Honda Insight Gen 1

[ewand]

There are a few cars over the years which I've read about and just thought I could someday make room in my life for one. You know that thing many petrolheads do, wiling away the hours on PH Classifieds/Auto Trader, maybe even touring the Classic Car mags or websites...

Well the latest object of deranged fancy is a Gen 1 Honda Insight - the all-aluminium one, which I've always thought just looked unlike anything else on the road. I had a good look around the citrus green one that was at the PH SS the other week (if it's yours, I'd love to talk to you) and it just seemed cool, in a semi-retro "I don't give a fk if you think I look stupid" kind of way.

I've currently got a fast two-seater, and a daily driver/load lugger Derv estate. Was thinking I could ditch the estate and get a mid-2000s Range Rover but then the though occurred that for pootling 15-20 miles to work and back on the motorway, a Gen 1 Insight would be just the ticket. Maybe a v8 Rangie and an Insight would be a perfect combo.

Pros:

• Won't depreciate a whole lot, or hopefully cost much to service/insure/fuel
• The slightly warped sense of driving something a little different appeals
• Relatively inexpensive to buy

Cons:

• Obviously, not very fast or hugely practical
• Finding one/a good one could be hard
• if the battery or cat goes pop, it could be expensive

What do you reckon?

[stevebear]

Not got a lot of experience in hybrids but its the tech that would put me off. All new at the time and this hybrid malarky has moved on already compared to when the Insight first appeared. Maybe support is already non-existent - a bit like Vista v WIndows 2000 I would guess. Plus aren't batteries sposed to last 7 years before needing replacing?
On the other hand its a Honda so whilst not immune to failures I would expect much better than the first hybrid being produced by say Alfa.

[v8will]

There was a really good thread on the readers cars section some time ago. IIRC the guy had to do various bits and pieces to the car.

Worth a read if you can find it.

[thinfourth2]

<engage petrolhead mode>

You little faggot how dare you consider one of those little faggot cars

You should be ashamed of yourself

Just sign off and leave you gay boy

<dis-engage petrolhead mode>

They are lovely little cars with a very strong following with people modifying them and getting some bonkers MPG out of them it seems 100MPG is easily within reach

They are firmly in my lottery win garage

It appears the weak points are the the exhaust gas recirculation valves and the battery pack eventually gets tired but i don't think it is overly expensive to get overhauled

Go and look in the readers rides forum as someone bought a grotty one and basically restored it

[ewand]

stevebear said:

the first hybrid being produced by say Alfa.

Please, don't even suggest that. Dealership brand new catch leaving fire after.

Thanks for the recommendation about readers rides, others - I was sure I'd read about the car sometime recently where a proper enthusiast following had sprung up. I'll go and have a look.

I've spent much of the evening perusing http://www.insightcentral.net and if anyone thinks that driving a hybrid means you don't care about your car, then go and look there... The pursuit of the LMPG (Lifetime MPG) seems to be as pure as the pursuit of RWHP might be in the standard petrolhead dimension

[Dangerous Dan]

Fun fact: Wiltshire Police have/had one of these. In white, IIRC.

[AmitG]

thinfourth2 said:

They are lovely little cars with a very strong following with people modifying them and getting some bonkers MPG out of them it seems 100MPG is easily within reach

A future classic IMHO

[NadiR]

AmitG said:

thinfourth2 said:

They are lovely little cars with a very strong following with people modifying them and getting some bonkers MPG out of them it seems 100MPG is easily within reach

A future classic IMHO

+2

The 1st generation Insight (not the 2nd) and the CRZ are the only hybrids I'd consider buying, as they (in my eyes at least) look cool, and they aren't the default choice of hybrid for say someone like Angelina Jolie (ahem, Prius).

[JonnyVTEC]

Just approaching 189k miles in my oxygen blue 2001 Insight!

[Wadeski]

will be worth a lot of money in the future - first of a breed, interesting, and fit for purpose.

in terms of not being able to fix them in the future...hybrids are getting more, not less common. That means more mechanics and parts that can be adapted, even if Honda discontinue the exact battery etc.