Possibly trading the Civic in for an Inisght...your thoughts?? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

pumafeet10 · 09-01-2009, 09:42 PM

So every other week or so I contemplate trading my 2000 Civic hatchback with 72k miles, getting about 64mpg for a 2000 Honda Insight.

The insight has 169k miles, power everything, ac and pretty much all options, which would be a nice step up from my civic. I have been searching the insight forums but wanted to see what everyone's opinion is about this situation.

The insight seems to be in good shape appearance wise but mechanically i am not really familiar with the insight and its hybrid drive train.

I know there are issues with the battery pack going out or something to that affect, and some issues with the egr but other then that its a Honda.

I think I can get a pretty much even trade for the car, as soon as i get mine fixed up a weeee bit.

Any help would be appreciated!

SVOboy · 09-01-2009, 09:48 PM

I'd do it

RobertSmalls · 09-01-2009, 10:08 PM

So would I, but it's not a cost-saving measure. If you're already getting 64mpg, you're spending very little on gas and you don't stand to save much money there. If you're willing to spend more on car parts, and you're okay with having to rent a pickup truck from the hardware store just a little bit more often, and you need/want the most fuel efficient car out there, then by all means, buy it!

pumafeet10 · 09-01-2009, 11:12 PM

yeah i am doing well as is but i figured if i could get a car that will get even better mileage, im thinking mid 80's at the minimum and give me more creature comforts at the same time i really can't complain.

oh and the pick up truck...My dad has an 85 toyota pick up that is at my beckon call whenever we need.

MetroMPG · 09-01-2009, 11:19 PM

If you're getting 60's in a regular Civic, it stands to reason you're probably skilled enough to get silly numbers from an Insight - 80's sound reasonable.

But Robert's right - the financial difference between 60's MPG and 80's MPG is pretty small. Run the numbers (volume of fuel per month/year for each) and you'll see.

That said, if you want one of the most efficient cars on the market, the manual shift 1st gen Insight is hard to beat - high (efficiency) performance. Make sure the battery pack is healthy and go for it!

jamesqf · 09-01-2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumafeet10

...thinking mid 80's at the minimum and give me more creature comforts at the same time...

I wouldn't count on mid-80s as an average from the Insight - though if you can get in the 60s with your Civic, you might be able to do it. I've only averaged 71.2 with mine (over 6 years and about 85K miles), but that includes mostly driving in the Sierras & the Nevada desert.

First thing to ask is whether it's manual or CVT. The manual should get much better mpg, since it has the lean burn.

pumafeet10 · 09-02-2009, 12:18 AM

the car is a 2000 and is a manual trans, so ill be good to go there. I was thinking with the low vehicle weight, aero improvemants, and hybrid drive train i could def do 80 actually if i didn't id be pissed!

About the battery how do i make sure all of that associated equipment is in good shape for the long haul?

jamesqf · 09-02-2009, 01:51 PM

There isn't really a good way. The "associated equipment" is all electronics, and so doesn't really wear out. (And if something does break, a replacement can generally be found by checking wrecking yards online.) For the battery, the thing to check for is recals, which are when a battery that indicated full (or part full) charge suddenly drops to zero. You can do a sort of quick & dirty test for this, by putting the car in a situation where it draws a good bit of assist for a long time, such as climbing a mountain road. If it drops gradually for a bit, then suddenly, the battery is somewhat weak.

You can still drive the car acceptably with a battery like this, especially if (as I see you probably do) you drive mostly in flatter country. If you're willing to tinker, you can also do pack rebalancing, or replace the few weak strings that (often) cause the problem. You can find a whole bunch more info here: Is it too late? I think not if we act now - MIMA Honda Insight Modified Integrated Motor Assist

pumafeet10 · 09-02-2009, 03:06 PM

thanks, that was really what i was looking for as far as an answer! I knew mechanically speaking nothing really broke but like anything battery powered cells go bad and cause problems!

I figured i should make a goal with my car I have now and right now i really don't think it would be reasonable for me to do what I would ideally like to do so...

Why not go with a somewhat better set up