Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

Seems like there is no middle ground with our long-term Insight. Either you love it or you hate it. Our road test coordinator, Neil Chirico, appears to be in the love it group. This is the third time he has been assigned this vehicle, and he wrote in the logbook that he'd gladly drive it anytime.

This month, he got to do something different with it. Can you say road trip? It was nothing like National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation, but he did take it over to the home of glitz and glamour, Las Vegas, on a trip to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show.

To get to Las Vegas, you venture from the valleys of Los Angeles up through some fairly dramatic changes in elevation onto the high desert of the Victorville/Barstow, Calif., area. From Barstow (the only civilization for miles), it's more of the same — variable altitudes amidst the desolate vastness of the desert, until you reach the oasis called Las Vegas. With two people on board and luggage for a few days' stay, the Insight handled the elevation increases well but did run low on charge climbing one of the steeper grades.

What Neil learned from this experience was that Honda, in its infinite wisdom, will only allow the system to discharge so much before stopping the flow of power to the electric-assist motor. The battery charge indicator got down to two bars and would not go any lower, making it apparent that the electric motor was no longer helping the Insight get up the grade. Once the grade was cleared and Neil was heading back down the other side, the charge indicator showed it was charging and by the time the travelers reached their destination, it was fully charged again.

After three days of early mornings and late nights in the city of neon lights, it was time to head back to Los Angeles. Neil decided early on that he'd try something different in the Insight and that was to throw caution to the wind and see how the little fuel miser would do if he drove it like any other car instead of trying to maximize fuel economy.

He said goodbye to the bright lights of Las Vegas and hit the road for home. Traffic moves at a brisk pace on Interstate 15, certainly faster than the posted 70-mph speed limit. He'd try to maintain a 70-mph average speed, which is not an easy task when climbing some of the grades encountered on this route.

When you are not on the gas pedal, the Insight, with its aerodynamic body and hard tires, has such low rolling and air resistance that it practically rolls forward even when on a level surface. So what you'd lose in fuel mileage on the way up a hill you'd gain back slightly on the way down. He made the 280-mile trip home in a little under 4 hours, which worked out to be an average speed of more than 70 mph.

The impressive thing about the trip was that the Insight's display for fuel mileage was still reading in the 58- to 59-mpg range. Keep in mind that the challenge of driving this car is to get the best fuel mileage possible under any circumstances, and we've done better, but this was certainly nothing to complain about considering our average miles per hour on the trip home.

Neil has mentioned in previous updates that piloting the Insight is like driving a giant video game that challenges you to push the fuel mileage number higher and higher, like you'd be able to add your initials to the top ten list or something if you could get the best numbers. Since Neil likes a good challenge, he tends to drive it like he's going to one-up the top scorer and put "NGC" into slot number uno. He's even refined his driving technique while driving the Insight.

He noticed after getting the car that he had instantly changed his concentration level to best match the Insight. The Insight challenges you to raise the bar, to focus on being super smooth with your driving. He wrote in the log book, "I find the best way to drive the Insight is to drive it like a race car. When you are driving on a track, the best method is to carry as much speed through the course while trying to be as smooth as possible. This same method works when driving the Insight.

"Abrupt use of the gas and brake pedal takes its toll on the equipment in terms of added wear and tear (and lower fuel mileage) more than when you are smooth in your brake and throttle applications. By planning ahead for where you want the car to be, not only going into corners, but coming out you put yourself in the correct position for the next maneuver. The Insight really should be driven similarly, only at normal street-legal speeds to maximize efficiency."

Be smooth with your driving style, and the Insight will reward you justly on the MPG meter. Then maybe you, too, can put your initials into the Insight MPG Hall of Fame.

Current Odometer: 28,344
Best Fuel Economy: 60.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 56.1 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 52.0 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None