[ElectricTroy]

EDIT: Summary - The silver insight I won on Ebay has a check-engine light & is rev-limited to only 4000 rpm. (continued on page 2)

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My "winter car" that I drive while my Blue Insight is in storage is an old 1987 Plymouth. (My mom gave me this old car for free; can't beat that deal.) Unfortunately it only averaged 23 miles per gallon last winter, and at $2.50 a gallon that's a big chunk of change. May be time to upgrade to a fuel-efficient hybrid?

OLD CAR: 100,000 miles / 23mpg = 4347 gallons
NEW CAR: 100,000 miles / 65mpg = 1539
$ SAVED: $2.50 * 2808 = $7020

So if I could pick up a used Insight for less than $7500 it would be a worthwhile trade. (Or... if I could pick up a NEW insight for less then $15,000, and drive it 200,000+ miles.) This would be my third insight purchase. I love my insight. ;-)

EDIT: Alternative idea--- Civic or Prius for less than $6000 used, $12000 new
OLD CAR: 100,000 miles / 23mpg = 4347 gallons
NEW CAR: 100,000 miles / 50mpg = 2000
$ SAVED: $2.50 * 2347 = $5867

 

[Fred]

Re: 23 mpg - time to get a new car (an insight of course)?

OLD CAR: 100,000 miles / 23mpg = 4348 gallons
NEW CAR: 100,000 miles / 70mpg = 1428
$ SAVED: $3.00 * 2920 = $8760

Does Honda still make insights? ...

If you want another Insight, NOW would be a good time to buy one. If you don't understand why NOW, take a look at the number of bids as well as the number of "hits" (i.e., views) Insights are getting while listed on eBay; over one thousand "hits" per Insight being offered is no longer unusual. Compare that with the number of "hits" for other cars.

Fred

 

[ElectricTroy]

Re: 23 mpg - time to get a new car (an insight of course)?

If you want another Insight, NOW would be a good time to buy one. Insights while listed on eBay; over one thousand "hits" per Insight being offered is no longer unusual.

That sounds like a BAD time to buy an insight. A better time would be after the demand is low, like post-christmas when buyers are in debt, and can not afford to buy a car. That way, you can get a cheap price.

 

[Scott]

A new Insight for less than $17K? Good luck! I got my 02 CVT new for $16K back in 02 when Honda could hardly give them away. Even a used one for under $8500 might be hard to find. Most likely an 00-01 with high miles. Can't hurt to look though....

 

[Martini]

My wife and I drove to Ohio to pick up our '06 Insight. We could have bought one in Canada, but Canadians are only offered the 5-speed, and my wife can't drive stick.

Most dealerships we looked at in the U.S. were charging more than list price..... for USED Insights.

 

[james]

For a winter car, though, I think I'd look around for one of the old 4WD Civics, or an early 80's Subaru. They'll go a lot better in snow, and aren't too bad on gas.

 

[ElectricTroy]

The same thing is happening with Volkswagen diesel TDIs (discontinued == high demand == ridiculously high prices). I'm sure that as the "insight discontinued" news dies out, demand will fall off, and prices will come back down again. If I have to wait until 2008 to pick up a used insight for <$9,000, then so be it.

I'm a bit surprised that so many Used Ebay Insights have >100,000 miles. Are there no low-mileage insights out there?

(shrug) Who knows?

Maybe I'll end up with a new 2009 VW or Honda Hybrid or Diesel? Although I suspect neither or those will get 70 mpg economy. Probably 50 at best. :-(

 

[ElectricTroy]

Here's an Insight I might be able to afford. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... 0026726125

What does "Salvage Title" mean? Something to avoid?



Also what's the deal with the "hondasucks.ca" car I see for sale? Does he really think anyone's going to bid a high price with such negative advertising?

 

[Fred]

What does "Salvage Title" mean? Something to avoid?

Also what's the deal with the "hondasucks.ca" car ... Does he really think anyone's going to bid a high price with such negative advertising?

Check with competent legal counsel - a lawyer - and you should find that it means the vehicle was damaged severely; usually by flood, collision or the like.

As for the other car, the owner probably bought a defective car and has been and continues to handle the problem in anything but an adult manner. And remember, there are always two sides to a dispute.

In either event I'd suggest stay away from both vehicles mentioned - but DO keep searching. Soon enough you'll find an Insight which suits your needs.

Hope this helps

Fred

 

[ElectricTroy]

Check with competent legal counsel - a lawyer - and you should find that it means the vehicle was damaged severely; usually by flood, collision or the like.

This one had a collision.
Which is okay as long as the damage, right fender/light, was fixed.

 

[Leeper]

Salvaged title

A fender and headlight does not qualify as a "salvaged" title. In order for a car to be salvaged usually that means that the repairs exceeded 80% of the book value of the car. This could include flood damage (not likely to be caught by most people unless you have a trained eye), theft recovery, or severe damage. Had that car only had minor fender or cosmetic damage it may not have even showed up on a "CarFax" report.

Salvaged cars only demand about 1/3 of their value when purchased from insurance companies and usualy about 60-70% once fixed. Also some insurance companies won't insure then and some finance companies won't lend for them. The unknown problems can be huge and may not be uncovered on a simple inspection.

Good luck, my advice is stay away unless you really know salvaged cars...

Steve

 

[Insightful Trekker]

A salvage title will also mean that all manufacturers warranties are null and void.

Including the new IMA battery extension of 10/150k :!: :shock:

 

[ElectricTroy]

Re: Salvaged title

some insurance companies won't insure then

I assume you mean "won't provide comprehensive coverage" to fix the car if it wrecks. The company will still provide coverage for the driver's health won't they?


So if this car is "salvage" that means it probably needed major repair; more than what they seller has revealed. I will ask and see what's up.

 

[Lee]

The company will still provide coverage for the driver's health won't they?

No (or actually ‘maybe not’). The insurance company may be concerned that an improperly repaired vehicle could cause an accident and therefore will not want to insure it.

 

[ElectricTroy]

’91 CRX HF 191k miles – sold
’97 Civic HX 252k miles

How many MPG did you get in your HF and HX cars? Did you enjoy them? Did the 97 HX have a lean-burn engine?


I won the "salvaged" insight for $7000. I only bid *after* I had talked to the Michigan MVA, and I had verified that the car was REBUILT and driveable on the roads. They reassured me that it is.

I will testdrive it tomorrow to verify the battery, lean-burn, etcetera still work. If not, I'll just refuse to pay (it was in the terms of my offer).

 

[Insightful Trekker]

And _still_ without warranty of any kind (including the new IMA battery extension).

Just as long as your clear about this point before you buy.

HTH!

 

[ElectricTroy]

Well I never used my warranty on my previous cars (Dodge, Plymouth) and we know how inferior they are to Hondas. ;-) I'm sure I won't need a warranty on the Insight. I've always followed the "if I wreck my car, or it dies, I'll just buy a new one" philosophy. Same with my TVs, stereos, et cetera. I never, never buy extended service plans, because I think it's cheaper to just replace-as-necessary. When my Dodge Shadow died at 340,000 miles, I just junked it & drove my other car. No sweat.

EDIT

EBAY item number: 150026726125 ----- BEST OFFER: $7000 - contractual terms: "I reserve the right to test-drive the car on the local interstate. If I find any indication the car is not operating correctly (for example, no lean burn, rough engine, bad high-voltage battery, et cetera), then the offer is void."

(1) I test-drove it. Everything seemed flawless (autostop, lean-burn functioning, battery good). BUT then I revved up the engine to enter the Interstate. The car suddenly jerked as if it was stalling & the engine light came on. Afterwards the engine refused to rev higher than 4000. ----- Sounds like a VTEC problem to me? Is there some kind of safety program built-in by Honda to stop the engine from exceeding 4000 while the "engine check light is on"?

(2) The wife insisted I am "bound by contract" to take the car, and would take me to court if I refused to pay. I say my offer was contingent upon the car working properly (see above).

(3) So the husband insisted there's nothing wrong & sure enough the problem magically "disappeared" while he was driving. Also, it appeared that the rev limiter was not working- he revved it to 7000 and it never kicked in. Odd! (Could lack of a rev limiter and possible over-revving by the Seller have caused some engine damage?)

I don't know. I don't feel any obligation to pay for a car that has a messed-up engine. (It was included in the terms of sale that my offer is void if the car has problems.) But at the same time I'm disappointed, because the car seemed flawless upto the point where the engine refused to exceed 4000.

- Should I buy and take the risk that it was just some weird fluke?

- Or refuse to buy and risk getting sued?

 

[shewb]

ElectricTroy -

Keep us posted how the test drive goes. My personal theory is that the insurance companies are hesitant to send a damaged Insight back on the road because they don't know how to assess the damages due to a collision, so they "salvage" it.

My 2000 MT has a salvage title and I've put about 25,000 on it since last October 2005. The local Honda dealer replaced the BCM and MCM for free (86,000 mi IIRC), but I had to pay for a IMA battery myself. I bought a used one and I did the work.

I don't attribute any of my (few) problems to the fact it has a salvage title. Good Luck!

- Jim

 

[ElectricTroy]

[error - please delete]

 

[Besk]

Don't know now if this is going to posted to the correct thread but here goes. I purchased my 2000 MT off E-bay and may never purchase another auto that way. (Do have a lot of experience with cameras on E-bay but that is risky also - don't purchase a camera from anyone who doesn't know anything about cameras!)

My seller, I feel sure, flat lied about the condition of the battery and the engine. He insisted on cash - not even a cashier's check - which of course raised my suspicions. In my case, however, I was interested mostly in the body of the car and if the car would last for two years of easy commuting until I have the time to convert it to a 100% EV. Of course it was easy to check and verify his description of the body before completing the purchase. And the CARFAX report was good.

It is risky to post a negative feedback because you usually get one in return whether deserved or not so I didn't.

As it turned out I had not driven 20 miles before the IMA light was on, the battery assist was gone and the check engine light had come on also. Disconnecting the 12v battery would reset everything of course but the car would try to (unsuccessfully) "recalibrate" after only 30 miles or so in spite of all the tricks that are listed on this forum. In fact, to solve the problem I had decided to remove the battery and install two 6 Volt golf cart type batteries to keep the electrics running. That would require recharging them overnight every few days of course.

Thank goodness the IMA can now be replaced under warranty - already verified by the local Honda dealer. And the check engine light, according to Honda, is due to the catalytic converter needing replacement.

So all in all, maybe I came out ok. Only paid $6,600 for the car and the body is in great shape. But still it is risky purchasing an automobile through E-bay!