How were you introduced to the Insight?

I had bought a 88 CRX HF in 5/88 after being sick and tired of getting 17-20mpg with my S-10 truck. I shunned the normal way of shopping for a car by getting a copy of the EPA's gas mileage guide and studied it like a Bible and made a list of the highest MPG's of ANY car. The first one the list was the GEO Metro XFI. I believe the mileage on the window was 52city/58highway. I test drove one and it would only go 80-85 mph and the dealership said it couldn't be fitted with A/C. Also I didn't fit in it well since I am 6'5". So I went to the next one on the list a CRX HF(50city/56highway). I went to the dealership not expecting much and test drove one and really liked it. I fit in it great and it had more power than the Metro and could be fitted with A/C. I kept that car for over 320K until I moved from Tenn. to Dallas in 10/99. I had always said that if Honda ever made one that was rated higher I would buy the first one I could lay my hands on. I went to the car show in late Feb 00 after hearing that there was going be an Insight there. After it looked like I would fit in it ( it was on a stand and they wouldn't you get in it). I went around town and gave $500 checks to all the dealers to get the first shot at the first one in town. On April 15,2000 one of those dealers called me at work in the morning and said they had gotten ONE in. I went down there and looked at it on my lunch hour and sat in it. I told them that I would come back after work and to get it ready. I bought it that evening at sticker price. I have only 52K on it because I got married 3 years ago and we have 3 cars between us. And I live only 4 miles from my job.

As an old CRX HF'r I was aware of the Insight when it first debued in 99. About a year later I pulled out in front of a Ford Escort (crunch). But I wasn't ready to trust the NiMH battery pack and the dealer couldn't even quote me a price for its replacement. So I bought the next best thing, a 2000 Civic HX (still got it). The wife's car was rapidly reaching its retirement point (she likes to play bumper cars, small bumps only ) So we went shopping. We compaired the Civic Hybrid, Insight CVT and 5 spd. She too is the miserly sort and agreed on the Insight. As long as it would be hers.

I agreed with one qualification. That she merely meet the then aggregate membership average as posted here, 63 ish MPG. Well, after 2 weeks of driving she seepishly addmitted she's not geeky enough and hadn't even been able to "listen" to the radio for all the attention spent with the MPG gauge, but she had made the MPG goal. Now I know where her attention is with all of those little bump-up's :!: :x

But it got me MY :!: :!: :!: Insight

The Insight was my second car (ever). I had been started out driving a Red 95 Chevrolet Tahoe 2 Dr (rare). It was fun for a while, but my heart lied in other things. My high school had an electric vehicle racing team which made me realize there was something beyond the small block engine. The Tahoe was great until it hit 90K miles at which point I managed to blow the rear end out of it, something which astonished many people. I fixed that and the next day the transmission proceeded to fail. Got that rebuilt, 200 miles later the rebuilt one blew up, that was fixed under warranty but with some complications on getting a good un-cracked core to rebuild had it out of action for over a month.

I suppose I should also mention it was costing me in the upwards of $60 bucks to fill it's tank, and that was even before gas crossed the $2/gal mark, so I didn't really care for that. Also I was starting college which was a 50 mile a day commute so something had to change. I had known about the Insight since the VV concept vehicle. Actually I had a printed picture of the VV on the cork board in my room here since probably 99 as I was always in to those kinds of vehicles. I am guessing I probably heard about the car initially from EVWorld.com.

So when I got the ok to get a new car (parentally funded of course... poor college student) I looked and looked for an Insight. This was 2002. I was willing to take whatever I could get, but ideally I wanted a Red 5 speed without rear speakers. There were only two for sale in town and neither looked particularly appealing. My family runs a small used car dealership so I was also checking the dealer auction listings and just by fate a 2002 Red 5 speed showed up that week. I still have the page I printed out with the lane and run number for the auction. The car only had 2700 miles on it. We snuck out in the auction lot and found the car and drove it around the lot a little bit and decided to get it. From what I gathered it was a lease return from Yuma Arizona and went back and forth from Phoenix to Yuma a couple times and sat around a while so they sold it to the highest bidder, us.

I've had the car a bit over 3 years now, and I have had a couple little problems but it never left me stranded like the Chevy did.

I was aware of the Insight from about the time it was introduced here in 2001. At the time I owned a Lexus LS400 and a Porsche 911. I thought the Insight was interesting but I never imagined I'd own one - I loved my Porsche. Then one day I didn't love my Porsche anymore and I sold it. For a while we had only the Lexus, then at the beginning of 2004 we realized we needed an extra car. I looked around at various hatchbacks and small vans - then I saw the Prius II. I liked it and bought it. Owning the Prius, I got turned onto to the idea of fuel economy for cost and environmental/resource reasons. I decided to sell the Lexus. I still had a desire for a little red sports car but now I wanted one with excellent fuel economy. I browsed, saw a review of the Insight, read some more (a lot more) and - bingo! - I knew that this was the car for me. It is unique and I love it.

Insight?

Well, when they first came out I was really attracted to Insights. Couldn't really afford one at the time, was finishing college. College at 50 years old, yeah. Was working as an on sight tech in 2002, doing 60K+ miles per year and reimbursed at about 30 cents per mile. Did the math for mpg on different cars. Found a red '00 Insight, MT with AC, traded in with 5200 miles. Bought it for $11,900 with another $950 for the extended warranty. As I expected, I fell in love with it, what an experience!

60K miles per year @ 30 cents comes out to aprox $11.4K per year in expense checks. At 70+ mpg fuel cost about $1.3K. In two years of saving I made enough to buy a new one for cash, which I did. Released the old one to a nice lady needing a college car, sold for $10.5K. My new one was an '04 silver, MT with AC. Then got caught up in Willie's turbo experience, best thing I ever did. Followed his excellent advice to turbo an Insight. My investment business started to take off and semi-retirement came. Went for an '05 Insight as a retirement car so I could start with zero miles and turbo'd it too, this time a ball bearing water cooled garrett, but still a hybrid turbo like the last one.

The result, magic on wheels. The ride, exhilarating. Now, Mikes MIMA, compliments Willie's turbo completely, the perfect mix. I've had many cars, quite a few exotics. Nothing compares to this, nothing. A dream to drive, each and every time I get behind the wheel! Jack