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:

• 

  One month review - 2011 Honda Insight
  By mattwc1 - April 29 - 7:21 pm

  First off, many hybrid owners get a bad (yet well deserved) rap of being," holier than thou" when it comes to the environmental impact of their cars. Lets dismiss some myths. Hybrids Do NOT save the world or the environment (one look at mining practices for the metals to make up the various batteries will easily disprove that) . Sorry to dash the hopes of the misinformed. Hybrids DO help in saving significant amounts in your fuel expenditures. More importantly, hybrids do allow the user to save fuel while still being able to use the existing infrastructure. (rant off) I bought my base 2011 Insight to replace a very nice 2009 Rav4. It has in over 1000 miles already saved fuel costs by 1/2.

• 

  Like it better than Prius 95% of the time - 2010 Honda Insight
  By hybridrocks54 - June 16 - 8:53 pm

  Weve had it since it was new and now just over 30K miles. Fun car to drive. Use it as urban around town commuter car with occasional highway trips and get consistently 39-40 mpg. We are all very tall and fit fine in front seat adults are somewhat tight in back. No mechanical issues whatsoever, so really appreciate Honda reliability.

• 

  Money saver - 2011 Honda Insight
  By barbarossa3 - February 24 - 9:10 pm

  Weve had our insight for 10 months now and have been completely satisfied with the car. We normally achieve 43-46 mpg CITY ! At 75 on an interstate it drops to 40 MPG but I usually get 50-53 on a 55 mph highway. Some routes to work net me 53 mpg city. We replaced a 4.2 litre Ford Freestar which gave 17-19 mpg city and are saving the entire car payment in cost savings. Free Car!! Ride is a little rough and firm as new cars go(typical for Honda). Interior on LX is a little too plastic. Blind spots are awful in traffic.

• 

  Better car than it looks on paper - 2011 Honda Insight
  By mike579 - February 19 - 1:31 pm

  I do a 40 mile highway commute on weekdays and some city driving on weekends. By my own calculations, I get an honest 50 miles per gallon. The dashboard readouts give you the information you need to modify your driving style to maximize MPG. I see people complain about a noisy car, but thats not my experience. Its quiet on the freeway. It will get noisy on a rough roads or if you stomp on the gas pedal. The interior is a little plasticy, but it still looks clean and functional. Because of the car styling, the car has larger blind spots than I would like.

• 

  2012 Insight EX with Navi - 2012 Honda Insight
  By john57110 - December 21 - 2:30 pm

  I recently purchased a Black Insight EX with Navi after careful comparison with the Prius. I concluded that the Insight is a much better value, ($10,000 less than top of the line Prius, although it doesnt offer quite as many options) and is much more enjoyable to drive. I purchased this as a commuter car (60 mile round trip to work) and for running errands. I consistently avg 45mpg (calculated by fuel up to miles driven). Overall I am very pleased with this vehicle and believe it would have see better sales if it was marketed better. Also, contrary to Edmunds review this car is capable of electric only operation although in very limited circumstances (flat level ground under 25 mph).

• 

  17K Miles later... - 2011 Honda Insight
  By nickdapit - November 13 - 4:25 pm

  So far I couldnt ask for much more from the car, I bought the car specificlly for my job as I drive large stretches of the country. My latest trip took me from Los Angeles to Denver then Denver to Seattle then Seattle back to Los Angeles. I have had no problems with the car and average the EPA estimate for driving. (42 mpg) The only thing that dissappoints me is the rear seat area, a six foot man cannot fit even with a 5 foot driver in the front seat. Headroom is almost ridiculous to the point where Honda should have just made an inch or two higher for the rear seats even if that cost the vehicle 2 mpgs overall! The leg room is very tight in the rear. Dont buy if family is large.

• 

  Nice car - 2010 Honda Insight
  By jett456 - June 10 - 6:37 am

  I am liking this car more as the gas prices go up. I get decent mileage. Around 45-50 on the highway, 36-40 city. Cruise control seems to use up more gas in my opinion. Ive had no problems with the battery as some reviews have mentioned. My navigation disc is outdated. For some reason I have a 2007 version in my car. Honda offered to split the cost with me. It should be free for all the money the navigation system cost!! The front passenger seat is uncomfortable for a large person. This is a leased car but I think I will go with a larger car when the lease is up.

• 

  Great little car for the price - 2010 Honda Insight
  By ledeof01 - March 12 - 11:33 am

  This is a great little car for the price. Dont take any notice of cost comparisons as the often compare it to a Honda Fit. This car is much bigger than the Fit. Its closer to the Civic. I love the instrument display which can be customized. Fuel economy is great. I do mostly stop/start town driving and still get around 40 mpg average. On long trips, I have easily managed over 50 mpg highway averaging 65 mph. Visibility is poor but thats typical of most small cars these days as they increase pillar sizes for better crash safety.

• 

  Enjoying my 11 EX Insight - 2011 Honda Insight
  By benjiej - January 21 - 12:20 am

  OK, I had a 2010 Insight LX, but only for a few months. There were many things I didnt like, but most of them were due to features I had given up by choosing the LX instead of the EX. I have been driving the 2011 EX for about a month and I am much happier with this car. Some of this is subjective, but it seems to drive better than the 2010, the transitions from electric to gas arent as noticeable (the 2010 shuddered annoyingly), the Auto Stop engages for longer periods at stop lights, and of course I love the features the EX offers over the LX. (note that the 2011 LX has gained many features that my 2010 did not have). For the way I drive its a great car.

• 

  after 25k miles: the facts plus a few comments - 2010 Honda Insight
  By rickinseagrove - January 12 - 12:43 pm

  The car is very econmical to operate and gets way better mileage than EPA estimate. Lifetime average fuel economy to date is 51 MPG (measured). Best tank average to date is 60 MPG (measured). The car computer over estimates mileage by 2 or 3 MPG. It gets significantly better mileage in the summer than in the winter. The 60 MPG tank average was during Aug. in Florida with slightly overinflated (40 PSI) tires on my daily 25 mile commute. Ive change the oil 3 times in 25k miles. No other maintenance cost or issues to date. Honda replaced the IMA battery for free after a warning light came on when it was 2 months old. Really like the styling but they should use better interior materials. iLuvIt