Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

Rarely a favorite among our jaded editorial staff, the miserly Insight fell into the hands of associate editor Ed Hellwig for the month of November. Ed was admittedly less than thrilled about getting the keys to a car with only three cylinders, but after four weeks and a couple thousand miles behind the wheel, Ed had a newfound appreciation for the little gray Honda.

Despite the car's diminutive stature, Ed found the Insight's interior was comfortable even for his large 6-foot-2-inch frame. The lightweight seats lack the typical cushioning of an Accord, but he found them supportive and comfortable nonetheless. "Even after a long trip to Vegas I felt little discomfort from the racecar-like seat," wrote our associate editor.

He also found the interior ergonomics favorable. From the logbook: "I'm a big fan of simple interiors, so the Insight's minimal dashboard buttons are a welcome sight. With its straightforward automatic climate control system, the Insight only requires a handful of buttons to allow for a complete range of settings. Why can't all cars be this simple?"

Ed typically likes his gauges analog style, but he found the Insight's large digital readout easy to read in all conditions. He especially liked the "charge/assist" gauge that tells the driver when the car's electric motor is kicking in and when the regenerative charging system is working. "I can't help but stare at the charge/assist gauge to see when the electric motor is helping out, it becomes a game to see how far you can go while keeping the batteries at full strength. The charging system worked great with the batteries rarely dipping below the half-charged mark," Ed wrote in his notes.

One area where the Insight typically garners some criticism is cargo capacity. With no rear seats, the only place to store extra items is on a shallow rear shelf under the hatch or on the passenger seat. Despite these limited options, Ed noted: "I was actually able to throw a set of golf clubs and a loaded garment bag in the back with no problem. If there were more than one person, however, the car's limited space could easily pose a problem."

Dodging in and out of thick L.A. traffic took some getting used to, but Ed quickly learned that the Insight's pint-size dimensions made it a perfect companion on his 40-mile round-trip commute. "The lack of on-demand passing power requires some advance planning, but I love the way this thing can squeeze into the smallest pockets with ease," he wrote in the logbook.

Usually the biggest complaint with the Insight is the lack of power, but Ed found the Insight's engine up to the task when it came to getting around with only one person in the car. "Riding alone, the engine provides plenty of zip once you get used to its strange powerband. Low-end torque is definitely lacking, but if you keep the revs up this little sucker moves along just fine. Add another person and some junk in the back and things definitely get a little too slow for comfortable maneuvering."

The Insight's minimal mass did create some uneasiness when our fellow editor became surrounded with large vehicles. From the logbook: "There's definitely a feeling of vulnerability in this thing. The low seating position combined with the feather-like curb weight makes for a less than comfortable feeling when you're surrounded by massive 18-wheelers. I can't help shake the feeling that if I were to get rear ended by another vehicle I would be toast."

Ed also noted that the Honda's low rolling resistance tires delivered a harsh ride quality and poor directional stability on the highway. "The stiff ride makes the car feel a little more low-budget than its sticker would imply and the constant darting and weaving on the highway requires more attention than is comfortable on extended trips. Of course, paying attention is an essential element of driving, but when the slightest groove in the road sends you sailing into the next lane, it's a problem," he noted.

Our associate editor wasn't the only staffer to rack up some miles in the Insight. Research editor Erin Riches spent an extended weekend in the little silver hybrid and came to many of the same conclusions as her peers.

She also found the cargo space adequate for day-to-day errands, but warned against any heavy-duty use. "I always enjoy opening up the box top-shaped hatch and stuffing the small area with groceries. Not only does the hatch look as though it has been designed for galactic travel, the convenience of the space makes the little car all the more appealing. Still, the raised hatch space doesn't look as though it can bear much weight, so when a friend wanted to buy a pair of 50-pound free-weights, I said, 'Let's go home and use our car.'"

On the highway, she also found the Insight to be a capable performer. From Erin's notes: "After spending quite a bit of time in the Insight, I find its powertrain fully adequate to the task of point A to point B travel — especially bearing in its 50 mpg average (I know, I know, it's not close to the EPA numbers, but perhaps fewer mountains and less traffic would resolve this issue — anyway, it's still four times better than what the Grand Cherokee next to me is averaging). I feel that I've learned to drive it so that I can consistently match the pace of other drivers, and where traffic is light and the road is flat or downward sloping, the Insight will smoothly accelerate into and maintain higher speeds."

Erin was also impressed with the Insight's composure at speed. Remembering that more than one staffer has been pulled to the shoulder of the road for exceeding the speed limit in the Insight, Erin commented: "I can see why people have gotten speeding tickets driving this car — you don't expect the composure it delivers at 85 mph. Other similarly sized cars, Metros, for example, would be unapologetically rattling and sending rather high levels of NVH into the cabin. But the Insight doesn't seem to do this — I find it quieter than the long-term Celica."

Overall, Ed found the Insight to be a surprisingly competent and amusing daily driver. A month in the compact two-seater made him realize how practical a frugal commuter car like the Insight can be. "I realized how often it was just me and a bagful of stuff in the back. How much room and power do you really need for that? It made the people bombing around by themselves in an Expedition look kind of silly. Of course, there were times when I had to make arrangements for other means of transportation due to the lack of seating, but it wasn't often enough to make the Insight's two-seater capacity a constant issue."

So would our associate editor buy an Insight for himself? "Knowing that I already have a sport utility available for occasional hauling and weekend duty, I wouldn't mind having the Insight for a daily commuter. It averages over 50 miles to the gallon, never needs charging, and exhibits typical Honda build quality assuring that it will likely provide years of dependable service. What more do you need?"

One final note, Ed brought the Insight in for a scheduled oil and filter change according the owner's manual recommendations. When he went to pick up the car after its brief stay at Santa Monica Honda, there was no charge for the service. When he asked why there was no charge applied, the cashier looked at the invoice and said there wasn't any reason listed.

We usually make every attempt to shield our name from paperwork in order to assure that we are receiving service indicative of what the average consumer would receive. In this case, Ed did what he thought the typical consumer would do: Left without asking any more questions concerning how he got something for free. We're assuming that there was a free service included with the car that we had yet to take advantage of, and that future oil changes will cost in the typical $25-30 range.

Current Odometer: 11,583
Best Fuel Economy: 54.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 44.3 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 49.6 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None (10,500 mile service performed free of charge. Included oil and filter change.)
Problems: None