Disappointing??? More Like Underappreciated!!!

[jcbesq]

10 most disappointing cars of 2011 - Yahoo! Autos

[Zwolfe]

At least it isn't an Aztek, the most god-awful looking automobile I believe I've ever seen ... and I've seen some pretty dreadful looking cars ... I'm sure you have, too.

I think the sales number in comparison to the Prius is what gets the Insight knocked as much as anything else. It's a step up from the Fit, IMO, that's why we bought ours. Tried them back to back, Insight it was. Just seems more refined.

And you just don't see people knocking the Fit, so.

[Terry55]

Have to agree. I was an early adopter of the Fit, actually ordered and waited three months for my '07 to arrive. The Fit was a great little car, and I averaged 36MPG. That said, the Insight seems like a more expensive car and even feels a little larger. And, 50+ MPG has made me very happy these days. I'm curious to see what will happen to the sales numbers for the Insight if gas stays high and Japan recovers. Every time I read one of those "disappointing" articles, I just smile.

[carrera]

I saw that article too on Yahoo and just had to laugh. Sometimes I think there is a herd mentality. People just buy the Prius because it's "popular" and the "right people" are driving them. To each their own but I like the Insight better, that's why I bought it. If it gives me the same reliability I've had from previous Hondas, I'm not really concerned with resale value. By the time I get done with it, it won't be worth much anyway. Consistent upper to mid 40's for mpg is fine with me. When you check out Prius mileage on Fuelly, they aren't doing that much better. It's certainly no Smart Car.

[DPRoberts]

I agree, the article's viewpoint is more about the public perception of the cars mentioned, rather than whether the cars themselves are any good or not.

And I, too, drove the Fit and the Insight back to back. Only 1 dealer had a Fit I liked, and only 1 dealer had an Insight I liked, but the Insight dealer gave me a much better offer on my trade in, so I went with the Insight. And honestly, I'm glad it worked out that way, because I really liked the Insight more. I rent a fair amount of cars when traveling, and I'm used to getting cheapy econo-cars and slightly better midsize cars. The Fit reminded me of the econo-boxes, and the Insight felt more like a midsize.

Part of that, I'll readily admit, is just perception. For example, the Fit certainly felt taller, but the rear cargo area felt smaller - when sitting in the driver's seat, I felt like I could almost turn around and touch the back hatch in the Fit. The Insight didn't give me that feeling. Yet when I got on the internet and checked out the dimensions, the Fit and the Insight are exactly the same - 164 cm from the driver's seat to hatch.

[circa1986]

I definitely agree that Honda Insight sales were disappointing, but that should have no bearing on whether or not the vehicle itself is disappointing.

The BMW X6 is very disappointing and makes no sense. Why does it even exist!?

[bish79]

The Insight and the Fit are both great cars, that's why I own one of each.

I think the article was mostly referring to the sales numbers being "a disappointment" for the manufacturers, but they didn't state that very clearly and it almost makes it sound like they are saying the cars are disappointing.

In any sense, I have given up on public perception of what I like, I tend to disagree with the general populous anyways. I just smile and know that I can appreciate something good when "they" can't.

[CraigCA]

Here in So. California, most of those cars sell pretty well, except for the BMW.

In my experience, the low sales are due to the dealer. My sales girl did everything she could to keep me from an Insight. She pushed the Civic and the Fit, but I told her if I was making a car payment, I wanted 40+ mpg.

I just looked at that article again and on the right side there is a list of the most popular cars searched on Yahoo this week and the I2 is #1, at least on my computer.

[aitikin]

Originally Posted by circa1986

I definitely agree that Honda Insight sales were disappointing, but that should have no bearing on whether or not the vehicle itself is disappointing.

Anyone who tells you the Insight's sales are disappointing is too American-centric:

"Honda Motor Co said on Monday its new Insight model became the first hybrid to be crowned Japan's best-selling car last month." - Reuters

In fact, part of the reason the Insight may have sold so poorly overseas is the fact that they sold so many domestically. (source: Reuters)

I, like many of you, got an Insight over a Fit because it felt more refined, got better milage, and, as my buddy puts it, it's a better fit for me. Ironically, the Insight feels like it has (and does have) smaller cargo capacity and lower roofs, making it slightly less than ideal for my buddy to ride in the back seat, but still.

[cheesie]

the less insights out there the more people ask ohh thats a nice car what is it!!!!

the few, we are unique