Buying a Hatchback!! What should I get???

[Ecky]

G1 Honda Insight.

Admittedly it's a pretty small car, and has no backseats. EPA rated the CVT at 57/56 and the 5MT at 61/68.

[broski499]

Originally Posted by RedDevil

I bought my G2 Insight one year old with under 2k miles (!) for just 15.5k€.
As they are phasing the Insight out, you should be able to get a great deal.

If you are considering a Prius, don't forget about the Insight.

I talked to my mechanic about the insight, honda hybrids in general and he has scene a ton of problems with them. The electric motor not being powerful enough, the battery being too small, a lot of problems with warranty claims.

Sounds like you have had a good experience?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by broski499

I talked to my mechanic about the insight, honda hybrids in general and he has scene a ton of problems with them. The electric motor not being powerful enough, the battery being too small, a lot of problems with warranty claims.

Sounds like you have had a good experience?

Not sure what is meant by the battery being too small. I get about 5 minutes of continuous assist on a full battery, and the electric motor puts out more than 50% of the gas engine's peak torque. How much is the right amount?

Anyway, the battery can be expected to last more than 10 years if you treat it right, and refurbished units will run you $500-$2000 when it's time. It's true that the electric motor is less powerful than in a Prius, but to my knowledge the gen1 Insights have very few problems. Can't speak for the second gen.

I buy secondhand and have never had to deal with warranties, but the 2006 G1 Insights should be covered for a new battery until 2016, if it starts throwing a code.

[ksa8907]

Im not a fan of foreign cars, but if I were to buy a car with mpg being the primary concern, a gen 3 prius is what I would get.

Unfortunately for my wallet, im a typical american male and I seriously want to own an SRT Charger Hellcat in the next 5 years.

[XYZ]

Originally Posted by broski499

I talked to my mechanic about the insight, honda hybrids in general and he has scene a ton of problems with them. The electric motor not being powerful enough, the battery being too small, a lot of problems with warranty claims.

Sounds like you have had a good experience?

In my experience, simpler technology is better and easier on the bank account when something goes wrong. Eventually it will. But then again, whenever I buy a new car I expect it to last forever, or at least as long as possible.

Considering our current progressive culture that relentlessly promotes the idea of "disposable income" and making all products (including vehicles) disposable ASAP, I'm out of step with these current times.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I have seen only one Versa Note when I went to Uruguay to buy the presents for Mother's Day, and it does look good. The current 3rd-generation Fit does look better than its precedessors. Well, I guess I'd get one of those if I were in your position, probably more inclined to the Nissan.

[RedDevil]

Originally Posted by broski499

I talked to my mechanic about the insight, honda hybrids in general and he has scene a ton of problems with them. The electric motor not being powerful enough, the battery being too small, a lot of problems with warranty claims.

Sounds like you have had a good experience?

Yes, and I'm not alone. Year after year the second gen Insight is in the top 5 of reliable small cars.
The only surprising thing there is it being classified as small, it is my biggest car ever, bigger than a Golf, bigger than my Almera.

The hybrid battery is relatively small, but that does not matter. It is not an EV. It does not use the electric motor to reverse, like a Prius. It won't use it below 9 mph. But it does use it to help spin up the CVT drums to make revving easier (one of the drawbacks of conventional cars with CVT) and it helps smooth out the power delivery.
In a 20-30 mph zone it could just decide to go electric for half a mile.

Arguably the Prius is more high-tech, power delivery is (even) smoother and the 3rd gen Prius is more economical than the 2nd gen Insight, thoughthe difference is less than the EPA figures suggest. But the responsiveness of the Insight and the way it corners makes it more pleasant to drive. And it is a lot cheaper.

There are some minor issues, like the weak OEM 12V battery. Mine was replaced under warranty.
The hybrid battery seems solid though, unlike the Civic Hybrid and first gen Insight; confirmed G2 hybrid battery fails are very rare indeed, AFAICT I don't know of any.

[PaleMelanesian]

If you're looking for a hatchback for the cargo space, you must look at the Fit. It's almost magic how big it is inside.

Mirage is good for mpg, but doesn't it only seat 4?

[Daox]

Originally Posted by PaleMelanesian

If you're looking for a hatchback for the cargo space, you must look at the Fit. It's almost magic how big it is inside.

Mirage is good for mpg, but doesn't it only seat 4?

There are 3 seat belts in the back. You couldn't fit 3 large (wide) people back there though.


As for the reliability/durability of it. I think you don't see old Mitsus because there really aren't many of them originally sold. Mitsu is a pretty small OEM as far as car makers go. Their reliability isn't as good as Toyota or Honda, but I wouldn't put them at the bottom of the list either.

[kafer65]

We're lusting after the 2015 Challenger with the newer dash layout. Kinda wanting it with the 8spd auto trans too. Should get close to 30 mpg highway. It would be perfect 1000 pounds lighter with a 2 liter turbo V8 and six speed IMHO. I'd settle for a 3 liter inline six turbo. Outside of the unicorn corral I think the Nissan Versa Notes are way nice looking and guy at work says he's getting around 36 mpg with his. Quite a bit of room inside too. No diss to Mirage. That thing looks to be a mileage machine.