Overview & Reviews

When the Honda Insight two-door hybrid-powered hatchback first arrived on American shores, few people knew what to make of it. Dwarfed by the day's massive SUVs, this two-seater's oddball styling made it look as if it came off the set of a futuristic movie. Little did we know that it really was the car of the future -- thanks to the volatility of gas prices in the following years, hybrids soon became prized for their superior fuel economy. However, while the original Insight was remarkably fuel-efficient, it ultimately lacked the practicality found both in "real cars" and Toyota's four-door Prius.

Years later, Honda revived the Insight name, determined to rectify the original Insight's shortcomings. Like the first Insight, the current-generation model combines a small gas engine with an electric motor that's powered by a battery pack. The current powertrain falls short of its predecessor's impressive 60-plus-mpg potential on the highway, but the second-generation Insight is a superior car in all other respects. Its convenient four-door hatchback design provides decent cargo space and a tight but usable rear seat, and it still returns around 40 mpg combined. Compared to other modern hybrids like the Ford C-Max and Toyota Prius, however, the latest Insight comes up short in fuel economy, features and overall refinement.

Current Honda Insight
The latest Honda Insight, a four-door hybrid hatchback with seating for five, is available in base, LX and uplevel EX trim. Standard equipment for the base model includes 15-inch steel wheels, antilock brakes, stability control, automatic climate control and a two-speaker sound system. The LX adds cruise control, four speakers for the sound system and an iPod/USB audio interface. The EX comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, heated mirrors, steering-wheel audio controls and six speakers. The EX can also be equipped with a navigation system (that includes a rearview camera) and Bluetooth.

Under the Insight's hood is Honda's familiar Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. IMA starts with a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 88 horsepower and 88 pound-feet of torque that's supplemented by an electric motor that kicks in when needed to add another 13 hp and 58 lb-ft. A nickel-metal hydride battery pack keeps the electric motor whirring, and regenerative braking helps keep the battery pack charged. A continuously variable transmission (CVT) directs the power plant's output to the Insight's front wheels.

In reviews, we've found that the current Honda Insight delivers on the promise of miserly fuel economy. However, that fuel economy is still below what rivals like the C-Max and Prius achieve. Other downsides to the Insight include an unsophisticated ride, mediocre rear seat room and elevated amounts of road noise.

Used Honda Insight Models
When the current second-generation Insight debuted in 2010, it was only offered in LX and EX trim levels. The base trim was added the following year. Notable updates occurred for 2012 and included refreshed front and rear styling, more sound insulation, a bit more rear seat headroom (via a reconfigured rear seat), a redesigned gauge cluster and an updated navigation system (with rearview camera). Since then the Insight has been unchanged.

The first-generation Honda Insight was produced from 2000-'06. It was powered by a 1.0-liter inline three-cylinder engine that put out 67 hp. A lightweight electric motor supported the gas engine with low-end torque and provided extra power under acceleration. Combined, the IMA hybrid system was rated at 73 hp and 91 lb-ft of torque when coupled to the five-speed manual transmission. The optional CVT dropped these figures a bit.

Available in just one trim, the Insight came standard with full power accessories and a CD player. Automatic climate control (with air-conditioning) was optional, and many Insights had a dealer-installed CD changer in the hatch area.

In reviews, we found that the original Honda Insight wasn't very practical as a daily driver. It had a small cargo area, a paltry 365-pound payload capacity, a battery pack that drained fairly easily and rather pokey acceleration. The first Insight was also plagued by excessive road noise at highway speeds, and its ride was uncomfortably stiff. With regard to maximum fuel efficiency, though, the original Insight certainly delivered the goods -- manual-transmission models were EPA rated at 52 mpg in mixed driving, and 60 mpg or more was quite feasible in highway driving.

As a used hybrid, a first-generation Honda Insight could make sense for a buyer keen on the car's high fuel economy and distinctive look and willing to put up with the car's faults. Based on our own experience and anecdotal evidence, reliability for first-generation Insights should be similar to that of other Honda products. Since the Insight didn't change much over the years, shoppers can likely pay more attention to actual condition or mileage than model year.

User Reviews:

• 

  original owner, non smoker - 2000 Honda Insight
  By hnliii - June 14 - 8:22 am

  Ima battery problem, replaced without any hassle. Rear ended in stop and go traffic first day of ownership (ouch), no damage. San Antonio to Las Vegas, 75 mpg, around town 60-65 mpg. Hate to sell it, no choice - lost a leg. Still love the car, miss driving it actually. Was fun fun fun. I liked keeping my money in my pocket!

• 

  Early Insight - 2010 Honda Insight
  By IBWong - May 28 - 4:03 pm

  Perfect commuter car. Great gas mileage and safety features. Useful trunk size and helpful Eco-Assist info in terms of helping one optimize ones driving habits for best economy. Rearward visibility a bit restricted with highback childs booster seat installed.

• 

  Great looks but dangerously underpowered - 2010 Honda Insight
  By Texas Consumer - May 19 - 8:56 am

  Been a big Honda fan. Owned Civic, Accord, another Accord and Integra. All great cars. This one, I really wanted to like it. Looks: Very cute. Wife thought interior reminded her of video game console. Very gadgetty. We test drove. Right out of the dealership (w/ 3 people driver, passenger and salesman), we were on the access road next to the highway. I had to punch it to make it to the entrance ramp. The car revved very high but the speed increased ever so slowly. 3 sets of 2 cars passed us both on left and right side of the Insight before making it. Too dangerous! When got off and did local driving, the car was great. Considering the size, very comfortable.

• 

  Better than the Prius - 2010 Honda Insight
  By RandyL - April 19 - 10:03 pm

  I have owned my 2010 Honda Insight for about three months now. What a great car! I have been averaging 49.4 mpg. They need to redo the govt estimate. I would buy this car over the Prius any day. The car tells you how to drive more efficiently, great feedback.

• 

  2001 Honda Insight - 2001 Honda Insight
  By sparky23 - March 29 - 8:59 am

  Over my lifetime, I have bought eight new cars from a Karman Ghia to a Cadillac. This by far is the best car, new or used, I have ever had. Great conversational piece, incredible reliability, and unbelievably economical. Oh and did I mention that the all aluminum body does not rust. It still looks like new.

• 

  Pleasurable Motoring - 2000 Honda Insight
  By Levster - March 25 - 4:44 pm

  Purchased the Insight in 2004 with slight damage and 32,000 miles from a private seller. After repairs, enjoy driving and average 60 MPG with no operational or repair problems. I love driving this car and passing the gas pumps. Originally used hi-test, then found that it ran just fine on regular. Drove to Florida & back from NH with no problems and averaged 61 MPH. Have replaced brake pads & tires. Friends wonder why I love this car after driving BMWs for 15 years...let them wonder !!!!!

• 

  Free Car? - 2001 Honda Insight
  By Kris - March 16 - 10:47 am

  I have a 75 mile daily commute to work (San Diego to Irvine). I was driving a Nissan Xterra (paid off) getting 16 mpg and paying $680 a month in gas. I bought my Honda Insight for $11,000 and have a monthly payment of $225 a month. The Insight gets 50 mpg (+-2 mpg) even with all the SoCal hills and traffic. I am now paying $210 a month in gas. This is a total cost (both car payment and gas) of $435 a month, a savings of $245 a month in just the gas for my Xterra. It feels like Im saving money and I got a free car in the process. Pretty wild! I still own the Xterra but I only use it for Home Depot runs. All this and its a blast to drive around town. My advice...Buy one!

• 

  The 100 mile per gallon car is here - 2000 Honda Insight
  By atlaw4u - February 12 - 5:39 pm

  As you probably know Honda did not make many Insights so I was unable to locate one locally and had to purchase one from another state and shipped home. The car has performed as expected which means giving up a few creature comforts such as ride quality and a little more road noise and gaining incredible mileage. If you drive this car like any other you can easily obtain the EPA estimates of 60 mpg. However, applying the hypermiling techniques you can easily achieve 80, 90 and yes, 100 MPG. I am averaging over 800 miles between fill ups of my 10 gallon gas tank. For ultimate MPG you need the 5 speed because the manual achieves better mileage than the auto due to operation of lean burn.

• 

  Not enough power for Texas summer - 2010 Honda Insight
  By In Texas - February 6 - 11:23 pm

  Although I look like sportiness of the car, dont buy it if you live somewhere hot like Texas. When you come to a stoplight, the A/C turns off. You can override by turning off the Econ button, but then what is the point of having a hybrid. Ive also found it doesnt have enough power to accelerate when merging into traffic with the hills we have here. Ive owned Hondas for 25 years and was adamant about not getting a Prius, but now Im regretting it. I do like the ability to see gas mileage and how my driving affects it, and Im getting good gas mileage, although not as good as my Prius friends.

• 

  Great eco car - 2010 Honda Insight
  By crv139 - January 26 - 2:20 am

  This is a great economy car, that gets great mpg, fun to drive and looks cool and has list of neat features.. You have to remember that this vehicle is not a sports vehicle and the reason you most likely brought it is to save money at the pumps.