Q: What were the results of crash tests performed on the Insight?

A: In U.S. Department of Transportation front- and side-impact ratings, the Insight was given four stars.

Honda has done their own rear, side, full-front and offset-front crash tests on the Insight to ensure that it meets their internal crash test standards. Honda's internal standards exceed the standards required by any country in the world.

The Insight is designed to meet U.S. standards for side-impact and head-injury protection that will be introduced in the year 2003.

Q: Does the Insight have a passenger side airbag cutoff switch?

A: No. However, your Honda dealer may be willing to install an airbag cutoff switch in your Insight. Other dealers are not willing to do this. If your dealer is willing to do so, you should expect them to require you to sign a waiver of liability, which is standard NHTSA procedure.

Q: Can infants / children be safely transported in the Insight?

A: Without modification to disable the passenger side airbag, only children large enough to sit in the front seat of an airbag-equipped car should travel in the Insight. The Insight is equipped with a child car seat anchor. The owner's manual has a large section about carrying a child in the Insight, which discourages you from doing so, but also explains the safest way of doing so if you choose to. You should never use a rear facing infant seat in the Insight.

Q: I'm a big, tall guy, how comfortable will I be in the Insight?

A: The Insight has a surprising amount of head and foot room, in part because you're sitting low in the car. Most tall people find the Insight quite comfortable. I've heard from people as tall as 6' 7" (200cm) who fit in the Insight, but have trouble fitting in many other cars.

Q: How loud is the Insight?

A: Road noise is high due to the hard, low-rolling-resistance tires. Wind noise is very low due to the excellent aerodynamics. Most people are unable to detect any additional sound when the electric motor is providing assist. There is a slight electrical motor sound that some people notice during regenerative braking.

When stopping at an intersection, the auto stop feature makes the interior very quiet, with the only sounds being any accessories that are on (windshield wipers, etc.)

There is very little sound outside the Insight; people often comment on how quiet the engine is.

Here are interior sound level figures reported by Car & Driver for the Insight, along with some other cars that we selected for comparison purposes.

(I'd like to see the measurements if Car & Driver had measured the interior sound level with idle-stop activated.)

Q: Is it a problem to exceed the 365 lb (165 kg) weight limit?

A: Honda tells us that the 365 lb figure is based on obtaining optimal performance and fuel efficiency, and that the car won't be damaged by exceeding this limit.

We know of some Insight owners who exceed this weight limit every time they drive it, and many owners exceed 365 pounds on one occasion or another. Exceeding this weight limit by a little doesn't have any drastic effects on efficiency or performance. Regardless of how much weight you expect to carry, my advise is to take a test drive with Insight loaded as much as you will regularly load it, and decide for yourself whether you are happy with the performance.

It is true that the less weight any car has to carry, the better performance and fuel efficiency will be. Keep in mind, though, that this is just as true below 365 pounds. 150 pounds is better than 300 pounds, just as 300 pounds is better than 450 pounds. We're speculating that Honda selected the 365 pound figure based on wanting to claim the best possible efficiency for the Insight, while still quoting what they see as a reasonable weight limit. If the weight limit were set at 450 pounds, they might only be able to claim 68 mpg rather than 70 mpg. (These numbers are selected for illustration purposes only, I don't know how accurate they are.)

Keep in mind, though, that this isn't a pickup truck. If you expect to carry 1000 pounds, you should be looking elsewhere. While the 365 pound limit may be based on performance & efficiency, there is also some limit to how much weight the suspension can carry without bottoming out on serious bumps, and too much weight would also affect cornering, braking, etc. Unfortunately, Honda doesn't provide any figures on how much weight the car can safely carry, ignoring performance and efficiency issues.

Remember that the weight we're quoting includes both passengers and cargo. It doesn't include things such as how much gas is in the tank.