Honda Insight Forum banner

Potential Insight Owner

1K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  freezin4 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi All

I've been having a little read of the site over the last couple of days, it looks to be a great source of info.

I've spent the last few years with various sports cars and now feel I've finally got it out of my system, so want to bank some cash and start saving money. I've always had a soft spot for the gen 1 and am now thinking of making the move.

A couple of questions:

  1. I've read an advert recently where the seller mentions that he's replaced the exhaust system for £2000 (stating that they're all prone to rusting). Is that price accurate, or are there now cheap alternatives?
  2. Whilst I know that a 10-15 year old car will need some work to keep it in tip top order, will it be a reliable car or am I going to need to be working on something every weekend?
  3. My daily commute is just a couple of minutes each way, will this be bad for the batteries? I know I can walk it, but I work 12 hour shifts, and walking to work would turn my 12 hour day into a 13 hour day, and I'd rather spend the hour walking my dogs instead. Living in the UK, it rains fairly often too so its really just not worth the hassle. I work 4 on, 4 off, and on the 4 off the car will be getting plenty of use.
  4. Is a grid charger really a worthwhile investment?

Thanks in advance.
 
See less See more
#3 · (Edited)
15 minutes to be exact MD! LOL.

Welcome to a UK member. ;)

1) The special catalytic converter is expensive but last 10+ years. The rest of the exhaust is stainless and cheap enough so lasts for ever.
Sounds like the cat has just been replaced so should be good for years. There are no cheap alternatives.

You can see the price for all the UK parts here as an example.

http://www.lingshondaparts.com/hond...ck_01=17S3Y01&block_02=B__0200&block_03=19736

2) It will be reliable especially with some initial TLC and a check over.
It will likely have some common issues, so be prepared for some initial outlay and factor that into the price you pay.
Gearbox Input Shaft Bearing, egr valve, O2 sensors, lazy/weak ima battery are a few common issues.

3) The short commute is not that great they really like 10+ miles.
Perhaps a bike might be a better idea.
However running it daily is good so will help the IMA battery.

4) Yes a grid charger is a good investment. Especially when combined with a discharge capability manual or automatic version.

I suggest add your location to your profile and pop up and see me in East Riding of Yorkshire or another member nearer to you for a test drive and some sound advice.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the reply and offer. I'm based in South Wales so that would be quite a trip.

Seeing the potential outlay is a little off putting to be honest. The exhaust has recently been changed on one of the cars I was looking at, but in order to purchase I will need to sell my current car first, so I'm not necessarily looking at that particular model.

I want something that's going to encourage a different style of driving, and the feedback via the dash is something that I like. I'd be happy trying to get better mpg out of this car rather that getting the roar from my current one, however the potential costs of battery and cat replacement are a bit of a concern and are more in line with the sports cars I've been driving, which sort of defeats the point I'm trying to make.

I was completely OK with the potential costs of battery replacement, but the cat costs may be a bit too much for me to take.
 
#5 · (Edited)
For a trip that short, you probably won't have amazing mileage. I have an eight mile trip to work and have to work hard to even maintain my average mpg. However, if it's not stop and go traffic, you can still manage to get good mileage.

I would recommend a motorbike in the city, if you're single and don't need a lot of groceries, or if you're with someone who has a car for when you do need to carry them.

Most Insights need work when first purchased, and you also should factor in the cost of a new IMA battery, depending on the life left on the one you're looking to purchase. Brand new batteries are quite expensive, and the DIY approach is less expensive ( still pretty expensive, though ), but very technical. For a short trip like yours, you might not break even on it for a long time, if ever, if you need to fix some of the bigger issues ( like the battery ).
 
#6 · (Edited)
Hi

Thanks for the reply.

Whilst my commute is short, I do tend to drive a lot more on my 4 days off, not huge amounts but about 600 miles a month. With my car sold, I'll be looking to spend about £5000 on another car, bank a few grand and pay off some small debts. At the moment I'm averaging about 23mpg and spending about £150 on fuel, plus £30 on road tax a month. With an Insight I calculate that will be about £40 in fuel and no road tax.

I'd be OK replacing the batteries, but I really hadn't factored in the cat. It never occurred to me that these would be as expensive as they are, and I know that cats can go a lot earlier than you'd expect.
 
#7 ·
To put the cat into perspective I've had three insights for over six years and not had to replace a cat. They last at least ten years or so.

I had to weld one when it got a rust hole in it though.
 
#10 ·
Welcome to the forum. With such short commute, could going all electric be an option? Do you have a place to plug in?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top