Most popular Honda Insight for sale

Bought new in May, 2003, for work. I commuted 64 miles round-trip to my job 3 years in this car and put 41,000 miles on it before retiring. About 56 miles of my commute was via interstate and overall I averaged 54.5 mpg. It has a continuously variable transmission (not manual) so that's probably why I didn't get the high mileage some other reviewers reported. Since retiring, mileage has fallen off to 54.2 mpg - it now has 46,000 miles on it. It has been very reliable, just some cosmetic problems (driver-side window stuck - needed silicone lube). On rare occasions when I turn the key to start it, nothing happens. Then I just turn the key off and try again and it always starts. First time this happened I was really concerned, then I realized it's kind of like your computer - when it locks up, turn it off, then back on. Again, this doesn't happen often at all.

This car does not operate like the Prius, which can go on its electric motor alone. The Insight primarily uses its super-efficient 3 cylinder gas engine and the electric motor kicks in for acceleration, also doubles as a generator to recharge the battery via regenerative braking. I found I got better highway mileage than on short trips (see above mileage data).

As someone else said, this is a niche car. Very small but believe it or not, I have hauled 8 foot 2x4s home in it - not a lot of them, though. Rear deck is plenty big for a 1-2 week supply of groceries. My wife does not feel safe in the car because of its size. I don't have a problem with it. Also, Honda recommends no children in the car because of the passenger-side airbag. Visibility out the back takes getting used to, the side pillars behind the doors are a bit wide.

We sometimes get a lot of snow where I live and the car isn't the best driver in those conditions but I wouldn't be afraid to take it out when it was snowing. I never got stuck and never spun out.

Plenty of getup and go, I drove freeways @ 70mph. Nice digital HVAC system, you set the temperature you want and the system maintains it comfortably. If the outside temperature is below 40F and you have the heat on, the engine will not shut down at stops like it normally does. Plenty of options for tracking mileage, there are 3 different settable trip odometers plus the normal one, each of which also tracks miles per gallon over the trip. There is a concealed storage compartment under the rear deck where I keep a spare 2-1/2 gallon gas can and a quart of the required 0W-20 engine oil - not that it has used any, just an old habit.

If you want to stick a magnetic ribbon or somesuch to the car, forget it. All the body panels are either plastic or aluminum, so don't expect it to rust, either. It's light so you feel it on a windy day. The only things I miss about the car are no cruise control and no sunroof but I bought it right off the dealer's lot so these may have been available as options, I'm not sure. Also, stick shift not available in my model year but the CVT is supposed to be the next best thing to it.

If you're looking for an efficient commuter car, this is the ticket, especially with gas prices heading up.

This review written on 3/17/08. Hope it helps.

I purchased my '05 Insight used in '06, and have had nothing but wonderful experiences with it since.

The only item that has broken on my car was a small metal bracket that held up some wiring, which produced a squeaking noise upon accellerating from a stop. A mere $7 at the Honda dealership fixed that issue, and I haven't had a problem with anything since then. I always get the impression that Honda cares a lot about their hybrids, and they seem to go out of their way to keep hybrid owners happy if there's ever a problem with the car.

The MPG is wonderful, of course, and is consistantly better than my husband's Prius gets. Although small, the car is quite comfortable for me and my 6'5" guy, and hauls a full load of groceries with room to spare.

This is the PERFECT commuter vehicle - cute, comfy, zippy, and an absolute breeze to park, even in tiny spaces no other 4-wheel vehicle could navigate.


...Plus, you get the added joy of lots of thumbs up, smiles, and people calling out to you in the parking lot about how cool your car is.
What's not to love? ;)

Fun to drive; good acceleration--easy to merge into traffic. Easily cruises at 70+ on interstate highways, up and down Tennessee hills. Terrific gas mileage. Honda extended the warranty on battery to unheard of 150,000 miles or 10 years. Handles well and turns on a dime. Air conditioner is amazingly cold; road noise is good. A great conversation starter. Looks and feels new even after 8+ years and 100,000+ miles. Never had a better car and I've enjoyed Mercedes, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Chevy, Toyota and VW. Parts are easy to get at dealers and at a discount on-line. Too bad they stopped making this aluminum body engineering wonder.