well, i have four main peeves with the insigh
1) Honda is loosing money on each one
2) Its only a two seater
3) Premium gas (91 octane)
4) Battery replacement

the last two, really make me wonder, is the insight really worth the money. do you actually save? or do you just pay more in larger chunks?

 

Premium gas? Really?? Wow! That takes 15% off of any gas savings.

 

yah...i didnt know either...i saw some stuff over at insighcentral...asked, and was ignored, so im assuming its true.

 

Just wanted to quickly address number 3.

The Insight does NOT require Premium gas. At least it didn't in 2002.
Reading from the 2002 Owners Manual page 118:
"Your Honda is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with pump octane number 87 or higher."

Eric

 

thanks for clearing that up....idk, the people over at insighcentral ignored me so i figured thats just the way it was.

 

Hi Stevo12886:

• Who cares if Honda is losing money. The same might be said of the Prius although the Toyota exec’s are wishy washy on the real answer depending on what group they are speaking to. Honda has discontinued making any more at the loss they are taking on each one for the 04 MY however … They may in fact be done altogether
  
  
• I can’t say much in regards to the 2 seat only as that is the way they were designed … The next time you are headed to work, the store, out to dinner, or on a date, look around and tell me ~ what percentage of vehicles have more then 2 people in them? You might be surprised. It can still be a handicap but if you need to haul 3 + friends around let’s say, how about them hauling you around instead
  
  
• Erickbecky is right on the money. Premium is not needed in any model year nor any trim Insight.
  
  
• Battery replacement is like any other Hybrid. A very expensive proposition. There have been more then a handful of 5-speed Insight’s that have needed them and most have been performed under warranty. Various theories abound as to those few packs that did need replacement but I believe that the 5-speed allows the driver to force Assist at a whim. The CVT based Insight on the other hand will rev up to 3,000 + RPM before assist is kicked in hard thus lessening the load/lowering the current carried by the Ni-MH’s any time one would need it. There is at least 1 Insight driven long enough in its short 4 years to surpass 164,000 miles and its pack was fine.

___As for does it pay, I don’t think any Hybrid’s pay for themselves when purchased new but that is just me. The difference here however is that you can pick up a great used low mileage Insight in the $8K - $11K range and they can receive far beyond EPA estimates. With the kind of mileage they are capable of, now it starts to make sense if you don’t need it for > 2 people on a regular basis and you have some distance to drive where the Insight 5-speed truly shines …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

 

For me the Insight is the best Hybrid because it is the most efficient. My lifetime average (The insight maintains a total average) is 89.3 mpg with 85K driven). I like the other Hybrids (We have a 04 Prius on order for the family car and a 01 Prius for the Kids car) but they compromised efficiency. My Insight has never been to the dealer and I suspect it will last a long time (nothing to rust and the Vtec-E engines are known to last. I have a 94 1.5L Vtec-E with 235K miles on it and it has never had a single repair). If Honda would take the 4ft wide VW-1 concept chasis and put the Insight powertrain in it I would buy it imediately. If they ever make a remake of Woody Allen's sleeper movie I suspect an Insight will be in there somewhere. Have fun, Rick

 

Rick,

Are your "Trip Time" data entrees correct? I think in the beginning many people were confusing this with the total time for the tank rather than the time for an average ride in the car.

 

Jason,
I have a 500 mile commute so yes the trip times are correct and include stops for food and breaks. With a 55mph speed my time is usually around 10 hours. I put my best and worst tanks in for 01, 02 and 03. Mine is a 00 but I bought at the end of the model year with a nice reduction. My first 13367 miles were driven at speeds in the 70's to make a 7.5 to 8 hour trip and my lmpg average was around 73-74 at that time. I then got a new stereo installed took it a bit easier and watched the 1000 mile tanks start to add up. I consider 90 mpg a good winter average and 95-97 mpg a good summer average. The nice thing about a 1000 mile range is that I buy my gas in SC and it is generally has some of the lowest prices in the country due to a low state gas tax. The insight is not for everyone due to its limitations but it is a car designed for the best fuel efficiency which is why I have one. The larger Hybrids are more flexible for families but do all families need 2 four seat cars. If we need to haul 4 I take the Prius. You asked about the Civic VX and it was also king of the fuel efficiency at its time with a 57 mpg highway rating (It also seats 4). Car and driver tried to make a LA-SF round trip in it without refueling (They came close and averaged 68 mpg but were cresting hills at 40 mph). That article and its top EPA rating sold me back then. Have fun, RIck

 

Wow! I'm impressed. But, why in the world do you have a 500 mile commute?