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Test drove an Insight today

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by pfarinelli, Aug 12, 2010.

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  1. pfarinelli

    pfarinelli New Member

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    Hi...I'm new to the forum,my first post.

    I went to the Honda place today to drive an insight with nav. Ive been a Honda man all my life. I have owned 5 Honda cars and 2 Honda bikes in my life. I currently have a Honda Civic LX. I want a hybrid and like the Insight because it has all the stuff I want,the mileage is good and the price is right.
    I start the car, the engine is running and you cant even hear it! Its 110 degrees here in phoenix so I idle a bit to cool down the interior. While doing so,I admire the interior. So far,so good. Car is comfortable,feels pretty solid. Controls are nice,good feel. Car accelerates well. Gets up and goes onto the freeway with no issues. Nice dash,cool eco monitor system.
    Nice driving car. Rides well. I'm driving and thinking about how it will look in the garage,what accesories to buy and when will I wax it for the first time. I'm thinking all the things a prospective new owner thinks about.
    I exit the freeway and come to a stoplight. Lots of cars in front of me and this is a notorously long light. The car goes into auto-stop. I think to myself,the engine not running is saving gas and no exhaust emmisions are going into the air. This is cool. As I lose myself in thought, I notice the air conditioner output is getting warmer and warmer. The interior is heating up and its only been 60 seconds or so. I'm getting hotter and hotter. What in the world is going on here? Its 110 degrees out. I'm like,Wth,this is a brand new car! Turns out,according to my salesman,this is normal! If I want the air to blow cold,I have to put the car in neutral and let off the brake. The engine will come back on and the air will blow cold.
    As you probably have guessed,I didnt buy the Insight today. As much as I loved everything else about the car,The a/c thing is a deal breaker. Hopefully Honda will come up with a fix for that issue.

    My question is,I am now considering a Prius. I am at the early stages of looking. I bet you can guess my question!! During auto-stop,does the a/c work?

    Thanks for reading....and helping!!!
     
    #1 pfarinelli, Aug 12, 2010
  2. Marvinh

    Marvinh Marvin

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    Yes! The A/C works while the car is stopped, because the A/C is electric. Not belt driven.

    Marvinh
     
    #2 Marvinh, Aug 12, 2010
  3. pfarinelli

    pfarinelli New Member

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    Ic. The compressor is electric?? How cool is that!!! Thanks for your quick reply.
     
    #3 pfarinelli, Aug 12, 2010
  4. cwerdna

    cwerdna Senior Member

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    Yep.

    Prius has had electrically driven AC since the 04 model year. The Civic Hybrid has had it for awhile. The now dead HAH (Honda Accord Hybrid) had 2 compressors: a larger one driven by the gas engine and a smaller electric one (see Honda Accord Hybrid - Road Test - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver).

    Also, when you look under the hood of a 2010 Prius, you'll notice no drive belts. The water pump went electric. Power steering and AC have been electric since the 2nd gen. Be sure to also try driving around at low speeds in the Prius. :)
     
    #4 cwerdna, Aug 12, 2010
  5. ken1784

    ken1784 SuperMID designer

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    The engine coolant pump is also electric, then Prius is the belt less system.

    Ken@Japan
     
    #5 ken1784, Aug 12, 2010
  6. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    I thought it only does it in ECO mode. Any case, it is a belt driven AC that requires the gas engine.

    Others have mentioned about the electric AC in the Prius. In the winter, Prius also recycles heat from the exhaust to warm up the cabin and the engine block. How cool, I mean hot, is that? All these clever ideas keep the gas engine off!
     
    #6 usbseawolf2000, Aug 12, 2010
  7. Colonel Ronson

    Colonel Ronson New Member

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    Not to mention the Insight lacks cruise control, the insight is smaller, the insight gets 10mpg less on average than a prius, the insight doesn't have 10,000 mi OCIs, the insight has drive belts that reduce efficiency versus the prius which has no belts what soever. I didn't know about the A/C thing, but that's pretty garbage the insight doesn't have an electric a/c. prius will have more horsepower. many who test drove a insight who've owned a prius complained the insight is wimpy.

    If you're looking for a prius, i can refer you to my salesman at Camelback Toyota. Im pretty sure with a referral you can get a pretty good price. I got my Prius II a month ago for $21,650 +TTL. Car came with tint, paint protector, and some interior protection warranty or w/e. You might be able to get a better price since toyota is doing $1000 incentives during their end-of-summer sale.
     
    #7 Colonel Ronson, Aug 12, 2010
  8. pfarinelli

    pfarinelli New Member

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    I couldnt be certain about being in econ mode. I may have been,I'm not sure. Loved everything about the car however in Phoenix,Arizona,most people put alot of weight in their buying decision on a/c performance. It was pretty hot today,110 degrees. The a/c must blow ice cubes in order to be seriously considered. I will test drive the Prius this coming monday and report my findings.
    I read in a previous post that the Prius has no belts on the engine. I find that to be pretty cool seeing that there is less parasitic drag on the engine. When the a/c compressor is on,the engine power doesnt suffer. I also like the package with the solar roof and the fan that will blow air through the interior. thats a feature I would use throughout the summer. The remote a/c system sounds useful as well.
     
    #8 pfarinelli, Aug 13, 2010
  9. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    If you are a Honda fan, don't ignore the Civic Hybrid. If not for my dislike of sedans, I probably would have bought that to replace an old Accord Hatchback well before the GenIII Prius came along.
     
    #9 fuzzy1, Aug 13, 2010
  10. Colonel Ronson

    Colonel Ronson New Member

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    Whats the point of an insight if it gets the same MPG as the hybrid civic sedan? Is it just the pricing?
     
    #10 Colonel Ronson, Aug 13, 2010
  11. rudiger

    rudiger Active Member

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    If the Insight wasn't in 'eco' mode, that's weak that the A/C cuts out when the auto-stop activates. I can see it being a deal-breaker, too (esp. in a hot-weather climate).

    I can even see it in the Prius 'if' it's, likewise, in the 'eco' mode. Otherwise, the Prius' ICE will eventually kick-in once the A/C drains the battery at a standstill.

    Having to shift into neutral and take your foot off the brake to get the A/C to come back on while waiting at a stoplight is just inexecusable, otherwise.

    I would have given the Insight some thought if it had available cruise and a sunroof. Now, I'm glad they weren't since I would have been pissed the first time the A/C cut-out at a stoplight.
     
    #11 rudiger, Aug 13, 2010
  12. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Insight is cheaper and is a hatchback, for those of us who prefer that style.

    Civic Hybrid blends in better with the crowd, for those who dislike attracting attention. And its full IMA gets better MPG than Insight's cost-reduced IMA, especially for the capable hypermilers.
     
    #12 fuzzy1, Aug 13, 2010
  13. Priuschap

    Priuschap New Member

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    I test drove the Insight PRIOR to the purchase of my Prius III. I was looking hard at the Honda, but went to the Prius after considering the following: fuel mileage.... fuel mileage... its about 10 to 20 gpm better depending on driving habit in the Prius. Also, I bumped my head 2x;s getting into the Insight, clearance seems lower. The backup camera is standard on the Prius III AND I purchased my Prius with the nav for less than the local dealer quoted me on the Insight... 22,900 vs 23850ish. Currently, I'm getting 56 mpg in my Prius on my 2nd tank of fuel.
     
    #13 Priuschap, Aug 13, 2010
  14. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    Its very cool. :madgrin:
     
    #14 dogfriend, Aug 13, 2010
  15. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    Many drivers from Asian countries naturally shift the car into neutral while stopped at a stop light. I've asked the taxi drivers why. They said that it saves gas.
     
    #15 cproaudio, Aug 13, 2010
  16. Colonel Ronson

    Colonel Ronson New Member

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    i seriously doubt thats the case. ive actually noticed my RPM go up in my other cars when i shift into park or neutral vs drive.
     
    #16 Colonel Ronson, Aug 13, 2010
  17. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

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    RPM goes up because there's no load
     
    #17 cproaudio, Aug 13, 2010
  18. Paul58

    Paul58 Mileage Miser

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    We test drove the Prius and Insight back to back, it was 96 degrees out. The first thing my wife noticed was the A/C in the Insight started blowing warm air while sitting at a stop light. We bought a Prius!
     
    #18 Paul58, Aug 13, 2010
  19. teeasal

    teeasal New Member

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    I test drove the Insight, thinking "not bad!", but my wife hates its seats. They are too low to the ground and slanting backwards too much.

    So we test drove the Prius, and were sold, period.

    The Insight looks and feels like a cheap econo-box (the Fit) while the Prius looks and feels more like a near-luxurious car (Lexus).

    The performance (acceleration) of the Prius blows the Insight away.

    The fuel economy of the Prius blows the Insight away.

    The passenger and cargo volumn of the Prius blows the Insight away.

    The a/c of the Prius blows the Insight away.

    I can go on another 10 pages...
     
    #19 teeasal, Aug 13, 2010
  20. eestlane

    eestlane Member

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    #20 eestlane, Aug 13, 2010
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