I've got one of each flavor and I prefer the Insight because of it's superior FE.

Problem: Seats uncomfortable
Solution: Wet Okole seat covers installed ($245) (they have a thick padding)

Problem: No armrest
Solution: Husco armrest installed ($100) (they are out of business now)

Problem: No Cruise Control
Solution: Rostra Cruise Control (haven't bought or installed it yet so I can't vouch)

Problem: Factory radio substandard
Solution: A cheap ($200) aftermarket radio with sattelite radio capabilites and new speakers, again cheap ($60, I got mine free though)

IMO opinion it's plenty roomy and I'm not a little guy. If something were to happen to it I'd replace it with another. Remember the ride is a bit harsh, but I barely notice it anymore.

I try not to hold up traffic. For the most part I have been cruising on a 2 lane road that the speed limit is 60 mph. I normally attempt to do 63. It's hilly enough to use assist, but short hills so I get NO regen. I'll be moving soon and I've been driving my route daily for the last 2 weeks - 50 miles one way. For the most part I've been averaging 65 mpg. Some days I end up unexpectedly drafting a 18 wheeler.

Out of having the choice to drive either a HCH or an Insight everyday I normally grab the Insight 9 times out of 10 while the HCH sits.

 

That is EXACTLY my plan. I want to eventually have the Insight as the daily driver and the HCH for special occasion use. You are lucky to have both.

 

How does the other person that rides with you feel about the Insight? I drive a Vette which may actually be a little smaller than the Insight and it serves my needs most of the time. Personally I'd love to have an Insight but not everybody gets such a warm fuzzy feeling about such a small, weird looking, quirky car.

 

It's my wife so I tell her to shut up and then I allow her to say 10 words every 5 miles. Just kidding.

I had a '92 Vette convertible for all of a day several years back and she made me take it back as she thought there was an underlying motive for my purchase. I have a '63 Corvette but she's never ridden in it (maybe once) so no complaints there. She loves the Insight more than all of our vehicles, when she rides in it she gets the warm fuzzy she's saving the earth one gallon at a time. About the worst thing I hear out of here is if she gets into the wrong car in the morning the complaint that she has to move to the other car. No complaints about comfort at all - and she normally whines about everything.

Not many cars get names but the Insight has the sort of following that the owners give their cars names (like VW Beetles, Minis etc.).

 

zimbop,

On vacations and the first three years of my 5-speed Insight I drove fast more than occasionally. It seems I'm failing to get the point across that if you want to cruise anywhere from 60-75mph, you can still save gas being one with the dashboard and still save time.

The 5-speed Insight saves fuel on the highway by going into lean burn. You can assume it's on when the instant mpg is above 50mpg. On a level highway, you can drive as fast as about 65mph on lean burn. Lean burn will cut out quicker with loads like the A/C or hill climbing.

My work commute is about 30 minutes and can go about 90 minutes before the seat really bothers me. Given a choice between going 5-10mph faster and the cruise control, I'll go faster manually.

Fuel Economy You Might Expect on a 5-speed Insight With a Light Load
80mph+ = 40mpg
75mph = 55mpg
70mph = 60mpg
65mph = 65mpg
60mph = 75mpg (it's the lean burn)

While these are estimates, I hope this give you a good idea of what to expect

One other thing to add from a cost standpoint: when I routinely cruise at 75mph within a year I get pulled over in Texas.


lakedude, do you know a Vette is lower to the ground than an Insight?

 

Hi zimbop:

I had someone else on this Forum ask that question to me in a PM. Heres my Reply, I hope it helps in your decision:
tigerhonaker vbmenu_register("postmenu_", true);
G.H. Contributor


Real Name: Terry
Location: The Music City, Tennessee
Hybrids: 06 HCH Coming;Jan.OR Feb.
Posts: 601


Re: Question??????



Insight:
Very Small on the inside
Very Hard Door Panel where your Elbow/Arm Rest /Lays
Aluminum Body/ Very hard to get Repaired
No-Power/ Even less with CVT
Bare minimum storage
Hard to see out of
On Hwy. Noisey inside
Lousy Stereo
No-Cruise Control
No-Center Arm Rest
No Left Leg/Foot Support
No Real World Upgrades in Years: Period
It Gets Fuel Mileage at the expense of the above Listed Items:
Accord Hybrid:
Pluses;
Fast
Comfortable
Alot of Space inside and Trunk for Storage
With Nav. Option/ Ultra Modern High Tech.
X/M Satellite Radio/ Sound System: Great
Normal 5-Speed Auto Trans.
Auto-Climate Control
Minuses:
The Auto-Stop feature Will wear on your Nerves; in Stop and Go Traffic or Stop Light to Stop Light it will Stop Engine then Start right back up and Then Right back off and you get the idea I think. Back and Fourth, On and Off and So On.
In the City Or Heavy traffic it Uses (Alot-Of-Fuel) it is a Full Size 6-Cyclinder High Performance Engine and Therefore it consumes Fuel.
Many Post have been done about the FE (Fuel Ecomony) of the HAH and they are not (Good).
It does not seem like it is going to do well in holding it's Value like other Honda Hybrids because Honda has already done discounts on the 05 Model to get Rid of them on Dealer Lots. So If that is the case then it should be an indicator as to how it is going to stand up in the long run in holding its Value for the Customer.
Not an Inexpensive Vehicle.
If you wanted a Fast, Comfortable, Better FE than a standard Accord and do-not mind the Cost I guess this Hybrid would be a Go.
2006 HCH ll
PLUSES:
New Exterior Styling
New Interior
New Seats; Larger and more Support
New Sound Systems
New Tilt/Telescopic Steering Wheel
New Two-Tier Instrument Panel
New Interior Upgraded Fabrics and Materials
New Auto-Stop Feature, Works to keep you (Cool) in the Summer and (Hot-Warm) in Winter with ICE Not-Running at Stop Lights.
New for 2006 Much Upgraded CVT, More Torque & Wider Gear ranges for Increased Take-Offs and Cruising on Hwy.
New ICE, (Internal-Gas-Engine) more Power with Less Fuel being Burned.
New for 2006 Much Upgraded IMA (Internal- Motor-Assist) with More Power and Torque Capacity.
New for 2006 Smaller in size but Alot More Power, the Battery Pack
New for 2006 a much smaller Electronics Package to Control The IMA and ICE. With much more Processing Power. Think Computer:
New 15 Inch Aluminum Aero Wheels
New LRR (Low-Rolling-Resistance) Tires
New or I should say much Improved CD Rating to cut through the Wind.
Panel Fit and Finish for 06 is better.
New Under Body Panels to Decrease Drag
New for 2006 is Navagation
New for 2006 is (Dealer-Installed) X/M Satellite Radio.
New for 2006 is Available Two-Tone Blue Interior with Select Outside Colors.
New Regenerative Charging System for 2006 with much Improved Caoacity.
New Independent 4-Wheel Suspension.
HCH ll Is Very Quite Inside for 2006 as Compared to the Older Hybrid Models.
FE is now at 49 City and 50 Hwy. and from reading all different Mags. and owners on this Site it can get those Mileages and More if a Owner Applies Themselves. LIKE-YOU
Major Plus: Jan. 2006; Tax Credit of Somewhere around $2,000.00 or so. That is Dollar For Dollar Off Of Your Taxes When You File Your return.
New for 2006; Extended Warranty 3-36,000 on Vehicle and 5-Year/60,000-Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty
New for 2006; Daytime Running Lights
New for 2006;Safety; Side Curtain Airbags, as well as airbags front for Driver and Passenger
New Improved Safety Cage

HTH

Terry

 

Slightly off topic - but yet still on.

I used to hear from people all the time about how any Hyundai was a total piece of garbage. I would ask them how many they've had since they are talking in such a negative way about the car.

Their answer:
"Well, I'VE never owned one but my cousin's friend's nephew had one and he said they were garbage".

My reply:
"So YOU'VE never owned one? How can you rightfuly talk so bad about them when you have little to no first hand experience with the car? I had a Hyundai for a few years and it was actually one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned and I've had MANY." My reason for not being a repeat customer is my turnover rate of vehicles used to be high and the resale value for the Hyundai is very low.

Terry, don't get me wrong and I'll never pick a fight and almost all of your negative points are valid but almost everyone of them is upgradable. IMO that's a fair trade for a car that will probably deliver 20mpg less in real world driving. I could be wrong as the '06 HCH II has yet to be proven with real world numbers as no-one has one fully broken in yet - might be a stellar performer that is only 15mpg under the Insight in real world driving.

Insight:
Very Small on the inside
In you opinion I suppose
Very Hard Door Panel where your Elbow/Arm Rest /Lays
True, the door armrest is even a ways away to rest your elbow on
Aluminum Body/ Very hard to get Repaired
The Insight is practially HAND MADE, Honda has taken some of their finest craftsmen to build the Insight. On the earlier models the only car that was comparable was the Acura NSX.
No-Power/ Even less with CVT
As compared to what? Are you entering the Indy 500? There's plenty enough power for day-to-day driving for the normal person who won't be going over 100 mph often - which the Insight will do.
Bare minimum storage
I just drove mine to and from TX 900 miles round trip loaded with Christmas presents, luggage, dog etc. Would you be transporting lumber on a daily basis? A truck would be better suited.
Hard to see out of
Once you drive it everyday long enough you learn how to look behind you the correct way
On Hwy. Noisey inside
Haven't noticed it
Lousy Stereo
Easy upgrade to your choice of hundreds available, lots of people upgrade from stereos that are fine in the first place
No-Cruise Control
Upgradable: Rostra aftermarket item
No-Center Arm Rest
Upgradable: Husco units can still be had, I also just bought a "armrest cooler/warmer" that fits between the seats perfect too. Now I can have cold soda or even warm sandwiches for the long ride
No Left Leg/Foot Support
Upgradable: There is a rest there, just no pad so you will wear the carpet through over time. Talk to GH member Jim Holgreen, he knows how to get a VERY NICE footrest pad
No Real World Upgrades in Years: Period
True, they know not to mess with a good thing.

 

Speciality vehicles do one thing really well at the expense of others:

• Vans and trucks - Carry a lot at the expense of good performance and fuel economy
• Sports cars - Great performance at the expense of fuel economy and room
• Large luxury sedans - Carry a lot of people in comfort and safety with some loss of fuel economy and performance

The little red list of cons against the Insight in #26 is almost over-the-top - makes it seem like a Yugo or 1974 Chevy Vega. I'll agree that 2-3 of those items are signicant, but the list reminds me of the way a trial lawyer rips a defendant.

Rigger, you are right on - the biggest Insight critics are the ones that have not driven one.

Realistic Expectations?

The Accord hybrid has great acceleration, but complaints it's not all that more fuel efficient than the conventional Accord. This is the reverse of the whining about the mpg champ Insight lacking great acceleration. Does anyone remember their Physics class? So the 5-speed Insight take 11 secondes to go from zero to 60mph. It took my 1988 CRX HF 12 seconds. In 1980, the average for 0-60 was 15 seconds. How much speed does everyone really need? When I take the challenge, four out of five pickup trucks can't pass me in my "puny Insight".


Addressing the Insight Limitations (Significant ones in Red - the rest are nit-picks)

• Seats only two - Can't change that
• Limited luggage space - This is the biggest drawback as it can't be improved - only half the behind-the-seat space of the CRX
• Concerns about hybrid battery life - So far, Honda has at least partially covered the cost of bad hybrid battery packs. I think they are good for at least 150,000 miles unless you stress the assist with frequent stop-and-go traffic, mountainous driving, or cruising at 80mph.
• Limited seating space - it has more room than the CRX or Corvette
• Very Hard Door Panel where your Elbow/Arm Rest /Lays - I generally keep my hands on the steering wheel except when shifting
• No acceleration - See the Realistic Expectations? para above. If you find a car in 2006 that performs like a Ferrari and still gets 60mpg, let me know...
• Hard to see out of - This is in reference to the rear quarter panel windows - user the mirrors. The Insight would get lost in a list of vehicles with blind spots as great or greater...
• No significant ugrades in six years of Production - I'm glad Honda even built the Insight! It's still the mpg champ because until lately, the public has been obsessed with size and performance. Of course it could be improved, but it's still as good as it get for economy.
• Factory radio - Don't a lot of people get an after-market stereo anyway?
• Road noise - Not that loud, and the stereo covers that. Ever notice at intersections when your engine is autostoped/off how loud other's stereos are?
• No Center Arm Rest - Upgradeable
• No Foot Rest - Upgradeable

 

I sort of see your point here, but the contrary could be said as well - what good is a car that you have to upgrade everything on to make it worth owning? Just put the right stuff in it up front and a lot more people might want it.

 

Hi zimbop;

I hope that you see in my above Post that I made the attempt to simply answer your question about the Insight and the other Honda Hybrids. I did not pick one over the other, just simply stating the "Obvious". I hope it pointed out to you the reason the Majority of the Public is going with the HCH ll in their Purchase of a Hybrid. It is Modern and at the same time gets alot better mileage than the normal ICE Vehicle. Information was to help or assist you in the Facts I didn't make the vehicles I was just pointing out the Obvious Differences before you spend
"Your-Money".

To the other Members that are defending your Insights it is really not necessary. I did not say your decisions are (Wrong) I am just answering the other Posters question.

BTW; I have driven all the Honda Hybrids and not just a few times. I have driven all of them over and over again to see if I could live with which one every day.

The short answer to the different ones (IMO) is this:
Insight:......... Great-Mileage......... At the expense of Modern Comfort.

Accord:.......... Great-Very-Fast...... At the expense of FE & High Cost.

HCH ll............ Great Modern & FE.. At (IMO) Nothing-Negative

Let me close by making a "Formal-Written-Apology" to the GreenHybrid Members that own the Honda Insight. My comments are "NOT" to slander the Insight in any form or matter. I also want to go on record as saying here and now that I also do not want these comments to be Hurtful, Slanderous to the Insight owners, this is just my take on the differences between the Honda Hybrids and Not an Attack on the Owners of those vehicles.

Regards;

Terry

BTW; One more comment, I am only giving my opinion to another Member not attacking the Insight or It's owners: