- In June, the third generation of the Honda Insight will come to an end.
- Honda wants to sell 100% zero-emission vehicles in North America by 2040, so it expects to increase the number of hybrid and battery-electric vehicles in its inventory.
- The Honda Civic Hybrid, which is similar to the Insight but is more recognizable, will take its place.
Honda introduced its Insight, one of the first hybrid vehicles, in 1999. For better aerodynamics, the back wheels were partially hidden by awkward-looking skirts. It didn’t have the same level of cultural success as Toyota’s Prius, but it did well enough in sales to support three generations, with a short interval between the first and last version.
For admirers of Insight, there is now some bad news: it has expired. This June, Honda’s Indiana factory will stop producing the Insight, leaving a gap in the lineup.
Honda intends to replace the Civic-based Insight with a more recognizable Civic Hybrid, which is good news for enthusiasts of hybrid vehicles. Honda brought the Insight back on the 10th-generation Civic platform, thus it seems reasonable that production would end when the 11th-generation Civic was already available at dealerships.
In This Article...
Is buying a Honda Insight worthwhile?
How Good of a Car Is the Honda Insight? The Honda Insight is a good car, that much is true. Even by the standards of the hybrid automobile class, it stands out for its excellent fuel efficiency estimations. A strong powerplant, attractive interior, and user-friendly infotainment system support its appeal.
What should I expect to pay for a Honda Insight?
The starting price for the 2022 Honda Insight in the EX trim is $25,760, and the Touring variant starts at $29,790. The 2022 Honda Insight is a vehicle that motorists looking for something utterly practical should consider. It’s a hybrid car with excellent fuel efficiency at a reasonable price.
What is the Honda Insight being replaced by?
A Civic Hybrid will take the place of the Honda Civic-based Insight hybrid. According to a statement released by Honda on Thursday, the Insight will cease manufacturing in June and be replaced by a new Civic Hybrid “in the future.”
Honda says it would now “concentrate on boosting hybrid volume with core products,” whereas the current Insight was essentially simply a 10th-generation Civic with a hybrid powertrain and some aesthetic changes. In other words, anticipate a small hybrid sedan that resembles the Civic in every way, much like Honda’s CR-V and Accord hybrid models.
In relation to that, those products are getting fresh iterations. The automaker announced that it would launch a brand-new CR-V Hybrid this year, followed by an Accord Hybrid.
Honda’s main hybrid vehicles are aiming high. The manufacturer anticipates that the hybrid versions of the Accord and CR-V “eventually make up 50% of the sales mix of each model.” All of this is part of the automaker’s plan to sell 40% of battery- or fuel-cell-powered vehicles in North America by 2030, followed by 80% by 2035 and then 100% by 2040.
Has the Honda Insight experienced issues?
The Honda Insight hybrid continues to be the pinnacle of eco-friendly vehicles even if the Toyota Prius may be winning the battle for hybrid branding. According to estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Honda Insight hybrid is currently the most effective gasoline-powered car ever. With a great 61 miles per gallon on the highway and a combined 53 mpg city/highway rating, this hybrid has an impressive fuel efficiency.
Prior to the release of the Honda Insight hybrid, a better-mileage vehicle required the purchase of an all-electric plug-in vehicle. Sadly, Honda didn’t make a lot of these Insights for the American market in the first place. Compare the 209,216 Honda Civic Hybrids sold in 2012 to the roughly 14,000 Honda Insights made in 1999. However, Insights have been coveted by hybrid enthusiasts for more than ten years. But the Honda Insight hybrid has its share of issues, as do many vehicles, especially those with new technology. The most significant of them issues is:
None of the issues experienced by Insight drivers were as frequently reported as the warning light signaling a battery issue. Even though this issue isn’t particularly specific to Honda hybrids, every motorist dreads that day. The majority of motorists, fortunately, have warranties that can assist defray the expense of your Honda Insight battery replacement. If not, you can purchase a replacement hybrid battery online (and that will come with a warranty).
The Honda Insight wasn’t always as quiet from the driver’s perspective, despite the fact that hybrids of all makes and models are renowned for their quietness. Honda made every effort to reduce the weight of their car in order to get that fabled EPA rating. And sure, that required giving up conventional soundproofing materials. So even though your hybrid may appear peaceful to pedestrians and other drivers, the Insight was frequently intolerably raucous when traveling at high speeds. Even again, given the high petrol prices at the height of the Insight era, that might have been a modest amount to pay.
The “Auto Stop feature” from the Honda Insight hybrid would soon be a standard feature on most hybrids. When the car is at rest, this feature enables the computer to turn off the engine, saving gasoline and improving fuel economy. Sadly, some drivers complained that the engine didn’t always restart when necessary. The problem was typically caused by an old battery that had reached the end of its useful life. Therefore, if you’ve been having this issue, think about getting a new battery.
The majority of motorists undoubtedly anticipated the Insight’s exceptional fuel efficiency to be disappointing by 2015 when it originally debuted all those years ago. Instead, the topic is still being discussed today.
Why are Honda Insight sales so low?
Honda has chosen to stop making the Insightagain because it wants to concentrate on making the electric CR-V, Accord, and Civic. In June, Honda’s Indiana assembly facility, which now produces the Insight, will convert to producing the CR-V and Civic hatchbacks.
What hybrid vehicle is the most dependable?
Hybrid vehicles are excellent for both financial and environmental savings. An electric motor plus a gasoline or diesel engine make up a standard hybrid. The car can be driven by either powerplant, and in some cases they will cooperate for increased efficiency. Everything depends on the type of hybrid and the driving circumstances. Each of the three hybrid varieties has distinct advantages and performs well in particular circumstances.
Full hybrids
During accelerating, stopping, and even coasting, a full hybrid vehicle’s batteries are recharged using generators and a regenerative braking system. The electric motor or motors that typically operate during acceleration or low speeds are powered by the battery while charging, which dramatically lowers fuel usage.
Mild hybrids
The balance between low cost and good efficiency is excellent with mild hybrids. Mild hybrid battery packs are smaller and recharge similarly to complete hybrid battery packs. Since electric motors are less powerful than internal combustion engines, a mild hybrid cannot be driven solely on electricity. Instead, the motor functions as a power source alongside the internal combustion engine. Mild hybrid systems often activate during acceleration, relieving part of the load on the traditional engine.
Plug-in hybrids
The car that comes closest to becoming totally electric is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It has a traditional engine and an electric motor with autonomous operation. A plug-in hybrid can be charged at home or in charging stations, and a full charge provides 20 to 50 miles of all-electric driving. The traditional engine can also be used to charge the battery, however because to the significant fuel consumption, this method is frequently ineffective.
Is the Honda Insight fuel-free?
The design used by Honda completely omits a traditional transmission, saving weight and space. The entire low-speed propulsion is provided by the traction motor, which is coupled directly to the drive wheels. The system operates as a series hybrid at modest speeds and loads, with the gasoline engine driving a generator that, along with the battery, supplies electricity to the traction motor. The gas engine is directly coupled to the drive wheels during low loads and moderate speeds, but when a full load is required, such as during a quarter-mile run, the traction motor and battery charge aid the engine. Conclusion: The “no transmission transmission’s simplicity is some of the most inventive engineering in recent memory. We’re just as impressed with it now as we were when it first appeared in the 2014 Accord hybrid.
Driving the 2019 Insight around town is a delight. At urban speeds, the nearly instantaneous reaction to any prod of the accelerator puts more mechanically sophisticated hybrid arrangements—such as those from Toyota or Hyundai, for example—to shame because forward motion is predominantly provided by an electric motor. Furthermore, the engine doesn’t need to rev very high at those speeds in order to keep up with the demands for power, even under modest acceleration. According to Honda, the Insight can travel up to a mile at slower speeds of up to about 20 mph before the gasoline engine needs to start. The engine will have to produce more energy later on, therefore pressing the EV mode button temporarily prioritizes engine-off operation at the expense of total mpg.
As long as you don’t press too hard on the accelerator, the Insight is also pleasant on the highway. At highway speeds, the gasoline engine is mechanically clutched to the wheels, and the traction motor intelligently switches on and off. We observed this mode operate under varied steady-speed settings at speeds of around 40 mph and higher, up to a top speed of 81 mph under optimum circumstances, while watching the power-flow display. The situation is reversed if you don’t keep your speed constant, at which time the engine may have trouble responding to nudges (or inclines) and produce an annoying drone. The accelerator pedal has a tight detent about three-fourths of the way down its journey to prevent you from entering that extremely noisy area.
Is the Honda Insight a dependable vehicle?
How Reliable Is the Honda Insight? The estimated reliability rating for the 2021 Insight is 78 out of 100. A predicted reliability score from J.D. Power of 91 to 100 is regarded as the best, 81 to 90 as great, 70 to 80 as medium, and 0-69 as fair and below average.
How far can a Honda Insight travel?
If you are looking to purchase a hybrid vehicle, you might be a little concerned about the battery’s lifespan and the unusual components of the powertrain that you are not aware of. And we don’t blame you; after all, hybrid vehicles have only recently become widely available; who knows what the future may bring? However, we would add that you may rest easy knowing that, according to Motors and Wheels, the Honda Insight should last you at least 150,000 to 200,000 kilometers.
A 10-year/150,000-mile battery warranty was also provided by Honda for Insight, so even if you bought an older model, such as the second-generation Insight produced between 2010 and 2014, you can rest easy knowing that the battery will be covered if it needs to be replaced within that time frame. But you may always get a new Honda Insight if you desire the greatest level of tranquility.
Are Honda Insight and Accord the same size?
When comparing the Honda Insight and the Accord, which is larger? While both vehicles have comparable interior space, the Honda Accord is slightly bigger than the Insight.