Would an Insight make sense for me?
#1
Would an Insight make sense for me?
I'm thinking of buying a used Insight as a second commute car. (I already have a Ford Escape Hybrid for winter four wheel drive needs.) My concern is that I commute 35 miles over a 1700' coastal mountain pass twice a day. How do you folks think the Insight would hold up with a daily climb?
#2
Re: Would an Insight make sense for me?
Are you saying you go up a climb from 0' to 1700' every day?
Or is the climb less than 1700' because you start at some higher elevation (say 1000')and then go higher to 1700'?
Or is the climb less than 1700' because you start at some higher elevation (say 1000')and then go higher to 1700'?
#3
Re: Would an Insight make sense for me?
Hi Ogakor:
___Given your climb, I do not think you will be happy with the Insight. There are some nuances about driving for high FE with steep grades that are not very pretty and I do not know if most would take the time vs. pedal to the medal all the while watching a pack’s capacity and longevity dwindle on a daily basis until failure at some point in the future. I would be very very careful what you wish for in your particular locale given the terrain.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
___Given your climb, I do not think you will be happy with the Insight. There are some nuances about driving for high FE with steep grades that are not very pretty and I do not know if most would take the time vs. pedal to the medal all the while watching a pack’s capacity and longevity dwindle on a daily basis until failure at some point in the future. I would be very very careful what you wish for in your particular locale given the terrain.
___Good Luck
___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net
#4
Re: Would an Insight make sense for me?
While I don't know the answer, my gut feeling is a 5-speed Insight would have a hard time in the mountains. I base this on the experiences of my 1988 CRX HF on I70 just west of Denver. My best guess is my Insight would start a long climb just fine - until the battery recalibrated. The CVT version (which I don't have) might fare better. A friend with a Prius did OK in Colorado.
In a month I plan to drive from Dallas to Denver. That should shedd light on this.
In a month I plan to drive from Dallas to Denver. That should shedd light on this.
#5
Re: Would an Insight make sense for me?
Thanks for the replies. They confirm what I've heard elsewhere. I drive from sea level, up 1700' and back to sea level again on my Santa Cruz-San Jose commute. I also drive about 240 miles to my Lake Tahoe cabin about every other week, cresting a 7800' mountain pass. The all-wheel drive Ford Escape Hybrid handles everything very well and gives me an average of 30 mpg. I was considering a used Insight to cut the daily wear and tear when AWD was not required.
#6
Re: Would an Insight make sense for me?
I rhink a CVT may handle it better than the 5 speed. Mainly because with a 5-speed if you kept it in, say, 5th gear the whole time, without any downshifting, you could deplete the battery. You would probably be a bit more attentive in a 5 speed so that you don't overuse the pack on the daily climb. Downshifting and letting the ICE handle more of the load would be better. Having a lot of full discharges of the batteries can shorten their lifespan.
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