There are other ways to get your musical kicks in the 2010 Honda Insight.
If you don't have an iPod, or want to listen to music you didn't "purchase" from the music nazis, the Insight also has an AUX port on the center console.
Look behind the nav screen and you'll find a CD player and hard drive. And of course, there is the radio.
Notice on the nav screen, there is a "close" button. Nice touch. On a lot of these screens, you have to push the same button that you used to open it. This button, placed on the bottom of the screen is a nice convenience.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 2,110
jstandefer says:
02:27 PM, 07/20/09
Now, now... most music found on iPods out there are ripped from CDs. And it can play music purchased from anywhere that doesn't have DRM on it. But it is nice that Honda provides other interfaces. iPod interfaces should be optional; generic aux inputs should be standard. And iPod interfaces that just fool the head unit into thinking it's a CD changer should be eliminated! I can't believe the $42k VW Eos we looked at required me to change CDs on the head unit to access playlists on my iPhone. That was an immediate deal breaker (OK, the outrageous price for that car was the first deal breaker).
mazdaspeed_jon says:
02:39 PM, 07/20/09
I just love how all of these factory head units with flip down screens have a nice little icon somewhere with an illustration telling you not to use the folded down screen as a cup-holder. How dumb do they think we are?
dderosa says:
02:39 PM, 07/20/09
It's a nice car though. I wrote a full test on the Eos a while back. -- Donna
mjp16 says:
03:14 PM, 07/20/09
@mazdaspeed_jon
Actually, we're more stupid than you think. I used to work in London Drugs' (Western Canadian chain) computer department, and one day a woman called and described to me how she broke the "retractable cupholder" on her computer. My coworker got a good kick out of watching my face change from one of disbelief to one of intense tongue-biting.
audipilot says:
03:25 PM, 07/20/09
Is it me or does this seem like an overly-complicated way to get to the CD deck? I can see having to flip the navigation screen up and down getting fairly annoying when you want to swap CDs. It is very nice, however, that Honda gives you that many options for music connections. My A4 didn't even come standard with any form of aux audio input, which was incredibly annoying.
brn says:
03:26 PM, 07/20/09
mjp, that sounds suspiciously like an urban legend.
daxtripper says:
03:28 PM, 07/20/09
So artists and record companies who prefer you to purchase their product rather than illegal ripping it from a third party are Nazis? I'm not one to take offense to the Seinfeldian use of the term, but I don't think so.
nealibob says:
03:51 PM, 07/20/09
I wonder what that PC card slot is for.
carguy622 says:
04:07 PM, 07/20/09
You can play music off the PC card slot as well.
mjp16 says:
04:23 PM, 07/20/09
@brn
Hence the disbelief. I've heard of people leaving the tray out and walking into it but... wow.
caheew says:
04:37 PM, 07/20/09
Does the Fit have this? Don't they share the same headunit nav thingy?
jstandefer says:
07:35 PM, 07/20/09
"It's a nice car though. I wrote a full test on the Eos a while back. -- Donna"
It is a nice car, and I wish there were more like it, but with a bit more value. Or at least not as much of a price gap as there is between the two trim levels. There were three things that bothered me about the car. 1) There was an awful amount of cowl shake... like 1980s convertible amount of cowl shake. 2) The overly complex top combined with how it seems to slam all the pieces together (rather than damp the last few inches of travel) seems like a huge problem waiting to happen. 3) The A/C is absolutely dreadful.
Still, it is an awfully nice car. It may be a good candidate for a short-term lease if the residuals are decent. I don't think actually purchasing one would be a good idea.
1487 says:
05:35 AM, 07/21/09
those pics above show how truly awful the Insight's interior really is- there is no cohesion in the design. Terrible.
dougtheeng says:
06:34 AM, 07/21/09
The circular HVAC arrangement makes me cringe. I think I would have more tolerance for the car's other shortcomings if the interior wasn't so terribly laid out....but then again thats what I say about the Fit, Civic, Pilot, Accord...
m_thrizzle says:
09:36 AM, 07/21/09
What is the PC Card? Is it one of those adapters you need for a laptop? Why not just have a CF or SD slot so you don't have to buy an extra adapter. Weird.