Autobloggreen: 63mpg Honda Insight Sportier Than the Fit. The Seating Position, That Is
“The Honda engineering team wanted something different from the Insight. They wanted a hybrid that was appealing to drive. Fortunately they already had a small car that met that criteria: the Fit. So, naturally, the important dynamic bits of the Fit form the basis of the Insight. The entire front structure of the Insight is in fact common to the Fit. Compared to the Fit, the rear axle has been moved back two inches and the roof has dropped 3.8 inches. Inside, the roof sits two inches closer to the front seat and three inches closer to the rear. That means that occupants in the Insight sit lower to the ground and have a cozier feeling than in the Fit, but the new Insight actually ends up feeling sportier than either the Fit or Prius.” Oh, and ABG achieved a claimed 63.4 mpg.
“After lunch, I headed out to try the efficiency loop. The loop consisted of mostly stop and go driving over varied terrain (up and down hills) with speed limits ranging from 25-55 mph in and around Carefree, Arizona. I stuck to the speed limits and kept a light foot on the throttle and brake pedals. With the speedometer up above the steering wheel, the colored background was easily visible in my peripheral vision. Glancing down to the main efficiency indicator graph helped to optimize my driving style. With all the feedback I was able to achieve 62.2 mpg over the 16-mile loop. A second attempt later in the afternoon, yielded an even better 63.4 mpg.”
More by Robert Farago
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Well fellas, I like the car, even with the Star Trek "new Enterprise" dashboard. Barring an unexpected event, I plan to keep my nearly five-year-old Prius another three years. And as for the comments y'all are making about paying $30,000 for a vehicle to save 5 MPG's. Not all of us hybrid buyers made our purchases to save 5 MPG. We're all human, and we're all unique. There are many VALID reasons for buying the cars we buy. Even if we "just want to", that also is a valid reason. If you disagree with that, then you may not be the gearhead you say you are! However, some of my reasons for this purchase were somewhat more practical, which are no less valid. My Prius is bigger than my old car. I needed cargo carrying capacity, and the Prius gives me that. I wanted to carry people (plural) in comfort. I wanted to have a car that wouldn't need a lot of service, so I finally got wise and bought myself my second "new-car-that-wasn't-a-GM". I just plain wanted a new car with all the gizmos. I wanted all of that, AND I wanted to burn less gas. Note: I did not say "save money." I did not say "get higher MPG's", although this is partly what it's about. I'm not a greenie; I do NOT attend the Church of the Global Warming Fearmongering. No, I just wanted to keep enjoying driving and hauling shit and doing more while burning less gas. I got my money's worth. At least until the government finally takes it all to pay for stuff I couldn't care less about, I am STILL the final authority on MY MONEY and what it's worth. So look before you slam. What you value less, another person may value more. More or less. ;)
A lot of you are forgetting one of the main attractions of this car, and the Fit, as well - the VIN which begins with the coveted "J".
ZoomZoom....I think this is the one hybrid announcement that won't bring out a flood of hate for your car. In fact I'd say that Honda has just given you reason to tell us to shove it and vote with our wallets when we don't like the Prius. Personally, I'm really happy about this, especially the price.
Are we channelling the last-generation Bonneville's dash for a reason?