Just test drove the new Insight

[johnnyp500]

I have one word.... Nightmare. I got in the car, started the engine and there were a couple of cars ahead of me to get out of the dealership. the Insight has this weird thing that only when youre in full stop the engine turns off so every time i'd lift my foot of the break just a tad to move an inch forward there would be a little jerk from the engine turning on. Same thing in traffic or in a traffic light the car keeps jerking because u stop, then move forward a little bit, then stop and it was just annoying. The handling of the car on turns was the only thing that was good about but the driving itself was like my first memory of my mom's 1983 Ford LTD station wagon that on a hill would just strugle and make all these weird noises. The noise was just unbearable I had to raise my voice to talk to the dealer. Also the acceleration isnt smooth, when you start at 0 and hit the gas it kind of goes back and forward which was very unpleasant. Anyway I cut the trip short and asked to go on the Civic Hybrid which was a much nicer smoother ride but also that annoying turning off of the engine on a full stop just annoyed me so... I don't think im going Honda.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by johnnyp500

I have one word.... Nightmare. I got in the car, started the engine and there were a couple of cars ahead of me to get out of the dealership. the Insight has this weird thing that only when youre in full stop the engine turns off so every time i'd lift my foot of the break just a tad to move an inch forward there would be a little jerk from the engine turning on. Same thing in traffic or in a traffic light the car keeps jerking because u stop, then move forward a little bit, then stop and it was just annoying......

If works just fine if you: come to a stop, wait for the light to change, go. Why do you feel the need to move a few inches at a time?

[johnnyp500]

Originally Posted by JSH

If works just fine if you: come to a stop, wait for the light to change, go. Why do you feel the need to move a few inches at a time?

Well, what if there is bumper to bumper traffic? Should I just Stop and wait until after rush hour and then drive home smoothly? Think about how annoying that is if you stop and go in traffic and that jerk keeps coming and going. Not my cup of tea bubba.

[KK6PD]

Originally Posted by JSH

If works just fine if you: come to a stop, wait for the light to change, go. Why do you feel the need to move a few inches at a time?

Yo'all need come to Sunny Socal and spend some time on the "405" at 4pm on a Friday. I garontee, you will see the light!!!

[Tideland Prius]

Honda does have a program built in where if it senses that you're in rush hour traffic (i.e starting and stop x number of times in y minutes), it will just keep the engine running (which kinda defeats the purpose of a hybrid).

[Mike Dimmick]

Originally Posted by johnnyp500

Well, what if there is bumper to bumper traffic?

Wait 'til it's inched a couple of car lengths. Occasionally you'll get some jerk overtaking you because you didn't move immediately when the car in front did, but it's not that common. Or, you may find yourself next to a junction where many cars pull out into your gap, in which case you might need to get a little more aggressive if they're not allowing you your turn again.

If it's very stop-and-go, try to give yourself a bit of a buffer then creep along at the average speed; your buffer will grow and shrink as people speed up to each other and slam on their brakes. This technique actually clears the jam; most jams are caused by people reacting to each others' brake lights. Running through at a slow speed means everyone behind you can do the same thing, at least until some idiot brakes again.

Once you've come to a stop, stay there when the people in front decide that they could have got a bit closer to the car in front of them.

Patience is a virtue. Why is covering the two feet of tarmac in front of you so important? Once you're moving at decent speed, you'll cover them in no time. (At 30mph you cover 44 feet per second.)

For more jam-driving tips, see Traffic Waves.

[thedutchtouch]

Originally Posted by Mike Dimmick

Wait 'til it's inched a couple of car lengths. Occasionally you'll get some jerk overtaking you because you didn't move immediately when the car in front did, but it's not that common. Or, you may find yourself next to a junction where many cars pull out into your gap, in which case you might need to get a little more aggressive if they're not allowing you your turn again.

If it's very stop-and-go, try to give yourself a bit of a buffer then creep along at the average speed; your buffer will grow and shrink as people speed up to each other and slam on their brakes. This technique actually clears the jam; most jams are caused by people reacting to each others' brake lights. Running through at a slow speed means everyone behind you can do the same thing, at least until some idiot brakes again.

Once you've come to a stop, stay there when the people in front decide that they could have got a bit closer to the car in front of them.

Patience is a virtue. Why is covering the two feet of tarmac in front of you so important? Once you're moving at decent speed, you'll cover them in no time. (At 30mph you cover 44 feet per second.)

For more jam-driving tips, see Traffic Waves.

good advice, but to be honest, in northern NJ you have to keep less than a car length in front of you or person after person will cut in front of you. it's quite rediculous.

[usbseawolf2000]

That's why you buy a FULL hybrid that can get out of the traffic jam on battery power.

[sl7vk]

Originally Posted by JSH

If works just fine if you: come to a stop, wait for the light to change, go. Why do you feel the need to move a few inches at a time?

When paying 20+k for a car, you have the right to be picky regarding this type of thing. Especially in this economy.

When I bought my car, I test drove the Civic Hybrid. I think at the time it was a 3 cylinder gas engine in that thing and IT drove me crazy.... Slow, sluggish, I hated it.... and chose accordingly....

[hill]

Looks wise ... they ought to just call it the Honda Prius. At least that way, you'd feel better about it lookiing like a Prius. You could then say, "Well . . . at least it LOOKS like a prius".

I'm going to build a device so my Prius will "sound" like an Insight. When I pull forward in traffic, a recording will come on. You'll hear, vroom vroom, then the sound of tire burn out. Then a vibration device will turn on, and simulate the real feal, of an honest to god ICE. Real macho.