This car held the title as the most fuel efficient hybrid in the US all the way until 2016. The manual version has a lean burn mode that can be modified to stay on longer. My friend gets 80MPG on the highway with the AC running. Amazing car, only problem was that the batteries had to be replaced after a few years.
I keep thinking a gas only model with a better six-speed manual would have been more practical. I suppose then Honda couldn't get the premium price though.
@@phiksit They lost money on this car also because the car is completely aluminum and much of the car is completely bespoke. The hybrid system is only one piece of the puzzle.
Having no manual hybrid is quite awful...Honda proven that its possible while keeping great MPG results with both Insight and CR-Z. Toyota is content with making lame things like Prius with cvt only. Seeing how things are all cars will run cvts or dct with no manual in sight in next 5 years or so
Your 'friend'? You mean your partner, right? Let me guess, hooked up with him at an interstate rest stop, became 'friends' through that hole in the stall in the mens bathroom. Am I right?
@@hondamanvtec2894 Why would you want that? It has a 144V IMA battery with a charge gauge shown, and the 12v battery is charged from a DC/DC converter, not an alternator.
I have an '00 Insight with manual trans and AC, and I would pay for a new one if Honda just re-made the first-gen with updated tech. It's still the most highway fuel efficient car ever sold in the U.S. (excluding plug-in cars, which is apples to oranges anyway).
I bought a '00 off the showroom floor. I 've had a '03 for the last 5 years- still averages over 60mpg on the highway. It has issues, but nothing a DIY'er can't handle. Reviewer was on-point about the audio system- great for traffic reports.
I get 60mpg at 60mph in my 2014 Passat tdi, and not much less when loaded with 4 people and full trunk lol. Hybrids were always going to be just a stopgap.
All the top supercars are hybrids now. Using a highly boosted turbocharged engine in combination with the low end torque of an electric motor is a big step forward. I can't wait for an everyday hot hatchback with the technology, especially if it has Honda's SH AWD.
@@AJ6spd Unless you want MPG and a cheap, more reliable car other that some IMA battery maintenance. Heck, just disable it and you still get 40 to 100 mpg.
These were excellent cars. They basically drove like a CRX and got 60 MPG. Very fun little fuel sippers and MANUAL trans which made them way cooler than Priuses etc. I bought one with 135k miles and drove it to over 200k with no issues. I had times with over 100 MPG, but usually averaged around 65 MPG.
LOL! Like saying the Geo Metro was an excellent car. Sure, if you hate cars and have no self respect these are acceptable, I guess. Oh, and if you're part of the LGBTQ community.
Have a red 2005 sitting in the garage. Once got 99.8 mpg over 225 miles. Running first gen Insights can be found for one or two thousand dollars these days.
@@I41535D Lmao why? They're light, efficient, well built, and stylish. The fact that we still see them around basically means they were a complete success.
I bought one of these with the manual transmission this past spring. It was a fixer upper, but I was lucky in that the hybrid battery pack is still working well. My best average mpg has been 83.33 over 208 miles. Next highest has been 71.5mpg over 204 miles. In the summer I could get mid 60s mpg without too much effort driving in the low 70mph range. The key of course is trying to get the car into lean burn as much as possible.
They did, in the form of the Civic hybrid. The problem, though, was that Toyota's hybrid system was just worlds better than Honda's, it not only simplified the transmission and made it more reliable, but it increased the inherent efficiency of the drivetrain as well.
Heming Feng We wanted a Prius back in 2014 but the price was too high so we settled on a 2013 Honda Insight that had been on the lot for a year. Bought it brand new for $16,5000. 55k miles later she still runs like new.
idontcare80 Funny how Hondas new 3rd Generation Insight is EPA rated at having better gas milage then Toyotas Prius. 2019 Insight at 55/52 MPGS VS. PRIUS 54/48 PMGS.
The Prius did not come later, the first generation Prius had already been available in the U.S. For at least three years by this time and they were just a few years away from bringing in the second generation Prius. This Honda though remains the most fuel efficient non plug in car ever sold in America.
makes sense, the unibody is aluminum, that was supercar stuff at the time. hell lots of stuff about the gen 1 insight were just absolutely bleeding edge.
Funny my favorite car I owned from my youth, my 89 CRX HF, only had 69 horsepower lol. But man was it fun and the gas mileage was incredible. I drove from Philadelphia to Boston on only 3/4 of a tank once. I surely miss those days of cars
I almost bought a Honda CRZ a few years back - except their nickel & dime pricing scheme really turned me off. They actually wanted me to charge me extra for a center armrest! smh...
No, it's really not the same car. Even the newer Insights (2nd and 3rd gen) are nothing like the same car. They might look simliar to you, but they're vastly different. There is no other car like this in North America at least. Maybe some other kei cars, but nothing like this unique combination of factors to get 40 to 100 mpg.
"S2000-type steering wheel." That IS the exact same steering wheel as the S2K. Both the Insight and the S2K were built in the exact same factory, hence the similarly-styled instrument cluster and the same steering wheel. Imagine if the Insight had the same transmission as the S2K? That would be something.
Fun fact. The insight shares an all aluminum chassis like the NSX and some of the interior from the S2K. All three were made at the Suzuka plant at the same time.
I always liked the look of this car (somewhat), but the VW XL1 is one of the few cars that makes high aerodynamic efficiency look really, really good, I wish that look would go mainstream. Also, I think seeing the first-gen Insight may just reignite my longing for a more modern version of the CRX. If Mazda can build the Miata, Honda should be able to build a modern version of the CRX.
I agree and it's unfortunate that Honda lost sight of what made the CRX so loved. They just tried to make the CR-Z do too much so it ended up doing everything badly (on top of being extremely ugly), they should have made a sporty version and a hybrid version.
I GOT A 2005 MANUAL INSIGHT IN FEBRUARY FOR MY 60 MILE ROUND TRIP COMMUTE . I CAN MAKE THAT TRIP ON LESS THAN A GALLON OF GAS ! I HAVE DONE OVER 10,000 MILES SINCE AND HAVE MANAGED TO TICK UP THE LIFETIME FUEL AVERAGE . IT NOW HAS 167, 750 MILES NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS SO FAR . IF I KEEP IT GOING FOR ANOTHER YEAR IT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IN FUEL SAVINGS .
All right, everybody knows that the legend-in-its own-time Prius is the car most associated with the hybrid genre, but here is a shoutout to the car that started it all, baby!!!
@@jonathanvandagriff7515 wrong again - Honda revealed the J-VX concept car, which was the basis of, but NOT, the Insight at the Tokyo Motorshow in October 1997. Toyota showed their concept car in 1995, and then launched FOR SALE the Prius NHW10 in December 1997. Insight sales started in November 1999.
Mine gets 67mpg, beating the Prius easily. However, the Prius is larger and can hold a lot more people than the Honda. This car is also aluminum, so is the frame.
I really like the "this is the future" aesthetic for some reason. Might get one for cheap in the future, especially since it has a manual transmission and I want to try how a hybrid will drive with manual.
Back in 03 a buddy convinced me to ride with him in this vs z28 on 5 hour a road trip. My other friends had a 300z TT and a mustang Gt. Needless to say it was the slowest, but the first one that got to the destination.
I spent the last year restoring my red 2000 Insight, and I’m about to sell it this week for a lithium swapped, 2000 Honda Insight painted in the rare Citrus color. I’m going to miss my first project car, but all good things must come to an end.
I think they should have made a petrol only 1.5 litre version. 1. It would be a bit cheaper 2. It would still get great a mileage with that design 3. MOST IMPORTANTLY without the huge battery in the back the trunk would be very practical
Just saw one of these on the road yesterday. Their gas mileage trumps a Prius. It was like an Electric CR-X with it's small size and 2 seat only configuration.
Up until just a few years ago Honda did still make a manual hybrid in the form of the CR-Z, a car that looks very similar (especially in layout) to this original Insight, only sportier. You should easily be a to find a low mileage used one out there as they were produced for quite a few years in the mid 2010's.
It would be the weirdest thing ever, but how about a D series turbo swap with a custom flywheel and adapter plate to still use IMA with updated battery packs?
I love the Insight! It's tiny and cute but has good room (though only two seats), but makes up for it with its impressive mileage. Also, what is the intro song that they use when we first see the Insight driving?
You laugh at that little 60hp engine Back in the 80’s Burt Rutan sold fiberglass plane kits with tiny 23hp motors. The cruise speed was 120mph and top speed 150mph. Put a 100hp in her and you hit 200mph! No lie On the Insight, stiffer air shocks and some sticky Italian Pirelli tires on her and handling is impressive.
the true beauty of this car is how purposefully built it is.. everything is designed for a purpose. Very expensive to build, Honda lost a lot of $$$ on each one
To me the most amazing thing about my Insight is how very BAD the hybrid system is, and the mileage it gets anyway. The battery capacity is very small, it gets fussy if you use high assist or regen for more than perhaps 30 seconds (due to temperature) and it will only give you assist after you've gone deep into the gas pedal for high fuel burn. Compared to modern hybrids which seek to constantly keep their gas engines in a high thermal-efficiency regime, the Insight's way of assist and regen is both backwards, and weak. But. The total aero drag is ridiculously low, the weight is ridiculously low, and the gas engine has the same thermal efficiency as the latest VW Blue Motion diesels 20 years later. That last point is insane, given that most new Atkinson-cycle direct-injected economy-oriented gas engines are a good 20% less efficient, or worse. Because of the emissions associated with lean-burn, you could say it's literally illegal to make a gas engine that efficient today. Honda's insane and still-unmatched dedication to efficient automobile design, more than makes up for the hugely outdated battery pack and what-were-they-thinking programming. Honda made the most efficient gas car ever, and then used the hybrid system as a band-aid for driveability.
Serious sleeper potential. Check the weight. Add a well tuned engine and trans. This could take some pink slips. But, drive right past anyone looking for a street racer. The potential is there.
The move to Alternative Energy vehicles and/or renewable vehicles has got to be one of the slowest progressions of technology, time-wise. .....I wonder why smh.
Yes and the version without Ac was fast and lost no power to ac function. In my opinion a much faster car. I have the ac version and only use it on days over 90°F.
This car came with auto stop and now every brand is doing it. Way to go honda. I personally don't like that feature especially on a 4 cylinder cvt engine, makes no sense.
I love these reviews, and while John Davis is a very knowledgeable and capable reporter, he got one thing wrong. The Insight was never a mainstream car, but more of a demonstrator for things to come. Honda didn't build a conventional Honda, they built a better Citroën. Squint and it looks like a little SM.
What I can't comprehend is that 65mph or 105kph is highway speed. Here some road works are reduced to that speed and it feels perfectly fine driving with an A8 D2 on a 2,1m wide lane. Me driving 40.000km a year through Germany with only 105kph, I would be literally dead because of fatigue from not doing anything. And our Autobahns aren't even stright! No wonder, that the US has so much more road accidents in relation to Germany. People get tired and fall asleep while driving those insane speeds!
Well that settles it, I’m going to buy one lol I really wish they would make a modern coup hybrid with a manual transmission, it’s the perfect commuter car.
Mine just reached 270,000 miles! Don't know if I will keep the hybrid setup once the IMA takes a dump or just go all petrol with a type R engine and make it a sleeper
Just about 30k in todays money. That was a lot for a converted econobox. You can get the accord hybrid for a few thousand more that gets similar real world mpg in a heck of a lot more better packaged car.
Had this car come out when gas hit $4 a gallon in 08, it would have been a hit. But with gas still around a buck in 2000, who cared? Fill up the Expedition Eddie Bauer 4WD...premium.
in ten years some kids gonna pull up in highschool in this wagon listening to nickelback and all the kids will be like "wow what a classic that thing is bad ass ass" then he'll leave after school with the qbs girl
If I bought a car with the promise of getting 61 to 72 mpg and only got 47.8, I would be disappointed and angry. A friend of mine has a 2020 Toyota Camry 4 cyl non- hybrid and we got over 42 mpg on a recent road trip. No wonder the insight didn't last long, tiny, uncomfortable (I know because I have ridden in one) with barely any mpg advantage over a mid sized car. Even my 1995 Nissan Sentra back in the day got over 40 mpg on the hwy and around 37 mpg in the city.
I can't believe that the 00's are being considered retro now, I'm feeling old.
I agree with you 100 %.
17 years ago buddy
My car is from 2000. Sheesh.
Ianna Natasha Same.
lipadier I daily a '93 Dodge Shadow lol. Good car for a broke Mexican student.
This car held the title as the most fuel efficient hybrid in the US all the way until 2016. The manual version has a lean burn mode that can be modified to stay on longer. My friend gets 80MPG on the highway with the AC running. Amazing car, only problem was that the batteries had to be replaced after a few years.
I keep thinking a gas only model with a better six-speed manual would have been more practical. I suppose then Honda couldn't get the premium price though.
@@phiksit They lost money on this car also because the car is completely aluminum and much of the car is completely bespoke. The hybrid system is only one piece of the puzzle.
Having no manual hybrid is quite awful...Honda proven that its possible while keeping great MPG results with both Insight and CR-Z. Toyota is content with making lame things like Prius with cvt only.
Seeing how things are all cars will run cvts or dct with no manual in sight in next 5 years or so
Your 'friend'? You mean your partner, right? Let me guess, hooked up with him at an interstate rest stop, became 'friends' through that hole in the stall in the mens bathroom. Am I right?
Did he just admit to actually liking a digital cluster? I never believed this day would come.
mipmipmipmipmip 😂😂😂 back in the day MotorWeek was so obsessed with that damn oil pressure gauge. “Comprehensive gauges” 😂
They are pretty important though, well for a race car they are.
No Vault meter gauge- score 1/10
@@hondamanvtec2894 Why would you want that? It has a 144V IMA battery with a charge gauge shown, and the 12v battery is charged from a DC/DC converter, not an alternator.
@mipmipmipmipmip Lol I was looking for this comment
I have an '00 Insight with manual trans and AC, and I would pay for a new one if Honda just re-made the first-gen with updated tech. It's still the most highway fuel efficient car ever sold in the U.S. (excluding plug-in cars, which is apples to oranges anyway).
I bought a '00 off the showroom floor. I 've had a '03 for the last 5 years- still averages over 60mpg on the highway. It has issues, but nothing a DIY'er can't handle. Reviewer was on-point about the audio system- great for traffic reports.
The relaunched Insight was total garbage compared to the original! At least you could have fun in the original!!
TheManInDboX No, but it did get really good mileage for a pure gasoline powered car.
I get 60mpg at 60mph in my 2014 Passat tdi, and not much less when loaded with 4 people and full trunk lol. Hybrids were always going to be just a stopgap.
All the top supercars are hybrids now. Using a highly boosted turbocharged engine in combination with the low end torque of an electric motor is a big step forward. I can't wait for an everyday hot hatchback with the technology, especially if it has Honda's SH AWD.
This was a groundbreaking car. Honda glory days.
More like glory hole days.
Manual hybrid!? You have my attention.
Get a crz instead
@@AJ6spd Unless you want MPG and a cheap, more reliable car other that some IMA battery maintenance. Heck, just disable it and you still get 40 to 100 mpg.
One of the trans I can get behind
@@AJ6spd CR-Z gets half the MPG and is just as slow.
Dat early 2000s trance/techno tho
Tony Oliver Sounds like a lo fi rip off Robert Miles’ ‘Children’
suad01 what’s lofi
@@suad01 thought the exact same thing!
"...might not look bad sitting in our garage, right next to the diesel Excursion." Oh yeah.
Didn't know you could fit an Excursion into a garage..
@@scowley86 got em
Best line of the season
@@dk709SGT Agreed. If I ever hear anyone of you pronounce diesel as die-zull instead of die-suhl (I don't care where you live), I am blocking you all.
i remember seeing this in a text book when i was a kid and i thought we were entering the future and used to draw it all the time
LOL same here, I loved those early 2000s science or health textbooks, they always used the best stock images
These were excellent cars. They basically drove like a CRX and got 60 MPG. Very fun little fuel sippers and MANUAL trans which made them way cooler than Priuses etc. I bought one with 135k miles and drove it to over 200k with no issues. I had times with over 100 MPG, but usually averaged around 65 MPG.
Dang 100 mpg
@NSDAP Enthusiast 88 We got 152 K out of our first battery and replaced it with a more modern design with 50% more capacity.
LOL! Like saying the Geo Metro was an excellent car. Sure, if you hate cars and have no self respect these are acceptable, I guess. Oh, and if you're part of the LGBTQ community.
Have a red 2005 sitting in the garage. Once got 99.8 mpg over 225 miles. Running first gen Insights can be found for one or two thousand dollars these days.
k20 swap that wont rust like a crx lol
Steve Mitchell just bought mine for a song....
@osp80 welcome to the world of owning hard to maintain vehicles like the prelude sh 😥😥
The styling of these is so awesome. I saw one of these a few years back and breifly mistook it for an EV1
These little rascals can be seen occasionally buzzing the SoCal freeways. Red ones. In the number one lane. Just buzzing.
That's me except for the one lane part
a Winter's Tale they are embarrassing to see on the road
@@I41535D Why?
@@I41535D Lmao why? They're light, efficient, well built, and stylish. The fact that we still see them around basically means they were a complete success.
That S2K interior though :)
I've been waiting for this one. Despite the eco connotations, the Insight is surprisingly entertaining to drive. Thanks for the upload!
smoking tire has a vid of one with mods that is neat.
I imagine the tires have something to do with it being fun to drive lol
I bought one of these with the manual transmission this past spring. It was a fixer upper, but I was lucky in that the hybrid battery pack is still working well. My best average mpg has been 83.33 over 208 miles. Next highest has been 71.5mpg over 204 miles. In the summer I could get mid 60s mpg without too much effort driving in the low 70mph range. The key of course is trying to get the car into lean burn as much as possible.
Of course the downside of owning these is the AIDS.
If Honda produced a 4 door version during that time, they would have the whole hybrid market to themselves cuz the Prius came later.
They did, in the form of the Civic hybrid. The problem, though, was that Toyota's hybrid system was just worlds better than Honda's, it not only simplified the transmission and made it more reliable, but it increased the inherent efficiency of the drivetrain as well.
Heming Feng We wanted a Prius back in 2014 but the price was too high so we settled on a 2013 Honda Insight that had been on the lot for a year. Bought it brand new for $16,5000. 55k miles later she still runs like new.
idontcare80 Funny how Hondas new 3rd Generation Insight is EPA rated at having better gas milage then Toyotas Prius. 2019 Insight at 55/52 MPGS VS. PRIUS 54/48 PMGS.
THE GEN1 INSIGHT CAN BE HAD WITH A 5 SPEED .
COULDN'T BE SIMPLER & THIS WAS NEVER AVAILABLE IN A PRIUS .
THIS ALONE IS WORTH NEARLY 10 mpg !
The Prius did not come later, the first generation Prius had already been available in the U.S. For at least three years by this time and they were just a few years away from bringing in the second generation Prius. This Honda though remains the most fuel efficient non plug in car ever sold in America.
Great, simple dash! Function over form, as it should be.
I was at a car show when these came out, the guy said they lost about $15,000 per car at the time.
makes sense, the unibody is aluminum, that was supercar stuff at the time. hell lots of stuff about the gen 1 insight were just absolutely bleeding edge.
@@Hoi4ofgender especially since the unibody won't rust away in 10 years.
Funny my favorite car I owned from my youth, my 89 CRX HF, only had 69 horsepower lol. But man was it fun and the gas mileage was incredible. I drove from Philadelphia to Boston on only 3/4 of a tank once. I surely miss those days of cars
Honda did bring back a hybrid with a manual. Its called the CR-Z
I almost bought a Honda CRZ a few years back - except their nickel & dime pricing scheme really turned me off. They actually wanted me to charge me extra for a center armrest! smh...
No, it's really not the same car. Even the newer Insights (2nd and 3rd gen) are nothing like the same car. They might look simliar to you, but they're vastly different. There is no other car like this in North America at least. Maybe some other kei cars, but nothing like this unique combination of factors to get 40 to 100 mpg.
@@beernpizzalover9035 you should get one they are a lot of fun!
"S2000-type steering wheel." That IS the exact same steering wheel as the S2K. Both the Insight and the S2K were built in the exact same factory, hence the similarly-styled instrument cluster and the same steering wheel. Imagine if the Insight had the same transmission as the S2K? That would be something.
Fun fact. The insight shares an all aluminum chassis like the NSX and some of the interior from the S2K. All three were made at the Suzuka plant at the same time.
If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit.
Where can I find the sick background music?
I always liked the look of this car (somewhat), but the VW XL1 is one of the few cars that makes high aerodynamic efficiency look really, really good, I wish that look would go mainstream. Also, I think seeing the first-gen Insight may just reignite my longing for a more modern version of the CRX. If Mazda can build the Miata, Honda should be able to build a modern version of the CRX.
After the CR-Z's failure, I'm afraid we won't see another Insight-esque Honda hybrid runabout ever again...
I agree and it's unfortunate that Honda lost sight of what made the CRX so loved. They just tried to make the CR-Z do too much so it ended up doing everything badly (on top of being extremely ugly), they should have made a sporty version and a hybrid version.
I GOT A 2005 MANUAL INSIGHT IN FEBRUARY FOR MY
60 MILE ROUND TRIP COMMUTE .
I CAN MAKE THAT TRIP ON LESS THAN A GALLON OF GAS !
I HAVE DONE OVER 10,000 MILES SINCE AND HAVE MANAGED TO TICK UP
THE LIFETIME FUEL AVERAGE . IT NOW HAS 167, 750 MILES
NO SERIOUS PROBLEMS SO FAR . IF I KEEP IT GOING FOR ANOTHER YEAR
IT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IN FUEL SAVINGS .
All right, everybody knows that the legend-in-its own-time Prius is the car most associated with the hybrid genre, but here is a shoutout to the car that started it all, baby!!!
landyachtfan79 how stupid are you? These came 2 years after the first Prius in 1997.
Pretty Sure it's called RESEARCH! Prius launched in 1997, Insight in 1999!
@@nessuno5403 the insight was revealed in 97'
@@jonathanvandagriff7515 wrong again - Honda revealed the J-VX concept car, which was the basis of, but NOT, the Insight at the Tokyo Motorshow in October 1997. Toyota showed their concept car in 1995, and then launched FOR SALE the Prius NHW10 in December 1997. Insight sales started in November 1999.
Mine gets 67mpg, beating the Prius easily. However, the Prius is larger and can hold a lot more people than the Honda. This car is also aluminum, so is the frame.
I really like the "this is the future" aesthetic for some reason. Might get one for cheap in the future, especially since it has a manual transmission and I want to try how a hybrid will drive with manual.
It’s so interesting to watch this from 21 years later and think they had no idea what was on its way in terms of mass production of hybrids and EV’s.
Man, I was drinking soda when he talked about the diesel Excursion.
Wow this insight was reviewed very well, now i want one
Back in 03 a buddy convinced me to ride with him in this vs z28 on 5 hour a road trip. My other friends had a 300z TT and a mustang Gt. Needless to say it was the slowest, but the first one that got to the destination.
"It's really quite simple: 1 liter single-overhead-cam 12-value v-tech-E 3 cylinder gasoline engine"
That's pretty simple if you know cars
Always thought these were brilliant. Still want one
It's a Hybrid with a fucking Manual! It's the best of both worlds! Also that styling hasn't aged as badly as other early 2000's Bland boxes.
I spent the last year restoring my red 2000 Insight, and I’m about to sell it this week for a lithium swapped, 2000 Honda Insight painted in the rare Citrus color. I’m going to miss my first project car, but all good things must come to an end.
This is literally the mother of the CR-Z!
I think they should have made a petrol only 1.5 litre version.
1. It would be a bit cheaper
2. It would still get great a mileage with that design
3. MOST IMPORTANTLY without the huge battery in the back the trunk would be very practical
Honest question, where did you guys get all the background music for these early 2000s reviews? They're so upbeat, I want them to play in the car! 😂
That music would go well when cruising on the highway in a 2002 Eclipse.
Terroriser Spot or the music in their Pontiac Aztek review!
Wait, that's music?
Darrude Sandstorm Ambient Remix 2K!
Yeah those were the 2000's !
We now have 235 K miles on our 2000 Insight and will seek to break the 300 K barrier in the next few years. Very reliable.
Just saw one of these on the road yesterday. Their gas mileage trumps a Prius. It was like an Electric CR-X with it's small size and 2 seat only configuration.
Imho that was one of the best looking cars Honda made. Very slick and smooth lined car.
'Love the background music.
Honda, bring back a hybrid with a manual. Desperately, MW.
Why ? You wanna buy it ? Apparently you don't even got money for gas.
Up until just a few years ago Honda did still make a manual hybrid in the form of the CR-Z, a car that looks very similar (especially in layout) to this original Insight, only sportier. You should easily be a to find a low mileage used one out there as they were produced for quite a few years in the mid 2010's.
@@peter455sd That's a stupid answer.
@@nvrndingsmmr Yeah,but i bet is spot on
I knew these had a synergistic drive system but I didn't know they were 5spd. Now I want one.
still makes way more sense than fulll on electric...cant they make better hybrids?
It would be the weirdest thing ever, but how about a D series turbo swap with a custom flywheel and adapter plate to still use IMA with updated battery packs?
I love the Insight! It's tiny and cute but has good room (though only two seats), but makes up for it with its impressive mileage. Also, what is the intro song that they use when we first see the Insight driving?
Why don't they use today's technology for a 2 seater hybrid like the insight? It's 22 years later, I'm sure it can hit 100 mpg on the epa.
You laugh at that little 60hp engine Back in the 80’s Burt Rutan sold fiberglass plane kits with tiny 23hp motors. The cruise speed was 120mph and top speed 150mph. Put a 100hp in her and you hit 200mph! No lie
On the Insight, stiffer air shocks and some sticky Italian Pirelli tires on her and handling is impressive.
the true beauty of this car is how purposefully built it is.. everything is designed for a purpose. Very expensive to build, Honda lost a lot of $$$ on each one
I love my insight best MPG
That background music reminds me of something out of the first 2 Gran Turismo games
Hahah , same
what was that thing at the bottom right of the frame at the intro?
The beginning of the Motorweek word graphic. It was waiting to begin its journey across the screen.
I remember Jim Scoutten reviewing these on Car and Driver back in 98.
To me the most amazing thing about my Insight is how very BAD the hybrid system is, and the mileage it gets anyway. The battery capacity is very small, it gets fussy if you use high assist or regen for more than perhaps 30 seconds (due to temperature) and it will only give you assist after you've gone deep into the gas pedal for high fuel burn. Compared to modern hybrids which seek to constantly keep their gas engines in a high thermal-efficiency regime, the Insight's way of assist and regen is both backwards, and weak. But. The total aero drag is ridiculously low, the weight is ridiculously low, and the gas engine has the same thermal efficiency as the latest VW Blue Motion diesels 20 years later. That last point is insane, given that most new Atkinson-cycle direct-injected economy-oriented gas engines are a good 20% less efficient, or worse. Because of the emissions associated with lean-burn, you could say it's literally illegal to make a gas engine that efficient today. Honda's insane and still-unmatched dedication to efficient automobile design, more than makes up for the hugely outdated battery pack and what-were-they-thinking programming.
Honda made the most efficient gas car ever, and then used the hybrid system as a band-aid for driveability.
Jeez, what an excellent car!
Serious sleeper potential.
Check the weight.
Add a well tuned engine and trans.
This could take some pink slips.
But, drive right past anyone looking for a street racer.
The potential is there.
7:50 didn’t someone do a hypermiling test with the Insight driving behind a Ford Excursion with the cargo doors open?
OMG A 3RD GEN CIVIC HATCH!.........I hope you guys have a review on that generation of Civic lol
Reminds me alot of the old CRX....
It's now 2023 and the tree huggers have taken over. :(
That Famous Year 2000 Seems So Far Back Now. Soon you will hear songs from 1999 and 2000 as Oldies.
I still drive a Y2K. Just replaced the IMA battery pack last Thursday.
The move to Alternative Energy vehicles and/or renewable vehicles has got to be one of the slowest progressions of
technology, time-wise.
.....I wonder why smh.
you are making me want an insight now
A very Y2K aesthetic car
It doesn’t have an oil pressure gauge! 😔
This car just makes me smile
The Insight is what cars need to be if they wanna be very economical.
-low power
-not roomy
-Aerodynamic
-Light
Next retro review should be for the Dodge Daytona IROC R/T. Season 11, Episode 28. 👌👌
In 2000, A/C was still only an option?
Yes and the version without Ac was fast and lost no power to ac function. In my opinion a much faster car. I have the ac version and only use it on days over 90°F.
This car came with auto stop and now every brand is doing it. Way to go honda. I personally don't like that feature especially on a 4 cylinder cvt engine, makes no sense.
The Honda insight, the Cadillac of hybrids. I wonder it's John Travolta's personal car in real life.
Zero dive under breaking, very nice
I love these reviews, and while John Davis is a very knowledgeable and capable reporter, he got one thing wrong. The Insight was never a mainstream car, but more of a demonstrator for things to come. Honda didn't build a conventional Honda, they built a better Citroën. Squint and it looks like a little SM.
What I can't comprehend is that 65mph or 105kph is highway speed. Here some road works are reduced to that speed and it feels perfectly fine driving with an A8 D2 on a 2,1m wide lane.
Me driving 40.000km a year through Germany with only 105kph, I would be literally dead because of fatigue from not doing anything. And our Autobahns aren't even stright! No wonder, that the US has so much more road accidents in relation to Germany. People get tired and fall asleep while driving those insane speeds!
Well that settles it, I’m going to buy one lol
I really wish they would make a modern coup hybrid with a manual transmission, it’s the perfect commuter car.
The Honda CR-Z manual is as close as it gets.
Not a bad car... Kinda liked the 3rd gen Civic at 1:17...
Never thought a day would come that I own this and a hummer H2 lol
Mine just reached 270,000 miles! Don't know if I will keep the hybrid setup once the IMA takes a dump or just go all petrol with a type R engine and make it a sleeper
Did you ever have issues with the starter and the catylitic converter?
It looks like a Honda Civic with the badge off in the front
Just about 30k in todays money. That was a lot for a converted econobox. You can get the accord hybrid for a few thousand more that gets similar real world mpg in a heck of a lot more better packaged car.
no manual
I use retro reviews to shop for my next car.
The Honda Insight is actually a mild hybrid, because its electric motor can't work separately from the gas motor.
What a great car, not the best ever looking car but amazing engineering.
Looks like an Aztek and a Civic at 5:42
Интересно, почему производители перестали делать эффектино-аэродинамичные гибридные авто? Исчез обтекаемый дизайн,закрытые колесные арки, легкие колеса.
I think the interior was pretty cool
Lmao I didn't even read the descrpt or title. I literally thought this was the gm ev1 from the thumbnail and Immediately clicked
These were cool cars
optional A/C in 2000....
A/C is still optional in Europe on several base spec cars, not to speak of developing countries.
millennials so entitled lol, cars had manual windows and door locks too!
Lol have you seen the Nissan Versa in 2018 with manual windows?
@@thisthingmint250 yeah most base cars have manual windows
Just give it a 100 shot of NOS for entering freeway on ramps and you're good to go !
That early 2000s music tho lol
I love this music lol
Had this car come out when gas hit $4 a gallon in 08, it would have been a hit. But with gas still around a buck in 2000, who cared? Fill up the Expedition Eddie Bauer 4WD...premium.
4 bucks in cali lol
This car always reminds of the movie, The day after tomorrow!!
That was such a good movie!
in ten years some kids gonna pull up in highschool in this wagon listening to nickelback and all the kids will be like "wow what a classic that thing is bad ass ass" then he'll leave after school with the qbs girl
*Hides the Diesel Excursion in shame*
If I bought a car with the promise of getting 61 to 72 mpg and only got 47.8, I would be disappointed and angry. A friend of mine has a 2020 Toyota Camry 4 cyl non- hybrid and we got over 42 mpg on a recent road trip. No wonder the insight didn't last long, tiny, uncomfortable (I know because I have ridden in one) with barely any mpg advantage over a mid sized car. Even my 1995 Nissan Sentra back in the day got over 40 mpg on the hwy and around 37 mpg in the city.