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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I love my Insight so far, but if I was to make a list of things I would change.....

1. No place for my sunglasses. Make a small holder.

2. The owners manual does not display the charging/gas motor states in colour. My screen in my car shows blue and green charging.....the manual only shows grey.....it's confusing to understand.

3. A larger change holder in the middle console

4. The loud revs when going up a steep hill. A tach would be nice. I sometimes briefly switch to sport mode if I am going up a long hill.
 

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1. No place for my sunglasses. Make a small holder.

4. The loud revs when going up a steep hill. A tach would be nice. I sometimes briefly switch to sport mode if I am going up a long hill.
#4 Yes, the main thing I would change

#1 I was missing this, too, but now what I do is use the cell phone spot for my glasses when I'm not driving. When I get in to drive I put on my glasses and plug in the phone. When I get to my destination I grab the phone and put the glasses back. I guess I don't drive too much at night.
 

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Thack,

All of what you stated were good points, though the number one issue for me by far is the loud revs when going up a steep hill. Incidentally loud revs can occasionally happen on flat roads when the battery power is temporarily low. Unlike almost every other car on the market, there is never a consistently long pattern of revs UNLESS one is traveling relatively slowly or is traveling with virtually no speed changes.







I love my Insight so far, but if I was to make a list of things I would change.....

1. No place for my sunglasses. Make a small holder.

2. The owners manual does not display the charging/gas motor states in colour. My screen in my car shows blue and green charging.....the manual only shows grey.....it's confusing to understand.

3. A larger change holder in the middle console

4. The loud revs when going up a steep hill. A tach would be nice. I sometimes briefly switch to sport mode if I am going up a long hill.
 

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A couple of solutions

I'm planning to get an Insight either this coming winter or next year, after the 2020s come out. Two things I will do are (1) mount a ScanGauge II somewhere on the under-lip of the dash, where it's out of the way but easily visible. You plug it into the car's OBD-II port, which is down under the dash and not hard to find. The mechanics plug into these ports to read the car's diagnostics. The ScanGauge can, among other things, display instantaneous RPM -- that is, it's a digital tach -- and engine coolant temperature, two things missing from the dashboard.


The other thing I will do (2) is get a spare tire and jack to mount in the trunk well. There is a good description of just how to do that by Goldy on the second page of the thread "Owner Manual is Terrible." He says that he spent less than $200 for the whole kit. Check it out.
 

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...mount a ScanGauge II somewhere on the under-lip of the dash, where it's out of the way but easily visible. You plug it into the car's OBD-II port, which is down under the dash and not hard to find. The mechanics plug into these ports to read the car's diagnostics. The ScanGauge can, among other things, display instantaneous RPM -- that is, it's a digital tach -- and engine coolant temperature, two things missing from the dashboard...
I have used a ScanGuage II for years. I even made some custom programs for a couple of vehicles in it. I currently have it in our RV. I agree that it would be nice to use for the RPM and a few other items, I just can't bring myself to mount it in a newer car. It looks like 20 year old tech. If they could make it more aesthetically pleasing, I would consider it.

UltraGauge makes one that is far more pleasing on the eyes and costs a lot less as well.
 

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MOST LIKED:


1) Looks are well above and beyond Civic and Accord (to me). Fantastic tail end design, while front end is bold, kinda menacing in a way and yet similar to Accord.
2) MPG - three fuel ups since I bought the car and am averaging around 60 mpg with conservative driving and 90%+ ECO button use.
3) Overall interior design/ ergonomics/ space.
4) Has a gas cap (see my other posting about problem with 2016-2017 Honda Civic capless gas).

5) Transmission control/ operation was easy to get used to after decades of the traditional automatic transmission stick.
6) Sport mode has allowed me to enjoy solid acceleration on highway entrance ramps and coming out of toll booth lanes.
7) On local/ suburban roads with low mph and little need for acceleration, car is very quiet.
8) Ride quality is solid.
9) OEM tires are better than stock tires for most compact vehicles even if they aren't great for cornering and (Michelin Energy Saver) are rumored to be very bad in the snow.
10) LED headlights and taillights (for the most part).
11) Auto lock car by touching drivers door handle in that particular space. Less enthused about auto-open via smart entry...
12) Love the acoustic harmonic music that resonates when starting and accelerating in vehicle (used to warn pedestrians about an otherwise quiet vehicle).





LEAST LIKED:


1) Rear visibility seems considerably inferior to Accord and Subaru Impreza (the latter of which I drove for past six years). I know it is similar to Civic but looks cramped/ tight.
2) Front seat comfort in my EX version was not good on test drive. Special ordered/ purchased high-end ergonomic wedge cushions (seat and back) to completely compensate for uncomfortable seating. Seating is now good purely on that basis. Front passenger seat height is inexplicably low.

3) Occasional and brief weird noises/ sputtering of engine that is quirky. On a related note, sport mode noise racket is ridiculous. Love the acceleration but hate the noise.

4) Periodically, strange timing when Insight chooses to regenerate energy. I may be going 30 mpg but then I will lose EV status and blue bar will go down (losing mpg) and car may regenerate all the way up until 7-8 bars???

5) Why can't the Insight have cupholders - like the Accord - that have the flexible ends (which are more stable and allow for many more cup size differences)? Nonetheless, I particularly do like the one huge cupholder inside armrest.
6) Why can't I have the Prius option of regen paddles that permanently allow me to set brake regen levels - rather than temporary? Given a choice, I would definitely use maximum regen most often. I don't like the idea that I have to hit the paddles many times during each/ multiple drives in order to save cumulative bits of energy at a time.

7) Car did not come with spare tire and it is a bit of an ordeal and needless expense to have to custom order spare tire with related accessories.
 

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1. No place for my sunglasses. Make a small holder.
3. A larger change holder in the middle console
1. definitely sucks not having but I use the second cupholder in the console most of the time or side door pocket if I need both or all 3 cupholders...

3. I bought one of these trays which is perfect for garage door opener, keys and change (only Touring and Civics have them) arrived via UPS in 2 days :) OEM Honda Part 83449-TBA-A01ZA | Tray *NH900L*


other than that, for me after a month of ownership, I would also agree to others/add to the list...

- I wish fog lights were standard on EX trim, now thats an $900 job I am really considering (only thing I wanted off the touring other than that $16 console tray.)

- sucks not having a spare tire but I think I prefer the added gas mileage benefit.

- rear facing air vents would have been a great addition, though perhaps were not added so as to not blow heat into the battery vent below the seats during colder months...

- I mostly drive alone but at least one passenger (out of maybe 6 or 7) mentioned how low their front seat is. I have sat in it and it seemed fine to me, so that person was just picky.
 

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Don’t own one yet, but wish it had BSM, RCTA, and SGH.

What is SGH, you might ask?!

Sunglasses Holder!

Agree that a spare tire option or inclusion would be good. I’ve read elsewhere that the additional weight might cost less than 1/2 mpg, so it would be worth having!
 

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The thing I want the most and almost made me buy the Accord instead is a HUD. With all the gadgets this car had I couldn't believe a HUD wasn't available. I'm hoping the car does well so they might introduce this in a later model I can upgrade to.😊
 

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The one thing I would do was add a sunglasses holder to the roof. Yeah you can get clip on things or store in a cup holder like I do but it would have been nice to have .

Also the EX trim should have included Fog lights as that’s the only thing I am heavily considering to have installed.
 

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2019 OWP Insight EX, 2021 PWP Insight EX
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1. Adjustable lumbar support

2. Proper spare tire

3. Passenger seat height adjustment
I solved #2 relatively easily. I visited a local wrecking yard and scored a temporary spare (never been on the ground) from a 2016 Civic along with the tool kit and foam holder. All this fits PERFECTLY in the Insight. Total cost was $110.
 

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Hoboken, great list of pros and cons. Much appreciate your posting those!

I was curious about #1 -- rear visibility.

Is that an issue in looking in the rear mirror or over one's shoulder?

Have you gotten used to it? Or, does it remain an issue you're reminded of every now and then?

Do those back pillars interfere with a look over the shoulder?
 

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For me the worst part about rear visibility is the break light hump. It often covers cars behind me tailgating and ultimately made me chose not to get a rear spoiler as that worsened visibility.

Though I came from a Civic and am used to the sloping back windshield and visibility the break light hump was smaller on the civic and easier to see everything behind me.

I’m used to it now though. Even the sounds ... from the quiet heavenly hum driving slowly to the loud sport mode moan is acceptable to me now - like how it’s not a rev of a mustang and sounds more electronic.

That all said I do agree completely on the max regen only being in sport mode. I find myself having to click multiple times in Econ or normal drive mode. Very annoying. I wish Honda made it an option to turn on/off max regen in all drive modes for owners.


What pillow did you get for the seat? Does it stay nice and snug?
 

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2019 OWP Insight EX, 2021 PWP Insight EX
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MOST LIKED:


1) Looks are well above and beyond Civic and Accord (to me). Fantastic tail end design, while front end is bold, kinda menacing in a way and yet similar to Accord.
2) MPG - three fuel ups since I bought the car and am averaging around 60 mpg with conservative driving and 90%+ ECO button use.
3) Overall interior design/ ergonomics/ space.
4) Has a gas cap (see my other posting about problem with 2016-2017 Honda Civic capless gas).

5) Transmission control/ operation was easy to get used to after decades of the traditional automatic transmission stick.
6) Sport mode has allowed me to enjoy solid acceleration on highway entrance ramps and coming out of toll booth lanes.
7) On local/ suburban roads with low mph and little need for acceleration, car is very quiet.
8) Ride quality is solid.
9) OEM tires are better than stock tires for most compact vehicles even if they aren't great for cornering and (Michelin Energy Saver) are rumored to be very bad in the snow.
10) LED headlights and taillights (for the most part).
11) Auto lock car by touching drivers door handle in that particular space. Less enthused about auto-open via smart entry...
12) Love the acoustic harmonic music that resonates when starting and accelerating in vehicle (used to warn pedestrians about an otherwise quiet vehicle).





LEAST LIKED:


1) Rear visibility seems considerably inferior to Accord and Subaru Impreza (the latter of which I drove for past six years). I know it is similar to Civic but looks cramped/ tight.
2) Front seat comfort in my EX version was not good on test drive. Special ordered/ purchased high-end ergonomic wedge cushions (seat and back) to completely compensate for uncomfortable seating. Seating is now good purely on that basis. Front passenger seat height is inexplicably low.

3) Occasional and brief weird noises/ sputtering of engine that is quirky. On a related note, sport mode noise racket is ridiculous. Love the acceleration but hate the noise.

4) Periodically, strange timing when Insight chooses to regenerate energy. I may be going 30 mpg but then I will lose EV status and blue bar will go down (losing mpg) and car may regenerate all the way up until 7-8 bars???

5) Why can't the Insight have cupholders - like the Accord - that have the flexible ends (which are more stable and allow for many more cup size differences)? Nonetheless, I particularly do like the one huge cupholder inside armrest.
6) Why can't I have the Prius option of regen paddles that permanently allow me to set brake regen levels - rather than temporary? Given a choice, I would definitely use maximum regen most often. I don't like the idea that I have to hit the paddles many times during each/ multiple drives in order to save cumulative bits of energy at a time.

7) Car did not come with spare tire and it is a bit of an ordeal and needless expense to have to custom order spare tire with related accessories.
Least liked #7: Hit up a wrecking yard and grab a compact spare, jack, toolkit and holder form a 2016-2016 Civic. It's a perfect fit on the Insight and will save you boku bucks!
 

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Here's something that is odd and only mildly annoying. The wipers do not overlap at the bottom. They leave a narrow curved region unwiped, it runs approx. 6 inches high.
 

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Dislikes:
1. Passenger seat sits too low. No height adjustment. Makes long trips uncomfortable.
2. No memory on seats and mirrors. Really? Honda couldn't put in memory seats for their top of the line hybrid? My wife and I are different heights and constantly adjusting back and forth.
3. No blind spot monitor on left side. I don't hate the right side camera, but why not have something for the left side?
4. No light in glove box. Also no lock on it. Seems like simple, cheap things to do.

Likes:
Everything else!
 

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When I'm dictating a Siri request and I activate my right turn signal, the Siri request gets canceled because the LaneWatch camera overrides whatever the Display Audio system is doing. Once the LaneWatch turns off, I have to re-initiate the request.

I actually turned off my LaneWatch camera because of this. I send text messages to my carpool partner to let him know of my arrival while I am turning onto his street.
 
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