Consumer Reports Review - August 2009 issue

[bish79]

Originally Posted by wstander

I personally don't care if sales are slow....I am not part of Corporate Honda or Toyota......


I just like this car

Most of me agrees, but part of me worries that if sales are slow nobody will offer a basic hybrid like this in the future. If you want a car that gets good gas mileage you'll end up paying extra for all of the unnecessary crap that made most Prii (and civic hybrids) out of reach for people like me for so long.

[bish79]

And heeerrrrreeee'sss another one...

Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, familiarity breeds discontent

Again, complaining about the ride and the rear seat.

Ok I live in Northern Indiana (almost Michigan) and we have bumpy roads here too. But I personally do not notice a difference in how bumpy the roads feel if I am in my parent's 09 Corolla, my g/f's 92 Camry, the 09 Yaris that I rented for a week, the 09 Camry that I took a work trip in last week, or the Insight. The only car that even started to smooth out the bumps in the roads here was my old '81 Crown Victoria. I DO notice that they are much more bumpy in my F-150 though.

I'm really starting to think that people are subconsciously (or consciously) trying to find things to whine about with this car because they want the Prius to be better.

[Purplegate]

Originally Posted by bish79

Most of me agrees, but part of me worries that if sales are slow nobody will offer a basic hybrid like this in the future...

Well said. The road is now all set to change the auto industry and maybe finally move to an alternate energy system. The hybrid is the path to get there. The Chevy Volt is announced to be 40K. Yet, when I asked the lady at the NAIAS (cute lady BTW...) what car I could sit in to feel what the Volt will be, she said "the Cobalt". This mean the current path was set for a 40K Cobalt that delivers 150-200Mpg (or infinite Mpg...). MPg is awesome, no question about that, but for 40K, in today's money, peoples will expect more than a Cobalt... If the low cost alternate fuel car disapear, or even if the price war, or price competition (better said) disapear, it is the path that alternate energy car will follow. The I2 bring this little additionnal edge on "yep, but I got my 50Mpg car for only 20K...".

Honda announced the plug-in Fit, most probably around or below 20K. Toyota will most probably follow with a Yaris (Vitz...) plug-in, both in a 1 or 2 years time frame (Japan sale only for now, maybe...). If the price challenge, triggered by the I2, remain, these car WILL change the face of the car industry. There would be no reason, for those who agree on the car size, not to buy them. However, if the I2 is killed by bad reviews, no one can challenge the price or maintain the competition, and there is no reason why the car industry cannot set the price they want for an alternate energy car, like 40K for a Chevy Cobalt...

[Purplegate]

Originally Posted by bish79

And heeerrrrreeee'sss another one...

Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, familiarity breeds discontent

Sorry for the double post... I just saw this one after writing mine.

I actually like this review, it's easy to beak it down, or agree to it :

Disagree points :
Autoblog : "Honda saw the success that Toyota enjoyed with the Prius as an instantly recognizable alternative powertrain vehicle, so with the same engineering and aesthetic goals in "

Uhh... do they know about the I1 ?? Not that I want to say I know more than them, but the first one to come was the I1, then Toyota copied/evolved it for the P2... The I2 is a shape evolution of the I1 mixed with the Clarity, on a Fit base... but maybe I know nothing about Honda...


Autoblog : "...and mercilessly devoid of northern Michigan's imperfections"

Uhh... I live in Michigan... any car you drive will feel like cr*p on our wonderful roads. This comment add no value whatsoever in a car comparision review...


Autoblog : "compared to the 47 mpg we managed to squeeze out of the 2010 Toyota Prius"

Uhh... and what about the 56Mpg I squeeze from my I2 ?? If they "squeeze" something from the P3, what can't they from the I2 ???


Agreed points :
Autoblog : "look, although there was some debate about the chosen wheel size"

Cannot agree more than that. Light Eikei weight 16in would have done just fine I think...


Autoblog ; "Unlike the Toyota Prius, which carries a mid-size classification, the Insight is much smaller, sharing many of its underpinnings with the Fit"

All well explained to me...


Autoblog : "Those purely interested in maximizing fuel efficiency or minimizing greenhouse gas emissions should go for the Insight"

Pick me, pick me !!! ... uhh... but I own an Insight...


Autoblog : "The Prius we drove came to over $30,000. Including delivery charge. This Insight comes to $22,010"

Woah ! Enough money save for a trip this year AND next year !! Or 8K less to worry about on used car value when I will change my I2... whichever works fine to me !!!

[numbness4sound]

Originally Posted by wstander

But of course!!!

The folks at CR are sooooooooooooo much smarter than any of us, we were foolish to buy any car without first consulting them!!

It is true! Just CR

My family has always bought the applicable CR book when deciding on a large purchase. In fact, when I was a teen I wasn't allowed to get a new VW solely because of bad CR ratings on the model. In retrospect, I watched my friend's 10 year old VW break a gazillion times while my 10 year old Honda was problem free, so I guess I made the right car decision.
So, unfortunately, I do think this could have a serious impact on sales. And as someone else said, this could make other companies shy away from making cheaper hybrids.

[wstander]

Originally Posted by bish79

Most of me agrees, but part of me worries that if sales are slow nobody will offer a basic hybrid like this in the future. If you want a car that gets good gas mileage you'll end up paying extra for all of the unnecessary crap that made most Prii (and civic hybrids) out of reach for people like me for so long.

Well, historically, the cheaper product does oversell the more expensive in the market.

Current economics, and the stupid dealer tricks still playing out will settle down and once enough cars are readily available, we shall see.

BTW: No dealer in 5 years would bother to even try to sell me an Insight I; none!!

And, recall, pound for pound, at the time, Insight I at 20K in year 2000 were much more 'expensive; than the competion (HCH, Prius), let alone several sub 20K , 35MPG cars.......

[bish79]

Originally Posted by wstander

And, recall, pound for pound, at the time, Insight I at 20K in year 2000 were much more 'expensive; than the competion (HCH, Prius), let alone several sub 20K , 35MPG cars.......

This is what kept me from buying one... I could not justify a $20k 2-seater, but I would have LOVED to have one in college since I had to commute 60 miles a day. I wish Honda could get the technology price down enough to come out with say a $15k 2-seat 60 MPG+ (by EPA estimates) hybrid. They wouldn't be able to make enough of them once gas prices hit $4 again. Maybe that's just a pie in the sky thought right now but if you shrink the I2, I bet you'd be close.

[The Beard]

Originally Posted by bish79

And heeerrrrreeee'sss another one...

Review: 2010 Honda Insight EX, familiarity breeds discontent

I take no issue with this one as a whole though I do think that saying it rode harshly on rough roads is a bit odd since every car is going to ride less smoothly on rough roads.

The rear seat space and door openings are the only (minor) gripe that I have about the Insight. I have no problem with car reviews pointing this out.

It's also nice to see a review listing more realistic mpg figures. A lot of people are getting more than Autoblog got but at least their figure is in the ball park and not far off of what they "squeezed" out of the Prius.

[jonniedee]

Originally Posted by Purplegate

Yet, when I asked the lady at the NAIAS (cute lady BTW...) what car I could sit in to feel what the Volt will be, she said "the Cobalt".

I think she mis-spoke - it should have been the Cruze - it's the cobalt replacement and the mule bed for the VOLT'S systems development.

[BruceClark]

Reviewer taking issue with CR:

2010 Honda Insight EX: Consumer Reports Is Wrong... IMHO | Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line