modifcations are planned for the car, including getting a set narrower front wheels from a European dealer. (The narrower front wheels were once standard on the smart diesel in Germany.) My goal is to try and get 3.0 L/100 km in day to day driving overall during the warmer months of the year.

More to follow shortly!