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I passed on a $10,000 2003ish insight in 2010, I'm glad I did because I got a 2006 $14500 prius instead, that car has been very reliable and tons of fun to drive and I was able to pass it onto the wife and get her hooked on driving an economical car. She's now onto a brand new 2013 prius and I got a 2000 insight off of metrompg for $3800. It's high millage but after everything I've learned those tend to be the better cars because the hybrid system does not like to sit unused and with them being so well built why pay the premium for a low millage car if it doesn't mean much?
I would also say the Honda 10year warantee is not worth the extra that sellers of newer cars will ask. I think you're better off with an older car that is at least $2000 less. Put that part of the budget away to save for a new non honda battery which are higher capacity and built with more modern batteries. I've already factored one into the budget within the next 2 years.
From my observation there are more people getting high millage in 2000s. This could be many factors such as hypermillers in the know grabbing the cheaper older cars then driving them better. However I did read a post that I can't find now on insight central about the battery control, BCM and motor control, MCM on earlier cars giving higher MPG. Also the honda civic lawsuit about poor MPG mentioned an update by honda that changed the programing to use less electricity and more gas to extend the battery life. I'm not sure if any of those issues in the civic resulted in later year insights having different programing.
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