Donna occasionally does her "Ten Things I Like About You" posts for various cars. I've got five for the Insight. I thought about doing ten, but that seemed like a bit of a stretch. Still, these are pretty good ones.
1. Best fuel economy in the long term fleet -- It's averaging 38.7 mpg, better than anything else currently active.
2. Easy to drive -- The Insight's light steering, unobtrusive CVT (with shift paddles) and small footprint make it well suited for urban driving.
3. Futuristic instrument panel design -- The rest of the interior might be underwhelming, but the IP is just plain cool.
4. Useful drive aids -- The colored band behind the speedometer, along other aids, helps uninitiated drivers understand how to drive for better fuel economy.
5. It's not a Prius -- For those suffering from Toyota Prius burnout, it's likely the best alternative.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor @ 11,625 miles
mheikka says:
02:44 PM, 02/ 1/10
#3 and #4 are dupes. If you want the true #1, you'd have to add a quality Edmunds has already given it - Lowest TCO Hybrid. That's the point everyone seems to miss.
Does that make it a Prius-beater? The market says no. But TCO is very noteworthy, and relevant if you're worried about paying a high "hybrid premium" or can't justify financing $3k more on your second, commuter car.
redliner says:
02:54 PM, 02/ 1/10
I'm an ex-honda owner (who isnt?) and my I just say; WHAT THE #$% is that?! It looks bulbous and asymmetrical. What happened to nice, simple center stacks Honda used to make?
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/pictures/EI/2007/Honda/2007.honda.accord.20102485-E.jpg
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2007/Honda/2007.honda.crv.20102807-E.jpg
Whats wrong with simple?
shaddai says:
02:56 PM, 02/ 1/10
That's the first time I think I've heard "Prius" and "burnout" in the same sentence, let alone article.
chrome58 says:
03:19 PM, 02/ 1/10
Oh that dash is just HEINOUS. My God. Honda, take a look at what VW, Ford, & GM are doing and start this whole thing over again.
jeepsrt says:
03:32 PM, 02/ 1/10
+1 on the dash, it's a mess of angles and bubbles.
pog4 says:
03:49 PM, 02/ 1/10
I actually like the gauges and dash layout in a strange futuristic kind of way. I even like the exterior looks as well. The problems with this car are to big to overcome for me so I will give you my list of 5 flaws
1) Rear seat – I hit my head on the roof when trying to sample the rear seat. Once I got in my head was touching the ceiling. Come on… if you are going to give a car 4 doors you have to make a normal person can easily enter the car.
2) Poor materials – The inside door panels can not get any cheaper looking or feeling. The doors are solid plastic. It wouldn’t cost or weigh that much to glue some cloth over the plastic. Honda did a poor job with the cost cutting.
3) Rear view – huge blind spots are dangerous and in a small car they are unacceptable
4) No Manual Tran – Lots of people who like eco cars also like to shift themselves.
5) Price – many flaws can be overlooked when the price is low enough. I think the insight would sell if it was 16k for the LX and 18k for the Ex. For the price they are asking I can’t justify the purchase.
thejohnp says:
04:26 PM, 02/ 1/10
So why is that 2004 Prius listed as "currently active" in the long term fleet?
cr_driver says:
05:36 PM, 02/ 1/10
Redliner, I am not.
As for the thread itself, first thing I thought: wow that looks modern/techy but at the same time like a mess.
1487 says:
05:58 AM, 02/ 2/10
the interior is enough to skip the vehicle- its horrible. Who cares about the gauges if the rest of the interior looks like THAT?
chavis10 says:
07:06 AM, 02/ 2/10
Worst interior design of any car on sale today. You wouldn't catch me riding in a Fit going to my own funeral.
rw1129 says:
04:46 PM, 02/ 2/10
The ugliest, most horrible dash layout I've seen in a long time. What happened here?
hokiehigh says:
11:49 AM, 02/ 3/10
Navi screen is sitting too far away from the driver! Lower the AC control below the Navi and move it closer to the driver.
mdale007 says:
07:31 AM, 02/ 5/10
I agree with mheikka that this hybrid is allot of car for the money.
Given the latest round of negative recalls from Toyota on the Prius I expect Honda Insight sales to increase.
With that said I am afraid that everone compares this car to a much cheaper car experience in their past. Until gasoline prices go to $3.50 - $4.00 per gallon the Honda Insight is a tough sell.
My final thought is that the price is cheap now. When gasoline goes to $3.50 this summer people may be singing a different tune.