[insightajax]

I need some advice, I travel about 4500 Km a month for work. I currently drive a 92 Honda civic dx with 298,000 Km on it and get about 500 Km city/highway on a tank of fuel at $34.00 cdn. I need to know the average Km per tank with normal driving city/highway? Also how many liters is the gas tank? I also heard that some owners had problems with there battery pack. I called Honda in Toronto, Ont and got a price of $2700 just for the part, and the worst part is that they have to special order it from Japan. I read that the battery should last for the lifetime of the car, I dont know what to think! Also that the car gives of high Electro Magnetic Field readings wrote another owner. I came here to get some real advise from real insight owners, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!

 

[Getshocked.ca]

$2700 for a new battery, and then another $2000 for BCM MCM pre 2002 models. The electro-magnet thing is a load of crap

Read through the problem section of this forum. Personally my batteries stared dieing a year ago and just now had a engine light finaly turn on.

My take is the enjoyment and dependability of a hybrid is directly related to the knowledge of the shop you have working on it/ trying to diagnos it. For me, ownership has been a nightmare. It has been my experience that the members of this forum have provided more usefull help then I could ever expect from my dealer.

Als keep in mind coming to a hybrid enthusiast site and asking if a hybrid is right for you is like walking into a church and asking if the religion they preach is right for you. That being said, google is your friend and make a decision based on a indepth research on all sides. I just bought a 2006 VW Golf TDI (Diesel) in december and this is what i should have done back in 2001.

 

[Valiant118]

If you don't have to haul more than 1 person, or cargo over about 300 lbs with any regularity, the Insight may be for you. If my mental metric coverter still works, it has a 40 liter tank (10.6 US gallons). You will be able to count on a minimum of 833 k per tank, and probably much more like 1000 (600 miles, etc.). Insights have been very reliable vehicles and folks here have been able to stretch the original battery pack life out to near 333 k. Be advised, however, that we do occasionaly get horror storys of dead IMA motors, premature pack demise, etc. here on the forum. A number of these seem to be related top poor or inexperienced dealer service personnel.

 

[b1shmu63]

If you know what you pay per month on gas you can cut about 40 percent off that consservatively. The battery replacement will eat into that if you need a replacement. If you drive the car hard you are more likely to need a new battery at some point. The Insight is not a cheap car so if you are looking fo the MAX savings you might come out farther ahead with a cheap Korean model. If you want to save the planet and discuss hybrids with total strangers, you're Insight material. If you are a pilot, a techie, or like something other than a plain vanilla ride, even better.

If you can find where they are auto-crossing on a weekend you may be able to meet Guillermo or Opal for an interesting demo of the Insights track manners.

Finally, if you are going to put really massive milleage on the car in a short time, you won't really benefit from the longevity of the aluminum body, so unless you really enjoy the car, it seems a shame to drive it into the ground.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Like any type of car the Insight is not for everyone. The hybrid aspect adds another dimension of complexity. Once you understand the general concepts of hybrids then you can more intelligently decide if it's right for you.

Any rechargeable battery has a limited service life. A good percentage of the fuel savings _will_ have to be "paid back" for replacement of this item. When buying used its almost impossible to evaluate the remaining service life of the IMA battery so you'd better factor this cost in as expected sooner rather than later.

The Insight's limited production and discontinuation of sales (new) in Canada can make for some long delays in parts availability. From a total cost per mile in capital and operating expense the lowest cost Honda model is a Civic (unless gasoline cost continues to climb). The Civic Hx model is capable of 10%+ better MPG than a standard version when driven in the hyper MPG style. I own both an Insight and 00 Civic Hx.

If you haven't already I'd check out the posts in this link (and the sub links) here:

What to look for when buying used?
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=3814


HTH!

Edit - CA = Canada, Thanks Billy

 

[ElectricTroy]

I need some advice, I travel about 4500 Km a month for work. I currently drive a 92 Honda civic dx with 298,000 Km on it and get about 500 Km city/highway on a tank of fuel at $34.00 cdn.

What is your GOAL? Is your goal to >save money<?

- If yes, then keep the car you have now, because it's cheaper to maintain an already existing car, then to spend CAN$$$25,000 on a new one. Keeping the old car will save you more money.

- If yes, maybe a used car would be cheaper? You can get some high-mileage Civics (40+ mpg) for about $10,000.

- If no, then ignore this advice.

 

[trunkout]

seriously

your asking an Insight Forum (who live love and breathe insight) if you should buy one?

wonder what that answers gonna be?

:roll: :lol: :shock:

 

[Riley_Chase]

I, too, am looking at buying a Honda Insight. From my opinion (and I suppose financial standpoint), it does not make economical sense to buy one new IF a person is looking to save money due to the initial depreciation that comes with any new car. However, from researching KBB values it appears that older models are holding their values very well, and the biggest initial drop for a used Insight comes when it goes out of warranty due to mileage.

[moderator edit]

Thanks for all your help and advice. I hope to see you all on the road soon!

 

[Getshocked.ca]

I forgot to ask earlier, Is your 92 Civic causing any real problems??? My uncle's 86 Honda Accord got over 500,000km original before it rusted out. Personally if i was doing 4k a month I would want an older "Mile Piler" car instead of a new one, especially since those older civics are easy to fix and still effecient

 

[rusty41251]

If you are a pilot, a techie, or like something other than a plain vanilla ride, even better.
.

As a pilot myself, have you found a lot of pilots on this site? I guess we do like technology. Although I do fly a 1937 Cub also, as I like simple things also.

 

[b1shmu63]

I would guess that there are quite a few on this forum. I have noted several posts by pilot members.

Pilots understand the idea of carrying a reasonable payload. They are used to aluminum construction and aerodynamic design. The Insight ride feels more like a small aircraft than any other car.

I did basic flight training with a view to building a kit plane. When it became evident that it was not going to happen, I chose an Insight so I could dream of flight while flying at ground level.

 

[ElectricTroy]

Try a model airplane. You get the same thrill of flight w/o the fear of death.

:lol:

 

[b1shmu63]

Thanks. I never had success with them. Perhaps the world is safer for my not flying a plane. :roll:

 

[Berk]

pilot's choice:

If you are a pilot, a techie, or like something other than a plain vanilla ride, even better.

Yep.
Next to my ol' four-place '59 Cessna, my two-place '00 Insight is easily my favorite machine in my livery, and my 2nd choice for fun, practical, & unusual, transportation.
Enjoy, Berk

 

[ElectricTroy]

Thanks. I never had success with them. Perhaps the world is safer for my not flying a plane. :roll:

The the computer simulator RealFlight. It feels just like the real thing, has several dozen planes, and won't cost you $300 in lost plane if you crash.

:wink: