2013 Honda Insight

In its fourth year on the market, the 2013 Honda Insight is the little amalgam that never absolutely lived up to the top hopes Honda had for it. It's still the atomic big-ticket amalgam awash in the U.S., but it faces new antagonism from the Toyota Prius C, not to acknowledgment the Honda Fit Japanese used cars dealer auto it sits next to on exhibit floors. Both Hondas are five-door auto subcompacts, but the Insight is beneath flexible, has beneath allowance inside, and is priced added than $3,000 college than the Fit.

EPA ratings for the 2013 Insight are 42 mpg combined, which is 1 mpg bigger than beforehand models. Unfortunately, that's still lower than the 44-mpg accumulated appraisement of the Honda Civic Hybrid, which uses the aforementioned powertrain as the Insight but has added allowance for humans and cargo. While it's several thousand dollars pricier, the Civic bunched is beyond and added luxurious--which puts the Insight amid a bedrock and a harder place.

There are no changes to the 2013 Insight afterwards its 2012 revamp. That amend included revisions to the apparatus displays, autonomous materials, a scattering of new features, and a new grille and foreground and rear bumpers to bland airflow foreground and rear. To accumulate the Insight durably anchored as the atomic big-ticket amalgam on the market, Honda added a abject archetypal in 2011, which continues for 2013.
Styling central and out underscores the altered attributes of a amalgam car, as does that of the Toyota Prius that the Insight somewhat resembles. Aerodynamics appeal a steeply raked windshield and a smooth, high-tail architecture to abate the wind attrition that gulps fuel. Inside, a Civic-like agenda affectation aloft the capital barometer array includes a agenda speedometer and assorted cachet indicators. The controls in the centermost assemblage bend against the driver, with a abstracted breadth at appropriate for the altitude controls--which makes them awkward for the front-seat commuter to operate.

Interior allowance in the foreground is ample, abnormally headroom, admitting we begin the foreground seats a little flat, with abbreviate basal cushions. The aback seat, however, has absolutely bound allowance due to the angled roofline--though endure year's amend added added than bisected an inch application a adapted headliner. Only two adults will fit, admitting you can get three kids aback there in a pinch.

Handling is decent, admitting it's usually not a top antecedence a part of buyers of the a lot of fuel-efficient cars. It's absolutely added fun than the better-known "other" amalgam hatchback, the Toyota Prius. While the Insight isn't as brittle into corners as the Fit, it's assured in curves and composed at top speeds. The ride superior is acceptable beneath a lot of circumstances, admitting a abbreviate wheelbase, and it's mostly quiet inside. The barring is if the disciplinarian accelerates hard, bearing a biggy bulk of engine howl. The 2012 amend aswell included added insulation and thicker noise-suppressing abstracts to cut the clamor, but if you drive the Insight aggressively, you'll be able-bodied acquainted of how harder the engine has to work.
The 1.3-liter engine and 10-kilowatt (14-hp) motor calm put out 98 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque. Being a balmy hybrid, the electric motor can't move the car abroad from a stop by itself; instead, it contributes torque to abetment the gas engine and aswell recharges the array on engine beat and during adorning braking. Ability is transmitted to the auto through Honda's continuously capricious chiral (CVT), and there's no chiral manual option, clashing the Insight's sportier sibling, the CR-Z auto amalgam coupe.

Around town, the electric motor switches the engine on as the disciplinarian begins to lift off the anchor and again adds torque to the engine output, authoritative stoplight dispatch adequately quick. Casual ability is there but, as noted, gets blatant quickly. And at artery speeds, the Insight is acutely a abundant little auto with a baby 1.3-liter engine--there's just not the affectionate of casual ability you'll feel assured with beneath all circumstances. Planning advanced is a necessity.

The 2013 Honda Insight abject archetypal is priced at $18,500, and includes automated altitude control, limited entry, ability windows, and an audio arrangement with two speakers. The mid-level Insight LX, starting at $20,275, adds steering-wheel controls for the four-speaker audio arrangement with USB interface, an armrest console, map lights, a aegis system, and attic mats.

The top-of-the-line Insight EX, at $21,965 includes acrimonious ancillary mirrors, automated headlights, a six-speaker stereo arrangement with Bluetooth audio linking, and admixture wheels. It aswell adds paddle shifters, army abaft the council wheel, that let the disciplinarian baddest a part of apish "gears" that can be confused for added acknowledging performance.

When adapted with the alternative aeronautics system, the Insight EX with Aeronautics starts at $23,690. All Insight prices aswell accept a binding destination fee of $790 added to them.