Honda Insight G1 - well, why not?
Discussion
Remember the time when Honda made "interesting" cars? There was the Accord Type R, the Civic Type R, the S2000, NSX, in Japan the Beat and a whole host of other slightly off beam stuff. Well I've had a few nice Hondas, but one that floated into mind a few times over the years was the first Insight - an impractical, 2-seat hybrid practically hand-built in Aluminium in the same factory that did the NSX and S2000. The 3cyl 1.0L engine was a marvel of efficiency at the time and the thing is supposedly good for well over 70mpg in the real world.
Well, I came to a PH SS at Mercedes Benz World and someone had parked up a Citrus Yellow (actually more like acid green) car and I spent more time just walking around and around it that I probably did any of the exotica that showed up.
So I saw this one on Ebay and just though, f
k it - zero road tax, £200 to insure it and it probably won't lose much value over the next few years to boot. It seems like a straight car, has had the battery changed (that's £2k to factor in if you're thinking about buying one that hasn't had the IMA battery done yet) and only 35,000 miles.
Sensible people looking at a 13 year old car would think I paid over the odds, but there was a lot of interest in the auction - three of the other bidders contacted the seller and offered to buy the car off him if I didn't get in touch. One was apparently in the process of bidding six grand when the auction ran out...
Anyway, I got it back home via a 250 mile trip and an overnight stop a work do, and it averaged 75+ mpg, even though most of the way I was clipping along, and in some cases a bit more than that. It's a light little car - 850kgs - and on skinny tyres and with narrower rear track than the front, it can carry more speed into corners than you think it should. The trick to driving the thing is to maintain momentum as much as possible - use the brakes only when necessary, as under no circumstances could this be considered quick, though 1st and 2nd can keep up with most Euroboxes at junctions. Just don't try to floor it in 4th or 5th and expect progress to be anything other than glacial. If there is any at all... Going downhill on a motorway slip road in 4th at 60mph with foot flat to the floor makes you realise just how little real oomph it has - but that's part of the charm. It really wants to settle at 60-65mph, so factor in that it'll take a bit longer to get anywhere or else make the poor wee thing suffer the indignity of being hurried.
I've found myself using the little Insight all the time since I got it back; Steve Cropley from Autocar always bangs on about the delights of driving a small car and in this case, he's right - it's great fun - trying to eke the mpg out, seeing when you're charging the battery vs using its reserves to provide a bit of assistance. It does get a bit of attention too - more the kind of people double-taking with a "WTF?" look (it's the wheel covers, or spats, that do it I reckon) but given that there only 210 or so still on the road in the UK, it's rarer than the NSX.
Here was a snap on the motorway during a series of shopping errands (hence why the trip mpg is only 56.4mpg...) but momentarily lifting off the gas charges the battery and shows a point in time 125mpg. Some UK owners regularly get 100mpg+ on journeys and there are some in the US who say that on long drives, they basically don't see the momentary mpg meter dip below 150...
I've a few tweaks to think about now - the dash is so S2000-era, I think I'll swap the steering wheel for a leather S2000 one, and maybe the seats too (that can be done but it's a bit more involved as the runners are quite different). First thing after getting it home was giving it a clean, pumping up the tyres to their recommended high pressure, then a bit later gave it a clay bar and machine polish to bring out the Silverstone metallic a bit better. On, and attaching the obligatory PH stickers
The car's had a fairly easy life, I think - at least a couple of the previous owners were at the kind of country address that sells for substantial millions, so it was probably just used for popping to the shops to get some more foie gras. I'll be using it to tootle up and down the M4 maybe until I get bored of the inside lane and revert to the rest of the fleet.
There's a red one on Ebay right now, being sold by an Insight enthusiast (yes, there's an active owners community over at www.insightcentral.net) - it needs a bit of work doing, but even when all's said and done, it could be spick & span for £5k. Mileage-wise, they're good for 250k+ if looked after.
Some more background reading if anyone's particularly interested...
Honda Insight: You Know You Want to
An Insight into the Honda Insight
... and I even recalled starting a thread on the subject myself...
Well, I came to a PH SS at Mercedes Benz World and someone had parked up a Citrus Yellow (actually more like acid green) car and I spent more time just walking around and around it that I probably did any of the exotica that showed up.
So I saw this one on Ebay and just though, f
k it - zero road tax, £200 to insure it and it probably won't lose much value over the next few years to boot. It seems like a straight car, has had the battery changed (that's £2k to factor in if you're thinking about buying one that hasn't had the IMA battery done yet) and only 35,000 miles.Sensible people looking at a 13 year old car would think I paid over the odds, but there was a lot of interest in the auction - three of the other bidders contacted the seller and offered to buy the car off him if I didn't get in touch. One was apparently in the process of bidding six grand when the auction ran out...
Anyway, I got it back home via a 250 mile trip and an overnight stop a work do, and it averaged 75+ mpg, even though most of the way I was clipping along, and in some cases a bit more than that. It's a light little car - 850kgs - and on skinny tyres and with narrower rear track than the front, it can carry more speed into corners than you think it should. The trick to driving the thing is to maintain momentum as much as possible - use the brakes only when necessary, as under no circumstances could this be considered quick, though 1st and 2nd can keep up with most Euroboxes at junctions. Just don't try to floor it in 4th or 5th and expect progress to be anything other than glacial. If there is any at all... Going downhill on a motorway slip road in 4th at 60mph with foot flat to the floor makes you realise just how little real oomph it has - but that's part of the charm. It really wants to settle at 60-65mph, so factor in that it'll take a bit longer to get anywhere or else make the poor wee thing suffer the indignity of being hurried.
I've found myself using the little Insight all the time since I got it back; Steve Cropley from Autocar always bangs on about the delights of driving a small car and in this case, he's right - it's great fun - trying to eke the mpg out, seeing when you're charging the battery vs using its reserves to provide a bit of assistance. It does get a bit of attention too - more the kind of people double-taking with a "WTF?" look (it's the wheel covers, or spats, that do it I reckon) but given that there only 210 or so still on the road in the UK, it's rarer than the NSX.
Here was a snap on the motorway during a series of shopping errands (hence why the trip mpg is only 56.4mpg...) but momentarily lifting off the gas charges the battery and shows a point in time 125mpg. Some UK owners regularly get 100mpg+ on journeys and there are some in the US who say that on long drives, they basically don't see the momentary mpg meter dip below 150...
I've a few tweaks to think about now - the dash is so S2000-era, I think I'll swap the steering wheel for a leather S2000 one, and maybe the seats too (that can be done but it's a bit more involved as the runners are quite different). First thing after getting it home was giving it a clean, pumping up the tyres to their recommended high pressure, then a bit later gave it a clay bar and machine polish to bring out the Silverstone metallic a bit better. On, and attaching the obligatory PH stickers
The car's had a fairly easy life, I think - at least a couple of the previous owners were at the kind of country address that sells for substantial millions, so it was probably just used for popping to the shops to get some more foie gras. I'll be using it to tootle up and down the M4 maybe until I get bored of the inside lane and revert to the rest of the fleet.
There's a red one on Ebay right now, being sold by an Insight enthusiast (yes, there's an active owners community over at www.insightcentral.net) - it needs a bit of work doing, but even when all's said and done, it could be spick & span for £5k. Mileage-wise, they're good for 250k+ if looked after.
Some more background reading if anyone's particularly interested...
Honda Insight: You Know You Want to
An Insight into the Honda Insight
... and I even recalled starting a thread on the subject myself...
Thanks for that OP, very well written and a very interesting car.
The red car is owned by another PHer -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
The red car is owned by another PHer -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Europa yours too?
Interesting collection. Always fancied an Insight, seem to be rising in price now.
Think I'll probably end up with an Audi A2 to partner my Lotus. Different concept, but similar results (lightweight, skinny tyres, decent aero, good mpg, ahead of its time). Bit cheaper.
Interesting collection. Always fancied an Insight, seem to be rising in price now.
Think I'll probably end up with an Audi A2 to partner my Lotus. Different concept, but similar results (lightweight, skinny tyres, decent aero, good mpg, ahead of its time). Bit cheaper.
I've always liked the Audi A2, too - I've had a few Saturday mornings noodling about on the classifieds looking at them too, and if time, money and storage space allowed, I'd have one in a snap. Cars like the A2 and the G1 Insight are getting to the stage now where if you see one looking spick & span, it's because somebody cares enough to keep it that way - a bit like 25 year old Volvo estates that you sometimes see knocking about.
Yep, the Europa's mine too...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
thanks
Yep, the Europa's mine too...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
thanks
peterperkins said:
I have the wicker man in the garden ready for the gear knob heretic!!
I like the steering wheel but hate your knob
Bah I like the steering wheel but hate your knob
The knob is OK, it provides a nicer feel when changing gear and I think the OEM knob just looks (and feels) a bit naff.Edited by ewand on Sunday 4th May 18:39
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