Advice for a tall person on buying an Insight

[uilleann]

Hi all,

I am brand new to the forum and joined because I am researching before buying an Insight.

I have a couple of very basic questions.

1. I am quite tall -6' 5"- are any of you a similar height? And if so, what is your experience with the Insight? Do you fit? Are the seats comfortable? Anything you don't like about it? I haven't been able to sit in one and would probably have to drive a bit of a distance to do so.

2. I commute about 80 miles a day, mostly on rural or semi-rural 2 lane highways. No real stop and go, just a couple of traffic lights. Speeds are generally 50-60mph. Quite a few rolling hills. Do you think that an Insight is an appropriate car for such a commute?

Oh, I am adding question 3. Do you have advice on manual vs. CVT?

thanks,

uilleann

[Leeper]

#1 - I'm 6'3" tall with a son 6'5" tall... this car fits us quite well. I even have the seat slightly forward so there is a little more room to move it back if need be. Subsequently I added the "Wet" seat covers and these take away some of the comfort and bolstering thus will be removed for real long hauls.

I had the very same worry when purchasing this car, in fact I purchased it some 1200 miles from home before ever sitting in one a couple years ago. To my surprise the seats are extremely comfortable, more so than any other cars I've driven (owned newer Mercedes w/ sports seats, Boxster, BMW M3, Acura's and driven many other cars recently... these seats are far more comfortable than any of those cars). In the end the very first day of ownership I had no problem driving over 12 hours non-stop to my surprise.

#2 - That's what this car was designed for

#3 - your choice. MT takes work but also delivers better mileage, this is an ongoing debate as to the benefits of either... get the one you want.

Hope this helps

[shifty35]

I'd second that opinion - I'm 6'5", but quite *lean*, take that how you will. I have more than enough headroom, legroom, and any other kind of room in the Insight. I also keep the seat slid *forward* several notches to reach the controls more comfortably. Those who pay less attention while driving may prefer it farther back.

[BillR]

I'm only 6'2", but most of my height is in my body - stubby legs with a 34" inseam

At first I found that the rearview mirror created a bit of a blind spot since it was right in line with traffic and could actually block my vision of cars approaching from the right in an intersection. I made a mount that moved it up an inch or so, but wasn't happy with my view out the back. The solution for me was to pull the seat out and take out one of the springs under the bottom. This is an easy thing to do and allows you to lower your body deeper into the seat. While I had it apart, I also added some additional padding in the back which made a real difference for me. Since these modifications I've taken several long trips with no comfort issues.

We commute 80Kms a day. The Insight is actually a very relaxing car to drive because of the tall gearing which results in low engine RPM. The only complaint that I have is road noise since there isn't a lot of sound deadening insulation on the car.

I prefer the manual transmission. Driving an Insight is a real treat. You are involved! I've never driven the CVT, but it sure doesn't sound like much fun to me.

Enjoy.
Bill

[joecvt]

Originally Posted by BillR

I prefer the manual transmission. Driving an Insight is a real treat. You are involved! I've never driven the CVT, but it sure doesn't sound like much fun to me.

Isn't it hard to come up with a preference when you haven't driven both models

The driver is "involved" with the CVT as well (just to a lessor degree with no shifting required and no lean burn window)....To some degree, you are able to obtain better MPGs than normal by managing the CVT ratios on rolling hills with the gas pedal.

JoeCVT - Just your average CVT owner

[BillR]

You're right, Joecvt.

My bias towards a manual transmission comes from my dislike of all of the automagic transmissions that I've ever driven, but I've never tried a CVT. I can see that the Insight could be entertaining to drive with either type and the proper technique would reward you with the best possible fuel economy, just as with a manual.

Bill