2011 Insight Quality, Tires, Oil, and 1 Question:

[luvmy2011EX]

2011 Insight Quality, Tires, Oil, and 1 Question:

Greetings fellow Insight owners,

With volatile gas prices and the weakening of the US dollar, it made sense to me to purchase a vehicle that is both affordable and efficient throughout its life cycle, and the Insight based on my research is the best choice in its price range.

Quality:

I have a strong knowledge of automobile manufacturing and supply chain management. Based on my scientific research of peer reviewed journal articles, Honda is superior in every conceivable way and despite recent recalls; Toyota is close behind in quality. Are you aware that in Japan and in the US, the furthest a supplier is from a Honda or Toyota manufacturing plant is 81 miles? Any guess how far the furthest GM supplier is from a GM plant? If you want the answer, I will provide it; I used to work in the GM supply chain.

I love my car and despite the rear legroom issue and the fact that the AC does cut off when I stop in traffic or at traffic lights (contrary to what my Honda dealer rep said), I think dollar for dollar it is currently superior to the Prius (I heavily researched both vehicles prior to my recent purchase). One more thing, the 2011 Insight EX seat height adjustment arm and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters are great ideas.

Tire and Wheel Size:

Honda’s present day quality is unsurpassed by any other vehicle manufacturer and if Honda feels that 175/65-15's are the most efficient tire size option for the 2011 Insight, then I simply have to be thankful that Yokohama makes the size that I/we need. Similarly, 1GEN Insight owners are fortunate that Bridgestone makes their size. Most small tire manufacturers like Falken and Dunlop are worthless.

With regards to maximizing efficiency, I doubt that I will ever change the Honda factory tire size. Some tire reps say that 185's and 195's will work, but some Insight owners also say 5w20 oil works too and I disagree with both assumptions. I will continue to explore various ways to maximize efficiency, and I would appreciate your sharing long-term sustainable solutions.

Oil:

With regards to 0W20 synthetic oil, that is the way I will go on my first oil change at 5K miles. Standard 0W20 from the Honda dealer is too much like water. Disagree? Pull out the oil dipstick on your 2011. Currently I am leaning towards Mobil1 0W20 synthetic since they are US owned and since Alaskan oil, next to Nigerian oil, is the best in the world. By the way, my research suggests that Shell oil is the superior global oil, but Royal Dutch Shell business practices are not.

Question:

What things have Insight owners done to personalize as well as to make this car more efficient? I plan to buy a Thule bike rack soon complete with the MOAB.

I hope you and the other Insight owners are willing to share helpful suggestions, I promise I will.

Glenn/ILUVMY2011EX.

[Jayemtee]

Glenn, I think one of the very strong points about the Insight is that it is a Honda. It is not a bullet proof car, but it is very capable and does not need a lot of attention.

You've obviously done your homework and come up with very practical decisions. We are all entitled to our opinions, so whatever works for you, go for it. But since it is a Honda, it can handle the 5w20 you read about and could probably run very well on most any oil you throw at it. And it can handle all sorts of other changes outside of your comfort zone.

If you read the forums here, you'll find lots of ways people have made their cars more efficient. Some people modify their grill intake for the winter, some change tire pressure, some remove the rear wiper, and some of us use Zaino. Not all changes work for all people. Try what makes you comfortable. Again, it's proof that the car has a lot of room for variables.

[Zwolfe]

If you change your oil yourself you might be let down when you pour in the M1 oil because when I did I said to myself "Wow, this stuff pours like water."

But hey, it works.

[Jayemtee]

Z, I've been working on jets since the Wright bros invented them. I've always used Exxon 2380 oil which runs like water. I've been using it since it was Enco 2380. Anyway, we recently switched Mobil oil solely for economical reasons. Pours like syrup, stinks, cans spew when opened on hot days, and it's sticky on everything it touches. Both oils work just fine, fully interchangeable, and can be intermixed with no problems.

[HybridNewGuy]

Don't be afraid of the thinner oil. Your engine is designed to work best with it. An engineer from Honda says that the factory fill is closer to a 0w10. The original Honda oil(as do the Toyota spec'd oils for the Prius) have a higher viscosity index than even the Mobil 1 (173 vs over 200 for the Honda and the Toyota oils). This means thinner when cold and thicker as it warms. The thinner when cold part keeps the parts lubricated better when the engine is warming. Exxon Mobile makes the Toyota oil (black bottle). It outperforms their own Mobil 1 and it is cheaper as well (as least around here where we don't have the Wally World jugs in 0w20 M1. The point of this is that your engine will do fine with the "thin" oil. There are a lot of other factors in oil besides weight that determine whether an oil will protect your engine.

[kjanracing]

<<<<<Based on my scientific research of peer reviewed journal articles>>>>
I'm wondering about this scientific research thing. How is that different than someone reading various articles? Do you utilize calipers and a slide rule? Heat something up in a test tube? Just wondering....

[Jayemtee]

That is a helluva quote. His results are equally impressive that Honda is superior in every conceivable way and Toyota is a close second. I think I could flip a coin and come up with that half the time.