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Honda Insight Thoughts

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by cairo94507, Jun 26, 2009.

  1. cairo94507

    cairo94507 Active Member

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    So I went in and saw the Gen III Prius last week. Today I went and saw the new Insight from Honda at Hayward Honda (on my flight path so to speak).

    My first thought was entry level Hybrid for the masses. It looks nice on the outside-I really liked it. Then I opened the door and got into the car, an LX model. That was where the love affair ended for me. I just thought the interior looked like a base car with nothing but essentials and not as nice ergonomically.

    So the Prius takes it for me; I love the new interior the most. I am OK with the exterior-actually I prefer the Insights body. Regardless, if or when I replace my 114,600 mile Gen. II 2005 Prius, it will be with a new fully loaded Prius V.

    Now the best part....the Honda salesman, and I use that term loosely. I go into the dealership and tell them I do not need help, just came in to see the Insight and sit in it. This salesman, gold bracelet, 1980's moustache, gold front tooth and gigantic watch approaches me (unsolicited) and begins to tell me why I have to buy that car today. I tell him I am not looking to buy, I own a Prius, which I point to parked outside their window and tell him I am just looking. He then begins to tell me a whole bunch of wrong things about the car I have owned since 2005 and put over 100K miles on.

    1. "Well in your car you have to do a whole series of things to start the car." I tell him I step on the brake and push the button-that's it. He looks at me.

    2. "Well you car has 4 electric motors, one on each wheel. The Honda has a better system." I tell him the Prius has one electric motor which combines with the ICE and the car has a constantly variable transmission. He looks at me.

    3. "Well your car is 1st generation technology and really outdated." I tell him my car is a 2nd generation Prius and has never given me a problem or left me stranded and gets 45 MPG all day long.

    4. "Well Honda actually designed the Prius body style in 2000, which Prius stole and used. Honda was able to recover the design in 2009 and thus the new Insight." Here, I just looked at him.

    5. "Well in your car the battery pack occupies the whole trunk, rendering it useless." He then opens the hatch of the Insight and tells me where the battery pack is and that you can't accidently get to it and be injured. I tell him my Prius' battery is under the back seat and not accessible without removing the back seat and my trunk area is relatively the same as his Insight trunk. He looks at me.

    At this point I really thought -Wow, I don't like this idiot and would not buy a pack of gum from him or his gold tooth.

    OK. well it was fun. What it really did was reaffirm my utter dislike of car salespeople generally. I acknowledge that good salespeople are out there.
     
    #1 cairo94507, Jun 26, 2009
  2. Paradox

    Paradox Prius Enthusiast / Moderator
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    I agree with you about the interior, I just do not like it at all. But although I do not dislike the exterior, it just looks too much like the same Prius we have loved since the end of 2003. At least the Gen III has a much more modern look with clean lines that give the car a must sportier stance imo.
     
    #2 Paradox, Jun 26, 2009
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Similar thoughts to me. I do like the Insight's exterior and yes the interior is more Fit than Civic-like. Again, I'm reminded that it's supposed to be THE entry level hybrid so costs have to be cut somewhere.
     
    #3 Tideland Prius, Jun 26, 2009
  4. alam99

    alam99 Member

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    Like you said, the Insight is an entry level Hybrid for the masses. It makes sense that the interior matched that accordingly. It's meant to be a low-priced fuel-efficient hybrid.

    I agree that the Prius is a better car and worth the extra few thousands, but I certainly understand if other drivers feel the Insight is a better fit for them.
     
    #4 alam99, Jun 27, 2009
  5. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Sounds about like Hayward auto row to me ....
     
    #5 cycledrum, Jun 27, 2009
  6. JSH

    JSH Senior Member

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    I final got around to test driving a Insight today. In general I really liked it:
    • The seating position is very comfortable for me. The seats fit right and have good side support. The combination of adjustments allow me to get very comfortable. (I think the seat in the 2G Prius is too high and the steering wheel too low)
    • I really liked the dash layout. Yes, it looks odd but is ergonomically great. The climate controls are right were my hand falls and everything can be adjusted by feel. The speedo is in a great position as is the lower instrument cluster with speedo, RPM, etc. Like the Honda Civic hybrid, the hybrid gauges give all the important information like amount of assist and regen, instant and average fuel economy, etc. While not as nice looking as the MFD display in my Prius the Insight gives the driver more information and in a more convenient location. The materials are not as nice as those in the 3G Prius but are a step above my 2G.
    • The Insight drove and rode well. Damping rates are noticeably firmer than my Prius and body roll is less pronounced. (I can only imagine how good a Insight would when modified with the wide assortment of parts available for the Fit.)

    What I didn't like:
    • The brake petal had too much travel and the transition from regen to friction braking was more noticeable than my Prius
    • Due to the engine run AC compresser, when the engine turned off at a light the climate control system started to blow warm, humid air.
    • The engine was noticeably louder than my Prius.


    If the Insight had been available in 2006 when I bought my Prius I would have easily picked the Insight. In general it drove like a Civic Hybrid with a more practical hatchback design. Today it is more of a toss-up between the 3G Prius and the Insight though I would still lean towards the Insight due to price and my personal needs. My test drive did get me excited about the possibility of a Fit Hybrid with more cargo room and a sportier CR-Z hybrid hatch.

    I think Honda has made a great car, especially for the price point. They should have no problem selling them. (The dealership I visited didn't have any in stock except the demo unit which was marked on the window sticker (DEMO UNIT, NOT FOR SALE))
     
    #6 JSH, Jun 27, 2009
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