[Brett]

I own a 17' Civic EX-T, bought brand new 4/2018. Currently has 8,000 miles. Didn't know the Insight was hitting the market until 3 months after I got my Civic. In hindsight I probably would have bought the Insight. It's a beautiful car, more mature looking for me(33yrs old), better headlights(headlights suck on the Civic), taillights, interior, touchscreen is nicer.

It is what it is though, and I'm going to stick with this for a few more years, possibly until 2024 when the gen 3 Insight has it's last model year, and all the kinks are worked out. I've test driven a new Accord, CR-V...have not driven a new Insight yet. Compared against the Accord, CR-V, I preferred my Civic. It's more nimble than the larger, heavier Accord. The CR-V was boring all around to drive, my wife liked it because it's higher up. I have a few mods to it, and a KTuner, and combined with turbo, 93 octane, it's very quick and responsive. I'm going to have fun with it for awhile, but eventually eyeing a white or silver(regretting black, it's high maintenance)Insight EX/touring as my next car. I might be moving soon, and my commute to work will be further, so a hybrid sounds like a good idea. Would you recommend the Insight still after owning one?

 

[maynyrd150]

Economically it probably would make zero sense to switch until your Civic was worn out. They are functionally nearly identical cars.

I switched from a Wrangler to an Insight after changing jobs and it barely made economic sense. I switched because I can't afford to mess around with FCA or used car reliability at this point in my life.

Yeah, it's sort of a neat car. It has interesting engineering and better cosmetics than everything else it's size, but offers nearly nothing that would compel me to move from something that is already sitting in my driveway, whose taxes have been paid, and doesn't require me to spend an afternoon with a stranger who will explain how I can view power flow on the touch screen.

The NVH threat from this car is real. Honda Sensing needs work. And the MPGs are heavily influenced by driving style and environment.

 

[andrew28]

I own a 17' Civic EX-T, bought brand new 4/2018. Currently has 8,000 miles. Didn't know the Insight was hitting the market until 3 months after I got my Civic. In hindsight I probably would have bought the Insight. It's a beautiful car, more mature looking for me(33yrs old), better headlights(headlights suck on the Civic), taillights, interior, touchscreen is nicer.

It is what it is though, and I'm going to stick with this for a few more years, possibly until 2024 when the gen 3 Insight has it's last model year, and all the kinks are worked out. I've test driven a new Accord, CR-V...have not driven a new Insight yet. Compared against the Accord, CR-V, I preferred my Civic. It's more nimble than the larger, heavier Accord. The CR-V was boring all around to drive, my wife liked it because it's higher up. I have a few mods to it, and a KTuner, and combined with turbo, 93 octane, it's very quick and responsive. I'm going to have fun with it for awhile, but eventually eyeing a white or silver(regretting black, it's high maintenance)Insight EX/touring as my next car. I might be moving soon, and my commute to work will be further, so a hybrid sounds like a good idea. Would you recommend the Insight still after owning one?

The best way I can describe the Insight is that it's a more premium Civic. Best looking car(front/rear/interior) by Honda in my opinion. It has a top safety pick+ rating from iihs due to the good headlights and the only Honda to have the plus rating. I have only owned the Insight for 3 months but I still love this car. I look forward to driving it when I get the chance and the 3 modes allow me to drive what fits my mood. From cruising in eco mode trying to achieve the best mpg, to roaming around in quiet EV mode for a mile, to switching it to sport mode for the battery enhanced acceleration. I usually drive in normal mode when I'm just commuting and let the car handle it. The amount of tech inside this car also made me join a car forum for the first time to learn and share my experience. I wasn't into modding my previous cars and they were ordinary cars (civic, crv, ford fusion) which are everywhere on the street unlike the Insight. The fuel economy is just a nice added perk for me. My average low in the winter was 42mpg but it now averages 50-53mpg with the warmer spring weather. The fun is just beginning for me with Summer starting in 2 months. :grin:

 

[insightfully]

I've been happy with my Insight, and would recommend it to others IF they are prepared to adapt (good/bad).

My honest FIRST drive impression of the Insight was that it was like a "numbed down" Civic. The Insight has a sporty side, but isn't as aggressive as the Civic (e.g. no turbo, though the electric torque can be powerful). From my test drives, I thought the Insight was less 'nimble' than the Civic, but better than the Accord (too big). In the end, the Insight was quick enough and responsive enough for me, and the dealer was more willing to negotiate pricing on Insights than on Civics.

With a longer commute ahead of you, a hybrid would help fuel efficiency regardless of how you drive; but you'd only get the max mpg benefit by also adapting your driving style. Owning a hybrid changes the way you think about driving from 'fastest way from point A to B' to 'most efficient way to get there.'

Terrain is also is a factor to consider before you purchase. If you're climbing hills to get to your destination, you'll hear the Insight gas engine work hard... and the car becomes a 'normal' gas driven vehicle in this uphill condition. You'll get some energy benefit when you return over the same route (downhill), but you can only bank so much energy in the battery before it's full. I think the 'best' environment for the Insight is rolling terrain, where there's a blend of uphill/downhill to capitalize on energy use and battery storage. And as andrew28 mentioned, you'll also need to be prepared for your mpg to be temperature-dependent, varying up to ~10 mpg in colder weather.

Overall, the Insight is quieter, smoother, and almost luxury level (?) without being an Accord or Acura... but you'll find your driving style and performance expectations will change if you want to maximize fuel efficiency from it.

 

[Brett]

I do notice a significant difference in regards to mpg/temperature. This winter in MI was the coldest I remember, my mpg on the Civic went down 5-8 mpg. Moving to Greenville, SC they do have milder winters, some rolling hills, and Blue Ridge/Smoky Mountains further away.

The rattles and vibrations don't concern me, my Civic has them. I sleep with a fan on and actually enjoy white noise, so engine noise or interior noise doesn't bother me, unless it's so loud I can't hear music well.

I really wanted to like the Accord, the extra room would help because I'm 6'3". Maybe it's because I'm not use to it, but it felt too large while driving, I didn't like pulling out into a busy road and having to turn a long car with a bigger turn radius. The interior and extra room inside was a plus, I would consider it if I had a larger garage in the future.

I feel like the Insight is the best looking Honda in the line up. The Civic is good, depending at what angle you look from. One thing I'm surprised about is the Insight doesn't offer lumber support. If someone is shelling out money for a touring they should get all the premium features. Thanks, just wanted to hear some thoughts, this forum seems pretty positive. The CR-V forum is a disaster with the constant dilution complaints, glad it's not like that here.

 

[highmiler]

About those rattles... I have seen people ignore issues in Honda's that if experienced in other vehicles would drive them nuts.
It just goes to show how much people love Honda's and hold a bias in favor of them.

 

[Brett]

I previously owned 4 GM vehicles, the last being a 2012 Cruze which had many problems. I'm fully aware Honda isn't perfect, but I feel the pros outweigh the cons in the 1 year I've owned my Civic. For my Chevy's it was hard to find anything I liked, the low purchase price is great, but you lose out in the end with rock bottom resale value.

 

[Square Eyes]

I own a 17' Civic EX-T, bought brand new 4/2018. Currently has 8,000 miles. Didn't know the Insight was hitting the market until 3 months after I got my Civic. In hindsight I probably would have bought the Insight. It's a beautiful car, more mature looking for me(33yrs old), better headlights(headlights suck on the Civic), taillights, interior, touchscreen is nicer.

this was similar to my scenario where i originally intended to purchase a used civic hybrid and ended up purchasing the new 2017 civic ex-l- which is a great car! they announced the insight the following year and it was killin' me. i finally started pricing out and contacted a local dealer. i did take a minor $$ hit on the difference between the dealer buyback of the civic to the 2019 insight touring (i'm a leather-seat/sunroof fan). i figure i will recoup in 24-30 months if fuel prices stay fairly stable. if you're a fan of hybrid cars, or just want to have an "upgraded civic" feel, then i'd say look into a buy back for a comparable insight. the worse that can happen is that you can work the numbers and see if it's worth it. like i said earlier, the civic exl is a great car and had a lot of pep. the insight touring definitely has a little less pep/response in acceleration (until you hit sport mode- but then the engine noise kicks in). my insight handles better than the civic did around corners. overall i find the insight slightly more fun to drive and i like the additional bells and whistles.

 

[Brett]

What do you mean buy back? Is that the same as trade in?

 

[HonoluluBoy]

Brett,

I too was in a 10th gen Civic EXT. Last month my lease expired as it was a 2016 model and I chose to return the Civic to the dealership and get into the new Insight (EX trim) as my next Honda model. It was hard to say goodbye to my Civic but I feel I've got a nice upgrade!
So far, I love the Insight. It is not as fast as the Turbocharged Civic horsepower wise, but he torque is higher = faster off the line from a stop but can't maintain the same acceleration as the civic above 35 mph. I really enjoyed my civic and loved its size, styling, power and maneuverability. The Insight feels very similar to the 10thgen Civic in the corners, you can throw it around and it hugs the turns and says 'that all you got?'
I decided to move from a Civic to the Insight for the higher mileage and I have to admit, I'm impressed. I did a 30 mile drive the a few weeks ago, over mostly flat terrain and got over 70 mpg using primarily cruise control! I'm still on my 2nd full tank of gas and it feels I'm doing double, mpg wise, what I was doing in the Civic EXT.
Overall I'd summarize:
Upgrade on styling, comfort, mileage, tech.
Downgrade on pure horsepower & speed.
Similar or identical in overall size, cabin space and trunk space.
Here's a pic I grabbed of that drive the other day:

 

[Square Eyes]

What do you mean buy back? Is that the same as trade in?

i should have been more succinct as a buyback is very different from a trade in. i meant trade in. thanks for bringing it up!

 

[ronnie]

The NVH threat from this car is real. Honda Sensing needs work. And the MPGs are heavily influenced by driving style and environment.

This statement above is so true. I'm a very conservative driver, super easy on the accelleration. But you can see by my Fuelly footer below that I'm near the bottom of the 66 EX models registered with Fuelly. Started my Fuelly stats in Novemeber, in the middle of a cold winter in Eastern Washington. Much of my driving (79%) is highway, often through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and other western states where the posted speed limit is 80 mph which means we are usually cruising at 84-85 when safe. This winter coldness plus this speed puts me near the bottom in Fuelly. My highway mpg on these long trips is about the same as my 2015 Honda Fit Sport. Around town in moderate weather like these days, I am getting 53+ mpg in the EX. Happy for that.

 

[hasarad]

This statement above is so true. I'm a very conservative driver, super easy on the accelleration. But you can see by my Fuelly footer below that I'm near the bottom of the 66 EX models registered with Fuelly. Started my Fuelly stats in Novemeber, in the middle of a cold winter in Eastern Washington. Much of my driving (79%) is highway, often through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota and other western states where the posted speed limit is 80 mph which means we are usually cruising at 84-85 when safe. This winter coldness plus this speed puts me near the bottom in Fuelly. My highway mpg on these long trips is about the same as my 2015 Honda Fit Sport. Around town in moderate weather like these days, I am getting 53+ mpg in the EX. Happy for that.

Ronnie,

Point to another car that gets high 30s while hauling ass at 80+ mph. You're doing just fine. My Fuelly number is as high as it is only because my regular commute is -< 50 mph. Once temps get higher and you have summer gas, I wouldn't be surprised to see your numbers in the 40s if not higher. 53 around town in the icebox of the nation isn't bad at all. You started tracking at the worst possible time of year. You've got no place to go but up. Mileage aside, it is a cool car though, eh?

Don

 

[ronnie]

Ronnie,

Mileage aside, it is a cool car though, eh?

Don

Yes, it's a great car, especially for the price. Lots of features, good ride, stylish and safe.

 

[Alex]

Insight 2019 is a super car ... best car I ever had. It's the best choice if you are in market in the class, no doubt.
However, if you just bought civic last year, upgrading to Insight is not economically favorable, in my opinion. You are going to pay tax and all those fees, which doesn't seem justified. You lose money if you do such an upgrade.

 

[Jose Silva]

I have a question, when the battery is almost empty, is the acceleration affected? or is it always consistent acceleration regardless of battery percentage? to me that will determine whether or not i go with a civic or a insight.

 

[andrew28]

I have a question, when the battery is almost empty, is the acceleration affected? or is it always consistent acceleration regardless of battery percentage? to me that will determine whether or not i go with a civic or a insight.

Based on my experience it doesn't seem to impact acceleration but I don't aggressively push down on the gas pedal when I drive(I try to keep it within the blue zone). You will notice more engine noise when the battery is low but it's not so annoying that it ruins my experience driving the car like some critic reviews have you believing. The car does a good enough job to prevent the battery from going to empty though. You can also force the car into sport mode for better acceleration. I would advise doing a test drive at your local dealership. Force the car into EV only mode to use up the battery, and then accelerate to see if you like it.

 

[Mr. Natural]

My experience is the same. I don’t notice any difference between full charge and no charge. I drive 99% of the time with ECO on. If I need quick acceleration, like on an on ramp or passing another car, I’ll turn it off. I used to switch to Sport for that, but I’ve found just turning ECO off is adequate. Then when I’m up to speed I turn it back on.

 

[FRR]

Don't do it if you live in Ohio. Here you will get hit with an extra 100 bucks for your plates since the state does not want folks to buy hybrids. The legislature was afraid they weren't going to get enough extra gas tax from us.

 

[edmcohen]

The down-side of bread-and-butter Hondas

I am moving toward replacing my `06 Civic with 367,000 mi. I have noticed the car companies getting small improvements in fuel efficiency by resorting to small-displacement turbo-charged engines , and cone-and-belt CVTs. I strongly suspect that these measures are also calculated to make sure the new cars cannot soldier on as mine has done—while letting them reliably do okay to a bit past maximum warranty. At a minimum, the Insight lets me get into a Honda product with neither a turbo nor a cone-and-belt. The Insight pleases me better than any of the contemporaries by the bye.

So, if I were you, I would go ahead while the trade-in value of your Accord is at its height. (I am glad that the continued health of my Civic permits me to wait until later in the product run and end of model year.)