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The second most fuel-efficient gas/electric hybrid — the Insight CVT.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
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Put the selector in "drive," and the CVT babies you just like an automatic.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
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This futuristic runabout has a 57 city/56 highway mpg rating and SULEV status.
(Photo by Scott Jacobs)
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Road Test: Follow-Up Test
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Follow-Up Test: 2001 Honda Insight
An Easy-Going Environmentalist
By
Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor , Edmunds.com
Date posted: 01-14-2002
It's not hard to understand why hybrid buyers prefer the Toyota Prius to the Honda Insight. The Prius seats five and has a real trunk, while the Insight seats two and provides just a shallow hatchback. The Prius appears to be an inoffensive larger relative of the Echo, while the Insight looks suitable for space travel, a retrofitted Civic CRX warped into the millennium for runabout duty. Whatever it is, this Honda still commands the attention of everyone nearly two years after its introduction in the U.S. The Prius is a slower, greener Toyota that you can buy for your family, and the Insight is a small but showy challenge for the single environmentalist or couple. Further restricting the Honda's niche appeal is the single transmission choice in the U.S. — a five-speed manual. However, with the late 2001 release of an Insight with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), prospective owners needn't feel obliged to shift their own gears anymore.
Having lived with — and yes, loved — our long-term 2000 Insight for nearly two years, we were definitely curious about the CVT version. A CVT differs from a traditional automatic or manual in that it has an unlimited amount of gear ratios at its disposal. There are no actual shift points; instead, the CVT continually alters the overall drive ratio (between the engine and the drive wheels) to optimize performance and fuel economy (not necessarily in that order with the Insight). Further, even though a CVT can be driven much like a regular automatic (put it in "drive" and go), it doesn't require a torque converter and is thus more efficient at transferring power to the drive wheels.
This wasn't our first experience with Honda's continuously variable transmission — we tested a 2001 Civic HX with the optional CVT. What we found was that this most fuel-efficient of Civics (except for the natural gas Civic GX, which doesn't use petrol) was a little slower than its brethren and generally pleasant to drive. But we didn't know quite what to expect from the CVT-equipped Insight, which has an extremely modest power supply to begin with.
Every Insight is powered by Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, which combines the efforts of a 67-horsepower 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine and a lightweight electric motor capable of recharging its own battery pack (via regenerative braking and downhill coasting). While the car primarily relies on the gas engine, the electric motor provides low-end torque and power assist during acceleration. (If you're new to hybrids, check out our article, How a Hybrid Works.) When this team is paired with the CVT, it can produce 73 horsepower at 5,700 rpm and 79 pound-feet of torque at 1,500 rpm.
The torque figure was a bit puzzling to us, since Honda's specs show that the five-speed manual Insight makes 91 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm with the gas engine and electric motor working together. We called one of our contacts at Honda, who explained that since the CVT uses the most efficient part of the gas engine's powerband, the electric assist isn't used as frequently (this would also explain why we didn't experience significant battery drain in hilly areas and during performance testing). Additionally, Honda engineers lowered the gas engine's compression ratio, which allowed the car to earn a SULEV rating — more on this later.
Of course, the real question that every Insight voyeur wants to know is "How does it drive?" Very capably, as long as you're attentive to braking and throttle input and plan your passing maneuvers — the same thing we would say about our own Insight. The CVT doesn't impart the same feeling of driver mastery, because you can't put it in gear and wring out the IMA's power, but pounding the throttle has never helped fuel economy anyway. Our test car consistently delivered ample off-the-line power for city driving and had enough left in the mid-range to make highway travel easy. We had little difficulty staying with the flow of traffic as we ascended Interstate 5's Grapevine (elevation 4,100 feet) — without draining the electric motor's battery pack. Performance testing yielded an 11.0-second 0-to-60-mph time and an 18.3 quarter-mile at 77 mph — this is still quite a bit faster than the Toyota Prius we tested.
We weren't bothered by the absence of true shifts as we drove and found contentment in watching the CVT's continual adjustments on the electroluminescent tachometer. We did find that the gas engine's "idle stop" feature (the engine shuts off at idle to avoid wasting gas) was more noticeable but surmised that this was because we weren't engaged in the process of depressing the clutch and shifting into first — we simply tapped the throttle and had to wait about a second before the engine reawakened. We didn't really mind, because the CVT made it so much more tolerable to sit in heavy traffic.
As in the Civic HX, the Insight's CVT has two modes — D and S — accessed by large buttons mounted on the steering wheel. When you start the car and put the gear selector in drive, the transmission is in D mode. According to the owner's manual, S mode or "second" mode should be selected when you require an extra boost for hill climbing or passing, or engine braking for a steep descent, as it gives the CVT access to a wider range of gear ratios. We tried it in both situations, and it worked quite well — our best acceleration times were achieved in S mode. In normal driving conditions, we were able to make passing maneuvers without the aid of the S mode's shorter gearing — a good thing since using it lowers fuel economy.
When equipped with the CVT, the Insight earns a 57 mpg city/56 mpg highway rating and is the world's second most fuel-efficient gasoline-powered car — behind only the Insight with a manual gearbox and its 61/68 rating. Our staff's difficulty in attaining our long-term Insight's EPA numbers is well documented in the monthly updates; although, the car's lifetime mileage has increased steadily in recent months due to our road test coordinator's efficient driving style and long-distance commute. We got much closer to the Insight CVT's rating during its week-long stay. Our 47.6-mpg average wasn't great, but we were heartened to find that we managed 55.6 mpg over a 250-mile stretch (while still keeping pace with traffic).
While the Insight CVT uses a bit more fuel than the manual version, its emissions are cleaner, giving it SULEV (super ultra low-emission vehicle) status rather than ULEV. While we've previously reported that SULEVs are eligible for California's coveted AB 71, which allows for single-occupant access to the carpool lanes, we've since learned that this is not the case (see the California Air Resources Board's explanation) — the 2002 list of qualifying vehicles includes only electric and natural gas models. We're aware that not everyone lives in California, so we encourage you to check with the appropriate agencies in your state for possible incentives.
Besides its special transmission, the Insight CVT has exactly the same equipment as the original Insight. Included in our test vehicle was a cargo net clipped to each of the tie-downs in the hatch area — a simple accessory, but our groceries from the natural foods store stayed in one place. However, with the Insight's payload of 400 pounds, the author and her friend realized that they needed to cut back on impulse buys so as not to overload the little car.
For those who aren't ready to take on the challenges of an electric or natural gas vehicle, gasoline/electric hybrids are ideal. They're easy to take care of, and they will save you money at the gas station. The Insight was the first to arrive in the U.S., and even in CVT form, it's still first in fuel economy. But if money and practicality are concerns — and fuel economy is somewhat negotiable — the less expensive Toyota Prius and upcoming Civic hybrid sedan may be better choices. Willing to go even lower? The SULEV-rated Nissan Sentra CA (only available in California), the Honda Civic HX, the Toyota Corolla and Echo, and Volkswagen's turbodiesel Golf and Jetta are all worthy alternatives to hybrids. Toss all of the financial, room-for-the-family baggage aside, though, and we'll take the Insight challenge any day.
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