*Updated* 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions (Road Test on Pg 2)

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

"Ultimately, no single solution has all the bases covered."

Hybrid covers all the bases. Would it be gasoline, natural gas, Diesel, or Hydrogen, hybridizing them will make better use of those fuel. For example, regen braking to recharge the HV battery. You can not convert the braking energy back to gasoline, natural gas or Diesel. You may be able to convert regen brake energy back to hydrogen but it require the car to have hydrogen generator which can be slow. In any case, all Fuel Cell vehicle prototypes are all hybrids. They all have the battery pack to assist and capture braking energy.

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

Friday evening, I was headed home and knowing the local Honda dealer's lot was empty, decided to drop by Joe Davis baseball stadium to learn that just about every car dealer had relocated there for a "tent sale." So I thought, go take a look at the Honda Insight.

The first surprise ... no customers ... it was cars, sales critters, tents and some inoperable grills ... but no customers. The only other vehicle I saw was a Hummer coming the other way along a two lane road with some cars parked. I pulled in to let the Hummer pass and continued looking for the Honda dealer.

Eventually, I found the Honda inventory and asked a young lady, "Is there a sales critter?" and with the enthusiasm of someone relieved at finally being asked to help, she pointed to a good ol' boy with a cowboy hat about 50 yards down the row. So I pulled up to him and asked,

"Do you have any Honda Insights?" and he said they had six at the end of the row.

I parked my Prius and went over to look at them and boy, those are some small cars. I drive an NHW11 but these are really small cars. These Honda Insights are much shorter than my wife's Echo. I would have to go to a Scion xA to find something that tiny.

Now I looked over the Insights while the salesman went to get the key and sure enough the invoice price was $21,360 ... then with dealer freight and stuff added brought it up to $22,780 and I was aghast. It truly is a small, 4-seater car. At least the rear seats fold down but they don't really 'lay flat.' I could see no way the passenger seat could fold down and provide firewall-to-hatch length. I'm sorry but this is really a small car.

Now my wife is not a small person and her back and knees limit her mobility. Still, I tried to sit in the car and bumped my head on the door frame. I didn't see 'stars' like I did three years ago trying to sit in a Honda Civic but I have to duck-down to fit in this car. As a Halloween joke, I once laid down in a coffin and the Honda Insight felt the same. Worse, all of the instruments had to be viewed through the steering wheel!

Please understand that there are smaller (less fat) people for whom the Honda Insight would be a great car. But neither I nor my wife fit.

Now I don't believe in 'jerking a salesman around,' so as politely and quickly as possible, I got 'out of Dodge.' Seldom have I ever felt more sympathy for the dealers who with their staffs tried to bring in customers by setting up around the baseball stadium. I was there because I was curious about their products but I really felt sad when so many people have such a hard job.

Please understand that I bear no ill-will for the sales critters and even the dealer staff but I really felt sorry for them. Seriously, if someone thinks the Honda Insight is Prius competition, well I'd probably call them 'tiny.'

Bob Wilson

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

Thanks for the post Bob.

I was really hoping the dimensions quotes on Honda's website were misleading and the car would be much larger in the inside than it appeard. Kind of like the Prius.

Did you get a good look at the hatch area? Fomr the videos I saw it looked like they "pinched the rear closed in such a way so as to make the hatch space difficult to use. The Civic works this way as does the older 94-2005? Mustangs. The outcome is a good sized trunk with a tiny opening.

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

This is one of the (few) things I really like about the Insight. I do not like the Toyota trend to push the instruments toward the center of the car. I want them right in front of me. I've never found looking "through the steering wheel" to be an issue. This is a big deal for me and if Toyota manages to push the instruments completely to the center it will be a deal breaker for me.

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

Being thankful for having a body that's exactly the right size then.

There are many that despise the steering wheel always being in the way. That view obstruction can be really, really annoying.
.

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

its wheelbase is same as in Fit, while Prius has Avensis sized wheelbase (like Passat)... so there is no way it can be as spacious inside as Prius, because it has 2 class smaller wheelbase.

Gen2 Prius was known for large interior but this wasnt some kind of magic - simply Toyota has used large wheelbase with small overhangs.

Toyota Verso which can seat 7 has same wheelbase as Prius.

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

You should probably try to get used to it. This is the trend with all new automotive instrumentation.

Tom

 

Re: 2010 Honda Insight First Impressions

After my 2010 Insight test drive, I was mostly unimpressed with the "roughness" of the gas to electric to gas transitions...ESPECIALLY starting off from a stop. My god, it was NOT smooth, cachunk and away you go. Other than that fact I found it very nice driving and acceptably sized inside. The dash/instruments were a tad over the top, meaning a video game had less going on. Too many lights and gauges and not intuitive on how to drive efficiently, or to even see current MPG, basic info. Back seat was okay, did seem less roomy than my Prius back seat. Hatch back works for me. At least now Honda has a hybrid with ulility!

Overall, not worth the 22,600 sticker, when a 2010 Prius gets you more for not much more money (what, like a grand or so?). I mean, better MPG, larger passenger and cargo areas, EV mode, smartkey, sunroof. Okay adding some of these does put the Prius 2-3 grand more.

For those not used to Prius gadgets/technology, the 2010 Insight will work great. Bottom line: the value is pointing to a 2010 Prius.