Questions about a potential Insight purchase
 

First off, what is a good pre-"omg gas prices" (eg gas at ~$3-3.5/gallon) price for a 2001 in good shape with ~100k miles (pack was replaced ~2 years ago)?

Second, how does an Insight ride when it's overloaded? According to the specs, payload is only ~400lbs, and with a passenger and luggage I can easily get to ~600lbs. How will it handle with that kind of weight?

I'm not sure about the price.

As with any car, approaching the payload capacity reduces available suspension travel and makes the ride less smooth. I can tell the difference in ride quality and acceleration when I have a passenger and some cargo, but it's no big deal.

The most I've had in the Insight is about 300lbs of humans and 400lbs of cargo in the back. It was more or less on the bump stops, and the ride was lousy. But you'd be hard pressed to fit 400lbs of cargo in it on a family vacation or a commute anyway. The small payload capacity doesn't stop me from recommending the Insight. I have no regrets about buying mine.

Thanks for the info Robert! I took a look at it recently, and it's definitely not as described. The instrument cluster is out, the tires are bald, the glove box won't close, and the pack replacement was done privately so who knows if they replaced it with something newer or just replaced a few sticks and balanced it. That said, you're right about carrying capacity. The driver and I were very close to it's payload, but it still handled very well. After looking at it, the only reservation I would have is regarding how much luggage I could fit in the back while still leaving enough room for a couple small dogs.