Featured 2019 Honda Insight Hybrid: Intriguing Competitor to Prius

Switching from Civic Hybrid to Gen3 Pri, then to Prime. My mpg is steadily increasing. Now, anything less than 60 mpg is considered to be inefficient. LOL

 

I think Honda finally hit the sweet spot in regards to a hybrid car. I have seen the insight and the Ioniq and I think insight looks better.

 

Seems the 2014 Accord Hybrid will show how Honda hybrid reliability is since the Civic hybrid / IMA battery mess 10 years ago. I would think some have well over 60k mi on their 2014 Accord Hybrids by now.

 

But, they will see that it's the same size as a Civic, but EX hybrid is $24,955 sticker while Civic EX is $22,3xx and has a sunroof and spare tire. In that market, most will save the $3k (Civics must be discounted more than Insights, plus less tax).

Other thing is, low inventories on Insight, like 11 units at big dealers down to 2 or 3 at small Honda dealers.

 

Honda switched to Li-ion for the last year or two of the IMA Civic. Are there reports of problems with those packs?

 

whether it's an internal combustion, or lithium, or nickel metal hydride, if you work something harshly, it won't last as long. Nissan Leaf's piss poor thermal management comes to mind.
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Yes, which is why I asked in those Civic hybrids had issues with those Li-ion packs.
If yes, they hadn't learn their lesson in regards to battery management.
If no, they have, and these new hybrids likely won't have battery issues.

Did the Insight2 or CRZ have as many battery issues as the Civic?

 

Finally? 1st generation Insight was rated at 61 mpg. 2000 Honda Insight

I haven't read/heard about anyone having battery issues with the Insight 2.

 

It's not a shrinking market. All ICE vehicles will be hybrid soon enough. Because... Why would you let your kinetic energy go to waste and not operate engine at optimal thermal efficiency? Provided batteries/motors are cheap enough, not going hybrid is madness!

 

Yes. However, the original Insight was a very-different car, as I recall: Two-seater, aluminum body, IIRC.

According to the Trump EPA, because efficient cars are dreadfully unsafe.

 

i agree with you in theory, but we must be looking at different numbers.

 

True, but without the pressure of regulations or fuel prices, the manufacturers and buyers will opt to skip even paying the low end price estimate of $800 for a mild hybrid system.

Without the introduction of new hybrid models, the segment would be even smaller.

 

That EPA test method pre-20007 (iirc) was flawed by ~10%, which was why the old EPA was revised. Under new EPA testing, the car would be rated at about 55 MPG - which is still okay, for a 3-cylinder 2-seater.

true ... btw @Prashanta - everytime I see your avatar I have a deja vu ....

maybe it's just me ... just sayin'

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Revised, the original is 53 and 47 MPG for the manual and CVT.
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Along with the two seater niche, the first Insight also suffered from battery degradation like the Civic hybrid; more pronounced among the manual equipped cars.