2000-2006 Honda Insight Hybrid - the 60+ MPG Commute Crusher!

Better Than New

00:00 - INTRO: The 60+ MPG Commute-Crushing Hybrid

If I wanted a used vehicle that gets amazing fuel economy at a far more reasonable price than a used Tesla, I would buy the first hybrid sold in the US. It’s a vehicle that had an amazing EPA fuel economy rating and it’s a car I still geek out over today, in spite of the fact that the earliest examples are more than 20 years old and they’re not exactly fast. In fact, I’d say they’re more… funky. And no, it’s not a Prius, but I’ll tell you what it is and why you might want one in just a moment, so hop in, buckle up and let’s go for a drive!

01:20 - OPEN – Hybrid Technology Offered The Best Fuel Economy In The Early 2000’s

Today it's electric vehicles, but 20+ years ago, if you wanted great fuel economy, you had to get a hybrid. The Prius was the first one to be launched in 1997, but it was a Japan-only model for the first couple of years and it wouldn't come to the US until model year 2000.

02:25 – The 2000 Honda Insight – The First Modern Hybrid Vehicle Available In The US

In spite of Toyota's Prius being the first mass-produced hybrid, Honda beat the Prius to American soil with the introduction of their first Hybrid, the 2-seat Honda Insight. While the Prius had impressive fuel economy, the Insight crushed it with a 61-city and 70-mpg EPA highway MPG rating.

03:35 - 2000-2006 Honda Insight is a more modern interpretation of the 1980s Civic CRX HF

Introduced in 1984 to the US market, the Honda CRX was a sporty, lightweight, front-wheel drive, 2-door hatch back that in its highest horsepower configuration (the CRX Si) offered sports car like performance that could give a comparable year Toyota’s MR2 or Pontiac’s V6 Fiero a run for their money. But in addition to the Si model, Honda also offered an HF or high fuel mileage version of the CRX that was equipped with a more fuel efficient engine and taller gearing to improve fuel economy.

For comparison, the base model 1984 CRX with a 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual transmission has a revised EPA fuel economy rating of 38 city / 48 highway and 41-mpg combined. That’s better highway mileage than the first Prius and matches the combined Prius rating of 41 mpg… without the complication of a hybrid power train. Of course, the CRX was much lighter because it was a smaller 2-seat vehicle, plus it didn’t have to meet model year 2000 crash standards. But still, the fuel economy of the 1.3-liter 1984 CRX was impressive. Fast-forward 16-years and the 2000 Honda Insight Hybrid expanded on those numbers with even more impressive fuel economy.

When first introduced, the EPA rating for the Insight was 61-mpg city / 70-mpg highway and 65 MPG combined. Those numbers were later revised to 49-city/61-highway/53-mpg combined. Yet even the revised EPA fuel economy estimates for the First Generation Honda Insight are impressive by today’s fuel economy standards.

So if that piques your interest, let’s get into why you might want a 2000-2006 First Generation Honda Insight.

05:45 - You Might Want A First-Generation Honda Insight If…

• You want a car that gets amazing fuel economy, especially for a long-distance daily commute, but you don’t want to pay the price required to buy a new or even a used EV with decent driving range between charges.
• You don’t need to carry more than one extra person and a small amount of gear. So the big hold-back on the First Gen Insight for many was seating capacity. It has 2-seats with about 5-cubic feet of space to store items under the rear hatch.
• You’re a tech-loving garage-geek who doesn’t want to be like everyone else, so you are drawn to the idea of owning, driving and maintaining a used hybrid vehicle with eye-opening fuel economy that’s also (arguably) the most collectible hybrid vehicle sold in the US.

07:55 - How Honda Improved Fuel Economy In The First Generation Insight

The Simple Stuff

• Light weight Structure
• Superior Aerodynamics
• Frugal 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine

Other Interesting Stuff

• IMA (Integrated Motor Assist) - an electric motor assists the gas engine during acceleration to reduce fuel use
• Regenerative Braking to recharge the rear-mounted Nickel Hydride Battery
• Auto stop function for city driving
• Electric rack & pinion power steering (no parasitic loss from a belt drive)
• Low rolling resistance tires

11:25 - First Generation Honda Insight Performance

• 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine makes 67-hp and 66-lb.ft. of torque (not much)
• IMA electric engine adds another 6-hp and 25-lb.ft. of torque under moderate to heavy acceleration.
• IMA + Gas engine combine to deliver 73-hp and 91-lb.ft of torque
• May not seem like much, but with only 1856-lbs of car to motivate, the Insight is reasonably quick for a commuter car with excellent fuel economy

12:05 - Motorweek tested a 2000 Honda Insight:

• 0-60 mph in 11.2 sec
• Quarter Mile in 18.1-sec @ 75-mph
• Disc front/drum rear brakes with ABS stop the car in 120-ft average from 60 mph
• Handling on the slalom course was predictable, but Motorweek found the skinny, low-rolling resistance tires didn’t provide much grip.
• Still, the Insight was confident and stable in spite of the lack of tire grip.

13:05 - Not a Penalty Box For Driver & Passenger

• Nicely laid out dash with digital instrumentation
• Meaty Honda S2000-like sport steering wheel is unexpected, but welcome.
• Simple, but attractive manually adjustable bucket seats
• Includes AM/FM Cassette stereo, power windows, door locks and mirrors
• Options: Air conditioning and CD changer

14:05 - Issue To Watch For And Problem Areas

BIG ISSUES

• IMA battery is toast - $2500 or more to replace (Bumblebee is $2350 + ship/tax)
• Manual cars can have worn 2nd gear transmission synchros
• Paint can become oxidized and nasty looking over time if not stored indoors
• High mile examples may need a catalytic converter

NIGGLING ISSUES

• Driver window auto-down function stops working
• Broken rear latch for the hatch back.
• Door seals can develop leaks over time (wet seat belts)
• Missing or broken aero panels on the underside
• Missing side skirts over the rear wheels

RAVAGES OF TIME

• Shocks and motor mounts can wear out
• Driven in the rust belt? Check for rusty brake or fuel lines
• Also check for rusty ground straps/battery cables
• Clogged EGR valve can cause drivability issues

20:05 - PRICING

• $1500-$3000 – Beaters only - I say, avoid this level of unless you're sadistic
• $3,000 to $5,000 – Okay, but not great - avoid unless you’re highly motivated
• $6000 to $8000 – You should find good cars at this price level. Some may have minor niggling problems, but the big stuff has been sorted out and fixed
• $8000 to $10,000 - These are low mile, 1-2 owner, excellent condition vehicles.
• $10,000 or more - These will be the best of the best, and you will typically find these listed on auction sites like BringaTrailer.com, Ebay, etc.

26:00 - What To Look For In A Great Honda Insight

• Only 1-2 owners over the life of the vehicle
• Low miles (50K to 100K)
• All the big issues listed earlier work or have been sorted
• All the parts that make the Insight get great fuel economy are present
• Get the manual transmission, not the CVT.
• It will be more fun to drive in the long run with the manual transmission
• it will be worth more in the long run with the manual transmission
• Be patient! Wait for something great to come along.
• Consider searching over a much wider area (multi-state or nationwide)
• Buy/Fly/Drive home if you can

29:30 - WRAP

For those of you with a long-distance daily commute who want something interesting to drive that’s still frugal, check out the 2000-2006 Honda Insight Hybrid. It’s a 2-door, 2-seat coupe that evokes some of the looks and fun-to-drive dynamics of the early Honda CRX, while also delivering exceptional fuel economy. For a long-distance daily driving geek who doesn’t want to spend too much, this might be the perfect car.

Relevant Links:

Bumblebee Batteries IMA Install video for their replacement battery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i57mLqZyxx4

It is about 20-minutes long, but it shows you the replacement process in detail, so worth a look if you are into the whole DIY thing with your First Gen Honda Insight