Just how rare are Honda Insights??

The Insight ads have been running heavily here for the last week or so.

 

There's a chance I could have been one of those. Where are you in Canada? I was in Vancouver for a few days around New Years.


I want to see a Fusion Hybrid. So far I've only seen 1.

 

I don't think that Insight II are rare, but they seem to be concentrated to certain areas. I've seen a couple, but always in cities. I see 2010 prius everywhere (i travel tons for my business). Also If you don't look hard enough insights can easily be mistaken for Prius (at a quick glance). I have actually seen more Ford Fusions than insights in my travels.

 

I live in Fort Worth and happen to own a 2010 Insight EX. (my wife drives it, I drive the 2002 Prius) So, obviously I see one everyday. However, so far I can count on one hand the number of other 2010 Insights I've seen and I have seen maybe 1 each of the Camry Hybrid, Fusion Hybrid, Tahoe Hybrid. I've seen maybe 3 or 4 civic-hybrids too.

The interesting thing is, our Insight II actually gets better gas mileage than our Gen-1 Prius. I usually get about 43 mpg in the Prius, and if I drive the Insight I will get about 46 mpg.

 

My wife just bought an Insight. Drove home today with it in a driving rainstorm.
A bit peppier than my Prius in the non eco mode (used with AC on as defogger). Nicer styling. Smaller. Quiet, same CVT transmission. Nice finishing. She's a Civic driver, and the dash looks more Honda than Prius, though the exterior is more Prius--a bit nicer line.

Honda has a dealer incentive right now until the end of Feb. The Insight and the Fit are selling well.

Price was a key: $2000 AAA internet discount with the dealer incentive--about $3000 cheaper than the Prius. About the same as a used '08 Prius, $18K range. Plus $500 PA hybrid rebate. That makes it a bargain, in my view.

I can't figure why they have an analog tach in the middle of the dash, digital mph above it. The eco mode is more advanced than my 08 Prius, more like the '10 Prius. Green and blue colors tell you how efficiently you are driving. There is a keyless entry with a keyed ignition. Gearshift is in the center console, which is small so there is good knee room like my Prius. The rear visibility is like my Prius, and will take some getting used to--same hatchback design. Just some first observations. I think my Prius is a bit roomier inside.

 

when they first came out, there were billboards everywhere touting the peoples hybrid. i would say it's been about a year and i think i've seen a handful. always a surprise because each time, i think it's a prius until i get closer. just drove from boston to florida, a million prii, not one insight in sight.

 

I have seen maybe 4 old Insights, the ones with the back wheel covered.

Though the new ones... maybe 2 or 3 in CT. All of them have been blue.

I saw one in the parking lot and went to go check it out. I wasn't a fan. My boyfriend and I were making jokes about it. Then we looked in the driver side window to check out the interior.... there was a lady sitting there. Haha. We ran away... very fast after insulting her car.

Although I am not a huge fan of them, I like their bright blue. Its flashy It's just like the Corolla XRS Blue that my dad has.

 

The Insight is selling well right now--with the Honda dealer incentive to March 1st and the current Prius issues--real or perceived.

I think you'll find a lot of Honda drivers will want to stay with a Honda. The public will flock to a hybrid when gas prices go up again, after the economy stabilizes. And the cheapest hybrid out there right now is the Insight--though I don't think it's much of a family car with the smaller rear seat room vs the Prius.

Right now, I don't think it makes much sense to buy a new ICE car, because in a few years, when the new EPA mileage rules set in, there will be many more hybrids on the road and resale value of ICE cars will plummet.

 

We now have an 08 Prius and a 10 Insight for comparison, too, though different drivers. How do you drive the Insight? With the eco mode always on? Do you keep the white bars from overlapping the dark areas on accelerating and braking?

 

These cars are extremely rare, I've seen maybe one or two. The cars not bad at all, it's just that the Prius had a head start. I have an 2010 Insight and love it!

 

True you don't see many Insights, but it's a first year model and there is no real push here with gas prices to switch to hybrids. You don't see many of the Ford hybrids either--even the hybrid Escape. I haven't seen any Fusion hybrids on the road.

The one hybrid you see is the Prius, but it's been around for 6 years or so, and there are many more on the road.

My wife continues to love her Insight, and is up to around 42 mpg. I'm getting 50 mpg on my Prius.

 

common car here at Limassol. I see at least two daily

 

Insights (the Prius copycat) are surprisingly more common in Houston than I would have ever dreamed. Texas, and any other area of the world that gets above about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, is the last place you'd ever expect to see a car whose air conditioning STOPS blowing cold air at traffic lights! What's the point of having A/C at all if it only blows hot air half the time? May as well have windows that only roll down...

 

You don't see many because --- they are not good cars.

We bought a 2011 Insight in February because (1) it was cheap, and (2) we were temporarily mad at Toyota.

It was a mistake.

Compared to our Prius, the car is cramped, has no ooomph, and the controls /storage areas are very non-ergonomic. GAs mileage is just about identical between our new Insight and our 2004 Prius.

Spend the extra 4K & get a Prius.

 

Depends on where you are.. They are all over the Seattle/Tacoma area. Especially in fleet use as they were the low bidder...

I probably see 1-2 a day, compared to 50-100 prius (I drive around 3-4 hours aday)

I do see probably 5-10 Leafs a day...

Heck, a few months ago, I saw 3 Teslas in a day, and they were not travelling together!

No Volts yet. I tried buying one, but wasn't willing to pay a penny more than sticker price. They wanted $2500 above sticker (down from $6k above!!!!!!!!!)

 

USA, ND: cannot find any dealer has insight. 2 dealers said the same thing, "You can test drive a used insight. And when you committed to buy, we then arrange to have one deliver to your door -> just a different way to say NO, YOU CANNOT TEST DRIVE THE CAR YOU WANT TO BUY.

Yes, I was interested in a 2012 Insight, but cannot find a dealer in whole North Dakota to have me test drive one before purchase. Yuh.

bun

 

My favorite insight .....use to see this one here in town while back!