The Honda Insight is a terrific car. Few companies are dedicated to transportation in the way that Honda is. It believes in the liberation of personal mobility, which is a lot more important thing than just snappy styling, lap times at the Nurburgring, or corporate profits. That's why Honda really does cheap cars better than it does expensive ones.
The Honda Insight could easily become one of my favorite cheap cars. It strips the whole hybrid concept down to its bare essentials. It passes by gas stations, it goes down the freeway, it carries a family (whining about headroom for six-footers in the back seat is ridiculous, really), and it looks dramatic. In every way, the Honda Insight seems to represent what Honda does best.
So why doesn't the Insight go down the road better? It's as if hamsters had tuned the ride and handling. Actually that's probably not true, as the Kia Soul goes down the road better than the Insight.
It's not an easy task to tune a car's suspension to cope with a load of batteries and then build in the extra capacity for occasionally dealing with a full load of passengers. But the combination of stiff, low-rolling-resistance tires with a suspension that feels oversprung and underdamped is not a happy one here. Over the overused concrete byways of Los Angeles, the Insight bounds over the bumps and wriggles uncertainly down the straights. Only the latest-generation Toyota Corolla goes down the road so badly.
Somehow Honda has lost the plot when it comes to small-car handling. While large cars like the Acura TL seem nicely developed, little cars like the Insight seem to have been set up with a few fast keystrokes on a pocket calculator and a quick spin around the executive parking lot at the proving ground in Tochigi, Japan. Maybe Honda has got the idea that people who like hybrid cars expect them to go down the road in a distinctive way -- that is to say, badly. Maybe Honda isn't doing as much testing in the U.S. with its Japanese-built cars. Maybe the testing protocols have changed.
I think the Honda Insight deserves a little more respect from Honda. This is not a cheap car. It represents Honda at its best, and the science in this car should be expressed in the way the car drives as well as in the way it produces power.
Michael Jordan, Executive Editor @ 3,276 miles
adavis2493 says:
03:11 PM, 08/13/09
You guys should get a Soul as a LTer.
Here are some other ones I like:
Buick Lacrosse
Volvo XC60
Ford Taurus
Chevy Equinox
VW Golf (When Avail.)
Kia Forte
Mazda3
Mercedes E-Class (GTR Replacement)
Toyota Prius
Please don't get:
Chevy Camaro
Acura TSX V6
BMW X6/X5 M
stephen987 says:
03:29 PM, 08/13/09
I second that. The Kia Soul is a damn nice car, if you can avoid the 18-inch wheels.
carguy622 says:
03:30 PM, 08/13/09
The Insight was built to a price and the handling bar for hybrids was set pretty low. It would have been great if the Insight handled like a typical Honda, but we may have to wait for the CR-X hybrid that's coming.
Not to derail this post but I'll agree with adavis on the all his recommended choices and continue to request a Fusion hybrid.
brian55 says:
03:40 PM, 08/13/09
adavis249
I would add the Genesis Coupe V-6 (non track) to your list.
pat1usmc says:
03:50 PM, 08/13/09
I want to see a Kia Soul as a LTer as well.
line3 says:
04:54 PM, 08/13/09
Yeah, i remember there was a post a while back where the soul was on edmunds.com wish list for the LT fleet. what happened?
ff1825 says:
05:10 PM, 08/13/09
I too would like to see a Soul added to the long term fleet. I really like the Soul but I have a read they are not very happy on the highway.
Comments from owners?
hybris says:
05:50 PM, 08/13/09
I like the Ford Taurus idea (SHO maybe?) and it would nice to see the hybrid Escape get some LT fleet time.
If all else fails then there is always the F-450.
esoterica says:
06:13 PM, 08/13/09
The question that should be on everyone's fingertips is how a car that rides and handles so badly can still be called a "terrific car" with a straight face.
cx7lover says:
07:01 PM, 08/13/09
I think the Kia has a semi-independent suspension in the back too.
g8gtnorth says:
07:32 PM, 08/13/09
esoterica - I agree wholeheartedly. However, it's not being said with a straight face.
Remember, words written down require little acting, only the patience to get it out between fits of laughter.
fuhteng says:
08:26 PM, 08/13/09
Hi g8gtnorth! Haven't seen you around. Any news on the new wheels?
I was wondering about the start of the article myself. I will also assume it is supposed to be sarcastic.
dougtheeng says:
05:48 AM, 08/14/09
"I really like the Soul but I have a read they are not very happy on the highway.
Comments from owners?"
I'm quite happy with my Soul. I wouldn't say its a poor highway vehicle. Its not a rocket ship, and I think the engine is a little noisy at speed, but overall its quite comfortable. That being said, I would hope that no one is buying the Soul hoping for a rocketship. Its adequate but not spectacular in the engine department.
broq3_5 says:
07:04 AM, 08/14/09
I agree with all of you about the Soul. Economy cars aren't my thing and I am generally not impresses with Kia, but the Soul is a real stand out to me.
neatnick79 says:
07:20 AM, 08/14/09
I have the base model Soul (9k miles on it now!). The car has the 1.6 L engine with a 5-speed manual. I drive about 70 miles round-trip on the highway for my work commute. I would say it has a tolerable amount of power for the highway, but I keep the car in the low 70 mph range, due to the revs. Going about 70 mph, the car is revving around 3300 rpm, so my biggest complaint for highway driving is the droning engine noise. Another gear would be perfect for this car!
neatnick79 says:
07:24 AM, 08/14/09
I have a base model Kia Soul (1.6L w/ 5-speed manual) and my biggest highway complaint is the droning engine noise. The car could really use another gear; around 70 mph the engine is revving around 3300 rpm. Otherwise the ride is fine, and the interior is a nice place to be for a sub-14k car!
1487 says:
08:31 AM, 08/14/09
"The Honda Insight is a terrific car. Few companies are dedicated to transportation in the way that Honda is. It believes in the liberation of personal mobility, which is a lot more important thing than just snappy styling, lap times at the Nurburgring, or corporate profits. That's why Honda really does cheap cars better than it does expensive ones."
Wow, reads like text from a Honda ad.
briancam says:
09:54 AM, 08/14/09
I don't think Acura would think that's a very good Honda ad - too much skepticism has blinded you to the truth.
ptcdawg says:
01:22 PM, 08/14/09
I'll say this, I like the Kia Soul commercials...
autoboy16 says:
08:47 AM, 08/15/09
So pretty much, this post reminds me of the Caddy CTS commercials.
"When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?"
Seems thats the big issue with the insight.... And honda and acura products in general as of late.
Seriously, where is the Long Term Soul?!? PLEASE get the !trim or whichever it was with the larger engine.