Honda Insight 1st Gen
Few vehicles match the economy of he IMA 997cc Honda insight from the 1st generation. feeling somewhat underpowered but frugal is what you get.
Ifound the low rolling resistance tires added tothe eco numbers but had a very low mileage expectations before requiring replacement. Cruising long didtances I wondered about a good programmable cruise control to allow variables like deccelerating to an adjustable speed when navigating a hill. I also had my reservations about being stuck with the auto transmission. I felt that the CVT should have an adjustment to tweek the ratio slightly to get a higher ratio when traveling at cruise speed and lowering the RPMs slightly. The factory drag coefficient was reported to be the lowest of any production vehicle. Some enthusiasts removed excessive weight by removing anything and everything imaginable. The lean seats were somewhat uncomfortable on long rides. for all the design work, hiding the wipers should have been a no brainer. I took it on several long trips from LV>Houston TX and found excellent mileage numbers. on my return trip thru NM I got a whopping 65MPG going on an uphill climb. It was night and had to have been a good tailwind. Overall i sold it with an average of 53MPG. I never really tried to master the highest economy at all times. Wish i hadn't trade it for the 2010Insight that fit a more traditional design but sadly retracted from the higher ratings of its predecessor. A soft top, interior gutting, electric motor with internal upgrades and a lithium battery pack coupled with an irradiant paint schema and all LEDlighting would've made a great SEMA entrant, oh yeah and an incremental drop kit on the fly would make it much more cooler beyond the rear fender skirts.
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