2006 Honda Insight Test Drive

I traded up from a Honda Insight I owned for 5 years to a Toyota Prius and am so glad I did. The Prius has more room and more gadgets, it's just a more useful vehicle than the Insight was.

 

Yeah, the thing with the insight is, it was always more of an experiment to see how many mpgs one could get out of a hybrid. That's why it will always be remembered as a cult vehicle.

 

A visiting Canadian Smart bumper-to-bumper with my 2000 5-speed Insight in Lewisville, Texas

I've been happy with my Insight over since buying it on September 9, 2000 - over 112,000 miles ago.

The first two years I was an aggressive driver and still got about 55mpg. After hypermiling, I get about 75mpg in the summer - 70mpg in freezing weather (at least 80% on the freeway). In those first couple of years I was in four minor to moderate collisions - chassis and main body unharmed. While the other guy always got the ticket, my driving today would have avoided three of those four fender-benders. Also drove the Insight to 113mph (182kph) a couple of times. {blush} It has also exceeded 150mpg using pulse-and-glide driving.

I had a 1988 CRX HF twelve years - 250,000 miles. It lasted inspite of some abuse, and this Insight is doing better. The Insight is essentially a hybrid aluminum CRX HF with acceleration like the CRX DX (but definitely not the pocket rocket CRX Si). With airbags and better bumpers, the Insight weight as much as the CRX HF - 1900 pounds (A/C is not an option in Texas!). My best CRX fuel economy run was 68 to 78 mpg at 50mph(giving a fudge factor).

At 112,000 miles - only the O2 sensor had a problem but was fixed. The hybrid battery pack was also replaced at 94,000 miles (more later on that). No other problems. At this point, my CRX had three CV boots replaced, the transmission replaced, three brakes replaced.

Many 2000 Insights had battery problems, but I expect the replacement to be much better. Half of the blame is my two years of aggressive driving, including keeping ahead of a Suburban for 90 minutes cruising at 95mph {really stupid - yes}. Honda has made a lot of software updates, tailored to the climate and terrian. Batteries are also better. My 25-mile trip to the dealer with a dead battery pack was normal except a loss in acceration and the dreaded "IMA" light - no loss in fuel economy.

While I definitely think manual transmission hybrids in 2006 are very reliable, I can see why Honda will probably never sell them again. To protect your self from recalls and lawsuits, you have to make a product that can be abused by the worst 5% of consumers. I would NOT recommend a gearhead to drive an Insight - they will run the battery down quickly. People that don't go way over the speed limit don't need to worry - however.

My results:
- cruising at 40mph: 100+mpg
- cruising at 50mph: 75 or 80mpg
- cruising at 60mph: 70mpg
- cruising at 65mph: 65mpg
- cruising at 70mph: 50mpg
- cruising at 80mph: 40mpg
- abusive stop-and-go in a residentail area: 40mpg
- worst case of stop-and-go at 2-3mpg over an icy road: 25mpg


The 5-speed Insight is a mixed bag on emissions. The NO2 emissions from the lean burn makes it perhaps the dirtiest hybrid, but it emmits less CO2 than any car built to date.



What could Toyota offer that might get similar fuel economy?

A hybrid Yaris, perhaps a bit higher geared.

 

I have driven both vehicles. I find the Insight to be a more admirable vehicle. I admire the owner as much as the car, as they have chosen fuel conservation over greater practicality.

It's a steal in the used car market as well.

 

I really liked the Insight, but because it didn't have a back seat (even a minimal one) it wouldn't have worked for me. The Insight is a great-looking car, very similar to the Prius. The hatchback was a really big draw for me, along with the great mileage and the 5-speed manual tansmission (the one thing I miss on the Prius). Its a shame to see the Insight go away, but a 2-seater just isn't enough....

 

The insight was a good proof of concept car, but there's no way I'd ever have bought one. As much as I enjoy having good fuel economy and environmental benefits by driving a hybrid, practicality is top on my list.

 

If it had been financially feasible, I would have got an Insight not long after I got the Prius. I just couldn't work the bucks.

The Insight would have been my commuter car (100 miles/day). I don't carry anything ... just a gym bag & my softball equipment. My wife would have the Prius. And we're not having children. So we don't need a lot of trunk space.

As it is, I use the Prius and my wife drives the Accord. It'll do for now.

 

For me it was a choice between the Insight and the Prius. The Prius won because at this point in my life I need to be thinking of the future. The Prius had more room and more cool hacks like pure EV mode. Plus it had the big tax credit. I like the looks of the Insight better because it had the wheel skirts. I still want an Insight and if I had the money I would have bought one before they quit selling them.

 

taking an insight, making it RWD with a new engine, and drifting it, sounds like a real project to me. but people make fun of me

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ml194152 @ Nov 13 2006, 03:18 PM) [snapback]348320[/snapback]</div>

Huh? How do you figure they are almost the same? They are completely NOT alike in any way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Nov 14 2006, 06:49 AM) [snapback]348641[/snapback]</div>

Get out a digital editor like PhotoShop and either make the Prius longer or the Insight shorter. The answer should be obvious.

The driving experience or the dashboard is very different - granted.

If Honda were to do a second generation Insight, this is what I'd suggest:
- Make it a foot longer so it could have rear seats - althoug it would be the Mini Cooper variety
- To make room in the rear, move the hybrid battery pack to the firewall area, cooled by the A/C. Some would argue the car would be less balanced, have a slightly longer front, but it elimates the shock hazard for passengers (if there was much of a risk), make a dedicated battery cooler unneccesary, and again gives more room in the back.
- 6-speed manual transmission with limited EV mode (for extreme gridlock traffic and trips under a mile)
- Clean diesel/hybrid 800cc
- LED taillights and low beams to save weight on headlight assembly
- Double-deck dash like the 2006 Civic that is almost heads up display. Make it customizable and FTP data
- Solar cell paint job to maintain battery charge when idle

 

An Insight drove me to get a Prius! My best friend was an early adopter of Insight. I was impressed enough to try a larger hybrid. Insight is not for me, but for the Insight I now own a Prius.

 

Out of curiosity, what was the Insight CO2 output ?

 

I wanted to test drive an Insight, but the dealer said I had to leave my wife at the dealership while the sales guy and I drove (since there are only two seats). Since that wasn't going to happen, I didn't buy an Insight -- I never even got to test drive it. This was in 2002 or so.

I have to say, I'm glad I waited for the '06 Prius. And, when I did my Prius test-drive, the sales guy did ride along. But, my wife was along too. And, yes.. he did tell me where to turn, what to do... ... and no, he didn't get the sale.

I never got that mindset -- the sales guy coming along. If I was really going to steal the car, would you want to ride along?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Hornhonker @ Nov 14 2006, 11:38 PM) [snapback]349331[/snapback]</div>

If you check out www.fueleconomy.gov - it gives the estimated CO2 for an estimate 15,000 miles driven annually. Depending on the year, the 5-speed Insight emitts 2.9 or 3.0 tons of CO2.

 

<_< Hi Delta Flyer

Quote:
"My results:
- cruising at 40mph: 100+mpg
- cruising at 50mph: 75 or 80mpg
- cruising at 60mph: 70mpg
- cruising at 65mph: 65mpg
- cruising at 70mph: 50mpg
- cruising at 80mph: 40mpg"

On my 2004 [traded for a 2007 Touring Edition Nov 11], cruising on the Texas Interstates at 70-75 MPH, I got 50-55 MPG consistently. Don't know yet about the 2007, just have 150 miles on the clock. The Touring Edition has 16" wheels and Bridgestone Turanza tires which I'm currently running at 37/35 PSI as contrasted to the 40/38 PSI I ran on the 2004. I didn't like the 'feel' of the 2007 with higher tire pressures.

 

I probably understated the Insight's mpg 5-8mpg cruising at 70mph, but I don't go over 65 that much. At any rate, a five-seater getting the same kind of fuel efficiency at 70 is remarkable.

Going faster than that I lose the benefits of the lean burn and fuel economy goes down considerably.

I noticed the picture of your Chinchilla Persian and it looks like the Mom of one of my cats...