Comments: 1-15, 16-19
Absolutely nothing.
This car is a hybrid vehicle that uses both gas and electric. The electric motor kicks in when you need that extra boost sort of like a turbo. Batteries need no recharging and I always get great compliments on how this car looks. Very high tech. I especially love the digital dash and the great gas mileage. Over hilly terrain and relatively short commute, I'm getting 56 MPG. For longer distances and flatter terrain this number can easily go up above 70.
This thing (Honda Insight) isn't exactly what I'd want in a car. For one, If the electrical engine battery goes dead on a long trip, your only left with a 3-cylinder 1 litre gas engine which to say the least, is gutless. second, this car has hardly any room for cargo on the inside. Personally, I wouldn't drive a car less powerful than a Civic (which has a back seat and a trunk). I'm not saying this car is bad, you just have to know what you need in a car and how much room and power it has to fill those demands. If you're just looking for a commuter, this would do the trick, but if you're looking for something with plenty of room for vacation luggage, you'll be disappointed. Not to mention, are there any mechanics who can work on a gas electric hybrid in your area? Not every Honda dealer would know how to fix it. Even a few of the ones that sell it won't know how to fix it. I'm not saying this car is bad, but before you buy it make sure it meets every requirement you have and that the dealer can fix it. Otherwise you'll be disappointed and have a car that no one in your area knows how to fix.
As the owner of 3 hondas over 10 years, I say without hesitation that you buy a Honda car so that you don't ever have to go back to a dealer to have it fixed!
As a second car to do all the day to day work I can get between 74 m.p.g to 86 m.p.g. From the information obtained from the front dash you are trained to get the best driving skills to suck every drop of gas/petrol out of the car. One day we all will be driving a car of this elk. I thought I would start now and save a tree or two.
One of the few new cars I would like to have, reminds me a bit of my old Citroën DS, the rear wheels partly covered to
improved the streamline (and fuel consumption), the drop shape with the rear wheel base shorter than the front wheel
base. The flat undercarriage also reminds of the Citroën DS,
this car must be really go in strong gusty side winds.
To the person who wrote the comment on the 15th of July, the battery never goes dead, the vehicle uses the force created when you brake to power the motor.
Yes, I do believe this is a great car, but as an owner of electric cars, ALL BATTERIES will eventually lose their ability to hold a charge, this goes for electric cars (hybrid or not), electric razors, cell/cordless phone batteries, rechargable toothbrushes, rechargable power tools. They can only have so many cycles in their useable life, have you ever noticed how a car battery usually only lasts about 4 years? This is what people talk about when they say EV batteries die. They will only get so many charge/discharge cycles before they lose their ability to work. This hasn't happened to anyone with a hybrid car yet because they only started making them, but once everyone has been driving them for about 6 years, and have a good 100 thousand miles on them, they will need to be replaced, or you'll be stuck with that 85bph 1 litre engine. And that $750 replacement for those batteries won't be a very happy thought to most!
I bought this car 2 years ago and I just can't let it go you will feel like a movie star in this as it causes so much attention!and living in London it saves you so much money. Its great fun to drive. Go on you know you want to, buy one if you are lucky enough to find one!
Safe driving.
Aug. 6, 2004
We have had our 2000 Insight since May 2000. For the first time since then we have had a bit of a timing problem. You'll be going along at any speed and it will miss a beat. We were due for an oil change, recall for the headlights, and they are checking into the timing. We had to leave it there for 2-3 days, as they could not quite find what was making the timing problem.
Recently, we had met an engineer that said he knew all about our Hybrid as he was responsible 10 years ago for partaking in the engineering of them. He knew everything there was to know about them. He would ask us questions about it and my husband would respond and then he would give further explanation about the car and its mechanical capabilities. He was very proud to say he took part in their innovation. It was quite an honor to visit with him.
My husband and I feel strongly about helping out the environment. When gas prices went up we put our name in to wait for one if we were so lucky. Then happily we put our deposit down when they called and said they had one coming in one month. We were so excited. My husband has wanted an all-electric car since the 70's, but has never been able to obtain one in the central states area. I use my Insight to commute to work 60 miles round trip and get an average of 54 mpg. Even though we have high winds and inclement weather at times it has never slowed me down too much when the battery registers low. I am comfortable with this.
Has anyone else had the missed timing in his or her Insight? If so, what exactly needs to be done to repair?
We love our 2000 Insight and don't want to have to trade it. However, I have to have a reliable car to get to work.
Aug. 13, 2004
We just got our Honda Insight 2000 back and my husband is so happy. The mechanic said he called the dealer and told him to check the Injection system, adjust the valves and it had the recall for headlights and oil change taken care of during this visit. The machanic foreman didn't know how much it would cost. We had it in for entire week, so we were not looking forward to the bill.
After my husband test drove it with the mechanic and it seemed to pass the test they talked and discussed how much we'd need to spend. Well, that's the best part of it all. My husband was so excited--they told him it would be the cost of the oil change, since the other maintenance didn't amount to much. So with the recall parts they had to order and checking on the injection system and adjusting valves we put out around $20-$30. Wow!!! Happy days!!!
I bought my Insight with 6,000 recorded miles almost two years ago. I have added a further 15,000 miles to that with no problems at all apart from the recall for the headlight switch which was fitted free of charge.
My journey to work, a 50 mile round trip, was mainly at sea level and I was achieving up to 97mpg after a little practice. However this year my place of work takes me through the South Downs with one or two steeper inclines and I am struggling to achieve 72mpg with a shorter round trip of 30 miles. The lifetime reading is still over 80mpg and obviously this is gradually reducing, but I am still a firm believer in the I M A technology. I will not be parting with my Insight for a very long time. I love it.
I have test driven the Civic I M A twice. Both times over about 40+ miles of varied driving and both times achieved a reading of 58.1mpg. I am considering adding this to the fleet as the main family car. If so it will be my 12th. Honda in 15 years - all superbly reliable.
As you have probably guessed I am a Honda Nut and would not hesitate to recommend them, especially the IMA which I am sure will become less 'of the future' but more of 'the norm'.
In response to the "15th Nov 2003, 15:06" comment:
Batteries will eventually die off... sooner or later, and even if it costs $800, I think that's a small price to pay for reliable trouble free 4-6 or so years period of drive time.
How many repairs, costing more, should you have to do on a GM vehicle in the same period of time?
I have never heard of a Honda dealer selling a car and not being able to fix it if need be? My Insite goes in for all its scheduled service, never had a break down. I have a 2003 with 84,000 miles on it, Honda has always serviced it fine.
I agree with the person who said that hybrids are the cars of the future. With the price of gasoline only expected to get higher, it would only make sense that most people are going to want a hybrid car. I wish I had enough money to go out and buy one right now! Thanks to all the people who are buying hybrids: you're saving our environment!
6th July:
Driving a car of this elk?
You're getting mixed up with the Merc A Class.
Apart from that, I dread to think that you may well be correct.
I love my 5.4 litre V12 BMW 750iL and my 5 litre V12 BMW850i, but I realise that cars like this, gas guzzlers, will be regarded as anti-social in the near future in the same way that cigarette smokers are regarded these days.
Can't help but feel that the Insight is the replacement for the Reliant Robin. I'd like to try one, but it just doesn't sound exciting or manly.
Women will go for it because women are far more sensible than men.
They drive better too.
Of course when we all drive such cars as this, the government will put up the price of petrol to 10 pounds/litre to maintain revenue.
That last point is excellent. No matter what we drive we are going to get taxed or price gouged somewhere so the government can still maintain its transporation fund.