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Old 01-09-2021, 12:29 AM   #13 (permalink)
Ecky
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New Zealand
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ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
90 day: 39.72 mpg (US)

Oxygen Blue - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 58.53 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Isaac Zachary View Post
The 1st gen Honda Insight is definitely a car to take into consideration. But I don't know much about their pricing or reliability. But the OP said he wanted a car from around 2015 or 2016, which if he's set on that puts the 1st gen Insight out of the picture.

I also understand that the 2011 and 2012 Nissan Leafs also have at least some aluminum paneling. Those actually wouldn't be a bad choice for Oklahoma if they've had the battery replaced and you can keep the car cool.

Of course the newer Ford F-150's and Chevy Silverados also have aluminum body paneling and can carry quite a bit of lumber, but probably won't get as good as fuel mileage as an Insight.
G1 Insights have a few things that commonly go wrong, but the engine and transmission are often seen to last 4-600,000 miles, the car can be driven without the hybrid battery, and they're almost entirely aluminum - the only things that aren't are stuff like bolts, brake lines and driveshafts. One can also find them under $1000 fairly early, but it's definitely not a car I would recommend to a non-enthusiast. Little "fixes" for "quirks" are easy enough to DIY but would be thousands from a dealership, if you can find one that actually knows how to work on these cars.
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