I think Honda bringing back the Insight is a waste of time. Why did Honda make the Insight if they already have the Clarity running on hydrogen? They aren't selling near as many '10 Insights as '10 Prius':

Hybrids in demand: Toyota receives 75,000 orders for the 2010 Prius - Top Speed

They should be focusing their money on further developing hydrogen. What's the point of taking on the hybrid giant when you can get a step ahead of it by taking more time and becoming the hydrogen giant?

 

Oh please don't start on hydrogen. Hydrogen is the biggest BS fuel source ever though up. Do you realize you can travel about 3times further in an electric car, than you could with the same amount of energy in a hydrogen car. Plus hydrogen comes from fossil fuels, how does this help reduce our dependence on foreign oil? And besides that, hydrogen is several times more expensive than gasoline.

The only reason hydrogen fuel is even around is because the oil companies can market it and sell it. They can't make any money on electric cars.

And speaking of electric cars, who is GM trying to fool with the Volt? Honestly, how can they expect ANYONE to take them seriously when they try and produce crap like that. How is it that in the mid 90's they could get 60miles out of the EV1 with lead acid batteries, and 120miles in the same car with NiMH batteries, but 15years later they can only get 40miles out of the Volt? Oh, wait, its because they sold NiHM battery technology for use in electric cars to Exxon Mobil, and now there is no compatible battery technology available.

 

Cause manufacturing the battery for these electric cars isn't more harmful to the environment than a Hummer H2, right?

 

Wait, you actually believed that? That article was discredited so many times over now it isn't even funny. That is like the people who say lead acid batteries in EVs are a bad idea because they only last 5yrs or so.... not only can they last longer if treated right, but they are 99% recyclable.

 

I'm amazed that there are people here who don't know who Jeremy Clarkson is, or what to expect from his car reviews . . . :rotfl: I only agree with him about half the time - but he's always entertaining.

And in my opinion, Top Gear remains the most entertaining show on television.

 

Just found another unflattering review on TTAC

Review: 2010 Honda Insight Take Two | The Truth About Cars

I drove the new Insight before I finally bought the Fit and I didn't think it was that bad, I was just too obsessed with keeping the speedometer green, it was hard to enjoy driving...

 

[quote=jrlnc;655788]Looks like he hates hybrids, CVTs and Hondas.

I think I can speak as one who knows. I just bought the car and researched it thoroughly beforehand.


Thank you for the review/rebuttal. I am toying (and just toying) with the idea of trading in my '08 Fit for the Insight and wondering if you wouldn't mind answering a few questions? I am perfectly happy with my Fit, but the idea of another Fit like car with even better mileage is appealing to me . 1) Is the build quality on par with the fit? Interior equal or better than fit? 2) How much longer is the Insight? I actually like the fact that the fit is small because it is easy to park both at work and in my garage. It looks just a little bit larger which is ok but pictures can distort reality. 3) How is acceleration compared to the fit auto? 4) I am wrong to assume the Insight is like the fit? It looks to me like they are cousins. Thanks!

 

Meh I don't pay attention to the reviews for new car models. New car model = bugs. I am interested in trading my Fit down the road for something like an Insight, BUT, I want them to iron out the bugs. Give it a model year or two and the Insight should be a good buy. Provided Honda keeps their head on straight and updates/fixes it appropriately.

2 cents.

 

I was definitely wary of buying a brand new car. Honda or not there is always the chance for major design flaws, especially with something as complicated as a hybrid. Just another reason I went with the Fit

 

True, and again if Honda doesn't get the Insight up to snuff after a few years, then I may just buy a newer Fit. lol.

Oh yeah just a quick comment for stevet47 last I checked 70+ percent of the world is water. The chemical composition is H2O. As in H for Hydrogen. So don't make excuses that Hydrogen comes from fossil fuels and costs more. The reason it costs more is because we do NOT have the technology to get it cheaply. The reason technology has not improved is because our infrastructure is based around OIL. So unless society decides to spend money on the tech, Hydrogen will always be more expensive. Hey even oil was more expensive at one time, but through development and technology, its now cheaper. So again look at the big picture and don't be too harsh on emerging tech for Hydrogen. At least Honda is trying something different which is more than I can say for big oil or the rest of the auto manufacturers.

PS not baggin on you man, just adding my two cents. and no I don't work for Honda or the Hydrogen industry. lol

 

Actually I completely agree with you there. However, I also feel, why spend billions on a new infrastructure and and an unproven technology when we can simply use electric cars.... an existing infrastructure and a proven technology?

 

actually this was a four star review, something they dont really do to much, so it is actually pretty flattering. (some of the guys on the site are even worse than clarkson.)

as far as the hydrogen debate goes...i think its cool and i'm sure i would enjoy the clarity more than the insight....but its not ready for primetime yet. these things take time. sure honda could sell the clarity like any other car, but then this (and other forums) would be filled with threads on how 'expensive' we think it is.

 

HA!


the people who put the '10 prius on order are the yuppie retards who are trying to make a 'statement' with their hybrid, instead of actually trying to do something positive. these are the same people who have no idea that honda was the first automaker to sell a hybrid in the states, and will write the insight off as a prius wannabe.

and they probably dont care about how a car connects you to the road either.

they are also the idiots responsible for making anit-hybrid folks cement thier opinions on hybrids by putting unneccessary demand on a car that is going to be plentiful. (its like pre-ordering a damn civic for goddnessakes.)

LOSERS.

 

Four Star? I am looking at it and I see two stars, I think you are thinking of TTACs original review, this is a "second take" review, and the second review was not happy.

 

Funny stuff. I love watching Top Gear. It's good entertainment. Do I take Clarkson seriously? - of course not. I traded my Fit on an Insight. I like it. It drives nicely.

I think it's not a comparable car to the Prius. Different size and cost. The Prius ends up being a LOT more than $2k more.

 

Problem is, people like going on long distances without having to charge their cars for hours at certain intervals. We are a nation used to not having to stop and slow down, sadly... Hydrogen offers the ability to fill up and go like gas, sadly we probably won't attempt to move in that direction. I do think we need to use more nuclear though. I've lived near San Onofre all my life, nothing wrong with more nuclear :o

 

[quote=HondaGuy;656784]As stated above, I just traded my 08 Fit on the Insight. I can answer your questions.

1. Ithought the build quality of the Fit was cheap. The body tinny, the interior quality low, and the carpet a cheap joke. I was worried the door handles would pull off in my hand if I pulled too aggressively. Exactly what I expected when I bought it and I loved it! It's an economy car after all. The insight build quality is one notch up. It's pretty much on par with the Civic. The interior is much nicer and the doors feel more substantial than the Fit, which is not to say they feel substantial. :)

2. The wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than the Fit. It looks and feels longer. The overall length must be about a foot longer judging by how much more room it takes in my garage. It's still small and easy to park.

3. Acceleration is on Par with the Fit (and Prius) - slow. Not dangerous, but slow. Beyond getting on the highway, speed is the last thing on it's menu - as it should be.

4. The Insight is based on the Fit. Some of the parts are the same.

The Insight is not better than the Fit - it's different. Trade your Fit if you want -

1. more highway comfort and stability

2. even better mileage

Do not bother if -

1. you can't give up the excellent back seat room of the Fit. The Insight's back seat is definitely smaller, but not as bad as most reviews make it seem. Up front I am more comfortable and have more leg room. The lumbar is a bit pronounced as noted in some reviews, but not bad imo.

2. you drive mainly in the city. The mileage payoff isn't worth the trade alone and the Fit is a fantastic city car with better hauling capacity.

Obviously, the best thing is to go drive on. I did and I bought it then and there.

This article - Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX | The Truth About Cars seems more rational than the other ones posted that have some venom. I think people (especially auto journalists) put too much into the fact that it's a, save the world, hybrid. If you just look at it face vale - a nice Honda that gets very good mileage at a reasonable price, you have a winner.

 

I couldn't agree more, except that hydrogen is not a fuel source; it's an energy transport mechanism. It takes lots of energy to generate pure hydrogen -- are more than for an equal energy equivalent of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, or electricity (which is another energy transport mechanism, not an energy source). Currently, the cheapest way to produce hydrogen is by liberating it from natural gas -- it would be far more efficient to just use the natural gas in the first place.

 

Good review. My favorite line is: "It’s not dangerously slow; there’s just no entertainment value. It’s not like you can downshift, spool up and goose the little bastard."

In addition to looks and usable interior space, this was one of the reasons I chose a Fit over an Insight. Spooling up and goosing the little bastard is slightly more fun in the Fit. Same thing with my wife's VTR250 -- with only 250 cc's pushing 360 pounds of motorcycle, it's not a drag bike, but it's great fun to keep the engine between 10,000 and 14,000 rpms.

 

The Fit is more fun to drive imo also. Once you keep the revs up it moves along alright. I considered trying mine at auto-X just for fun (never did it). I wouldn't even consider the Insight for that. Fact is they are probably comparable in speed and handling, but as stated, it's just not that much fun in the Insight. Bet it would be even less fun in a Prius.....or a school bus....or a dump truck.

I have a BMW R1200GS. Nice bike for touring, but I love riding my smaller bikes in the city. I think the one that is most fun is a vintage Honda CB160. Not fast, but lots of fun.