Hello all - I'm currently searching for a new vehicle and have narrowed down the choices to an Insight or a Civic HX coupe, and am looking for some opinions or advice. (the 1988 Ford Ranger I now drive just passed 260k miles and is making ominous noises from the transfer case and transmission, and I've decided that no more money will go to repairs. I plan to drive until it flies apart and send it to the scrapyard)
I like the Insight for a number of reasons: outstanding fuel efficiency, interesting and unique technology, and the fact that it is one of the least polluting vehicles available. On the other hand, my cheap Scottish side has a hard time reconciling the roughly $5,500 price differential between the MSRP of the two. Using the EPA estimates (obviously, your results will vary :lol: ) I figure that it would take me about 14 years to recover the cost difference for the Insight, assuming fuel costs of $2.30 per gallon and the average miles I drive each year.
Additionally, some of the accounts of battery pack failure and the associated costs that I've read in the forums here while researching the Insight make me a little nervous as well. The Civic HX, while not as efficent as the Insight, is no gas guzzler and is more capable of mundane tasks like carrying a couple of passengers and luggage.
I'd be most appreciative of any opinions or thoughts on which to choose. Thanks.
I like the Insight for a number of reasons: outstanding fuel efficiency, interesting and unique technology, and the fact that it is one of the least polluting vehicles available. On the other hand, my cheap Scottish side has a hard time reconciling the roughly $5,500 price differential between the MSRP of the two. Using the EPA estimates (obviously, your results will vary :lol: ) I figure that it would take me about 14 years to recover the cost difference for the Insight, assuming fuel costs of $2.30 per gallon and the average miles I drive each year.
Additionally, some of the accounts of battery pack failure and the associated costs that I've read in the forums here while researching the Insight make me a little nervous as well. The Civic HX, while not as efficent as the Insight, is no gas guzzler and is more capable of mundane tasks like carrying a couple of passengers and luggage.
I'd be most appreciative of any opinions or thoughts on which to choose. Thanks.