2021 Honda Insight Review

Name: 2021 Honda Insight
Brand: Honda

Price Range: $18,998 - $21,971

Honda Insight Touring Sedan Exterior Shown

Great

8.1

out of 10

edmunds TESTED

The 2021 Honda Insight is a sensible small hybrid with excellent fuel economy. Beyond that, it's generally nice to drive and a pleasant place to spend time. It combines comfort and practicality with a refined interior and easy-to-use tech, making it a powerful hybrid contender, even if it underperforms by a few mpg against top competitors.

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Average price: $19,536

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Appraise My 2021 Honda Insight

Honda Insight model years

Honda Insight for Sale

Pros

High fuel economy figures
Quick acceleration for a hybrid
Refined and roomy interior

Cons

Gas engine sounds coarse at times

What's new

Blind-spot alert with cross-traffic monitor now standard on EX and Touring trims
Part of the third Insight generation introduced for 2019

Overview

Written by automotive expert Kurt Niebuhr

5/21/2021

If you'd like the fuel efficiency of something like the Toyota Prius but with more traditional styling, the 2021 Honda Insight could be an ideal alternative. Sized between Honda's Civic sedan and the larger Accord, the Insight has a standard hybrid powertrain that gets an EPA-estimated 52 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That's right up there with the most efficient hybrids on the market. The Insight is roomy and enjoyable to drive, too, so you're not really giving up anything to go the hybrid route.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Columbus, OH

10 listings

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2021 Honda Insight
Touring Sedan
$22,276
fair price
$129 below market
- 56,032 miles
- 51 City / 45 Hwy MPG
- 139 mi away
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Leather Seats
- Sunroof/Moonroof
Close
Located in Beaver Falls, PA
CARFAX One-Owner. Crystal Black Pearl 2021 Honda Insight Touring FWD eCVT 1.5L I4 SMPI DOHC 16V LEV3-SULEV30 eCVT.CALL NOW!! This vehicle will not m...
Features and Specs:
48 Combined MPG (51 City/45 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
19XZE4F92ME003520
Stock:
26672A
Certified Pre-Owned:
No
Listed since:
08-22-2026
Certified 2021 Honda Insight
EX Sedan
$21,971
fair price
$62 above market
- 62,559 miles
- 55 City / 49 Hwy MPG
- 16 mi away
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
- Blind Spot Monitorin...
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Located in Columbus, OH
This stunning 2021 Honda Insight EX in vibrant red combines exceptional fuel efficiency with practical everyday performance. With its advanced hybrid ...
Features and Specs:
52 Combined MPG (55 City/49 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN:
19XZE4F55ME006795
Stock:
J2171A1
Certified Pre-Owned:
Yes
Listed since:
09-10-2026

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We like the Insight a lot, and you can check out our full evaluation by reading our Expert Rating below. But there are more hybrids out than ever before, so it can be worth your time to shop around a little. Of course, there's the Prius, and Toyota also offers the Corolla Hybrid, which is essentially a Corolla but with Prius innards. You might also research the new Hyundai Elantra Hybrid or even Honda's larger Accord Hybrid or CR-V Hybrid.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Great

8.1

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Honda Insight on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7.5/10

How does the Insight drive? The Insight leans more toward sobriety than spirit, but it's livelier and more refined than a Prius. The electric motor feels torquey around town and makes for seamless and responsive acceleration. It's not fast, but at 8.1 seconds to cover 0-60 mph, it's quick among hybrids. The steering is precise, and the Insight is tidy around corners and willing to change directions.

Our test Insight stopped from 60 mph in 123 feet, which is decent for the class. The braking is predictable and easy to modulate, but the pedal feels a bit disconnected during hard braking. We were also bothered that, in normal driving mode, the adjustable regenerative braking system kept resetting itself.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the Insight? Honda has gotten most of the fundamentals right. The seats are comfortable, with medium-firm foam and enough contouring to provide support over long drives, although some drivers may miss adjustable lumbar. There's some bounciness when driving over humps in the road, but single-wheel impacts and smaller road textures are snubbed deftly.

The climate system has big and clearly marked physical controls, and the vents provide good coverage. The main downside is noise. The gas engine can idle loudly and create vibrations when the battery needs charging, and it makes more noise at freeway speeds than some competitors. Wind noise is well-suppressed, but there's also noticeable road noise at speed.

Interior

8.5/10

How’s the interior? Larger on the inside than the exterior suggests, this cabin typifies Honda's mastery of space utilization. There's plenty of headroom and elbow room for front passengers. Drivers of various proportions should be able to find an agreeable seating position, although we wish there was a hair more range on the telescoping steering wheel. In the back, headroom is snug for taller adults, but there's good toe room.

The Insight is functional and well-designed, with obvious and well-labeled controls. Using the transmission selector buttons is a bit more distracting than moving a traditional gear lever, but you'll get used to them. Visibility is good out of the front, though the wide rear roof pillars and tall rear deck create some rear blind spots.

Technology

8/10

How’s the tech? Honda's infotainment screen is quick, sharp and easy to use. The physical shortcut buttons on the screen's left side are also useful. It makes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (standard on EX trim and up) less of a priority, though Honda's integration with both is excellent.

Honda's advanced driver aids continue to lag the competition, as they're rather conservatively tuned. The brake alert comes up a bit too readily in routine city driving, but it's not as intrusive during the initial warning phase as some other systems. The adaptive cruise system is OK, but other systems are more natural in their operation.

Storage

8/10

How’s the storage? The Insight isn't quite as cargo-friendly as the Prius, but it's still quite useful. The reasonably deep cargo hold has about 15 cubic feet of capacity, and the 60/40-split rear bench can be folded down via levers in the trunk. The hybrid batteries are situated under the back seat and do not impede on cargo volume.

A well-thought-out center console is the centerpiece of the in-cabin storage. The space is deep and provides outstanding volume. You also get a removable and sliding insert and divider system. A handy rubberized pad on the console is ideal for a phone. For child duty, the Insight has car seat anchors in the back that are easy to access under fabric fastener flaps, and there's ample space for car seats.

Fuel Economy

9/10

How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates the Insight gets 48 to 52 mpg in combined driving. That's among the highest fuel economy of any car you can buy. Encouragingly, we observed 50.5 mpg on our 115-mile evaluation route, indicating the EPA's numbers are applicable for real-world driving.

Value

8.5/10

Is the Insight a good value? The Insight is a sensible and well-built sedan that punches above its price point. The well-screwed-together cabin has a pleasing design and plenty of soft touchpoints at every trim level. This is typical Honda cabin construction, which is no bad thing. It's also a great value, and it feels and drives like a more expensive vehicle.

Warranty coverage is on par with Toyota, but it significantly trails Hyundai and Kia. While the Insight shouldn't be an expensive car to own or operate, some competitors offer perks such as free maintenance that aren't standard-issue for Honda.

Wildcard

8/10

The execution of the Insight is a subtle but significant step forward for inexpensive hybrids. It has shown the genre evolving beyond the nerdy awkwardness of adolescence and into a more confident phase. It doesn't need to broadcast its green cred, and that's a breath of fresh air. This car exudes a level of sophistication that surpasses its price point.

2021 Honda Insight trim level differences

The 2021 Honda Insight is a small hybrid sedan that comes in three trim levels: LX, EX and Touring. All are driven by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that primarily acts as a generator to supply power to an electric motor that drives the front wheels. Combined system output is 151 horsepower. Options are limited to various appearance packages that are available across all three trim levels. Highlighted standard features include: Compare the 2021 Honda Insight trim levels in-depth.

Which Insight trim does Edmunds recommend?

We prefer the middle ground and think the Insight EX is the best value for money. There's standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and, for 2021, standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$93/mo

$228/mo

Avg. Midsize Car

Calculate my fuel costs

Reliability

The 2021 Honda Insight has a 3 years / 36,000 miles basic warranty and 3 recalls. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, ranks it #5 out of 6 among Alternative Fuel Vehicles. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

4.5 out of 5 stars4.5/5Excellent

#5 out of 6 among Alternative Fuel Vehicles

RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.

Cost

$319/yr

vs. $377/yr
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Frequency

0.76x/yr

vs. 0.52x/yr
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Severity

9.1%

vs. 8.3%
for Average Alternative Fuel Vehicle

Recalls

3 recalls found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 26V332000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: Refer to C
Manufactured from:: 2016-06-29 to
Number of vehicles affected:: 98892
Defect Description:: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Defect Consequence:: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 6, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Recall Number:: 24V064000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: XHP, VHQ
Number of vehicles affected:: 750114
Defect Description:: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Defect Consequence:: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, and October 18, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

Recall Number:: 20V798000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: K9E
Number of vehicles affected:: 27838
Defect Description:: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 CR-V Hybrid, Accord Hybrid, and 2020-2021 Insight vehicles. The DC-DC converter may shut down and prevent the 12-volt battery from recharging, possibly resulting in a loss of drive power.
Defect Consequence:: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the power converter unit (PCU) software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin February 25, 2021. Owners can contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is K9E.

Warranty

3 years / 36,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 5 years / 60,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 5 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 3 years / 36,000 miles

Honda Insight Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.6

44 reviews

5(77%)

4(11%)

3(4%)

2(6%)

1(2%)

See all 44 reviews of the Honda Insight

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2021 Honda Insight video

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2021 Insight Features & Specs

Trim:

Est. Market Value	$21,714
Engine Type	Hybrid
Combined MPG	52 MPG
Cost to Drive	$93/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	15.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Insight models:

Collision Mitigation Braking System: Warns if a front collision is imminent and automatically applies the brakes if the driver doesn't respond in time.
Lane Keeping Assist: Warns if your vehicle is drifting out of its lane and corrects steering back to center if the driver doesn't respond.
Honda LaneWatch: Projects a view of the side blind spot when the turn signal is activated to show you if a vehicle or other object is present.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover5 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover9.3%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good