Tired of high gas prices? Try Honda’s 68-mpg Insight hybrid for 2003

By Vince Bodiford
Automotive Editor

Breathe deeply, folks, you are about to peer into the future of cars. The real future - not the one we were promised in the past by Detroit that had us flying around in personal hovercraft equipped with wireless telephones. But the real one - and part of that future is here, now, in the hybrid car offered by Honda in the new Insight.

Tired of high gas prices? How does 68-mpg sound? The Insight is one of the first of what will be the future of personal transportation - like it or not - in the form of genuine “locomotion” - a hybrid gasoline electric vehicle. It is the exact principle long proven and still used in all railroad locomotives. A smaller internal-combustion engine drives a generator that makes power for electric motors.

Introduced in late 1999, it is one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world. The Insight gasoline-electric hybrid car comes in just two variants, an automatic (constant variable transmission (CVT), and manual transmission). Everything else is standard, there are no options.

With the manual transmission, EPA fuel economy ratings are 61-mpg city and 68-mpg highway. The automatic (CVT) gets only slightly less mileage, and its is completely automatic and provides virtually an infinite range of gear ratios for smooth and stepless shifting, combined with maximum efficiency and performance. The Insight CVT also has an “idle stop” feature, allowing drivers to avoid wasting gas while waiting at red lights or idling in traffic. The engine automatically re-starts when the driver’s foot is removed from the brake pedal. Neat trick.

Driving the Insight is not at all what I expected. There is nothing to it really - it drives and rides like just about any compact coupe - except it’s quieter. All of the controls and interior features are just like a regular car, because, well, it is one. What really stands apart with the Insight is its fuel efficiency, and its kind of goofy looks. It is just a little too edgy on the design side.

The Insight is equipped with Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system that merges the lightest 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline automobile engine with a thin and lightweight electric motor for improved efficiency and added power when needed. The electric motor also acts as a generator during braking or coasting downhill to recharge the IMAM batteries. The Insight’s battery pack never needs to be recharged by an external power source and, in fact, the car cannot be “plugged in” at all.

The Insight was designed from the ground up to achieve its amazing fuel economy and ultra-low emissions. This was accomplished by using a combination of technologies, including the hybrid powertrain, aerodynamic design and lightweight aluminum body. Under the hood, the gasoline engine is smaller and more fuel-efficient due to the electric motor providing low-end torque and power assist when necessary.

Since the electric motor is not the only propulsion resource, the motor and battery pack can be smaller and lighter than in a pure electric vehicle. The motor acts as a generator during deceleration and braking to recharge the IMA batteries.

The Insight offers an extensive assortment of standard features, including anti-lock brakes, electric power steering, dual air bags, AM/FM stereo cassette, power windows and mirrors, power door locks with keyless entry, anti-theft Immobilize system and available automatic air conditioning.

About the only people I can think of who will not like the insight are die-hard raw horsepower fanatics, and down the road, anyone in the gasoline retail business

.

HIGHS: Amazing fuel economy - I think over time the car could pay for itself in fuel savings alone. Smooth and seamless gas and electric transitions. No relearning how to drive - get in and go.

LOWS: Not just any service tech can work on one - they are a bit space age. A bit on the small side, not too much interior room. The jury is out on trade-in values until enough start coming back.

MSRP: $19,990 manual, $20,990 automatic. Once price, no options - comes standard with everything (A/C, power windows/locks, stereo, etc.).

LIFE’S A TRIP - enjoy the drive! Remember, obey all highway laws, always buckle up, drive safely and never drive impaired. Copyright © 2003, The Weekend Drive, All Rights Reserved.

Copyright © 2002 The Weekend Drive®.