Honda Insight mk1 - or another hybrid?
Discussion
Afternoon,
I'm looking to change car next year. I'm considering my options now because I'm going to start saving, once I've got a new motorbike in the garage...anyway...
I've been adding up the fuel bills for my Jaguar XJ8 and I must contend that, for what I spend on fuelling that, would probably be equal to around the cost per month of buying a newer car. Not that I don't love the Jag, I do, but it's old and tired, and won't see itself through another MOT without quite a bit spending on it (it definitely needs a suspension refresh, if not an expensive front subframe V mount). And then I'd still be left with the thirsty old barge. Better, I thought, to ride out the MOT, then change it for something which will run on for a long while, cheaply, whilst still being somewhat interesting.
Most of the driving I do is commuting to work, driving in straight lines. I don't really need a car for fun, as motorbikes are much more fun when you're in the mood to tackle a B road. I don't want a diesel, and I've always been interested in hybrids.
The mk1 Honda Insight is the car I really fancy, and for about £5000 you can get a Japanese import with 50,000 miles in manual, ready for use in the UK (and importantly, undersealed). Now, I'd be quite happy to buy one of these, keep it as long as it'll go on and drive it until it dies. Are they still a viable proposition? The economy sounds attractive, I love the looks and the fact you can get these little hypermilers in manual. The wife is slightly less enamoured and thinks I should spend a bit more on a newer hybrid. I gather the Insights are generally reliable, but are they reliable enough to rely on day in, day out? What about the battery pack? Is it still possible to get the IMA battery pack fixed or repaired, as it once was?
The next two cars on the list are the Prius and the current Insight. I don't mind the Prius, but values are stiff for a hybrid - I suppose with this being the market leading hybrid in terms of sales, the prices reflect it's reputation as useful transport. The new Insight I gather hasn't impressed reviewers quite as much as the Prius, but you can get some fantastic deals on it and it'd make a great family car.
The last on the list is the wildcard, the CRZ. I'm pretty much sold on the CRZ already, but it's a good chunk more than an old Insight (good CRZ's seem to start around £8000). Would the money really be better spent on a new car which the dealer networks are familiar with, or will the first Insight be an easy ownership proposition too?
Any thoughts from anyone who has owned or driven the cars I'm interested in would be much appreciated.
I'm looking to change car next year. I'm considering my options now because I'm going to start saving, once I've got a new motorbike in the garage...anyway...
I've been adding up the fuel bills for my Jaguar XJ8 and I must contend that, for what I spend on fuelling that, would probably be equal to around the cost per month of buying a newer car. Not that I don't love the Jag, I do, but it's old and tired, and won't see itself through another MOT without quite a bit spending on it (it definitely needs a suspension refresh, if not an expensive front subframe V mount). And then I'd still be left with the thirsty old barge. Better, I thought, to ride out the MOT, then change it for something which will run on for a long while, cheaply, whilst still being somewhat interesting.
Most of the driving I do is commuting to work, driving in straight lines. I don't really need a car for fun, as motorbikes are much more fun when you're in the mood to tackle a B road. I don't want a diesel, and I've always been interested in hybrids.
The mk1 Honda Insight is the car I really fancy, and for about £5000 you can get a Japanese import with 50,000 miles in manual, ready for use in the UK (and importantly, undersealed). Now, I'd be quite happy to buy one of these, keep it as long as it'll go on and drive it until it dies. Are they still a viable proposition? The economy sounds attractive, I love the looks and the fact you can get these little hypermilers in manual. The wife is slightly less enamoured and thinks I should spend a bit more on a newer hybrid. I gather the Insights are generally reliable, but are they reliable enough to rely on day in, day out? What about the battery pack? Is it still possible to get the IMA battery pack fixed or repaired, as it once was?
The next two cars on the list are the Prius and the current Insight. I don't mind the Prius, but values are stiff for a hybrid - I suppose with this being the market leading hybrid in terms of sales, the prices reflect it's reputation as useful transport. The new Insight I gather hasn't impressed reviewers quite as much as the Prius, but you can get some fantastic deals on it and it'd make a great family car.
The last on the list is the wildcard, the CRZ. I'm pretty much sold on the CRZ already, but it's a good chunk more than an old Insight (good CRZ's seem to start around £8000). Would the money really be better spent on a new car which the dealer networks are familiar with, or will the first Insight be an easy ownership proposition too?
Any thoughts from anyone who has owned or driven the cars I'm interested in would be much appreciated.
There are plenty of folk that swear by the gen1 Insight, even quoting 75mpg or more, and yes, they are repairable and plenty reliable, but even with the low mileage imports, it's difficult to determine the hybrid battery condition and life expectancy . Do more research imo, plenty of forums and websites around will offer lots of advice and help such as http://www.solarvan.co.uk/
wemorgan said:
If you want good mpg with proven technology I'd stick to a diesel.
£5k on an early hybrid car seems risky to me, especially if you're trying to save money.
There's not much complexity in an Audi A2, plus their residuals are quite strong.
How exactly is hybrid tech unproven? If anything it's more reliable than diesel, even diesel 12v batteries go flat £5k on an early hybrid car seems risky to me, especially if you're trying to save money.
There's not much complexity in an Audi A2, plus their residuals are quite strong.
Thunder18 said:
How exactly is hybrid tech unproven? If anything it's more reliable than diesel, even diesel 12v batteries go flat
I got my words mixed up. I meant to say, in the context of mainstream automotive the Mk1 Insight was a pioneer, testing new technology to the market place.Today, hybrid technology is more advanced - better.
IMHO the Mk1 Insight is more classic car than reliable everyday car. I could be wrong, but that's just my thoughts.
IMHO a 90's technology diesel engine would be more reliable.
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