[Delta Flyer]

Just realized how much zip this Insight has. My car history:

1974 Civic
1974 Nissan B110 (think it later became the Sentra)
1986 CRX HF
1988 CRX HF
2000 Insight 5-speed

Recently I read an article that the electric assist on hybirds greatly improves acceleration. Thinking about it, this Insight clearly has more get up and go than any of my previous cars. The difference is greater at the lower speeds.

Anyone else notice?

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Well,

Your not exactly compairing it to any muscle car.

I too had a CRX HF (91) and the Insight by far outperforms it.

John K. Bullock
aka. Insightful Trekker

 

[Delta Flyer]

When Honda built the CRX from 1984 thru 1992, they had three different types:

- CRX HF 60 hp, 50 mpg
- CRX SI 90 hp, 30 mpg
- CRX with performance somewhere inbetween

The Insight seems to perform at least as well as the midrange CRX with milage better than the CRX HF. That's not bad. I think a number of people were suprized when they found out the Insight responds a little faster than a Ford Escort with an automatic.

 

[fizzixrat]

I think a number of people were suprized when they found out the Insight responds a little faster than a Ford Escort with an automatic.

A little?

My wife took control of my Mercury Tracer (a Ford Escort with the Mercury name plate) last June when we purchased the Insight. Both are automatics. I've dug through the manuals a bit, and the 0-60 time for the Insight with the battery pack drained is about the same as for the Tracer. With full battery assist, the Insight shaves about two and a half to three seconds off.

Oh, I notice the difference all right.

 

[Macwarrior]

Does it perform better than my current 1997 Escort wagon, manual trans? I hope it's either equal or better. That escort has a lot of power (it seems) for such a small car: I can do the 'hundred dollar bill' trick in first and often second gear. Especially when going uphill.

For those who don't know, it's a trick you play in a corvette/porsche/powerful RWD vehicle. You place a hundred dollar bill on the dashboard where it won't slide around, and bet your friend the money that you can get the car to fourth gear (or fifth, sixth, whatever) before he can grab the bill from the dash. Then all you do is rev the engine really high, say go, and slam it into first. If you have enough power he literally won't be able to reach forwards because of the acceleration. Then, every time he tries to reach forwards, you rev it again and slam up to the next gear. Before you know it, you're at fifth and you've kept your money