[PlaneJob]

OKOK, Here I am minding my own business, getting ready to buy a new 2003 VW TDI (another fuel mizer) when I stumble upon not one but TWO used Insights for sale.

#1 is Silver,2002, with Factory Air and a CVT. It also has a 'd' and 's' button on the side of the steering wheel - what's that? it has 21000 miles and has a lifetime MPG of 35. It shakes a little at idle and needs an alignment and the front wheel sbalanced. This car has obviously been U-S-E-D.

#2 is Vomit Comet Green, don't know the year, Factory Air, 5spd. It has 32000 miles on it and a lifetime MPG of 48. It shakes a little at idle, but not as much as #1.

Both are fleet cars that are coming out of motor pools.

---What kind of price is reasonable for each?

---Vomit Comet Green - What years was it offered in?

---Can the shaking at idle be normal or is that an EGR symptom?

---What are the D and S on the wheel, also an 'S' lights on the dash when 's' is pushed, and extinguishes when 'D' is pushed, no 'd' lights ever.


---Is there a way to rest the 'lifetime' MPG?? I don't want to be showing off my new car and have somebody ask why it only get 35mpg - that would suck ***.

--- both cars are in clean shape.


I love the way the car drives. i had the CVT up to 92 on the test drive and had to back out of it because the front wheel balance became an issue. (while going 92 I was averaging 38-40mpg - how did the hacks using this thing get the lifetime down to 35?????????????)

Are there many modifications you can do to these cars? I really enjoy technical modifications that improve stuff, instead of looking cool, or at least what the other kiddies my age call cool.

I once taped up the front of my 86 VW Jetta Diesel when going on an 800 mile trip to see if I could get better fuel mileage - lol - it worked - and generated lots of attention

So, can I get nifty cool parts to add to the car, or is this an 'as-is' deal?

Thanks for any help on this stuff. I really want a 5spd, but I hate the green almost enough to buy an automatic. What do you recommend?

Oh, and it will be used for daily commute of 50 miles and weekend trips of about 400 miles twice monthly.

Thanks in advance. Forrest

 

[Billy]

Hello Mr. Plane: The green one is better, but you should purchase neither. This is because you strongly dislike the color of one, and you do not like the CVT transmission of the other. Do not compromise; only buy what you will be pleased with. First of all, you must decide if maximum mpg is your highest priority. If so, get an Insight 5-speed for sure. It will deliver far better (about 15mpg) fuel economy that the CVT on the freeway. I would suggest that you take some more time, use patience, and buy a 5-speed in a color you like. You can look on E-bay motors.com, auto trader, and several other places. Also, Ricky Suiter from Glendale, AZ usually can find a used one. Good luck, Billy....

 

[Delta Flyer]

If I got either one, it would be the 5-speed, but as Billy said you can probably wait for a third Insight even better.

You made not distinction on which or both cars had a lifetime of 35 mpg, but that's a big red flag these cars were abused. I'd have to work hard on my Domino's pizza delivery driving to dip to 45 mpg, so what does 35 mpg mean? I'm picturing a history of drivers that mistakely thought these Insights were a Porsche.

If you ever find out how to reset the lifetime mpg, most of us would be very interested in knowing. I started out around 48 mpg. At almost 50,000 miles, it's 55.9. I'd love to reset it two months ago, because it would probably read 65 mpg.

 

[Guest]

Go for the green one, I've got one, it was the only one around at the time & I wasn't sure aboutit either. I have now grown to love the coulor, very distinctive.

IMHO I would never touch a CVT or Auto, can't stand 'em.

 

[Tim Maddux]

I would consult edmunds.com for a TMV pricing quote. I would as others have noted go lower because the very low MPG on these cars is suspicious.

The green is "Citrus Yellow," it is quite rare, it was only offered in 2000. It is definitely unusual. I kinda wish we had gotten that color just because silver is so common.
http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/faq-ac ... #ModelYear

The 'D' and 'S' lights are performance settings for the CVT transmission. "In D(rive) mode, the upper power band is avoided, resulting in excellent fuel economy. In S(port) mode, the user can redline the engine."
http://www.insightcentral.net/encyclopedia/encvt.html

You can reset the lifetime MPG -- instructions are in the owner's manual.

People have done small tweaks to their cars, which you can read about on the forums here. I haven't done much other than get wider tires. Bear in mind (particularly with the 5spd) that mods (like the tires) can affect the car's ability to maintain lean-burn mode at highway speeds, and thus affect your MPG much more than you might expect (dropping out of lean burn can drop your MPG by 20% or more, from the 70's into the 50's).

Hope this helps, good luck with your decision!

 

[Guillermo]

There is a way to reset the lifetime MPG reading but I don't remmember how.
The Insight idles a little more rough at idle them other cars because the 3 cyclinder engine is not mechanically balanced but the vibrations are cancelled (at least greatly reduced) using the electric motor/generator instead, this saves weight therefore increases efficiency. But if those cars are really rough maybe it needs some maintenance.