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.