Honda Insight Ten Point Test
Model tested: Honda Insight 1.3 SE
Price as tested: £15,990
Price range: £15,990 - £18,890
Insurance group as tested: 6
Insurance group range: 6
CO2 emissions as tested: 101g/km
CO2 emissions range: 101 – 105g/km
Company car tax range %: 7%
EuroNCAP result: *****
On sale: Now
Date tested: October 2009
Road tester: Andy Goodwin
Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 76%
Honda is world-renowned for its advances in motoring technology, so its latest hybrid – the all-new Honda Insight – should be very exciting indeed.
News of its £15,990 starting price is good too; this is a hybrid without a premium price tag, which undercuts the Prius by more than £2,000.
To see if it really offers a green alternative to conventional petrol and diesel family cars, we drove one for a week in real-world conditions.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor
The Honda Insight is smaller than its main rival the Toyota Prius, but shares a very similar silhouette in its pursuit of excellent aerodynamics. The slightly odd-shaped boot helps air pass over the car as cleanly as possible, creating less drag. Neat touches like the blue-tinted headlamps and smart front grille give the Insight a clean and modern finish.
7/10
The dashboard is very driver-orientated, with most controls placed on the steering wheel, or very close to it. As a result you spend less time distracted from the road, which is clearly a benefit. Some of the plastics on show lookcheaper than we'd expect in a Honda, but should last well. The main gauges look like they have been beamed in from the near-future, but they are logical and you quickly appreciate their colour scheme and clarity.
The best feature is the glowing speedometer which turns green when you drive economically and then morphs into dark blue if you put your foot down. It’s the most effective and attractive economy driving aid we’ve seen yet. The only problem with all the instrument lights comes on a dark motorway late at night, when the glare can inhibit night vision.
7/10
Hybrid’s often have reduced interior space as a result of their battery packs, but not so the Insight. Front and rear legroom are both ample, but taller rear passengers may find the roof quite low. Boot space is a competitive 408 litres and the rear seats can fold down for extra space.
8/10
The Honda Insight suits a relaxed driving style; it’s steering is very light around town and has little feel even as speed increases. The suspension is firmer than you might expect, which can lead to some jarring through potholes and over speed humps.
6/10
The Insight is fitted with a 1.3-litre petrol engine producing 88bhp and an electric motor which can boost total output by. During deceleration and braking the electric motor acts as a generator and recharges the battery pack. Power is sent to a CVT automatic gearbox.
Acceleration from 0-62mph takes a reasonable 12.5 seconds, but in reality progress is likely to feel a bit slower. Ask for some performance and the engine revs flare and the volume of the engine rises accordingly. You will also be very aware of the negative impact on fuel economy.
Press the ECON button and the car limits the response of the engine to make driving even more economical – and slower. If the engine had more pulling power it would be possible to drive it using fewer revs, and more economically.
5/10
The cost of running an Insight is a story of two halves. First the bad news – the fuel economy is less than groundbreaking. Honda claims 64.2mpg is its average, but we struggled to get more than low fifties. Don’t get us wrong, these are good figures, but a diesel Ford Fiesta can do better.
The good news is its low entry-level price of £15,990 and low emissions of 101 – 105gkm and resulting low tax band and company car tax of just seven per cent. This makes it an attractive fleet proposition; especially in London where it’s also congestion charge exempt. It also produces less harmful NOx gases than a diesel car.
8/10
It’s a Honda, so you will be buying one of the most reliable products available and should experience excellent customer care. The hybrid system is already well-proven thanks to its development in the Civic Hybrid IMA.
10/10
The Insight performed well in recent EuroNCAP crash test results, scoring the full five-stars. It was awarded 90 per cent for adult occupant protection, 74 per cent for child occupant protection, 76 per cent for pedestrian protection and 86 per cent in the safety assist category.
9/10
The basic SE spec will be enough for most thanks to alloy wheels, electric windows and mirrors, trip computer, stability control, remote central locking and a CD player. The ES (£17,290) is temping thanks to bigger wheels, heated front seats, cruise control, privacy glass, fog lights, leather steering wheel and gear lever, auto wipers and headlights and an MP3 player connection. ES-T (£18,890) is the only trim to get Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and satellite navigation.
8/10
The Honda Insight is a well-priced and good-looking family car, which is practical and should prove eminently reliable. It also has admirably low emission and should prove cheap to run for its size. Our only concern is its lack of power, which results in driving it too hard for great economy figures.
8/10
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