Expert Reviews from Around the Web
We have scoured the web for expert reviews of this car and found the best ones for you to read. Found 9 reviews. This list is displayed in ranked order based the reviews we think are the best.| Ranking | Details |
|---|---|
| #1 |
2010 honda insight Professional Edmunds ReviewSource: Edmunds...At our test track, the Insight zipped from zero to 60 mph in 10.9 seconds -- a few tenths slower than the Prius, but a substantial 2.6 seconds quicker than the Civic Hybrid. According to Honda, EPA fuel economy ratings are 40 mpg city/43 highway and 41 combined. Safety: All Insights come standard with antilock brakes (front disc/rear drum), front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. However, the base Insight LX lacks stability control and traction control, which come standard on the EX. Interior Design and Special Features: Inside, the 2010 Honda Insight is a distinctive mix of... |
| #2 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Up front, the bucket seats are comfortable, and the ride is better than that of some compacts. Acceleration is sluggish in comparison with gasoline-only compacts such as the Civic, but the Insight has plenty enough zip for routine uphill freeway merges, and it can cruise easily at highway speed limits - and beyond. All in all, this is a good alternative to a subcompact or compact sedan that a consumer might purchase purely for the fuel economy. It's roomier than the subcompacts, has interesting (if not compelling) styling, and can help the family budget considerably if gasoline spikes to $4 a... |
| #3 |
2010 Honda Insight — Flash DriveSource: MSN Autos...Driving efficiently will illuminate the speedometer in green. If you are inefficient, you will generate a blue screen. Pressing the Econ mode will minimize the accelerator response to provide even better gas mileage. I averaged 45.5 mpg in mixed driving conditions, which included driving up numerous hills. However, I was able to get 58 mpg during a 20-mile commute on flat roads by hypermiling, annoying many other drivers in the process (I was tailgated a lot during my fuel-efficiency quest). The Insight is more compact than a Prius, so you can expect a tight back seat for 6-foot-tall adults... |
| #4 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The virtual plants provide bragging rights for the owner, but there is no known nutritional value. With so many eco features on the Insight, it's no wonder the dash feels busier than a kudzu forest. The digital speedometer above the instrument cluster is a bonus feature that takes a little adjusting to. I prefer analog gauges. I don't need to know I'm doing 53 mph when 50-ish seems to be enough for me. This also provides plausible deniability for any state trooper questions such as, "Do you know how fast you were going back there?" While the dash seems overdone with silver plastic trim, the... |
| #5 |
2010 Honda Insight OverviewSource: CarGurus...Honda located the Intelligent Power Unit and ultra-compact battery beneath the Insight's rear cargo floor, which allows the automaker to equip the sedan with a versatile 60/40-split and fold-down rear seat back, so drivers can maximize cargo space.An automatic CVT (continuously variable transmission) completes the Insight's powerplant. The CVT behaves much like a traditional automatic transmission, although it uses a metal push-belt rather than gears to find the most efficient drive ratio. However, the CVT has received mixed reviews at best, with some noting a lack of precise feel and... |
| #6 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...They share the same cloth seats; leather isn't offered. The EX adds features like a center console/armrest, cruise control, and shift paddles and audio buttons on the steering wheel. A navigation system is optional. The backseat accommodates two quite well and three in a pinch. The Insight is only the second hybrid car, along with the Prius, to include a full-folding backseat that extends the cargo area. Under the Hood Like other Honda hybrids, the Insight uses an electric motor to assist in acceleration and to recharge the battery pack when braking or coasting. It drives like any car. Though... |
| #7 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The new Insight gets 40 miles per gallon in the city and 43 miles per gallon on the highway for a combined city/highway mileage of 41.5 miles per gallon. Those numbers give the Prius nearly nine miles per gallon more in combined city/highway mileage rankings. But, considering its pricing and overall quality and performance, I happily would choose the new Insight over the Prius. My road-test crew -- my wife, Mary Anne, and Washington Post associate for vehicle evaluations Ria Manglapus -- join me in that assessment. The three of us deemed the Insight spirited and comfortable enough to take on... |
| #8 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...The placement, however, would just be frustrating for smaller kids who are strapped into child-safety seats. There are also bottleholders in all four doors. Seatback pockets on both seats also provide some storage in the rear. Legroom is fine for little ones, but when I sat back there my knees were up against the front seat. There's plenty of cargo space in the Insight. Costco runs, dogs, even bikes were no problem for this little hybrid. For even more cargo room, the backseat is split 60/40; the seats fold down easily and lay completely flat. There's no under-floor storage, but there is a... |
| #9 |
2010 Honda Insight Professional Cars.com ReviewSource: Cars.com...Nowadays, cruise control costs an automaker practically no hardware and little extra money, but in the Insight the feature requires the EX's more complex steering wheel. The Driving Experience The new generation of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system works on the same principle: An electric motor fixed to the engine's crankshaft helps add acceleration power and serves as a generator to charge the high-voltage battery when coasting or braking. In effect, the Insight can accelerate on electric power alone up to 30 mph — or 50 mph when going downhill — but the crankshaft and... |
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Honda Insight Related News
2012 Honda Insight: 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show
While the Toyota Prius is racking up record sales and is soon to be joined by a plug-in hybrid variant and new Prius V MPV, Honda’s Insight battles on without so much... September 2, 2011 by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
Aero Aluminum Alloy To Compete With Composites, Due In Cars?
Low weight is the golden goose of automotive technology. Everyone wants it because it brings about improvements in virtually all areas - performance, economy, handling - but... June 13, 2011 by Antony Ingram
7 High Tech Options, The Cheapest Cars You'll Find Them In
One of the benefits of the rapid pace of technological advancement is that economies of scale are achieved relatively easily. Sounds boring, but this means that the... May 27, 2011 by Antony Ingram
Mini One D bests Honda Insight with 60mpg
The Mini Cooper isn't the first car you'd associate with the environmental movement, but with its frugal four-cylinder engines and the new Mini E battery-operated version... July 6, 2009 by Marty Padgett 6
GM pitching Volt as sporty, green alternative to Prius, Insight
At first glance, there's very little to differentiate the main contenders for your hybrid sedan dollar - the new Insight looks remarkably like the Prius. For that matter, so... June 29, 2009 by Ralph Hanson
Why should I also consider these?
The new Insight enters a segment of the new-car market long dominated by the Toyota Prius, and only the Prius.
To a lesser degree, the Honda Civic Hybrid has competed with the Prius; unlike the Prius and the new Insight, the Civic Hybrid has essentially the same outward appearance as the mainstream Civic sedan models, but with Honda's IMA hybrid system to yield fuel economy ratings of 40 mpg city, 45 mpg highway.
The 2010 Honda Insight has a similar hybrid system, but the rest of the package is unique, with a versatile hatchback arrangement and a more memorable look that screams "hybrid." Backseat headroom is a bit short in the Insight.
Another alternative is Honda's own Fit, which returns fuel economy in the 30s in normal driving and has an amazingly vast and versatile interior, thanks to the so-called Magic Seat arrangement, along with very crisp, responsive handling.
Those who plan to do a lot of highway driving will also be happy with the Jetta Sportwagen TDI, which gets similar mileage on the highway, in a big, roomy vehicle, albeit with lower numbers in the city.
Then there's the Smart Fortwo, which some might consider alongside the Insight, but the Fortwo is more of a novelty.
It only fits two, parking is a snap, and fuel economy approaches 40 mpg; however, the ride is very choppy, the seats are skimpy, and it's twitchy on the highway.
But stop the presses! The Prius will be completely redesigned for the 2010 model year, adding interior space, safety and luxury features, and improvements to the hybrid system, resulting in even better fuel economy and a more responsive powertrain.
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