As if on cue, our 2010 Honda Insight hit the 5,000-mile mark just as I turned onto my street to complete a 1,000-mile weekend trip to Northern California. The Insight has averaged 52 miles a day and 38.05 mpg since entering our long-term fleet in June, and on this trip comprised mostly of long straight lines of asphalt, it averaged 39.44 mpg.
Its 98-horsepower inline-4 engine strained to keep pace with posted speed limits while climbing the southbound I-5 Grapevine grade. The little hybrid made the climb, but its engine was loudly protesting with a continuous whine at 4,800 rpm.
However cute and functional around town, the Insight is clearly a flatlander's car.
Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 5,034 miles
nealibob says:
12:27 PM, 08/31/09
Is that super-cheesy IMA nonsense there to stroke the hybrid owner's ego? I had a car dashboard/wheel/shifter toy as a child that was way less lame than this.
I like the specs of just about every Honda, but I think their styling is fairly terrible, and their dashboards are no exception.
mikeolan says:
12:41 PM, 08/31/09
I'm trying to think of a good reason someone would purchase this over any other car that costs this price.
audisport says:
12:52 PM, 08/31/09
Hmm, can anyone say Jetta TDI? Better mileage, actual torque, traditional styling, and the engine will last 200000 miles.
mikeolan says:
02:24 PM, 08/31/09
@Audisport: that's what I was thinking as well. Plus the Jetta feels a lot more upscale.
mheikka says:
02:57 PM, 08/31/09
Before I became an Insight owner, I drove (and wanted to buy) a VW TDI. And then I remembered that VW ownership and reliability are mutually exclusive things. I suffered through a year of "can't fix its" with a 2000 Beetle that had its entire fuel system replaced, piece by piece, over six trips to various dealers. The Beetle felt "substantial" too, all the way to the dealership for repair. I did get to drive some interesting rental cars (some for a week at a time) but ultimately chose not to potentially relive that experience with another VW.
Maybe the VW/Audi fans commenting here have had better luck than I did. Say what you will about noisy, underpowered Hondas, but they are more reliable and hold more resale value than any VW made. I'll take a slow, noisy Insight over a vacant space in my garage every time.
mikeolan says:
05:28 PM, 08/31/09
@mheikka
Actually, the Insight doesn't hold its value as well, but Hondas are anything but reliable, especially Honda Hybrids.
I suppose dropping $4,000.00 on a new CVT every 50k is just Honda's way of saying "thank you" for cutting them slack while engineering the car.
stephen987 says:
05:45 PM, 08/31/09
My Fit is pretty close to that mpg, with better acceleration and a $5k lower purchase price.
zoomzoom22 says:
08:36 PM, 08/31/09
That mileage is impressive, but not for this car. It seems that in the hybrid game, Toyota and Ford are the only ones who know how to balance power with fuel economy. The Accord Hybrid was stupidly powerful, so fuel economy suffered...the opposite is happening here.
On a side note, I have an idea for an Insight project...
http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/3205/23/33010011357_large.jpg
I'm thinkin' 4 stacked exhaust tips, a la IS-F!