If you have not been hiding under a rock for the past couple of years, you would have come across it in one form or another. What could I possibly be speaking of? The alternative energy vehicle movement; that's right, they are here to stay.
First, it was hybrid this and hybrid that. Hybrid powertrains were put into anything with four wheels: sedans, sport-utility vehicles, pick-ups, go-carts and pogo sticks. There have been some really great ones, such as the 2010 Toyota Prius, and there have been some sub-par hybrids, example being the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid.
Next came the diesel movement. I cannot think of any other company more committed to the cause than Audi,
which launched a huge campaign for oil burners. In the upcoming years you will continue to see a wave of diesel variants in VWAG's arsenal. For 2010, VW brought over the Golf diesel and Audi brought over the award-winning A3 TDI. Then there are the BMW's and Mercedes-Benz's of the world; however, it may be short lived as they seem to be embracing hybrid technology in their latest efforts.
The last invasion has come in by way of electric vehicles. And why they have become ever so popular is beyond me. The technology AND infrastructure are far too premature to be used daily, but I suppose they are onto something. If battery lives are spurned by a new innovation it would be great but likely it will take plenty of time and dollars in R&D before anything makes serious headway.
Getting back to real cars, this neatly brings us to the topic of discussion, the 2010 Honda Insight.
Yeah, so it looks a little bit like Toyota's Prius. Oh-kay, it looks a lot like the Prius but there is one thing the Insight brings to the table; a cheap price. An EX, with navigation, Insight comes in at just under $24,000. A similarly equipped Prius would cost you a bit over $26,000.
I hear the skeptics, though. Yes the EPA believes the Prius obtains 50-ish MPG in the city while the EPA says the Insight would be lucky to get approximately 40. Well, I beg to differ because after a week of real-world testing and an appropriate mix of city and highway driving, I obtained a very nice 42 MPG in the Insight. The Prius only got 2 MPG better, so, there is not much of a margin to recoup that couple of grand through gas prices.
However, there is a margin in other areas surrounding the Insight. Like when it is 100 degrees and in an effort to salvage MPG, the Insight reduces the air conditioning. Mind you this is NOT just in "Econ" mode. After a few sticky traffic jams, you will soon pump up the A/C all the way up.
Standing back from the car, it looks just as one would expect a hybrid to look like. Something tells me if a person asked someone to draw a hybrid with a blindfold on, the Insight's silhouette would be drawn. It's clearly celebrating its hybrid nature, unlike the Fusion Hybrid and Malibu Hybrid, which appear to be in denial.
Then there are the finer details that provide a bit of spunk. The front fascade that looks somewhat similar to its brother, the Civic, has been tweaked with a new grille. To me, it draws elements from Lexus' HS250h grille and the VW Jetta -- minus the chrome plastic. I could care less about who copied whom, it looks good.
Take a walk around the back of the car and you are confronted with some unique looking LED taillights and a Prius-inspired hatch. This provides plenty of utility and functionality.
My biggest problem with the design are the wheels and tires. They are too small for the chunky design; its proportions are a bit off, particularly in the rear. Granted, the car HAS to be equipped this way in order to obtain those lofty MPG numbers. It is a catch-22.
This all boils down to one thing: if you want a hybrid and want to stand out, this is the kind of car that you purchase. It has that iconic, green look and it is not going to be subtle. It is an attention getter, even if that is not your intention.
Getting more comfortable in the confines of the Honda, you realize that it is not your average looking interior. Sure there are switches and knobs but their arrangement is something entirely different from what you may be accustomed to. Usually when this happens it creates mass confusion and frustration, but the Insight's dials are easy to recognize and use. In fact, by the end of my time with the car I have grown to adore the easy-to-use and intuitive setup.
In the glamorous/gimmicky department, Honda has outfitted the vehicle with a digital readout that has a variable background color. When you drive frivolously you can obtain the prettiest shade of blue; however, if you manage to rack up the MPG, you will see the most regal green. A cute touch but quite unnecessary given you are supplied with a very accurate gauge that shows how much assist the electric motor is providing the driver.
It looks like this:
Seating within the vehicle is pretty good. There is plentiful bolstering in the front seats, likely more than you would find in your average economy car and this is a good thing because this baby does not corner flat -- more on this later. Speaking materialistically, the upholstery is a cloth weave that you find on high-end basketball shorts. Now that may not sound appealing but this stuff screams superior quality and durability. Plus, unlike most cloth interiors, the whole world does not stick to this stuff.
There is a problem, however. While the materials that make up the cabin appear to be quality goods, its execution makes it feel cheap. You open the doors, they are feather light, you open the compartments in the cockpit and they seem flimsy.
Because of this a lot of journalist's have been ripping Honda a new one, and I too could join that crowd. But, I do not think I will. Let me briefly explain: the Insight weighs just a hair over 2,700 pounds.
That is an accomplishment.
In comparison, the Toyota Prius weighs in a bit over 3,000 pounds and the Lexus HS comes in like a whopper in the 3,700 pound neighborhood. That weight makes a monster difference. When driving the HS, I felt as though I were riding in a tank and the Prius just felt screwed together tighter.
So far, it seems that the Insight is doing a good job. Awesome MPG, quality materials on the inside of the cabin and it is not a bore like the last Insight. But, this is where things get a bit nasty: the performance side.
Equipped with a teeny 1.3 liter four-cylinder gasoline motor and assisted by an electric motor capable of 10-kilowatts. This totals up to 98-horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque. Not exactly going to blow your doors off, even being a lightweight. Pulling a 0-60 time under a decade is possible because it is not as slow as the Smart ForTwo CDI I drove last November. It is definitely not a quick car but it is not unbearable.
But when you get to a corner, that is where the non-performance engineering behind the Insight rears its ugly head. As you enter the turn, you feel the unbalanced demeanor and nose-heavy front take hold. The hybrid twists, leans and feels as smooth as a
runway model that cannot walk in heels. It is not composed by any means.
Sure its weighted steering feeling is nice, but when you have just as much body roll as a sport-utility vehicle, it makes you wonder "why?" The car's wheel-barrel thin tires cannot be helping the matter either.
After feeling nervous about an "S" curve, you then hit a bump and receive an awakening experience. While it is not teeth-chatteringly bad, it is far from refined. At speed the suspension keeps the car calm and unlike Hondas of old, it can go high speeds without a rattling steering wheel. Two thumbs up, Honda.
This got me thinking, where does this stand in the hybrid class then? Where the 2010 Toyota Prius made tremendous strides and transformed itself from being a goose to a swan, the Insight feels, drives and acts like an older hybrid. It has a nice, new package -- the interior, exterior styling and puts up outrageous MPG numbers -- but seems to missed its execution.
Because it does its job, very well in fact, of getting supreme MPG numbers, I want to say this is a very good hybrid vehicle. But I am torn when I analyze the way it actually drives.
In the wonderful world of cars there are countless comparisons and I think I have found the proper one for this situation. The Insight is essentially what the Dodge Challenger is to modern muscle cars. Essentially, it is an updated and modern version that feels like the old-school original. Interestingly enough, this can be a rewarding experience. As we saw recently, a study showed that
the Dodge Challenger is the most loved vehicle.
What we know: the Honda Insight is a good purpose-built vehicle. If you are a commuter traveling into New York City or fighting Los Angeles' 405, this would be a vehicle to check out, IF you do not mind the lightweight nature of this car.
If you require a bit more out of your vehicle, such as handling and a more refined feel, it will most likely be tough to love the 2010 Insight.
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