1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
Moving back to the town where my wife and I were born shortly after the birth of our second child resulted in a 72.9 mile commute mostly on a 60mph state route. My 5MT Honda Fit really wasn't cut out for long distance highway cruising due to its short gearing, and fuel economy wasn't much better than a much more comfortable minivan.
Odd cars always appeal to me, and I really wanted something both economical and unique. The intense engineering and weight savings designed into the Insight ticked all the boxes, providing a McLaren level of engineering excellence at a price point accessible by idiots. While Honda even used thinner speaker magnets to save a few grams, the car is extremely well built - even electrical connectors come packed with dielectric grease to ensure reliability.
After watching these rare birds trade to get a feel for pricing, a manual transmission one appeared at a dealer in Michigan at a very attractive price, and I had to hustle up there to beat another buyer ready to book a flight from Colorado to get it.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
Wonderful. If I engaged in slight hypermiling, I could go to and from work on a gallon of gas. Otherwise, I'd get 55-65mpg with no effort or regard to fuel efficiency, meaning it would go 600 miles between fill-ups. It's also perfect for driving 180 miles to and from race car build days near Chicago.
On the highway, the Insight is surprisingly quiet due to tall gearing (second gear is good for about 70mph) and a very low drag coefficient. The car had OEM ultra-low rolling resistance Potenza RE92s when I bought it that were frankly dangerous in anything other than dry conditions. After a few unintentional hydroplaning events (the narrow rear track creates some 'fun' with water-filled semi ruts), I've swapped them out for true 4-season Vredenstein Quattracs at the cost of a few mpgs but gained substantially better wet and snow performance and an even quieter ride- the Quattracs carry a 3-peak mountain snowflake symbol, and it's a trade I'd make every day of the week.
My current role requires a 20 mile 75mph highway commute, but even at higher speeds there's adequate power. Because it lacks cruise control, the Indiana State Police reminded me it can go 83mph if I'm not paying attention.
It's only required its regular 2.5qt oil changes every 7500 miles, and I've flushed the radiator, changed the transmission fluid, and replaced the front brakes and rotors. The alpaca farmer prior owner replaced the brake lines with stainless steel ones, the only part of the car that can rust. It is almost never washed and has some battle scars, but otherwise just keeps on running.
On the NiCad battery front, I do use a 'grid charger' to ensure continued battery performance and extend its life. With mostly flat terrain, I don't use the IMA battery much in normal driving, except for freeway onramps.
I'm hard pressed to think of a cheaper way to move around than a reasonably-well maintained Insight.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
Out-accelerating a lifted pickup I'd frequently see on my old commute - the driver apparently didn't adjust his rear axle ratio after fitting huge tires, and the Insight could walk it at every stoplight and on a roll despite its meager 955cc engine. I had a junkyard V8 badge on the back for a while, and when I got pulled over, the Trooper had many questions about the car, whether or not it had a V8, and he laughed when I explained while it only had 65hp, I decided to immediately pull over rather than embarrass his 370hp Charger. I got a warning.
It never gets old driving 550-650 miles on under 10 gallons of gas and is always a conversation starter when I roll up in it.
4. Why do you love cars?
Cars are to me as a favorite sport is to normal people. I went to large public schools and never had a shot at making varsity outside of cross country, primarily due to lack of interest from others than my own talent, and spent my time on the speech and debate circuit instead.
Ever since memorizing the "1994 New Car Guide" in middle school, cars were my passion. My first job was in Finance at FoMoCo, and after a 14 year break, I'm back in the auto industry.
I've become heavily involved in Lemons, WRL, and Lucky Dog racing and have been able to drive tracks I'd only ever played on Gran Turismo over the past few years and learned a lot about maintenance, disappointment, success (though mostly disappointment), and effective teamwork while making some great friends.
Now that I'm building my own Lemons race car, the Insight shares daily driving duties with a F150 Crew Cab 6.5' bed truck. Jumping from one of the smallest to one of the largest vehicles on the road every few days probably is indicative of a DSM-recognized psychological illness, but one I'm fine to let manifest in new and exciting ways.
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If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
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