Is the new Honda Insight any good?
What's your opinion of the Honda Insight?
Ruth Quinn (Ennis)May 2010 Filed under: choosing new car
Expert answer
Hi Ruth,
Not a word of a lie: I picked one up this morning from Honda to test for the week. Paddy has driven it for longer so he'll give you his opinion too, but my first impressions are better than expected. Until recently, hybrids were designed first and foremost for the American market and they were quite different to drive to conventional cars. Most of that is still true, but both the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight are more normal than what has gone before and even more efficient.
The official fuel economy and emissions figures of the Insight are pretty impressive though, at 4.4 - 4.6 litres/100km and 101 - 105g/km of CO2 depending on which version you choose. The Toyota Prius boasts even better numbers, though it's a few grand more expensive.
So far I've averaged about 5.4 litres / 100km in mixed driving and I'd expect that to be pretty representative unless you're on a long motorway run, where the average might improve further.
I prefer the interior of the Insight to the Prius', even if Honda has used too much hard plastic for my liking. The Honda is more conventional, despite the presence of strange plant graphics in the dashboard to tell you how economically you are driving. You sit low down and there's loads of space for five adults and a fair amount of luggage.
The steering wheel on our test car is really shiny and a bit slippery, but I'm sure that'll change with use. Its controls for the stereo are nice and tactile though. Shame I can't say the same for the spindly gear lever, but there you go.
Overall it's easy to drive and while it's no performance car it keeps up with traffic easily enough. That aside, the Insight's engine is commendably quiet, unless you really put your foot down. However, I noticed that road noise is quite prominent in return.
I'd personally prefer a regular car to either the Prius or Insight hybrids. If fuel economy were the most important factor I'd opt for a good turbodiesel model. There is a lot of choice on the market for the €22,000 - €23,000 asking price of the Honda.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Adviser@Shane_O_D