2010 Honda insight review...by a GD3 owner

[eldaino]

As many of you probably have known, the current gen honda insight (or I2 as is commonly dubbed) has gotten polarizing reviews....some folks love it and think its a better overall proposition to hybridism, others think the prius blows it away.


As much as i would love a Gti or TDi, this is the only other car on my list that would meet my needs for a long commute. granted as highway goers-go, the golf/gti are probably better in that regard (more solid, irs, and a bit more power), but are fueled by something that can eventually, or already is, on the pricey side.

Seeing as how the insight uses the same fuel tank as the GE8, i figured i'd give it a spin...because 400+ miles on a tank that takes the same amount of money that my fit does is a nice plus.

My last review on the Ge8 delighted and simultaneously pissed off a lot of folks, so hopefully this one wont be as polarizing.

the one i drove was an ex, black with the very nice blue interior, non navi. this is SUCH an attractive car. the clarity grill is awesome, as are the headlight details...the styling is much cleaner than some other hondas as of late.

the interior, while it has materials on the dash that are on par with the ge8, the presentation is defintely classier, even more so compared to the gd3. however, some of the plastic on the door panels and center console IS indeed nicer and textured better...and there is a solidity to the feel of everything that edges out both cars. i daresay it feels more stout than my old civic did,(an 06 ex), why i dunno.

the seats are fantastic. granted they are not as nice as the new golfs, but better than what you would find in a civic ex, and worlds better than anything on any generation fit. the biggest advantage this car has over the fit would be the dead pedal, telesocping wheel AND the height adjustment for the seat. (the first two only being an issue on the gd3, as it was resolved for the ge8.)

Particularly on edmunds, some criticizm from users there say the quality is not up to par in the insight. i beg to differ. its just as nice on the inside as a comparable civic ex, an i actually prefer the seat fabric to anything in the civic, say the leather, or lx-s/si fabric.

the dash setup itself is awesome...its like a cooler, upgraded version of whats already in the civic, but the graphics are MUCH nicer. (less digital alarm clock and more futuristic led looking.) while i have not driven the new prius, i have driven the popular second gen, and seen the ones on the new prius, and lemme tell you, this gauge set up is SO much more straightforward and easy to read at a glance, and actually IN your line of sight. and it doesn't look like what we thought the future was going to look like in the 80's like the prius (either of them) does.

I'm not very tall, neither is my wife....or my friends, lol. (i'm 5'8 on a good day) so the back seat space is not that big of an issue. (just had to get it out of the way. taller folks need not apply unless you are driving.)

ok, on to the driving experience. did some rual highway and around town streets, no highway impressions as of yet. (have to go it again some other time.)

first things first, i'd like to address all these 'the insight is noisy' claims.

the insight is not noisy. at least only compared to a lexus, or maybe the spaceship pod prius. which i think is the biggest problem: the prius is aimed at a different audience, and simply because the insight is also a hybrid, they get compared to each other. you wouldn't compare a corollas or civic features/equiment/ refinment to an accord/camry's...why does this hold weight with the insight? it shouldn't.

anyway, i can totally see why folks would move on from a fit, be it gd3 or ge8, to the insight. compared to our cars, its whisper quiet. a tiny bit of road noise, not intrusive however, and wind noise is virtually non-existant. it felt like such a triumph over the fit in this regard...this is no psuedo minivan/hatchback thingy...no, the air is butter, and the insight was my hot aerodynamic knife. my wifes 08 beetle is louder, and the road noise on my 07 rabbit was more intrusive, as was engine noise.

this thing was far quieter even upon acceleration, than the a/t ge8 i drove a few months back and raved about.

the suspension is more floaty than the fits, but its so much more comfy to. bumps are not handled as well as they are in a car with irs, but they are tackled with more aplomb than they would be in any ge8 or gd3. the steering was nicely weighted too, and while not as feedback laden as the ge8's, i appreciated the more serene steering ratio...this would def counteract the dartiness the fit suffers from on the freeway. (as does the insights basic body shape, and much lower roofline.)

as an a/t gd3 driver, slowness is not something i'm unfamiliar with. so while reviewers tantalize themselves with 500+hp supercars and then turn around and call the insight 'slow' ....yeah i take that with a grain of salt. while the top end is about on par with my fit, acceleration from a stop felt peppier given the nice torque from the electric motor. the paddle shifters were fun too and were pleasantly weighty.

the tranny keeps revs low once you settle into speed, and paddle shifting utilizes a program that simulates a 7speed auto...this is a car that revs VERY low when cruising, again a plus for you freeway goers. the turning radius seem a big big for a car this size, probably just because of the insights longish nose.

for those who are worried, a/c seemed totally fine and was not encroaching on what little power was available, and the brakes are nowhere near as weird as the prius. after a couple stops, they feel fine. tire roar is almost non existant, and the doors close with a satisfying 'whump' when shut. the car feels so much stronger and stiffer than the gd3, and the crash test ratings have been phenomenal. i didnt calculate my mpg, i had all those indicators switched off, but i did leave the glowing halo on, its awesome, not distracting, and adds to the driving experience.

all in all guys, i think the insight is great. dont think you can ask anymore from an economical hybrid, especially one that gives such an upscale feeling at such a bargain basement price.

[Fitcious]

my friend told me that he read somewhere that honda is re-doing the insight's mechanical due to overall poor reviews. not sure if this is true or not

[eldaino]

what portion of the mechanicals? the only thing i would suggest honda really 'fix' with this car is give it a slightly bigger/more powerul ima battery, and bump displacement up the the 1.5 litres that the honda crz is getting. that would bump torque up nicely (it has a decent amount already) and hp above the 100 mark.

[jrlnc]

Thanks for the review eldaino!

I still peek over here once in a while to see how the Fit community is doing.

As someone who moved on from the Fit to the Insight, I've followed the 2 major negative reviews (Consumer Reports and the British reviewer) of the car and been very perplexed about them.

My conclusion is that those 2 reviewers had an axe to grind (against Honda, hybrids or were just having a bad day). Their findings are contrary to several other reputable reviewers and many, many owners.

My take after 6 months of ownership (and 15,000 miles) in this car:

• This car is a joy to drive. Possibly because being a hybrid I don't push it much and just relax to drive it the way it was meant to be driven.
• Under normal conditions, the car is almost silent! Many friends who ride in it comment about how quiet it is, especially when we stop at a light and Auto-stop engages! At highway speeds, there is little wind noise because of the lower roofline. This also results in less instability from crosswinds like the Fit is subject to because it is taller.
• When you have to push it, the car has more than adequate power. Like eldaino said, it's torque is instant because of the electric motor. I unconsciously quickly accelerate up to ~30 mph. I notice how often other cars behind me are 10 car-lengths back when the light turns green. The neatest part of that is that I'm still getting 50+ mpg!
• This car is rock-solid. I was worried about new model glitches, but I've not had one problem with the car. No rattles yet either. As an aside - my friend who bought a 2009 Prius 2 weeks before I got my Insight has already had to take it to the dealer for problems.
• The gas mileage is one of the best parts (and major selling point) of the Insight. It is easy to get 50 mpg. I use a/c & cruise control. Hypermiling is work and destroys the relaxing mood of driving. I don't try very hard, but I also don't drive aggressively. For grins I reset the trip meter B every day to check my commute mileage on my ~70 mile roundtrip to work. It is consistently 55-60 mpg! One day I pulled into the parking lot at work with 65 mpg on the screen. (The MID is off by 1-3 mpg though) The absolute worst mileage is ethanol gas, low pressure in the tires and cold, crappy rainy weather. Even with that I average 47+ mpg.
• Besides friends mentioning that it is so quiet, others who see it for the first time compliment its sporty looks. Although I now take it for granted, I think the front end and the grille are one of the nicest looking features of the car.

I need to post some more pics, because recently I have added the pseudo-leather seatcovers from Clazzio in light gray. It was the only option I couldn't get from Honda. They're beautiful!

Here's my original thread when I traded in the Fit.

[Selden]

I did back-to-back test drives of the Insight and Fit Sport last summer, expecting the Insight to blow the Fit away. For my taste, even with the height-adjustable driver's seat, it didn't -- pretty much a draw. I didn't notice much difference in interior noise (granted, a 10-mile test drive isn't the best way to judge, and after buying a Fit in July, I discovered that it can be pretty noisy on rough pavement). In the end, I couldn't justify the higher price of the Insight for less interior room and worse rear visibility. Front seats of both cars seemed equally comfortable to my butt. Insight steering felt a little numb, but the ride was better. A/C on both seemed comparable (Atlanta in June), but I didn't like the fact that the Insight A/C shut down at stops.

In the end, it's a subjective choice, and whatever feels good to you is the "right" choice. For people trying to make up their minds, back-to-back test drives might be helpful, especially if you can visit two dealers and reverse the order. Just to make it interesting, you might try adding a 2nd generation Prius to the mix.

[eldaino]

Originally Posted by Selden

I did back-to-back test drives of the Insight and Fit Sport last summer, expecting the Insight to blow the Fit away. For my taste, even with the height-adjustable driver's seat, it didn't -- pretty much a draw. I didn't notice much difference in interior noise (granted, a 10-mile test drive isn't the best way to judge, and after buying a Fit in July, I discovered that it can be pretty noisy on rough pavement). In the end, I couldn't justify the higher price of the Insight for less interior room and worse rear visibility. Front seats of both cars seemed equally comfortable to my butt. Insight steering felt a little numb, but the ride was better. A/C on both seemed comparable (Atlanta in June), but I didn't like the fact that the Insight A/C shut down at stops.

In the end, it's a subjective choice, and whatever feels good to you is the "right" choice. For people trying to make up their minds, back-to-back test drives might be helpful, especially if you can visit two dealers and reverse the order. Just to make it interesting, you might try adding a 2nd generation Prius to the mix.

good points.

i dunno how long you have had your ge, and granted it is more refined than my gd, and hence the differences between the insight and my car are much larger, but after slugging around in my fit for almost 3 years....i'm so familiar with what works and what doesn't that any improvement is immediately noticeable.

and like i said, your ge has got a dead pedal and telescoping wheel, and better lateral support from the seats, so even the insights interior improvements wont be as noticeable for you as they would have been for me.

as far as interior noise, it was a million times quieter than my gd, and the engine note was nowhere near as intrusive as the ge's.

[Selden]

All good points. I figured I could "fix" the noise with some Dynamat, but the steering and space issues were unresolvable. I want to emphasize: this was a very close decision, as the two cars were essentially equal for me. A different person, or even I at a different time, might come to a different choice.

[eldaino]

jrlnc:

thanks for your post man!


and i appreciate the link to your old thread, i'm going to go back and check it out.

the stability thing is a big one as well, as thats probably my biggest complaint about the fit....and coming from a MKV rabbit didnt really help matters either. (basically THE most solid and stability-laden car you can get in its price range)

in fact the only other car i'm really considering is the new mkVI golf, which i had the pleasure of sitting in the other day and the interior blew away anything in its price range. soft touch everything. and the seats were perfect. granted, i like the futristic look of the insight better, and despite the hard plastic, the presentation is really nice in its own way. granted a tdi would be the best comparision to the insight, and would yield similar mileage and more miles to the tank, but the thought of 400mile tanks on regular gas with the insight is very attractive.

[eldaino]

Originally Posted by Selden

All good points. I figured I could "fix" the noise with some Dynamat, but the steering and space issues were unresolvable. I want to emphasize: this was a very close decision, as the two cars were essentially equal for me. A different person, or even I at a different time, might come to a different choice.

oh thats right you said the steering was a bit numb.

the space is a bit of an issue too i agree...but given that 90% of my time is spent with just my wife, or just me driving, (and all my friends are average sized lol). i guess at this point, despite my profound appreciation for my fits steering feel....the more relaxed ratio of the insight suits my londg daily highway jaunt.

[eldaino]

jrlnc:

on another note, i find it interesting that consumer reports harsh review basically complained about the insights handling...yet gives a car like the old prius, which handles worse, a free pass? makes no sense to me. i know the insight can be induced to oversteer (hey its the hybrid rwd owners would appreciate) but i dont think that merits all the crap talking.


yet they did go on to say that reliabiltiy for it has been epic so far.

[Type 100]

Good review. I'm not likely to see the Insight in my country's roads (although the gen3 Prius came out here just a few months ago...HMMMM) but I'm interested in how it fares nonetheless.

It's funny how one of the most frequent Insight complaints I read about concerns a supposedly wooden ride quality, yet you say the Insight rides pretty well. Is it worlds away better than a GD3?

How's visibility by the way?

And how does the pickup compare to an A/T GD3 or GE8? I think the Insight uses a modified L13A 1.3L mill with valve-closing VTEC, then lashed to the IMA system - basically a further refined version of the old ES-chassis Civic Hybrid powertrain.

[Selden]

I have only the memory of test drives for comparison, but the Insight seemed to ride a little less harshly than a GE8 Sport, although I did not have the opportunity to take it on any rough surfaces. I did not like the rear visibility, which was somewhat tunnel-like (neither better nor worse than a Prius). Insight acceleration seemed on a par with a Fit Sport Auto; neither will break any records, but more than adequate to keep up with traffic. Integration of electric/gasoline modes was very smooth and seamless.