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New Honda Insight 5-passenger Hatchback

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Comments

  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    The $19,995 was shown on Motorweek a few weeks ago. They say they got their base price from Honda. Honda has said they wanted to keep the Insight under $20,000. At $19,995 they have accomplished that. I assume the EX w/o navi will be $2,000 more. That will keep the price under the Prius and the Civic Hybrid. They need to have that niche pricing.Therefore, $21,995 for the EX w/o navi.
  • dodgeman07dodgeman07 Member Posts: 574
    I expect the LX to be $19,995 and the EX to be $21,995.

    ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////- ///////////////////////////

    Although these figures are about $1K more than originally anticipated, I believe you very, very close. The yen-USD exchange rate will almost prohibit lower MSRP than the numbers above. That said, Honda will try to hit these numbers including destination charges so the advertised MSRP may end up around $19.3K and $21.3K.

    The EX w/navi should be about $23K plus a $700 destination charge.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,199
    Same price..

    1st one includes $670 destination charge... 2nd one doesn't..

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  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    Anyone know if the 2010 Insight will qualify for the Fed hybrid tax credit? If so, what would the dollar amount be? Thanks.
  • moondog6moondog6 Member Posts: 3
    Any new car, including a freakin' Hummer tank, qualifies for the tax credit this year. Sadly (and foolishly), there is no additional hybrid credit that I know of, apart from the plug-in model offers, or what some individual states might offer.

    My Insight salesman informs me that many other dealers will impose a $1500 additional markup to the price, to which I ask: why? Are they in such demand? Are car sales in general going great? More to the point, are gas prices so high that they can't keep hybrids on the lot? It is totally absurd. I won't pay it, particularly as the Priuses are being discounted to move them. He still has no date for arrival of my tango red EX w/navi, but he agreed that the price is $23,770.

    Has anyone seen any Insights on the Honda lots yet?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    I read a news report the other day that hybrids in general are selling slowly, with a 60-day supply of Priuses for example compared to 2 days last year. There's even a rebate on the Prius now, unheard of in the past. So good luck to Honda dealers who add $1500 to the MSRP of an Insight. At that price it will be competing head-to-head with the Prius price-wise.

    I saw the Insight up close at my local auto show yesterday. It looked like an EX but I'm not sure--there was no moonroof. The dash looked better in person than in photos. It was roped off so I couldn't sit in it, so I have no idea whether the back seat would be roomy enough.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I'm #1 on several local Honda dealer's Insight lists but I may not buy one, at least not right away due to their attitude. I think they (wrongly) think there will be a stampede into their showrooms for the new Insight and like backy above, I just don't see that stampede for this vehicle happening with gas prices low again and an economy in the toilet. Besides, what I'd really love to own is a plug-in, not some Prius wanna-be vehicle.
  • PeterunPeterun Member Posts: 83
    Interest in this new vehicle. . . Wondering if it's best to wait for the new Prius?? It's now Sunday, the 22nd, just two days before the official debut at local dealerships. Anyone know if any dealers have the car yet? Thanks. . .
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    If any dealer is asking markup I'd go to another dealer hat doesn't (at least I've heard of some dealers that don't). Even if supply might be tight in the beginning.

    Second a $1500 markup would make it more expensive than a Civic Hybrid (which according to Edmunds is selling around $21,500). Also the current Prius is discounted as mentioned.

    The next Prius will be more expensive than the Insight but has better mileage (50mpg vs 41mpg), back seats are roomier and more powerful engine (1.8l engine vs 1.3l). So it depends what you are looking for. The Insight should win economically since most won't recoup the extra costs of the Prius III unless gas prices go substantially up and you drive lots of miles.

    Motortrend will be posting 2 comparison video's of the next Prius and Insight. First overview part is posted on motortrend.com/youtube.
  • highmiler650highmiler650 Member Posts: 75
    As frugal es the Insight might be, and I am thinking that 50 MPG will be easily achieved by most drivers, the price differential between a Yaris and the Insight can't be recouped IMHO.

    I would love the great MPG of the Insight (some articles talk about members of the press achieving more than 60 Mpg on an introduction of the cat I believe in Arizona recently).

    For me a Yaris makes more sense as it costs much less.

    42 MPG or more was the mileage my rental AT Yaris got recently, with ambient temperatures around freezing. I'll bet I can get 45 MPG in summer.
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    Agree you wouldn't quickly recoup costs against cheapest entry-level Yaris starting at $13K, however if you compare it against more comparable 5dr Yaris with automatic+power at around $16K you would (and still it's smaller and has less features).
    Plus if you get sales tax exemption (like in WA) you would recoup the costs in 7 years at 15K miles. If gas goes up back to $4 you can reduce that to 3-4 years.

    Autobloggreen got 63mpg and I think most should be able to beat 50mpg in mixed driving with econ on.

    Some dealers got Insights today. Here's 1 dealer that got 16 cars according to their inventory: http://www.priorityhonda.com/new_honda_insight_inventory.php
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    Of course that 16k+ Yaris with auto, cruise, power, and keyless can be had for $13300 (see link below at Fitzmall). If you go for the manual transmission stripper, it is under $12k with the present discounts.

    So comparing the 13.3k Yaris to the Insight LX at MSRP would save about $7200 and you would even get cruise control with the Yaris. Still very difficult to justify on cost alone.

    Toyota Yaris
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    I have already ordered my Insight. All dealers in Minnesota are sticker price. They will be coming in very sporatically for the first 6 months. More demand than supply. Hence, sticker price. Not over sticker price. I drove a new Insight today. Nice car. Light years ahead of the goofy Yaris with the speedo in the middle. Also, remember that 5-6 years down the road, the Honda will sell for a LOT more than the Yaris. I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort and driveability of the Insight. I anxiously await the car that I ordered to come in.
  • bamacarbamacar Member Posts: 749
    And remember that $7200 now will be worth a lot more than $7200 in 5-6 years when it is invested and not expensed on a quickly depreciating vehicle. If fuel efficiency improvements to hybrids and electric plug in vehicles continue, neither will probably be worth too much in years to come. Also if Toyota lowers the price of the Prius to Insight levels as is being reported, Insights will soon sell at invoice or less. At that price, the Insight may not be such a bad economical choice. Let the early adopters take the hit and the bargains will be here soon.
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    I don't really get the comparison to the Yaris. If it's really about cheapest car then buy a Versa for under $10K (plus discount potentially). I could see the comparison with the Fit which is more similar in size and features. Someone who buys an Insight certainly doesn't buy it just for lower price.

    The demand in Japan for the Insight was 3x higher as expected so I would be surprised if you wouldn't see supply issues here in the US eventually as well (same factory). But in this economy no one can predict demand but at least pre-orders appear to be filled about 80% and the car only showed up in the showrooms few days ago.
  • highmiler650highmiler650 Member Posts: 75
    Real world MPG with the VERSA is really bad compared to the YARIS, IMO.
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    Honda Insights have arrived in Minnesota. Dealers will be getting 5-9 per month for approximately the first 6 months or so. They all will get sticker price for them. None will ask for more than sticker. If you wait a year or so I am sure you could get one for less than sticker. However, with the low supply now, there is more demand than the dealers can supply. I drove an Insight yesterday. VERY nice car. Mine will arrive soon. Then I will know what the REAL gas mileage is. Somewhere between 40 and 63 I am told. Price and mileage are not the only criteria for buying any car. You have to like the car FIRST. The Insight is a nice car.
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    I suspect that there will be many Honda fans who are looking for a small, economical Honda Hatch that will be torn between the 2010 Insight and the 2009 Fit. At least that description fits me & I am hope to purchase one of these two cars in the next year. There may even be a few Fit owners who dump their Fit for the "greener" Insight. How about a separate topic for "Fit vs Insight" where the above folks can post their findings, observations, & comments? Thanks!
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    Interesting thought. I considered both the Fit and the Insight. If I had already bought a Fit, I would not change. Both are hatchbacks. Both have room. I personally like the looks of the Insight better than the Fit. I also prefer the dash in the Insight although I know a lot of people do not care for the speedo on top. I do. It would take 5-6 years to recoup gas savings so that is not much of a concern. I do like the idea of great mileage on the Insight. I also like the style of the Insight. The Fit is a bit "frumpy" for me. Performance is about the same. Longer wheelbase in the Insight may allow it to ride better. My ordered Insight will arrive in June. I have a friend who has a Fit. We will see.
  • jkenn49jkenn49 Member Posts: 5
    I know most people won't think it's a big deal, but I had the first testdrive at Dix Honda in State College, PA. We were stopping to drive a used 2009 Corolla and used 2007 Civic. I wasn't expecting to see the car until Earth Day, but the Insight arrived there today and had only been driven by the mechanic that gave it a state inspection. It was raining unfortunately, so we didn't get a chance to really go over the car, but my wife and I drove it about 5 miles each. I wish I could say I love the car, because I was really looking forward to driving it. Most people will say it rides fine, and it is ok, but I thought it was not nearly as nice a ride as the Corolla or Civic. I'm used to driving small cars, so acceleration isn't that big a deal to me. The one thing I really did not like was trying to look out the back hatch window. There is some kind of bar across the middle that really hinders your view, and because of the slope it is really hard to see.
    Sorry to say, even though we had been considering the Insight as our next vehicle, for the money, it makes more sense to buy a year old Corolla. If the money was even, I'd prefer the Civic, but Corolla's are dirt cheap right now - not exactly sure why.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I hope this helps with the Fit vs. Insight thread. I have an 09 Fit Sport, auto, w/Navi (Navi only for the stability control), with 990 miles that I will trade in on the Insight tomorrow. I've owned the Fit since 10/01/08 and I really like it. I get around 34 m.p.g. with the Fit on short trips here in the mountains of western North Carolina. I hope I like the Insight as much as I've enjoyed the Fit. I'll post again with my impressions and m.p.g. from the Insight after I drive it for a week or so.
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    Donald: Congratulations on two new cars in the less than 6 months! With only 990 miles on your Fit, I would guess that the Insight was on your radar before you bought the Fit & you indicate you really like the Fit. I am curious why you are so quick to dump it for the Insight. I will be very interested in hearing your comparisons, especially after you have 900 miles on the Insight
  • dbostondriverdbostondriver Member Posts: 559
    Yeah, Toyota has some great incetives on 2009s right now.
    How did the insight look? Tiny? Stylish? Was it an LX or a EX?
    What color?
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    Note I collected most info on Insight 2010 in my blog here:

    http://lucienk.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A4AE3FB12A26635!952.entry

    It also includes pdf link to US Insight manual. Honda's Insght site is up as well now where you can see all colors.

    The lease offer for $229 seems pretty good deal although not sure if every dealer will offer it (since it says that in the fine print that there's a cost reduction by dealer participation).

    Do people have to wait and order it? I thought most dealers get relatively big inventory unless those are already completely presold.
  • jkenn49jkenn49 Member Posts: 5
    The Insight looked very stylish and did not seem small inside or outside, but the rear leg room was not nearly as much as a lot of other small cars. We drove the EX - I believe sticker was $21,800. Considering you can buy a 2009 Corolla LE with less than 20k miles for under $14k, and a low-mileage 2008 Prius for close to $18,500, I would have a tough time justifying the additional cost. I understand there are people that would always prefer a Honda to Toyota and that's fine, but $8,000 is a lot of money for me. It's going to come down to personal preference.
  • dbostondriverdbostondriver Member Posts: 559
    I got to go see one. It definitely has a premium and the used Corolla seems like a better deal. Does it look better in any color than blue? Also do the wheels look cheap?
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    I drove the Insight last Monday. Nice car. Plenty of front seat leg room. Rear is a little cramped. I am 5' 9" and my head almost touched the roof in the back. A 6' person would hit their head in back. Car was extremely comfortable in front. I am surprised how comfortable it was to drive. A couple of different dealers told me they would only get about 5-9 cars per month for the first 6 months or so. They have waiting list of 40-50 people so don't expect to go down to the dealer today to pick one up. If you want one, go to the dealer and get on a list. You can get $5,000 off on an Odessy. Nothing off on a Fit or an Insight. I like the USB port to hook up my ipod. Nice feature. Car was semi-quiet. Slight buzzing of the engine. Not objectionable. Tons of high tech settings to look over. A tech nerds dream for setting up displays. You don't have to but the options are there. Price is reasonable. I expect resale in 4-6 years will be excellent.
  • dbostondriverdbostondriver Member Posts: 559
    Nice. Any opinion on the exterior styling? Wheels? I almost stopped by the Honda Dealership to take a look. With gas going up and Obama's new mandate I would :) expect Hybrid sales to go up.
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    Exterior is nice. That is what the hybrid airflow shape dictates. I prefer the Insight over the Fit. The wheels appear small. Not a bad design though. Bet the farm that gas prices will go up. It is not Obama that will raise prices. Chinese and other third world countries demanding gas, new federal gas taxes, and inflation from the stimulus package will do that. Also, OPEC is cutting back on production. That also will cause prices to go up. It is a perfect storm for $4.00 per gallon to come back.
  • dbostondriverdbostondriver Member Posts: 559
    Yeah, I was reading the Wall Street Journal. Honda predicts they will sell over $3million scooters alone. I think $3 is the normalized price, but we will see.
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    $3million scooters????????
    $3 is the normalized price??????

    I don't understand what you mean.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I traded in my 2009 Honda Fit Sport w/Navi on a 2010 Insight, it arrived today. It's been pouring for 3 days here in western NC but I had to take a little drive in the Insight. I loved my Fit, I hope I love the Insight. The Fit was getting 34 m.p.g. and the Insight shows 39.5 m.p.g. after being driven from SC on major highways to be delivered. I expected higher m.p.g. on the Insight to be honest but like everything I have to say, no hasty judgments. The Insight hasn't been with me even 24 hours. The Insight is (to me) a nicer looking vehicle than the Fit which I thought was fine looking. No audio controls on the steering wheel on the Insight EX as there were on the Fit and I already miss that. The Fit had no bad manners, handled well, and was fairly zippy. The Insight is sluggish (w/ECON on), the engine seems to "tremble" a bit when stopped at a light (seems like it's going to stall), the steering is "sloppier" than the Fit's excellent feeling steering, and stopping with regenerative braking is, to be honest, weird. More later as I get used to the Insight. My brother emailed me tonight that Fits are selling for dealer cost. If the Insight moves into the 45 to 55 m.p.g. range I believe I'll love it; if not I'm going to miss the Fit with its "magic seats", handling, peppiness, and stereo steering wheel controls. Even though I'm 63 I'll NEVER buy another vehicle that won't accept/play mp3s from a thumbnail device.
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    With most Hybrids you get lower mpg in the break-in period. So that should improve. Pity they don't have audio control buttons on steering wheel with the EX without Navi (in Europe they do). I can definitely see that it takes some time getting used to a Hybrid coming from the non-Hybrid Fit. Imagine previous gen Hybrids had even less road feel (e.g. Prius I...). I had no trouble getting used to drive Civic Hybrid.

    According to the manual it should play MP3/WMA/AAC from USB (EX). Do you have an LX? In that case I guess you have to resort using data CD (which can play both MP3/WMA). Or there's also an auxiliary input jack that might be an option.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I see my last sentence was confusing. I can listen to my MP#s with my Sandisk thumb USB device plugged in. I could in my Fit Sport and I can in my Insight EX. I wasn't very clear about that. I should have said something like, I have enjoyed listening to my MP3s (with the random selection - like shuffle on an iPOD) so much in the Fit & the Insight that I'll never own another vehicle (in the future) that doesn't have that functionality. I owned a $100,000 Porsche 911 C4 not long ago and it didn't play MP3s AND the Random playback had to be RE-SET every time the car was started! Give me a break!! I joked my $15,000 Honda Element had a more sophisticated audio than my $100,000 Porsche! Sorry for being so long-winded.
  • lucien4lucien4 Member Posts: 68
    Ah got it. Thanks for the review by the way:-). Keep us updated on the mileage.
    So far I've heard from someone else he got 52mpg on the highway on his test drive but real-world conditions can vary and the average mpg can be quite different.
  • dbostondriverdbostondriver Member Posts: 559
    Thanks for the update. Pretty amazing that there is finally a Hybrid for the masses. Hopefully they will sell a ton. :)
  • bmoore1bmoore1 Member Posts: 1
    I test drove one today in SoCal (Miller Honda on Van Nuys). Nice car. Pretty zippy to drive. Loads of room in the front. A bit cramped in back. The materials are slightly cheap inside. The look outside is great. Very sleek.

    The only problem was the price... they were asking $3,500 above MSRP. The sales guy said it was a premium because they'd only gotten five and already sold 3. He didn't expect the premium to decrease any time soon.

    His boss confirmed their strategy of raising the price although he said maybe they could lower it "a little bit." He said the Priuses also were selling for above MSRP as a point of comparison.

    I was kinda turned off at that point. I see that carsdirect.com also quotes the sticker price. $3.5K premium? That's over 15% of the car.

    Another potential buyer who was also looking had the exact same reaction.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,199
    The Prius isn't selling above MSRP... Heck, Toyota even has a $1000 rebate on it!

    New models in short supply always go for a premium.... If you have to be the first one on the block, then you'll pay that premium...

    I'd rather wait 6 months and pay $4000 less, personally..

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  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Go to Honda's web site and do a dealer locate with 100 or so miles. Email each of them telling them what you want (color, model, etc.) and ask them to email you their best price. That's how to shop vehicles today. and get your best price. If they won't play ball, expand your search. Host is right, on a new car with limited supply, they can and do ask a premium BUT with this economy, they should be happy just to sell you a vehicle. In my search for my Insight (delivered Friday) one candid salesperson confessed it was almost the end of the month and she'd sold just one Honda!
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    I hope I'm not breaking some kind of rule here and not sure if this will even work but worth a try.
    http://rides.webshots.com/album/570741185XOUgIu
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    An easy place to post your pictures is on your CarSpace page albums. If you haven't set up your CarSpace page yet, it's really easy. Just click on the My CarSpace link near the top left of this page.

    If you have any questions about setting it up, just click on my username and send me an email and I'll be glad to help you out.
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    After driving a 2009 Fit 2 months ago, I have been very eager to get behind the wheel of the new Insight. I noticed one Insight on the local Honda store lot today & stopped on in. I really like the look both outside & in - it has a sharp sporty look that is much much better in person than pictures. I drove an EX for about 6 miles. It has typical Honda tauntness to it, but the ride is quite & comfortable and quiet for a small car. The interior is not real spacious, but again comfortable (I am not a large guy -5' 8", 155 lbs). Rear seat is tight for head space & shoulder space. Hatch reasonably spacious. The height adjustable front seat is a nice plus & the fit & finish was good. It drives very smoothly in either regular or Eco mode. Acceleration was more than adequate for our local traffic with the CVT provides its typical odd feeling with no shifts points. That said I had a Civic HX with CVT & currently have an A4 with CVT & I love the CVT's smoothness. I found it very easy to keep up with the light traffic & keep the speedo in the green band which indicated outstanding fuel economy. It would probably feel a iffy in big city rush hour traffic. The car cruised very smoothly & quietly on the freeway at 65 in eco mode. I am suprpised to say that I think this could be a very comfortable car for long distance travel.

    My main negative finding was with the front seat; it just did not hit me right. When I initially got in the seat, there was some uncomfortable pressure on my thighs from the bottom edge of the front seat (too high) and the lumbar support (too high & too firm). During the test drive, I did not notice lumbar discomfort, but did notice thigh discomfort. Interestingly, although the seats are supposedly the same on the LX & EX, when I sat briefly in the LX, I didn't feel the same pressure, but that was only a minute of seat time. Obviously the feel of the front seat is a very individual thing depending on one's body conformation, but for me, it may be a deal breaker.

    In comparison to my test drive of a Fit a month ago. The Fit is not as comfortable as the Insight, but it easily wins in the handling and spacious departments.

    Most likely I will buy either a Fit or Insight in the next year. I calculated how long it would take to make up for the extra $4,400 cost (MSRP) of the hybrid assuming that I would drive it about 9K miles/ year & that be able to get 15 more mpg with the Insight. Alas it looks like it would take about 16 years with fuel at $3/gallon, and about 8 years if it goes to $6.gallon to make up the $4,400 difference. So the payback time & the seat comfort may force me to settle for the Fit. The dealer will let me take either car home for an overnight & if I found that the Insight's seat worked with my body, it would be a much harder decision.

    I found it curious that even though they had 9 Fits on the lot, they all had a $2K "adjusted market value" sticker. I am certain that this is there for the few naive customers that come in & don't dicker. Believe it or not it happens. 20 years ago , my mother drove by an Oldsmobile dealer, saw a car that caught her fancy & walked in and bought it with no questions asked. Last fall another acquaintance decided to get a Hyundai Accent. Before the dealer was done with her she paid over $4,000 more than the sticker -- and they had about 15 other Accents on the lot! So, it works for the dealer at times. That said, my salesguy readily admitted that they could get a way with the mark up when gas was over $4 /gallon & they could not keep Fits on the lot. Now, they will deal.

    In summary I could happily live with either the car. Overall I prefer the Insight over the Fit due to appeance and ride comfort. I plan to keep watching the forums and eventually have one or the other in my garage.
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    If you are looking at initial cost, obviously the Fit is the choice. Comfort should play a part; as should appearance of each car to you. Which one do you want parked in your driveway? Another consideration which almost no one talks about is residual cost. At the end of 5-6 or 8 years, how much could you get for each car? If the Insight turns out to be a popular car, maybe it will be worth $2K-$4K more at selling time. That makes gas payback time less. Still, which car do you like the looks of right now. That's the car to buy. I would hate to buy one car and then wish I would have bought the other one a year later.
  • dweiserdweiser Member Posts: 288
    Not bragging just a happy camper. I traded in my 2005 Honda Element EX AWD (which I very much liked but the warranty had run out) for a 2009 Fit Sport w/Navi when they first came out. I liked the Element so much over the years (not my first Honda) that I was a little worried I'd have regrets with the Fit. Glad to say I had none. The Fit got me 34 mpg with just short mountain trips; the Element got around 23 mpg. Anyway, who wants to read a novel right. My 2010 Insight arrived last Friday. I like it. As 204meca stated above, the Insight is MUCH nicer looking in person. I got Tango Red which is a wine color and goes nicely with the gray interior. Today (3/30) they delivered mt (new) 2009 Honda Fit Sport w/Navi in Milano Red. I'd owned a Nissan Murano so am used to CVT transmissions. This is supposed to be a comparo isn't it? I traded in my Porsche Boxster on the 2nd Fit as the dealer gave me a good deal (they have a dealership that also sells Porsches or I wouldn't have gotten the deal (cash back) I got. I wasn't driving the Porsche, the Fit and the Insight are more technologically advanced with fewer problems and oil & filter changes won't be $150! The Fit and the Insight are different cars with different virtues. No fog lights standard on the Insight - I wasted a bit of time trying to figure out how to turn the non-existent fog lights on. Also, no stereo controls on the Insight steering wheel. Having lived up North most of my life (South now) I was happy to see an outside air temp. gauge on the Insight; the Fit does not offer that. More later as I get more seat time in the Insight but I hope you found this at least a little "insightful".
  • rookie60rookie60 Member Posts: 39
    You say you got a Fit Sport "when they first came out". Then you said they just delivered your new Fit Sport "Today (3/30). You have 2 Fits and 1 Insight. Why???
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    Rookie: >>Another consideration which almost no one talks about is residual cost. At the end of 5-6 or 8 years, how much could you get for each car?<<

    That is a serious consideration that I have been playing in my mind. I hope to keep my next econ hatch for 7 years. I am confident that the engine on the Fit will not need any major repairs & still be fresh after 7 years / 70K miles & that the next buyer can trust if for 100K. With the Insight it may be getting to the point that some of the batteries need to be replaced (I understand the warranty to be 8 yrs in non CARB states & 10 yrs in CARB states. So, will the concern of need to lay out some significant cash in a year or two for the Insight result in decreased resale value. So far the Toyota battery packs seem to be exceeding expections. It would be an interesting exercise to conpared the p% of deprecation of a 2002 Prius to a 2002 Corolla. Not sure I have the time & energy to do that.

    The other unknown is will gas cost $3/gal in 2017 (unlikely) or $10/gal. IF gas cost is double or triple what it is today, the Insight should have much higher resale. Unfortunately we don't know today the duration of the batteries (although I suspect they will exceed 8 years) nor the cost of gas (my guess is it will be over $5/gal).

    Here there is an interesting discussion on the batteries of the previous generation including this post <a href="http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0fdb4b/41" target="_blank">http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0fdb4b/41.. The folder is "Honda Insight Hybrid Battery Pack Questions". Of course the Insight's batteries are "new & improved".
  • 204meca204meca Member Posts: 369
    Click on link below to see one of the best reviews of 2010 Insight

    http://www.vtec.net/articles/view-article?article_id=808565
  • vagabondchefvagabondchef Member Posts: 107
    Was at the Honda dealership last getting an oil change on my honda and test drove an 2010 Insight.
    The dealership was very slow for being the last day of the month and many sales people standing around waiting for something to happen which probably will never happen in this economy.

    Drove the car 40.8 miles on freeway, city streets and single lane country roads at posted speeds drving the car like an "80 year old Bag lady that was light on the gas pedal.
    Many other motorists were pissed off that I was driving the car this way like gliding to a stoplight and taking off from a stoplight slow to get the best gas mileage results.

    I averaged 38.7 mpg with the "ECO" button on and 40.6mpg with the "ECO" button off after a 40 mile test drive.

    The cornering of the cars was sloppy as well as the steering. The seat fabric seemed cheap and likely to stain.

    The car did seem peppy, but seemed underpowered and not of Honda Quality.

    It is confusing to figure out all of the electronic controls and found myself not keeping my eye on the road.

    I think this car would be fun at first, but the novelty would wear off after a couple of months. I am concerned that the electronics of this car would fail as this car is not a bullet-proof Honda such as a 2009 Honda Civic DX-VP would perform.

    I would not buy this car as it has to much "junk" on it and it is too expensive.

    The best Honda I owned was my 1991 Civic-Dx 4-door which went 265000 miles and was totally a bullent-proof Honda with no maintenace.

    I see this Honda requiring alot of upkeep after the warranty expires.

    I see the future in Honda's Clarity and cars like the CRV-LX and the Civic LX.

    Overall there is nothing special about his cars unless you want to be the first one on your block to own one and have everyone coming over to inquire about it.

    I was not impressed at all!!!
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