So I ended up buying the car almost two weeks after my initial test drive. On the second test drive, the IMA light came on and the seller said he'd take it to the dealer to get the battery warranty replacement. When I got the news that the dealer would replace the IMA battery, I decided to buy it. The price wasn't what I really wanted, but I guess getting a new battery sort of sweetened the deal.
The car overall is in good condition, but there are a number of faint door dings that can be seen when looking at certain angles (nothing bad but annoying knowing that they exist). Front bumper has a 1x3" scrape on the driverside corner; it's not gouged or scraped just that the paint was scraped off (not really a big deal--prefer that over dings any day!). The interior is clean but the driver's door panel has some slight stains. There is a tiny rip on the driver seat, and the carpet under the driverside mat is a bit torn at the door edge (the mat helps hide it). The aftermarket radio works but found out later that a CD won't eject. Apparently the material-like strips above and below the disc slot hinders the CD from fully ejecting, so you have to remove the faceplate and manually take out the CD. Tires are all Bridestone Potenzas with decent treads left, except front driverside, which is fairly new with 85% treads.
Car has a clean title but has no service records. It comes with HOV stickers (which really don't matter much to me). (See the first post for mileage and other stats.) Asking price was $7850. Selling price was $6500.
So how did I do? Deal? I really wanted to get it for $6000, but seller was firm on $6500. I guess the new battery made it worth it.
Believe it or not, I was looking at an Audi TT, M-B SL500 ('96-'00), M-B SLK230 ('00-'03), Honda S2000, and oddly enough the G2 Prius. They cost more, but I was willing to spend more on one, but I was willing to get an Insight if I could get a nice one at $6000 or lower. Originally the Insight wasn't even on my list. When I saw some on Craigslist I began to do some research, and the more I learned about them the more I liked them. I'm just fascinated by the engineering that went into them. It turns out that the Insight combines the sportiness (at least in style) of a 2-seater roadster and the fuel efficieny of a Prius
Overall, a good buying experience. Negotiating was courteous and civil. The seller was cool and pretty helpful and also liked cars.
