Owning a 135i along with an Insight EX, what did you expect out of 20k subcompact hybrid? Yes the car is noisy, yes the car has a stiff suspension, and yes the car has a ton of cheap plastic. Is this no different than the 2000 Celica I owned years ago in college? Cardboard headliner, cheap plastic, foil-like thickness on the panels, easily scratched plastic. It is a 20k car, not a 50k car, you get what you pay for. The 135i has a stiffer suspension than an Insight, chugs gas at a 18-19 MPG clip in mixed driving and is worthless in winter weather.
I paid for a fuel-sipping economy vehicle that brings the cost of commuting down significantly, can haul groceries and children in a pinch, and handle all-weather driving. Looking back, would a Civic EX have been a feasible alternative? Yes... however, I have no qualms owning the Insight one bit. All things considered, driving the Insight in S mode with the manual paddle shifters is pretty fun. I also don't have to watch the speedo every five seconds as when you're doing over 75 in an Insight you know it. I hit triple digits and not even realize it more often than not in my 135i.
The only thing I pray for during my ownership of the Insight is reliability. The rest of the nitpickings I can live with easily.
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