Top reasons you don't like about a 1st Gen Insight

[Balboa]

Some negative things I'd point out about the 1st gen Insight.

1) Crude stock suspension...and a truck-like ride.

This is a common complaint in regards to the stock shocks. After doing the rear monroe shock mod it's not so bad and the ride has dramatically improved. The front could use an upgrade but changing the rear makes a big difference. Monroe shocks are only $32 a pair.

2) Cabin Noise

Cabin noise has improved a little bit since I changed the rears out but it'll never be perfect. There are interior rattles that might annoy a lot of people. I have a dash rattle I find annoying. Probably could be remedied if I pulled the dash and used some noise cancelling tricks I suppose.

3) Expensive Parts / / Almost non-existent Aftermarket parts availability

A lot of parts can only be found at a dealer unfortunately. This makes parts expensive. For example, there are no aftermarket front shocks that work with the Insight..so you are forced to pay for high priced replacement shocks.

4) Very little cargo space.

5) Not much power of course for those long mountain climbs.

6) Very noisy at a cold start. Not a big deal for me, as the engine comes close to silent when warm.

7) Handling
Many people say the handling isn't good. I would disagree here because the car handles like a Go Kart in my opinion, but the majority seem to agree that handling isn't too good.

Interior features
Cup holder positioning is an issue because there is 2 which doesn't allow for tall or wide bottles.

There is no center console / center arm rest which is annoying. You got this very tiny cubby hole on the left side dash however which wouldn't fit a regular sized coffee mug.

9) No hitch. You can get a custom one installed however...but transporting a bike for example...options are very limited and often compromise mpg.

10) IMA maintenance / IMA battery costly replacement
Dealer will probably charge 3k-4.5k to get this replaced. Basically the price of a used Insight lol. Better Battery is still $1500 I think or less. Not too sure. Pretty pricey IMO.

This is just a few things I came up with that I don't like about the 1st gen Insight. Now I will say there are many good things I like about the Insight however, and I don't desire another car, because I really like my Insight. But these are some things that some people would consider negatives.

[TRI]

If you regard the I1 50:50 as a production and experimental car most of your points would be obsolete. There are only few countries (Japan, US) that it has been sold officially.
Owing a sportscar, I don't have a problem with the sporty suspension and stiff shocks. The steering is very direct and precise.
It's more noisy than today's standard car but that's ok for a lightweight car.

[UK_MJN]

Hi Balboa.

You make some valid points and I can't see anything to disagree with. For the benefit of any prospective buyers (as I was until recently), I'd add a couple of extra comments:

1. The car is a high performance vehicle and incorporated new technologies. If one wants a car that is average or competent in all areas then there are lots of average, competent cars out there. Buy one. If you want high performance then you need high efficiency, and things like luggage capacity, ride quality and cup holders are usually sacrificed at the design stage. A McLaren F1 doesn't fare very well here either.

2. I'd argue that Honda did a better job of making the car seriously usable and reliable then most companies would have. It's very easy to drive without any understanding of how clever it is (though the auto stop does make you think you've stalled it on the test drive!).

3. Parts costs. Given that 500,000+ miles has been demonstrated by forum members, and you've got 105,000 between major servcies, I'd say that the actual parts bill is low. It wasn't built as a cheap economy car - many of the parts are unique to the model rather than high volume (as you'd expect for a cheap car).

4. Ride quality. We don't get the Bridgestones in the EU so I can't comment on how big a factor they are in ride quality or propensity for tram-lining. It's really quite OK on Michelins though, and, when you hit a pothole, the 'bang' isn't translated into much of a 'crash' through the body structure, suggesting that there was some clever suspension tuning and the body shell is pretty rigid. Quite like a sports car, I'd say.

5. Wind noise and engine noise are excellent on the move, in my opinion. If you close your eyes (note: not recommended for the driver) then you usually can't guess what speed you're doing - it doesn't rise with speed as you'd expect. That absence of those noises can make some other noises more obvious, subjectively.

6. Model development. Again, I'd expect the 'mark 1' to have a few areas that could be improved in the 'mark 2'. Some forum members might consider that the 2008 Insight is quieter, better equipped and has more space!

7. Battery replacement. The cost of changing the plugs on a V12 Ferrari is probably about the same as a BetterBattery! The car qualifies for zero tax in the UK, so fortunately this cost is completely covered by that saving alone.

8. Transporting loads. My usual advice is to hire something for those few occasions when you need to, or pay someone else's petrol - you're still ahead in the long run.

I'd add one to your list though. even at 6'3" in old money, I can't see the bonnet (hood) at all! Makes parallel parking more challenging...

[02insight]

the road noise is subjective to the roads its being driven on. So someone in one area might complain about it, while someone in a different area willl not think its bad at all. Same can be said about the harshness of the ride, if your area is full of bumps and potholes or if you have nicely maintained roads.

I was driving on the highway, and hit a patch of newly paved road (or differently paved?), and it was a completely different car for a couple of miles, with almost no road noise, and I could hear myself even if I whispered. I have 50psi re92's by the way.

[gilbertguy]

Being an aircraft guy from my past if I had to describe how this car feels I would say it has a very "stick and rudder" feel to it. In otherwords you are part of the machine and feel every little bit of feedback from the machine. (for better or worse)

Like flying a Piper Cub vs. a Lear jet, I love this little car! Not the best looking or fastest thing out there and it is a very purpose built vehicle but the fun (entertainment) factor is great trying to get the best MPG.

[timny1984]

I will comment on the sound level. When i got my 1st insight, the CVT, i had only ridden in one other insight for a quick 10 min test drive so i had nothing to compare the noise level to. I just took it for what it was, loud. Well recently (back in august) i picked up my 2nd insight, 2000 MT. This this is a night and day difference in noise level. Now i agree the road has a major impact on noise levels, but on the same roads same speeds the MT is super quiet. I will borrow a sound meter from work and actually get the real numbers sometime. Now i have no idea why the 2 are so different, the CVT has almost 200k on it, while the MT has 113k. I might look into the rear wheel bearings as it seems to me the back of the car making most of the racket.
well i agree with most everything else, and being 6'1'' the head room is way to much for me, i can sit up straight and still have a few inches above my head. The lack of room in the cabin is sometimes a plus, i don't have to take people with me if i go somewhere, and i can use the excuse "it won't fit" if i don't want to lug someones junk for them.

Additional Negatives.
- "finding" the jack points is semi annoying, i have to bend down and look under the car to find them. on the HCH i can see them without getting on the ground to check.
-P0420 codes are really annoying, cold weather is making them pop up until i get the car up to running temp.
-Radio head unit swap. I tried to put a newer head unit in, and i can't seem to get the radio to work. Everything works correctly except i can't get anything but static. I gave up and just put that on the back burner for now.


Tim

[Balboa]

Originally Posted by timny1984

I will comment on the sound level. When i got my 1st insight, the CVT, i had only ridden in one other insight for a quick 10 min test drive so i had nothing to compare the noise level to. I just took it for what it was, loud. Well recently (back in august) i picked up my 2nd insight, 2000 MT. This this is a night and day difference in noise level. Now i agree the road has a major impact on noise levels, but on the same roads same speeds the MT is super quiet. I will borrow a sound meter from work and actually get the real numbers sometime. Now i have no idea why the 2 are so different, the CVT has almost 200k on it, while the MT has 113k. I might look into the rear wheel bearings as it seems to me the back of the car making most of the racket.
well i agree with most everything else, and being 6'1'' the head room is way to much for me, i can sit up straight and still have a few inches above my head. The lack of room in the cabin is sometimes a plus, i don't have to take people with me if i go somewhere, and i can use the excuse "it won't fit" if i don't want to lug someones junk for them.

Additional Negatives.
- "finding" the jack points is semi annoying, i have to bend down and look under the car to find them. on the HCH i can see them without getting on the ground to check.
-P0420 codes are really annoying, cold weather is making them pop up until i get the car up to running temp.
-Radio head unit swap. I tried to put a newer head unit in, and i can't seem to get the radio to work. Everything works correctly except i can't get anything but static. I gave up and just put that on the back burner for now.


Tim

Maybe it's the shocks. I noticed a dramatic improvement when I replaced my rear shocks. But it's still the ride isn't plush, and is considerably noisy compared to say, the 90 Integra I use to have for example, or a later model accord. It's even a lot noiser than a 2002 tacoma, lol. Actually the Tacoma felt like a Lexus compared to this Insight.

[Balboa]

Originally Posted by UK_MJN

Hi Balboa.

You make some valid points and I can't see anything to disagree with. For the benefit of any prospective buyers (as I was until recently), I'd add a couple of extra comments:

1. The car is a high performance vehicle and incorporated new technologies. If one wants a car that is average or competent in all areas then there are lots of average, competent cars out there. Buy one. If you want high performance then you need high efficiency, and things like luggage capacity, ride quality and cup holders are usually sacrificed at the design stage. A McLaren F1 doesn't fare very well here either.

2. I'd argue that Honda did a better job of making the car seriously usable and reliable then most companies would have. It's very easy to drive without any understanding of how clever it is (though the auto stop does make you think you've stalled it on the test drive!).

3. Parts costs. Given that 500,000+ miles has been demonstrated by forum members, and you've got 105,000 between major servcies, I'd say that the actual parts bill is low. It wasn't built as a cheap economy car - many of the parts are unique to the model rather than high volume (as you'd expect for a cheap car).

4. Ride quality. We don't get the Bridgestones in the EU so I can't comment on how big a factor they are in ride quality or propensity for tram-lining. It's really quite OK on Michelins though, and, when you hit a pothole, the 'bang' isn't translated into much of a 'crash' through the body structure, suggesting that there was some clever suspension tuning and the body shell is pretty rigid. Quite like a sports car, I'd say.

5. Wind noise and engine noise are excellent on the move, in my opinion. If you close your eyes (note: not recommended for the driver) then you usually can't guess what speed you're doing - it doesn't rise with speed as you'd expect. That absence of those noises can make some other noises more obvious, subjectively.

6. Model development. Again, I'd expect the 'mark 1' to have a few areas that could be improved in the 'mark 2'. Some forum members might consider that the 2008 Insight is quieter, better equipped and has more space!

7. Battery replacement. The cost of changing the plugs on a V12 Ferrari is probably about the same as a BetterBattery! The car qualifies for zero tax in the UK, so fortunately this cost is completely covered by that saving alone.

8. Transporting loads. My usual advice is to hire something for those few occasions when you need to, or pay someone else's petrol - you're still ahead in the long run.

I'd add one to your list though. even at 6'3" in old money, I can't see the bonnet (hood) at all! Makes parallel parking more challenging...

Fair enough, but using Ferrari spark plugs to justify the price of a Better Battery is a tad absurd. A better battery is almost half the cost of what someone will pay for an Insight. While I wish I could say the same for the Ferrari in regards to the spark plugs...not happening.

[RedJellyBean]

I love my 1st gen insight.
Issues with parts availability and cost should be understood in the context that this is not a mass-produced car that rolled off the assembly line every five seconds, like a Civic. The Insight is not an economy car. It's a hand-made aluminum-bodied exotic like the NSX that just happened to be cheap to buy when first produced because Honda lost $8,000 on each vehicle made, rather than booking a fat profit the way they do with the Accord and Civic.
You should consider that when you look for parts.
I am happy with the fact that genuine parts are a good deal cheaper than what I'm used to when shopping for parts for my Lexus.

[Eli]

Can't really say I disagree overall. Those are all valid points, but how much they matter really just depends on what type of person you are and what you care about in an automobile.

Though I do agree with gilbertguy - I like the harsh and noisy ride. They're feedback mechanisms for me. I like being part of my machines. If I wanted a Cadillac, I'd buy one.