Saw a 2010 Honda Insight today

Saw a 2010 Honda Insight today

by Liv | Published on September 6th, 2008, 8:22 am | Sports

: insightconcept001400yq5.jpg (9.22 KiB) Viewed 4103 times

I found this curious. Take a real good look, not it's not a Toyota Prius, it's a Honda. Despite Honda already having a hybrid, they've decided to resurrect the defunct insight as a Prius clone.

“The name Insight was chosen to denote Honda’s ’insight’ into a new era in which hybrid vehicles come within reach of most car buyers,”

The original insight in 99' was also a hybrid, but failed miserably. A couple things that make this interesting. One is our previous discussion about America's need to have a "unique" looking vehicle in order to set themselves apart on the road. As to say it's not so much the technology or the gas mileage but the "clothes their cars wear"... but we all knew this from the Hummer.

The other interesting thing to denote is the fact that Honda's new insight isn't so far off from another car we caught in London that we can't get over here, the Honda Type R, and personally the Prius has always reminded me of an evolved CRX. So whose copying who, I'm not sure.

Tokyo-based Honda, Japan’s No. 2 automaker, will show a “concept model” of the Insight at the Paris Motor Show next month, Honda said in a statement Thursday.

Car mnufacturers are worse than politicians for trying to look like each other while shouting how different they are.

You used to be able to identify the stable a car came from, even if you'd never seen it before. Now if you took the badges off you wouldn't stand a chance.

I've thought for many years that eventually all cars will look exactly alike as aerodynmanics play such a large role in attaining higher MPG no matter what fuel or type of power train. After all, there is only 1 perfect aerodynmanic shape and all car makers will be forced by economics to try to create that perfect shape.

I've had one of the original Insights for 7 years now. I've been very happy with it at every step of the way... though it now won't be long before I have to replace the booster battery. I asked the folks at my Honda dealer -- it's about $3k. Still, for 62 MPG, it ain't too bad a car.

.

Billy The Blogging Poet wrote:I've thought for many years that eventually all cars will look exactly alike as aerodynmanics play such a large role in attaining higher MPG no matter what fuel or type of power train. After all, there is only 1 perfect aerodynmanic shape and all car makers will be forced by economics to try to create that perfect shape.

You might think so, but there really is no 'perfect shape'. All design is about seeking a resolution of sometimes conflicting goals - otherwise we'd only have one kind of fish.

Even if low drag is the only goal there are many wildly different shapes with similar coefficients. One shape may be more efficient at high speed whereas another may be better at low speeds.

A sphere has a Cd of 0.07 at low velocities and 0.5 when separation occurs and a turbulent wake is formed

Liv wrote:The other interesting thing to denote is the fact that Honda's new insight isn't so far off from another car we caught in London that we can't get over here, the Honda Type R,

The Type R is a sports racing package for several Honda models. Honda made a Civic, Integra, Accord and NSX Type R -although the Integra and NSX Type R's were disco'd in 2005.

The Honda Clarity is rather interesting. Available for lease only at $600/month, it's a hydrogen powered fuel cell vehicle. It's only available in Southern California, presumably because without hydrogen it will be useless elsewhere. Honda are working on a home hydrogen generator.

Went for my usual lunch walk in the pollen-laden air (I hate this time of year...) and strolled through the parking lot of the nearby Honda dealer. They had several of the new 5-door Insights on the lot.

I gotta say -- that was one NICE-looking car. And the sticker on the window said the white one I looked at would cost me $22k.

Which I find interesting because that's LESS than what I paid for my 2-seat Insight in 2001. Supposedly, the mileage for this car is 40 mpg in the city. The EPA estimate for my 2001 Insight was 55... but I have managed 60 consistently during warm weather, so I bet I could get these new puppies up to 45 without too much trouble. 50 if I could get a 5-speed tranny.

Too bad I don't need a new car these days... :cry:

I love the new insights... I'd buy one over a Prius just based on looks... harks back to the CRX days... I love those.

Liv wrote:I love the new insights... I'd buy one over a Prius just based on looks... harks back to the CRX days... I love those.

Yeah, my car is pretty much a streamlined CRX with a 3-cylinder engine. And a 6-cd sound system.

I loves it.

I saw a few of them on the lot at Leith Autopark in Cary last week. They look pretty sharp.

I remember back when I was in college we had to put together a marketing campaign for the then soon-to-be-released Honda Insight (the original version) for a marketing class project. I remember that it was mentioned that Toyota was also going to be release a hybrid car in the near future as well. Funny how things have played out over the past 10 years....

I think I may still have a copy of the paper from the project somewhere. I don't think we considered the amount of smug that would be in the air once these hybrids caught on. :roll:

Pineview Style wrote:Funny how things have played out over the past 10 years...

Funny indeed. I recall learning about hybrids back in 1998, as the first Insights were starting to roll into America. I had long before decided that I would always prefer the highest-mileage car I could afford, because I was concerned about the consumption of non-renewable resources. Worries about global warming were there, perhaps, but I basically thought that burning in seconds something that was obviously finite in supply and would take nature millions of years to replace was not an deal situation. So minimizing its use was a pretty good idea.

Obviously, I was in a serious minority among my fellow Americans. Because the sales of Hummers kept right on going up, and Insights were discontinued a few years after I bought mine.

Even now, while the "green" movement is getting pushed pretty hard, hybrids -- even those that are seriously meant to stretch fuel as far as possible -- are something of a hard sell for a lot of folks. :think:

Well, you know how I stand on the whole thing... It's laughable when Chrysler is re-releasing their NEV as some new vehicle called the peapod when there has been similar priced vehicles out for years which I feel offer more to the consumer.

The first company to deliver a diesel plugable hybrid will win the game in my opinion.

As much as I, and many know that EVs would be useful for 90% of americans doesn't mean a darn thing if people aren't going to buy them. In the minds of Americans it has to be able to go coast to coast... even if most people won't ever do it... That's the bench mark.

With VW's Diesels getting 65MPG just a few years ago (with minor CA smog issues).... and then adding a hybrid drive in there.... I don't see why there couldn't be a revolution in the industry....

Once we got everyone plugging, and rarely using petrol... we can switch to a bio diesel.

It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more. via

Liv wrote:
It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more. via

LOL! Sanjuro sent me that link the other day. SUCH a hoot!

I know that some folks can be just as snooty about cars as they are about wine. But -- I knows what I likes, and if I ever need a new car, this one will be on the short list to consider.

Liv wrote:The first company to deliver a diesel plugable hybrid will win the game in my opinion.
...
With VW's Diesels getting 65MPG just a few years ago (with minor CA smog issues).... and then adding a hybrid drive in there.... I don't see why there couldn't be a revolution in the industry....

Once we got everyone plugging, and rarely using petrol... we can switch to a bio diesel.

I'm not a fan of hybrids, simply because they are not yet good enough, the fuel consumption is too high once you get out of town. Pure electric vehicles suffer from the time consuming recharge so until we get hydrogen fuel cell vehicles it's either an efficient gas engine or a biodiesel.

I agree that bio diesel has a lot going for it, although there is probably a reason they are not used in hybrids. Honda and Toyota have small diesels which they sell in Europe. However I nearly bought a VW Jetta TDI. It drives beautifully with masses of low end torque, is comfortable and quiet. The only reason I didn't is that I really wanted the AWD I get with the Subaru. Subaru have a diesel but it's only sold in Europe, since it doesn't meet the ultra low diesel emission rules in California. VW have an AWD system but not for sale in North America. I like the Audi A4 - but again no diesel in North America. To get an Audi TDI Quattro you have to go to the Q7 which is twice what my Subaru cost and the fuel consumption is worse.

It's really frustrating when you know the car you want is made but you can't buy it.

I know what you mean... I suppose up by you AWD is a necessity....

It's funny down here VW is running ads against the hybrids playing towards the rational mind of more MPG beating the "cool" factor of a hybrid.

Having driven both, I'd say the Jetta TDI is so far ahead of any of the hybrids that it's just no contest.

Ford do some decent diesel cars too... with great MPG.

Alas, they're also not available in the US market. I guess America hates diesel.

Mark.

This has to be one of my favorite reviews ever...

The 2010 Honda Insight

Much has been written about the Insight, Honda’s new low-priced hybrid. We’ve been told how much carbon dioxide it produces, how its dashboard encourages frugal driving by glowing green when you’re easy on the throttle and how it is the dawn of all things. The beginning of days.

So far, though, you have not been told what it’s like as a car; as a tool for moving you, your friends and your things from place to place.

So here goes. It’s terrible. Biblically terrible. Possibly the worst new car money can buy. It’s the first car I’ve ever considered crashing into a tree, on purpose, so I didn’t have to drive it any more.

The biggest problem, and it’s taken me a while to work this out, because all the other problems are so vast and so cancerous, is the gearbox

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/drivin ... 294116.ece

Liv already posted that link. May 28th, 2009, 7:30 am

Liv already posted that link.

SouthernFriedInfidel wrote:Liv already posted that link.

Well thats what I get for skimming. :lol: