Help me resist buying this insight. - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

H-Man · 09-20-2015, 03:10 PM

Honda Insight 2001 sold "AS IS"

$1k asking price with a bad IMA pack and likely just needs a grid charger to get it to pass smog. I have at least 1k in checking and I'm in driving distance to SB. I know buying it would be a really bad idea but it is kinda hard to resist. Someone buy it before I do.

redpoint5 · 09-20-2015, 03:25 PM

How did the owner get such poor fuel economy? 54 MPG is awful for a 1st gen Insight with manual gearbox. His license plate says he loves 60 MPG.

Anyhow, I'd never get the 1st gen Insight because I have no use for a 2-seater since I already have a motorcycle. I would be tempted to take it on as a project car though and then sell it. It has low miles, so I wonder why the battery is dead. Perhaps age is a larger determinant to battery health than miles driven?

cowmeat · 09-20-2015, 04:07 PM

Seems like a deal, but I don't have to deal California's quirky laws.

I would never pass up a running G1 Insight for a grand here in Florida, I'd have a fleet of them if I could get them that cheap!

Baltothewolf · 09-20-2015, 05:40 PM

Thanks for the lead. I went and bought it today. I needed another parts car anyway. It runs and drives great!

Jk, I think someone else bought it, it's been taken down already.

3-Wheeler · 09-20-2015, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redpoint5

How did the owner get such poor fuel economy? 54 MPG is awful for a 1st gen Insight with manual gearbox. His license plate says he loves 60 MPG.....

When I flew to Detroit to buy my Insight, the LifeTime mileage was 57 mpg. Not that much higher.

Since then, I got one full tank at 117 mpg with the same car, and much slower speeds.

Jim.

freebeard · 09-21-2015, 01:43 AM

Samsung is bringing to market their solid electrolyte batteries. Invest in a few 10s of kilowatts of those and put them in a $1000 Insight. Wouldn't it would run like a VW XL-1?

H-Man · 09-21-2015, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redpoint5

How did the owner get such poor fuel economy? 54 MPG is awful for a 1st gen Insight with manual gearbox. His license plate says he loves 60 MPG.

Anyhow, I'd never get the 1st gen Insight because I have no use for a 2-seater since I already have a motorcycle. I would be tempted to take it on as a project car though and then sell it. It has low miles, so I wonder why the battery is dead. Perhaps age is a larger determinant to battery health than miles driven?

Santa barbra traffic is horrible. FOr that car's lifetime, it has been likely driven on a 4 lane freeway that should have been built with 6 lanes (SB/caltrans didn't get rid of stop lights on US101 until the 90's).

Baltothewolf · 09-21-2015, 05:52 PM

I have to drive the 210 freeway every morning. It's absolutely terrible, but even in rain with the A/C on I still get 60's. The only people I know that get sub 50's or high 40's do 75-85 and run the A/C 24/7. Around town I only get 46-50 with the A/C on Auto.