I've been driving an August 2010 ES-T from new and have racked up around 16K miles in the UK.
Thought I'd share my observations from the other side of the pond.
Until the first variable service (about 8K miles) I was getting nowhere near the MPG being achieved by US owners. My average mpg was around 50 up to this point but bear in mind that 50 mpg in UK equates to about 42mpg (US)
After the 1st service the mpg jumped up to about 57mpgUK (47mpgUS) in normal use and 65mpgUK (54mpgUS) on longer consistent speed journeys. Still well below US owners getting 60+mpgUS. I think the continual ups and downs of Northern Ireland roads just work against the Insight.
Now that winter is well and truly here the mpg figures are dropping off as the stop/start feature reduces in operation.
I also have a few whinges about the interior of the ES-T.
The SatNav is awful awful awful. I now use a windscreen mounted iPhone using the TomTom app. Having said that the bluetooth streaming feature supported by the Honda unit is an awesome feature and will do to CDs what CDs did to audio tapes.
The other penalty of getting an ES-T is that the in car clock is a small display in the top right hand corner of the sat nav screen. Its hard to read and isnt displayed at all if the unit is switched off! I hate not having a clock in plain view in a car.
Thats about it. Would I buy one again? If the price differential is maintained between the Prius and the insight I most likely will. However if a good deal comes along for a Prius T Spirit curiousity might just get the better of me.
I've been driving an August 2010 ES-T from new and have racked up around 16K miles in the UK. <snip>
Interesting to see. I live in Sheffield, another hilly UK area. My typical commute is 9 miles each way with 4 miles 70mph dual carriageway over a fairly big hill.
In the sumer that got me about 44mpg to a tank. With the winter temperatures it's been as low as 38. The trip computer consistently estimates 3-6 mpg higher than I'm calculating on brim-to brim. While I've seen up to 70mpg on a single trip on rural roads (30-50mph) in the Yorkshire dales, my lifetime average (in 3000 ish miles since August) is 47mpg. Longer trips would raise fuel economy significantly. My best tank was 53mpg on a trip to London and back. I tend to drive to the speed limit but allow a little speed loss up hills. Wet or cold weather really hampers the fuel economy and we get plenty of both.
As for auto-stop and climate control - I think our humidity / damp air tends to stop it turning off as it might. I tend to hit the off switch on deceleration (before I hit 7mph or lower) and, so long as the car's warmed up, that will allow it to work and the engine will stay off for a long time. Can mean slightly steamy windows on shorter trips in the winter.
Given the power of the engine, I think the best solution in hilly areas is to make sure you're not carrying excess weight in the car and be willing to slow down a bit.
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2010 Honda Insight ES 1.3 IMA (UK)
James, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by changing the oil early in any modern car and especially a Honda. Honda engines are built "tight" and the initial oil fill has special additives to facilitate break in. In fact, if you go to Honda dealer to get the oil changed early they will refuse. Save your money, go by the oil life monitor. Early and frequent oil changes are a myth, based on once good advise. But it's not 1950 anymore and oil isn't just oil. It's now a lubrication formula. If you would like to do a little extra for this vehicle, change the transmission fluid every other oil change. Use only fluid specified by Honda for the CVT.
I generally agree with everything you said about the Insight. I've owned mine since May 2010, closing in on two years when spring rolls around. As I've said in other topics here, I never really "fell in love" with my Insight, but I do like it and enjoy it. The fuel economy is absolutely amazing, and generally I agree with Honda grade build quality: not too much maintenance and it has ran well. But for a car with only 35k miles, its too early to expect problems in today's age, even if it were from a brand not known for quality.
Anyway, the tire thing I'm still looking for advice on (anyone tried to install 185/65R15 tires on an Insight LX 2010 with stock steel wheels?), but otherwise the biggest problem I have with the Insight is its heating/cooling system and the engine shutoff. The I2 constantly turns the engine back on prematurely because of the heat and air not being electric. I would rank this equally as aggravating as the tires on the 2010 model.
I generally agree with everything you said about the Insight. I've owned mine since May 2010, closing in on two years when spring rolls around. As I've said in other topics here, I never really "fell in love" with my Insight, but I do like it and enjoy it. The fuel economy is absolutely amazing, and generally I agree with Honda grade build quality: not too much maintenance and it has ran well. But for a car with only 35k miles, its too early to expect problems in today's age, even if it were from a brand not known for quality.
Anyway, the tire thing I'm still looking for advice on (anyone tried to install 185/65R15 tires on an Insight LX 2010 with stock steel wheels?), but otherwise the biggest problem I have with the Insight is its heating/cooling system and the engine shutoff. The I2 constantly turns the engine back on prematurely because of the heat and air not being electric. I would rank this equally as aggravating as the tires on the 2010 model.
Over Christmas, I replaced the POS OEM Dunlops on my 2010 EX with Yokohama Avid TRZ 185/65R 15's and wish that I had done so the day I bought my car from the dealer. So far, no noticeable difference in gas mileage, and she handles like a different car...much more capable and dare I say...fun?
To boot, the ride is nearly silent. The tires no longer drown out the rattling from my dash and often opened windows, which is a bitch, but I'll be taking her in for her last visit before warranty expires very shortly and have those rattles addressed.
James, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by changing the oil early in any modern car and especially a Honda. Honda engines are built "tight" and the initial oil fill has special additives to facilitate break in. In fact, if you go to Honda dealer to get the oil changed early they will refuse. Save your money, go by the oil life monitor. Early and frequent oil changes are a myth, based on once good advise. But it's not 1950 anymore and oil isn't just oil. It's now a lubrication formula. If you would like to do a little extra for this vehicle, change the transmission fluid every other oil change. Use only fluid specified by Honda for the CVT.
@Egads...Completely agree with you...now. LOL
After doing a lot of reading, talking with the service people at Honda of Corona, they basically said the same thing you did
Thanks for your help...
Over Christmas, I replaced the POS OEM Dunlops on my 2010 EX with Yokohama Avid TRZ 185/65R 15's and wish that I had done so the day I bought my car from the dealer. So far, no noticeable difference in gas mileage, and she handles like a different car...much more capable and dare I say...fun?
To boot, the ride is nearly silent. The tires no longer drown out the rattling from my dash and often opened windows, which is a bitch, but I'll be taking her in for her last visit before warranty expires very shortly and have those rattles addressed.
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No one has tested this out using the LX steel wheels, but I'm going to assume things will be fine. I'm about to order tires this spring to replace the old Dunlops as I switch back to summer tires. We shall see if 185/60 or 185/60 15's work with the LX 2010 stock steel's.
I'm hoping for a smooth transition. Just hope there aren't any weird side effects, like the wheel covers popping off because the tirewall/seal presses against it, or some other weird side effect.
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