Consumer Reports Review - August 2009 issue

[BruceClark]

Consumer Reports (CR) has weighed in with a one page review in their new issue now hitting US news stands and mailboxes.

First, I looked for the "Recommended" banner that they place near the car photo when they like a car. Hmmmmmm. No banner. Uh-oh!

The review starts out:

"The new Insight seats five and gets excellent fuel economy, but it's a noisy car with a stiff ride and clumsy handling".

(OK, Bruce. Try not to get defensive here just because they didn't like the car you just bought...)

They continue:

"The aerodynamic roofline impedes access. A hatchback design makes it versatile, but that's one of few saving graces. Reliability is likely to be very good, but it scored too low in our tests for us to recommend it."

Wow. I was shocked at CR's opinion!

Other phrases stood out - "steering is imprecise and has a numb spot on center".

"An ECON mode works by muting the throttle response but made no difference in fuel economy in our tests, where the Insight averaged 38mpg overall."

"...the center console can rub the driver's right leg."

"Interior plastics are hard to the touch but the pieces fit together well."

"...the steering wheel can block the speedometer for some people."

(Yeah, the people who don't adjust the tilt!)

I'll stop here - some things they liked but other things they did not. I was quite surprised that other reviews from other respected magazines did not seem to find the faults that CR did.

Oh, well. Can't please everyone!

[dmanthree]

Interesting since Car and Driver tested the I2 against a new Prius and the I2 was quieter. Bizzare....

[aglowlight]

That's why I canceled my subscription. Everyone that hears and rides in the car compliments on how quiet it sounds. The handling is very good and actually feels like I'm driving a car.

[buglermcd]

All of these reviews, are based on drivers who review all cars, and drive them like sports cars. None of the reviews are going to be overly positive for any hybrid. They will all say that they got below the EPA mpg because they're flooring the gas at every oppurtunity.

The one time i've floored it in my I2, it was pretty throaty and loud. Who cares? I'm not going to drive it like that hardly ever. It's not practical, and it's not part of "everyday" driving.

The reviewers are pushing the cars to their speed and handling performance limits. Not they're real-world or hypermiling limits.

[moofpup]

Originally Posted by buglermcd

It's not practical, and it's not part of "everyday" driving.

You are so right. I don't get any of the car magazines anymore because they all have this high performance slant. Where do these guys drive these high powered cars? Everywhere I go it's gridlock and the US has no Autobahn! They are out of touch with reality! We are living in a world that can no longer support such wasteful pursuits.

[jonniedee]

Originally Posted by buglermcd

I'm not going to drive it like that hardly ever. It's not practical, and it's not part of "everyday" driving.

The reviewers are pushing the cars to their speed and handling performance limits. Not they're real-world or hypermiling limits.

AMEN Brother!

[The Beard]

I will still read CR's reviews but I put absolutely no worth in them. Their testing methods are often odd and their findings sometimes defy all logic.

Their "preview" of the 2010 Insight a few months back was not complimentary - of course most of it was pointing out faults with the first generation Insight - a car that the 2010 Insight shares virtually no characteristics with.

I didn't read the whole article but in response to the parts you mention...

"The new Insight seats five and gets excellent fuel economy, but it's a noisy car with a stiff ride and clumsy handling".
--- It's quieter than our 03 CR-V and we find the noise levels to be very low. Other car magazines (ones that don't also review refrigerators and ironing boards) have not complained of interior noise. handling is not clumsy. It's based off the Fit, a car CR loves. It doesn't handle quite as agile as the Fit but it's not far from it. If you want clumsy look no further than the 2010 Prius.

"The aerodynamic roofline impedes access. A hatchback design makes it versatile, but that's one of few saving graces. Reliability is likely to be very good, but it scored too low in our tests for us to recommend it."
--- I can see the complaint for the backseat but the front is just fine.

Other phrases stood out - "steering is imprecise and has a numb spot on center".
---I think just the opposite. I'll be anxious to see what they say about the Prius. We test drove a 2010 Prius II and an Insight EX back to back.The Prius was sloppy, wallowed around curves and had a very floaty suspension. The Insight, I will agree is no NSX, but it is on par with other cars in it's price range and is worlds better than it's true competition from the Prius.

"An ECON mode works by muting the throttle response but made no difference in fuel economy in our tests, where the Insight averaged 38mpg overall."
--- I can't comment on if it makes a difference or not since we always leave it on. I'm not at all sure how they managed a measly 38 mpg. The last few days we have been averaging over 50 mpg in town. Even on a blazingly hot day with the AC blasting we got 48.3 mpg.
"...the center console can rub the driver's right leg."
--I've not noticed this at all.

"Interior plastics are hard to the touch but the pieces fit together well."
--Again, look at the competition. We were very surprised at how cheap the interior materials and fit and finish of the 2010 Prius were. They looked worse than that of the Yaris. The Insight interior shares much of it's feel with the Fit and Civic - both cars that CR complimented.

"...the steering wheel can block the speedometer for some people."
---Perhaps if you used the TILT AND TELESCOPING wheel in conjunction with the seat that can be adjusted FORWARD/BACK and UP/DOWN they could get a comfortable position with a decent view.



We bought an insight EX a little over a week ago and LOVE it. It's nice looking, comfortable, solid feeling, fun to drive and gets much higher mpg than the EPA sticker indicates.

Perhaps that's why real car magazines like Car & Driver and Motor trend choose it over the Prius.

[dmanthree]

After about 200 miles (not a comprehensive test, I know...) I can say that not much I read about this car is accurate. It's not noise. It handles nicely. entrance into the back seat is easy, not a problem. this is odd since I have, in the past, placed a bit of trust in CR's road tests. But lately they seem to be way off. Example: they claim the Toyota Corolla is quiet, it is not, based on a test drive a week ago. Another issue with the Corolla is the drivers seat. I'm 5-10, with long legs, and I couldn't find a decent driving position. Never had enough leg room. And how in God's name did they only get 38MPG with an Insight? Who was driving? Little E?

[bish79]

After spending 10 hours in the back seat of an 09 Camry the other day I can say with certainty that the I2 is MUCH quieter than the Camry!! The I2 handles quite well (and my other car is an S2000). It is NOT underpowered. It can easily get over 50 MPG without drastic hypermiling measures (60+ with those measures).

I do not understand the automotive medias bias against this car. All I can figure is that Honda hasn't paid them enough money to get a stamp of approval from certain media outlets. I guess that is why I looked at as many reviews as I could before deciding on buying the car. I checked all of the complaints that the media had while test driving and found them to be blatantly false. I guess you just have to use your own judgment when deciding on these things.

[SR45]

When I drove this Insight that I now own, coming from a more powerful engine model, I to was some what disappointed. I drove it like a normal car which was a mistake, but later I got used to the new IMA engine and how one should drive it opposed to other none Hybrid cars and my opinion changed.

This took a while and its my opinion that Consumer Reports did not have it long enough to give a proper report. They should have had it for a number of weeks, and I do believe if they keep thiers for a long term review later, they will report it differently. My guess.