Gasoline isn't as expensive as it was in 2008, but the cost of fuel is still an important consideration when choosing a new car or truck. Pollution and other factors may also influence one's decision, and these are the main reasons for the upswing in the popularity of hybrid vehicles. I have driven a few hybrids and found some certainly better than others, both in styling and in performance. One I have driven and liked very much is the 2010 Honda Insight, a stylish compact car.

Vehicle Facts:

The 2010 Honda Insight utilizes hybrid technology and is offered in two trim levels: LX and EX.  The LX version of the 2010 Honda Insight is the base model, offering the minimum features, options, and bells & whistles that one would expect in a new car. The EX model takes the LX base model and adds additional stereo speakers, USB interface, Vehicle Stability Assist with traction control, and 15- inch alloy wheels. There is also an enhanced version of the EX that adds satellite navigation with voice recognition, Bluetooth hands- free for electronic safety, and steering- wheel mounted controls for audio, navigation, and phone. From the outside, these three different versions of the 2010 Honda Insight basically look the same. The differences only become noticeable when examining the interior.

All of the 2010 Honda Insight models are hybrids, powered by a combination of unleaded gasoline and Nickel- Metal Hydride batteries. The hybrid technology works in a manner similar to other hybrids; sharing the powering of the vehicle between battery and gasoline, avoiding gasoline when it isn't necessary, recharging the batteries during ordinary braking, etc. In addition, the 2010 Honda Insight has an economy assist option that improves efficiences even more.  By using this option, the gasoline engine will shut itself off when coming to a stop so that fuel is conserved to the maximum possible extent.

The 2010 Honda Insight utilizes a 1.3 liter i-VTECH engine with continuously variable transmission. The fuel efficiency of this vehicle is approximately 40 miles per gallon in the city and 43 miles per gallon on the highway. The base price of the 2010 Honda Insight ranges from approximately $20,000 for the LX model to about $23,000 for the EX with Navigation package.

Final Thoughts:

Pumping gasoline was getting annoying, and I planned to ditch my Ford Explorer as soon as I made up my mind on a new vehicle. I have been ready to take the plunge into newer technologies that offered better fuel efficiency for some time now. I didn't care so much about fuel efficiency in the past, mainly because my commute back and forth to work was too short to make much difference. But today, I find myself living in a large city where work commutes of thirty or more miles each way are not uncommon. With an SUV that averages only about 17 miles per gallon, I was forced to fill up my tank every six days. I could visibly see the needle on the gas guage drop when I went to and from work, and the constant need to monitor gasoline and make sure I had enough to make it through the week was adding stress on top of stress.

For the reasons stated above, I decided the time was right to eliminate my Ford Explorer and stop surrendering such a large portion of my take home pay to the Exxon's, Mobil's, CITGO's, and Valero's of the world. I checked out a few hybrids and non- hybrids and my final choice for purchase was the 2010 Honda Insight. I found enough positive qualities, along with a more than fair price (not to mention persuasion from my wife), to convince me that this vehicle was the one for our household. Other vehicles were included on my short list of vehicles to consider, but the 2010 Honda Insight was the vehicle I selected.

What about the 2010 Honda Insight convinced me to add this new vehicle to my list of personal assets? Well, there are several good reasons that convinced me to choose the 2010 Honda Insight instead of another hybrid or even a non- hybrid. Let's start with appearance. Comparing to other hybrids at this price level, the 2010 Honda Insight looks sportier on the outside.  The aerodynamic design makes the 2010 Honda Insight easier on the eyes than some of the other hybrids, like the Toyota Prius. In fact, the appearance of the Toyota Prius was one of its greatest faults, in my opinion. I just couldn't see myself driving around in something so juvenile looking. The 2010 Honda Insight, however, has a much nicer, sleeker, more stylish appearance. I have seen some other model years of the Honda Insight that were not so attractive on the outside, mainly due to the covering that extended down over the wheels. This was meant to improve fuel efficiency, but it didn't look good at all. This unattractive feature has been eliminated with the 2010 Honda Insight and all four wheels are now in full view.

When I was considering purchasing a hybrid, probably my greatest concern was the driving experience. I knew well that the engine in the 2010 Honda Insight was quite small- much smaller than any other vehicle I have ever owned or operated- and I was worried about the acceleration more than anything. My experience so far has shown that the acceleration, while certainly not powerful, is better than I expected. The gasoline engine produces only 88 horsepower and the batteries contribute another 13 horsepower, for a total of 101 HP. This isn't much, but it's enough to provide adequate acceleration for a vehicle this size. I have noticed, however, that drivers are much more likely to grow impatient with me and make a quick pass on the freeway, rather than wait for my vehicle to reach highway speed. I didn't have this issue with my Ford Explorer, but I also wasn't getting 40+ miles per gallon.

One of the interesting features with the 2010 Honda Insight is its economy option. As if the vehicle wasn't already fuel- efficient enough, there is also an Economy option that is turned on and off with the press of a button. As a habit, I tend to use this feature more often than not because I figure it is worth it to see if I can stretch my fuel efficiency to the absolute limit. And from my own tests, I have found that this feature adds another three or four miles per gallon. What happens when you're using the Economy option? Well, the 2010 Honda Insight tries its best to conserve your fuel by shutting off the gasoline component of the engine completely when you come to a stop. You can visibly see the RPM hit zero as you sit there at the traffic light or stop sign, along with the flashing words "Auto Stop" to indicate that you are using this special driving mode. This is certainly good, because it means you don't waste gasoline when sitting idle for a long period of time. But there has to be a drawback to this, right? The answer is yes, there is. When using the Economy option, the air conditioning also shuts off. As long as the wait is brief, this shouldn't be a problem, but in the intense heat of summer, it may be necessary to shutoff the Economy option and settle for gasoline efficiency in the 40 to 45 miles per gallon range.

The 2010 Honda Insight handles well and it shifts from battery to gasoline and back in a smooth fashion. However, if the Economy option is being used, don't be surprised if the car feels like it is "sputtering" when you start to accelerate. The reason is because, when in Auto- Stop, the gasoline engine is shut down. When you let your foot off the brake, the gasoline engine returns and depending on how quickly you press the accelerator, the vehicle will produce a noticeable sputter. Not only that, but when you are in Auto- Stop mode and lift your foot from the brake, it will sometimes drift backward just a little- similar to a vehicle with manual tramsmission. You have to be relatively quick when you transfer from brake to accelerator to minimize this annoyance. Also, keep in mind that this only happens when using the Economy option. When using the regular driving option, this problem doesn't exist.

To help the driver improve efficiency (a common theme with this vehicle!), the 2010 Honda Insight has a  color- coded system that teaches you to drive better than before. Your speed is indicated in a digital display that is easily viewable, located above the steering wheel. Surrounding your speed you will notice green and blue lights. When the lights are dark blue, you are pressing the accelerator hard and thus not using fuel very efficiently. As you let off the accelerator, the lights turn lighter blue and eventually turn green, indicating that you are driving the best way possible for fuel efficiency. Once you get the hang of this, you will find yourself driving better without even trying. Instinctively, I now find myself pressing the accelerator more gradually, minimizing the amount of "blue" that I see in the display panel.  There is another reason to avoid quick acceleration: The noise level. The 2010 Honda Insight lets you know what a difficult time it is having as you try to accelerate quickly. It almost sounds like the engine is having problems and this instinctively convinces one to let go of the accelerator and avoidn pressing too hard, too fast.

Looking at some of the other features of the 2010 Honda Insight, I like most of what I see, but there are a few things I wish were different- even if they are minor. One is the fact that there is no center console. The lack of a center console means there is no place to store CD's and no place to rest your right arm as you drive.  Also, with the CD's, you have a small space to store about four or five in the open space beneath the radio, in front of where a center console would normally be found. Any other CD's will need to be stored in the glove compartment.  The other problem I have is with the rear- view. Because this vehicle is a hatch back and is aerodynamic, it has a large, slanted back window. This is fine, but there is also a section of window underneath the large window, with a bar in- between. When you look in the rear- view mirror, your view of the cars behind you is broken in two by this bar. This is a little more important than the other minor flaws I mentioned above, but I found that I was able to get used to this in due time. At first, I found this a great annoyance and couldn't figure out why the 2010 Honda Insight wasn't manufactured better than this. But after a few days of use, I found that it no longer mattered. Because it is placed low in your view, it really doesn't interfere much at all.  

Overall, the 2010 Honda Insight is an excellent vehicle for fuel efficiency and it offers a sportier, more stylish design compared to other hybrids in the below $25,000 price range. The interior is a little tight and the acceleration isn't as good as your favorite sports car. But for fuel efficiency in the 40 to 45 range or better, the 2010 Honda Insight is the right car for me. I have cut my fuel usage by 40 gallons per month (about $95 monthly, at current prices) and have learned to drive more efficiently, thanks to the built- in system that teaches you how to drive better. It adds up to a great buying decision that has already paid dividends in the form of lower fuel usage and less pollution. 
Amount Paid (US$): 20500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2009
Model and Options: LX