"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
09/27/2014 at 18:10 • Filed to: None
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"Jayhawk Jake" (jayhawkjake)
09/27/2014 at 18:10 • Filed to: None | 1
| 6 |
Fellow Wichita opponaut Jay Lauer and I went to a little used car lot in town to check out a manual transmission (!) 2000 Honda Insight
Here are some thoughts
- What a quirky little car! And I do mean little, these things are tiny . It's like Honda took a Civic, reduced all its dimensions by 20-30%, the squeezed the back end really tight
- Those little dimensions make for a very light car. It's somewhere in the 2000-2500 lb range IIRC, maybe even less? Everything on it feels light: the hood is crazy lightweight, the doors feel light...it's just small and light
- The interior is simple and shockingly spacious. Seriously, Jay and I both agreed that it was crazy roomy. Tons of headroom (though neither of us is very tall), and even though the car is very narrow I never felt like we were intruding in each other's space. The seats are comfortable and supportive, if a little light on padding, but it would be great for commuting.
- The gauge cluster is fun. Digital speedo, charge and assist bars that light up as the car uses electric assist and regen, a little instant MPG ribbon, shift lights. My only complaint with the gauge cluster is it's angled oddly away from you, but I adjusted almost immediately.
- The steering wheel is great. Small and very comfortable
- I liked the feel of the shifter. It's not sporty, but reasonable throws and relatively precise. Pedal feel was fine too, clutch engagement was a bit vague. Jay commented on some weird feel to the gas pedal, he can elaborate more, I didn't notice it.
- Okay, so how's it drive? Really well! It's not too floaty or too hard, it handles very well feeling light and nimble. One problem though: power. There's none . Okay, that's a little harsh. In first and second gear it pulls okay. It's not fast by any measure, and I'm comparing it to a 140 hp Sonic. 3rd through 5th? Nothing. Seriously, put it in anything other than 1st or 2nd, press the pedal to the floor, and nothing happens.
- So no, it's not fast, but it cruises very well. It's very happy to camp out at 40, the same is probably true for 60, and it coasts like nothing I've experienced. It's so slippery you barely have to do anything on a flat road.
Overall, I really liked it for what it is: a very economical commuter with a dash of fun thrown in. While it would be slow the Insight would actually be a blast on an autocross course I think, and with NADA values around $5k they would make a fantastic little commuter car. If like me you've pretty much forgotten about these quirky little hybrids I say they're worth some attention if you're in the market for an economical daily driver.
Hammerfrog
> Jayhawk Jake
09/27/2014 at 18:22 |
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It looks like a shoe
Where are the two back wheels?
Insights on Haiku
Burrito de EJ25
> Jayhawk Jake
09/27/2014 at 18:30 |
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I'm trying to convince my sister to get one of these as her first car because I can't own 2 vehicles. I really want one of these things. I think they're super neat.
evil2win
> Jayhawk Jake
09/27/2014 at 18:49 |
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I've always liked them. They were made to be commuter, and they are very good at it. It's a small light weight car, aluminum construction, a 1 liter engine backed up with a 13 hp electric motor, and 60mpg. They were a bit over priced when they came out, but Honda went out on limb to make these things and I respect that.
Alex B
> Jayhawk Jake
09/27/2014 at 18:57 |
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I really love these. I enjoyed reading your post!
Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> Jayhawk Jake
09/27/2014 at 22:24 |
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Does it ever just run on the electric motor, or is it just a gas car with electric assist?
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Jayhawk Jake
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
09/27/2014 at 23:05 |
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The latter. It's just electric assist. Which is interesting