Need a replacement for 2000 Insight

radarrab · 08-04-2011, 02:26 PM

I previously posted the story about a month ago, but the short is my car was totaled and I need to replace it. Conservatively I'll get around $5k from insurance. I think I'd prefer to get a used vehicle with low miles, money and value are important (not sure if that will happen though), and I'd rather have a hatchback.

I haven't driven any of these yet, but if anybody has comments about them (esp. compared to the original Insight), I'd appreciate them. Nothing seems to be exactly what I want for the amount of money I want to spend, and after getting 50+ mpg, I hesitate to go down to ~30.

Insight 2
Fit
Civic hybrid (did drive a 2008 CPO); everybody has one
CR-Z hybrid
Prius; everybody has one

Obviously I lean toward Honda, but anything else to consider that people have experience with? I'm in SF Bay Area.

Eli · 08-04-2011, 03:04 PM

There is no replacement for the original Insight.

Buy another 1st gen. Use the 5k as a downpayment on a nice 8-9k+ specimen. You won't regret it, and you'll have a much lower and/or shorter car payment than buying a brand new car.

**Jayemtee** · 08-04-2011, 03:10 PM

I went from an Insight 2 to a CR-Z, and I don't regret it. I went from 50+mpg to about 42. I felt the Insight 2 was underpowered. If you are coming from an Insight I, I guess you are used to being underpowered.

The Insight 2 was a more favorable car for 4 seats and mpg.

The CR-Z was MUCH more favorable for IMA technology. It is leaps and bounds better than the Insight. I have never been bogged down with IMA recharging like I did almost daily in the Insight 2. The CR-Z is also more powerful and more fun. It really gives you the option to save money, drive conservative, and get well over 40mpg. But it also gives you the option to drive with a lot of spirit and get 35mpg. Or various combinations inbetween.

If you can live with the 2 seat situation and lower mpg, the CR-Z would be a great choice.

If you are hot on mpg, don't care about power, and are comfortable with the IMA issues on the I2, perhaps the Insight might be a better choice.

circa1986 · 08-04-2011, 03:12 PM

Used cars of all kinds right now are a terrible value. The terrible economy and the tsunami in Japan have really driven up used car prices.

Eli · 08-04-2011, 03:21 PM

I wouldn't call the first generation Insight underpowered. It competes nicely.

Original Insight:
76HP / 1850lbs = 24.34lbs/HP

2nd Gen:
98HP / 2727lbs = 27.82lbs/HP

CR-Z:
122HP / 2637lbs = 21.61lbs/HP

But only the original Insight can net you 80MPG+.

Zwolfe · 08-04-2011, 03:24 PM

We picked the Insight over the Fit as it feels more refined on the road.

The Insight on the highway / interstate will give just above 40 MPG if driven like a normal car in our experience. It can give 50's, though, if driven 65 and under without heavy acceleration. Sometimes I like to take the rural scenic route when available since it provides better MPG.

I should note that the stock tires provide a noticeable amount of wiggle during swift lane changes on the Interstate / highway and didn't begin to fade away until we had about 8k miles on them as they wore in. Now it takes what I would call emergency lane changes to feel the wiggle in the rear, otherwise solid now.

As there is no option for a manual transmission, the CVT has its own peculiar oddities. They can be compensated for mostly if given thought to it, but there's jumpiness when around 10MPH and under when you press the accelerator pedal. It could drive city drivers mad I suspect, but since we're rural-based without many stop signs or stop lights it's largely irrelevant. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

If you can deal with 30's MPG I hear the CR-Z is a blast, and once broken in perhaps you could hit low 40's (not sure on that.)

Some people complain about acceleration of the Insight but you know what you're getting into (some don't agree, but whatever.) Having driven it over the Appalachian mountain range with nearly 1k pounds of persons and cargo I was getting stuck behind drivers more often than not with A/C on and ECON off. Keeping ECON off dramatically changes the performance characteristics of the car, at the expense of fuel economy. If ECON was forcibly set to ON, I would had complained until the cows came home, likely.

The I2 loves to make full use of its RPM range. Ignore it, you'll be fine. If you can't, then it may be a problem for you.

Having said that, why not just get another Insight (model 1)? I would actually like to get a Insight 1 to put beside my I2 in the future.

Now go test drive!

**freezin4** · 08-04-2011, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eli

I wouldn't call the first generation Insight underpowered. It competes nicely.

Original Insight:
76HP / 1850lbs = 24.34lbs/HP

2nd Gen:
98HP / 2727lbs = 27.82lbs/HP

CR-Z:
122HP / 2637lbs = 21.61lbs/HP

But only the original Insight can net you 80MPG+.

Touche'

I never thought of it that way.

circa1986 · 08-04-2011, 05:10 PM

You even see some first-gen Insights on the racetrack!

**freezin4** · 08-04-2011, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwolfe

, why not just get another Insight (model 1)? I would actually like to get a Insight 1 to put beside my I2 in the future.

That's what I would do. And if money was not a consideration, or you just want to move up to a new car, an I2 would not be a bad choice. I enjoyed test-driving an EX and got 54 mpg on a 15 mile roundtrip in rain.

It all comes doen to personal preferance and needs. I would love to have another I1 in citrus, or a red I2 or a Prius C (not out yet). Or for $5000 you can almost get into a Gen 2 Prius (it would be a well-used, high mileage example for that much money), but I personally can't get used to the center dash location.

radarrab · 08-04-2011, 06:56 PM

There aren't that many used ones in CA. Right now there's a 2006 with 46k for--gag--$16k on ebay.
I'm not certain whether all orig. Insights can be registered in CA.

Power-wise, I sometimes drive up a windy mountain road. My car had 160k on it, and I was having to go into first gear more often than I used to plus the battery had been draining pretty much all the way the last few times (replaced around 80k), with only me in it. When it was young, except for a couple of hairpin turns I could go up in second and third gears.
It was, or used to be, quick enough on flat highway.

The other thing is I relied heavily on the mirrors (and the bottom glass portion of the hatch). I'm wondering how much worse the other hatchbacks are as far as rear visibility. The older I get, the harder it is to turn around.