November 21, 2009, 03:16:47 am *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?

Login with username, password and session length
Day-by-Day Review: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8GT; Day 3
So the Genesis Coupe isn't the most practical sports car around, says James, but what really matters here is how the car drives. And it's in that department that this car really shines, he says.

Read the article | View the photos | All the blogs
News: What’s New: 2010 Audi A8
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2   Go Down
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: CD Article: Honda Insight, 2001-2006  (Read 3355 times)
CD_Editor
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Posts: 1182

member


View Profile
 Stats
« on: July 23, 2008, 10:39:27 pm »


Used Vehicle Review:
Honda Insight, 2001-2006

Honda Insight, 2001-2006The two-seater Honda Insight's "aerodynamic shape and economical drivetrain combined to make for some impressive fuel consumption numbers," says Contributing Editor, Chris Chase. "It seems to have been pretty reliable," but replacing the battery pack can be "pricey", he notes.

 More:
Read the article | View the photos | All the Test Drives
Logged
2hondas
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 04' TSX, 05' Odyssey, 02' Protege 5
Gender: Male
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 2206


member


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2008, 11:43:31 pm »
Wow, they made this till 2006?  Huh I recall seeing them when they first came out...but I haven't seen one in years.
Logged
Cortina
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1497



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2008, 12:28:59 am »
I think this is going to be a future collectors car. Just screams it really. Smiley
Logged
rrocket
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Location: My house
Posts: 8366



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2008, 12:30:19 am »
I think they are cool.  I say one for sale for $5500 once....and I missed buying it by an hour or so....Sad
Logged
How fast is my Supra?  I sh*t on Cessnas from a roll....
2hondas
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 04' TSX, 05' Odyssey, 02' Protege 5
Gender: Male
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 2206


member


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2008, 12:41:59 am »
Only hybrid to be offered in a manual transmission?
Logged
Cortina
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1497



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2008, 01:15:28 am »
Quote from: rrocket on July 24, 2008, 12:30:19 am
I think they are cool.  I say one for sale for $5500 once....and I missed buying it by an hour or so....Sad

Pickering Honda have one for sale. Wink

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.aspx?vlotid=49173&adid=7130480
Logged
rrocket
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Location: My house
Posts: 8366



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2008, 01:18:45 am »
Doesn't look like it's $5500.....
Logged
How fast is my Supra?  I sh*t on Cessnas from a roll....
Cortina
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 1497



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2008, 02:00:53 am »
Quote from: rrocket on July 24, 2008, 01:18:45 am
Doesn't look like it's $5500.....

Well its 2000. Can't be that much. Its first year production. Cars like that do make me nervous too  regardless who it is. Smiley
Logged
johngenx
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 2009 Toyota Corolla 2001 Subaru Forester 2000 Suzuki Hayabusa "naked bike" - pending
Gender: Male
Location: A space inside my own head where there are only mountains and climbing days...
Posts: 7073



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2008, 02:01:31 am »
I wasn't too fond of the Insight at first, but the weird looks have grown on me, and I think a cheery used one would be a cool find, but I have SO many other things on my list, it's not gonna happen.  That said, when I see one, I think, "hell yeah..."
Logged
No place I'd rather be...
TopGun
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 06 CooperS 03 Protege5 07 RX8
Gender: Male
Location: Oakville
Posts: 1152



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2008, 08:53:02 am »
Here's another review from the "free" auto-mag Winding Road.

http://windingroad.nextautos.com/windingroad/200808/?folio=127

Apparently buyers in the US are now going nuts over this thing...low mileage examples on e-bay were going for mid $20,000s...yes...more than their MSRPs when new.

From the article with my edits - It's fuel economy (somewhere between 55 and 70 mpg...still exceeds anything you can buy from a major manufactuer today...
Logged
How fast is my RX-8?  I sh*t on Cessnas from a standing start.....
Eric Green
Guest
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2008, 11:03:02 am »
...and it strikes me as a more reliable choice in economical transportation than the newer Smart Fortwo, despite that car's internal-combustion-only drivetrain.

This is just nonsense. A hybrid vehicle, by design and definition, contains two completely separate drive systems, and a control system to integrate the two drive systems. And when one factors in the NiMH or Li-Ion battery, in addition to a hydrocarbon fuel system, another level of inherent complexity is added.

So, just how is this possibly "a more reliable choice...than.. [an] internal-combustion-only drivetrain"?
Logged
mwqa
Auto Obsessed
***
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 2004 Suzuki Aerio S
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 599


member


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2008, 11:14:47 am »
Spy photos of the 2nd generation Insight?

http://www.vtec.net/news/news-item?news_item_id=776723
Logged
Just put the steering wheel in the DOWN position and the drive feels much better - watz up with that??
stickshift
Auto Obsessed
***
Offline Offline

Vehicle: Whatever they're paying me to drive this week / 1997 Mazda Protege beater
Gender: Male
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Posts: 546

Automotive journalism ninja


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2008, 12:33:45 pm »
Quote from: Eric Green on July 24, 2008, 11:03:02 am
...and it strikes me as a more reliable choice in economical transportation than the newer Smart Fortwo, despite that car's internal-combustion-only drivetrain.

This is just nonsense. A hybrid vehicle, by design and definition, contains two completely separate drive systems, and a control system to integrate the two drive systems. And when one factors in the NiMH or Li-Ion battery, in addition to a hydrocarbon fuel system, another level of inherent complexity is added.

So, just how is this possibly "a more reliable choice...than.. [an] internal-combustion-only drivetrain"?

I didn't say the Insight would be a more reliable choice than a car with an ICE-only drivetrain. That wouldn't be true. What is true is, as you quoted above, that it would be a more reliable choice than the smart fortwo, despite that car's ICE-only drivetrain.

It was a direct comparison between two two-seat cars designed to be economical commuter vehicles.
Logged
Buy this car to drive to work; Drive to work to pay for this car...
Demosthenes X
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 2009 Honda Fit Sport
Gender: Male
Location: Kingston, ON
Posts: 6142


the mighty duck


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2008, 02:05:42 pm »
Quote from: 2hondas on July 24, 2008, 12:41:59 am
Only hybrid to be offered in a manual transmission?

The Seventh-gen Civic hybrid was also available with a five-speed manual transmission.  That option went away for the new Civic hybrid.  Sad
Logged
Demosthenes [noun], dem-aws-thene-s
1) (384 BC – 322 BC) the greatest of the Ancient Greek orators
2) pseudonym used by Valentine Wiggin in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game to alter the events of world history
PJungnitsch
Drunk on Fuel
****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 1987 Mazda B2000
Gender: Male
Location: Medicine Hat, AB
Posts: 2080



View Profile WWW
 Stats
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2008, 02:22:23 pm »
A friend bought a bright neon-green used one a couple years ago. AFAIK it's been reliable for her. Mileage is fantastic, which makes for some interesting driving choices, on a long weekend she and her son (driving shifts) drove it from Lethbridge to San Diego and back. Must be fairly comfortable.

That's cheap for a battery pack. About the price of a clutch.
Logged
Arctic_White
Auto Obsessed
***
Offline Offline

Vehicle: '08 Honda Civic Si sedan
Gender: Male
Location: Burnaby, BC
Posts: 732


View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #15 on: July 24, 2008, 04:01:23 pm »
Quote from: 2hondas on July 24, 2008, 12:41:59 am
Only hybrid to be offered in a manual transmission?

That's correct.
Logged
Eric Green
Guest
« Reply #16 on: July 24, 2008, 04:08:39 pm »
Stickshift 12:33:45

That clarification makes no sense as a direct comparison between two two-seat cars designed to be economical commuter vehicles. The Smart will be the more reliable vehicle qua ICE-only drivetrain vehicle. Honda indisputably makes a fine vehicle, but adding a complex, second drive system to a vehicle will render it less reliable in the medium and long term. That's merely common sense and engineering reality.


Logged
johngenx
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: 2009 Toyota Corolla 2001 Subaru Forester 2000 Suzuki Hayabusa "naked bike" - pending
Gender: Male
Location: A space inside my own head where there are only mountains and climbing days...
Posts: 7073



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #17 on: July 24, 2008, 04:19:01 pm »
I doubt the SMART, regardless of driveline, will be as reliable as ANY Honda.  They are poorly built POS's and the diesel driveline is crap.  I'd bet a first year Insight against a nearly-new (don't know about the gas driveline) SMART any day...
Logged
No place I'd rather be...
rrocket
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Location: My house
Posts: 8366



View Profile
 Stats
« Reply #18 on: July 24, 2008, 05:54:40 pm »
Quote from: Cortina on July 24, 2008, 01:15:28 am
Quote from: rrocket on July 24, 2008, 12:30:19 am
I think they are cool.  I say one for sale for $5500 once....and I missed buying it by an hour or so....Sad

Pickering Honda have one for sale. Wink

http://www.trader.ca/powerpage/details.aspx?vlotid=49173&adid=7130480

I called.  They were asking $10K for it.   And it sold for that!!   Shocked
Logged
How fast is my Supra?  I sh*t on Cessnas from a roll....
Just Bob
Car Crazy
*****
Offline Offline

Vehicle: Mitsubishi Outlander
Gender: Male
Location: Waterloo
Posts: 5891


Just drive...


View Profile WWW
 Stats
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2008, 06:12:22 pm »
Quote from: TopGun on July 24, 2008, 08:53:02 am
Here's another review from the "free" auto-mag Winding Road.

http://windingroad.nextautos.com/windingroad/200808/?folio=127

Apparently buyers in the US are now going nuts over this thing...low mileage examples on e-bay were going for mid $20,000s...yes...more than their MSRPs when new.

From the article with my edits - It's fuel economy (somewhere between 55 and 70 mpg...still exceeds anything you can buy from a major manufactuer today...

This new Fiesta is looking good...

http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=17857
Logged
Power is how fast you hit the wall... Torque is how far you take the wall with you!
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
  Print  
CarTalkCanada > The Press Room > CanadianDriver Articles/Reviews > Topic: CD Article: Honda Insight, 2001-2006
 « previous next »
 
Jump to:  



Don't miss these great features

Photo Galleries
1000s of photos, with full screen enlargements, all 2006 - Today models

Focus on Trucks
We've brought all our truck reviews and photos together in one place. Easy.

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.4 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC      Disclaimer        Privacy Advertise
© 2005 - 2009 CarTalkCanada & 1999 - 2009 CanadianDriver Communications Inc, all rights reserved.
Page created in 0.094 seconds with 38 queries.