Selling an Insight - looking for advice on buying a Geo Metro

[budomove]

XFi, Yeah, I miss that civic, it was a dependable, easy to work on, and simple car to own. I may keep the insight, and try train commuting b/w queens and connecticut. Whether I keep the car or not, I feel I should take advantage of the public transpo even if it is slightly inconvenient from where I am, since I have to go to grand central station from queens before I can hop on the metro north train for connecticut. There is another metro north stop at 125th st in east harlem, and if I lived there, It would be 35 minutes to ct, rather than 2 hrs I now face. Fact is, I don't want to live in fear up there and like my cheap, quiet neighborhood.

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I will plant a bike at the train station in ct, and see how the train commute goes during the coming week.

Frank

[budomove]

Yeah, think I'll sell the insight, too much to deal with in the city. Thanks Everybody, I just needed to think out loud.

[SVOboy]

Well, it'll be vicariously sad to see it go, but what can you do?

[budomove]

Ben, I am lovin the empathy, I wish you could do ALL my crying FOR me.

Frank

[NoCO2]

Originally Posted by SVOboy

How much for the insight, ?

Beat me to it. I have had my eye on these for a few months. Won't be able to afford one any time soon, but maybe one day they will depreciate enough that I can get one. Maybe around the same time the rest of the world is moving to hydrogen or something, who knows.

[bennelson]

Interesting to hear somebody talk about the simple fuel economy of a little hatchback vs the complicated fuel economy of a hybrid.

Hybrid cars are what inspired me to build my electric motorcycle. I wanted something that got great economy, but was also simple and inexpensive. the electric motorcycle fit the bill.

I can fix a basic car, but I would need to have anything on a hybrid done at the dealership

My daily driver is a beater I bought six years ago for $100. Since then, I have repainted it with Rustoleum, hit a dear, made my own plexiglass headlight, replaced the entire gas tank, fixed the door locks with shoelaces, and have no fear of fender-benders or that time raccoons were climbing inside it while camping.

I would not have all that with an expensive newer car, especially a hybrid.

I also think it's pretty cool that only on a car forum like this one, would you have people rooting for you to go carless! Certainly an interesting bunch of people here.

[gerlando]

Bennelson have you actually read up on Honda's IMA system? It's much more simple (elegant?) than Toyota's system. The drivetrain is pretty standard Honda fare except for the electric motor which takes the place of the flywheel. Of course the systems that manage the battery and electric motor are foreign to other vehicles, but they're also solid state & shouldn't require much upkeep.

Then again, compared to your beater and Insight would seem like a fragile piece of crystal

Budomove... Don't do it :-p

[bennelson]

I did read about Honda vs Toyota. The system used in the Insight is pretty slick. I guess mostly I was just commenting on how new cars, especially FANCY new-fangled cars are not ones that I would mess around/tinker with. Nor would I be able to afford them.

I wish I could remember the name of the particular book. It was something with a simple name, like "The Electric Car" or something like that. Had a little green electric car on the cover.

[budomove]

Yeah, I wound up keeping it for trips on the weekends to get out of the city when I want. I now commute by train, subway, and bicycle, and love having the insight on reserve, and knowing that it is not getting beaten up everyday as it was. The suspension was not designed to last on the insight, and after two months of nyc streets, there are some interesting new squeaking sounds coming from both the front and rear. The front lower control arm mounts are notorious, and I will definitely be using some silicone grease on them soon to see if that fixes the problem.
Frank

[RP-CLMBR]

bet your glad you kept it they are going for 14000 now 4mth later