Got tired of the bumpy ride. Time for a new ride! (2016 Civic EX-T)

[Ecky]

I have two hybrids and I don't worry about the batteries in either, frankly. My 16 year old Insight has a perfectly healthy hybrid battery that can give partial assist for 15 minutes. The current battery will probably outlast the engine, and if not, the fuel savings alone will pay for a nice lithium pack, even without new car tax.

I was a bit skeptical when you bought a beater Insight with "needs" and a weak battery, though upon consideration I can relate. My Civic has the beginnings of cancer, and I have thought to myself, "never again a steel car". I have some mild anxiety about driving it on salt roads, because every week I can see the rust spread a little further. The truth is, though, that not all steel cars will rust out before they've fulfilled their usefulness, and not all steel cars rust at the same rate. There are plenty of 25 year old cars up here that are cleaner than 5 year old cars, due to owner neglect. The trick is to buy one before the rust really sets in, and take care of it, and ditto for hybrid batteries. Get a healthy one, take care of it, and it'll last a very long time.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Baltothewolf

As soon as smog is up for my insight, I'll just part it out.

Have you never considered an engine swap into the Insight? Due to its shape, it might get some nice mileage even with a conventional driveline as long as the replacement engine is less stressed than the 1.0L stock one.

[Ecky]

There's reportedly a swap with a turbo'd K20 engine (from the Civic type-R) putting out 450hp at the wheels, and an AWD transmission from a CRV, that can still get 50+ mpg cruising on the highway.

[danwat1234]

" I'm tired of always stressing over stupid batteries. "

Erick Belmer owns a Volt that has a bit over 300,000 miles on it with a bit over 100,000 from shore power, no noticeable battery degradation. It's well engineered and you can buy 1 for about $13K. Someone is trying to increase the performance of it (https://www.facebook.com/groups/chev...9494952063128/) Honda's hybrid traction batteries aren't nearly as reliable as the Prius or Volt. Something to do with cell balancing and keeping it charged enough. Consumer Reports says only 5% of 12 year old Priuses have needed a new battery pack, a report a few years ago. Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Ecky

The truth is, though, that not all steel cars will rust out before they've fulfilled their usefulness, and not all steel cars rust at the same rate.

If you live in California, or a lot of the West, where a) it doesn't rain & snow a lot, and b) the government doesn't spend money spreading corrosive chemicals on the roads, then steel-bodied cars will last a lot longer.

Just anecdotally, I remember that when I was in high school back in the northeast, a friend's Mustang, which couldn't have been more than 5 years old, was so rusted out that you could see the road going by under your feet.

[Baltothewolf]

Originally Posted by Ecky

There's reportedly a swap with a turbo'd K20 engine (from the Civic type-R) putting out 450hp at the wheels, and an AWD transmission from a CRV, that can still get 50+ mpg cruising on the highway.

At a low cost of 45k! When I was looking for a new car, this actually came up. They wanted 15% down @ 500$ a month, couldn't afford it.

Originally Posted by danwat1234

" I'm tired of always stressing over stupid batteries. "

Erick Belmer owns a Volt that has a bit over 300,000 miles on it with a bit over 100,000 from shore power, no noticeable battery degradation. It's well engineered and you can buy 1 for about $13K. Someone is trying to increase the performance of it (https://www.facebook.com/groups/chev...9494952063128/) Honda's hybrid traction batteries aren't nearly as reliable as the Prius or Volt. Something to do with cell balancing and keeping it charged enough. Consumer Reports says only 5% of 12 year old Priuses have needed a new battery pack, a report a few years ago. Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

In either case, the Volt doesn't have a turbo :P.

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Have you never considered an engine swap into the Insight? Due to its shape, it might get some nice mileage even with a conventional driveline as long as the replacement engine is less stressed than the 1.0L stock one.

Yes I considered it for sure. Not worth it IMO.




Guys, another think that really made me move away from the insight is my back. Recently my back/neck have been getting really bad, and driving the insight for more than 30 minutes is physically painful. The Civic conforms to my back just right, and I can drive it for 2 hours straight (longest trip I have taken so far) with no noticeable discomfort.