HONDA HYBRID A SUPER COMMUTER
Efficient Insight’s tech shrinks miles
Commuting through hours upon hours of stopand-go traffic takes endurance and patience. Using the latest technology to avoid traffic jams helps to steer clear of congestion, but getting completely stuck in a lane merge or accident is eventually inescapable.
The 2019 Honda Insight won’t help you avoid backups, but the hybrid’s fuel efficiency and driver assistance technology make the compact sedan perfect for the commuter whose route includes a bit of gridlock. The fun-to-drive Insight also proves that hybrid sedans don’t have to look strange to achieve high fuel efficiency.
Honda designers have spared the Insight the impish-looking aerodynamic features seen on many early generation hybrids and instead made slight wind-friendly tweaks. The Insight’s sloped hood meets a flush-mounted and raked windshield. A curved roof descends into a short trunk lid, imparting the look of a hatchback. These exterior enhancements provide the sedan with a sleek, refined look and also help the sedan to obtain fuel economy in the low 50s.
While the well-appoint-
ed Touring edition with leather-trimmed seats, remote starter, moonroof and 17-inch alloy wheels tops out at $28,090, not much is lost on the entry LX model with an MSRP just under $23,000.
What impresses me most about the Insight — beyond the sedan’s stellar gas mileage — is the standard advanced safety technology on the base model. It’s great to see semi-autonomous driving features such as adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist throughout the Insight lineup. On a heavily congested Mass Pike, I was able to drive 90 miles through stop-and-go traffic from West Springfield to downtown Boston without touching the brake. This feature alone can significantly reduce driver fatigue over a long, arduous commute.
Honda’s two-motor hybrid system that combines a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor generating 151 hp and 197 lb.-ft. of torque.
Drivers can customize their driving experience by choosing economy or sport modes to maximum efficiency or enhance performance. “Econ” mode alters the throttle input to conserve fuel while “Sport” provides aggressive throttle response and draws on the battery, providing spirited acceleration. The Insight also has an “EV” mode which provides a mile of all-electric power.
The Insight’s acceleration is brisk, with plenty of top-end power for highway passing. Ride quality blends enough dampening to smooth out the rough pavement with suspension that keeps the Insight tight through the corners. Road noise is minimal thanks to acoustic separators, insulators, fender liners, body seals, and undercoverings.
The Insight’s interior has just enough room for five adults. The Touring model adds heated front seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Automatic highbeams that use a camera located on the rearview mirror to scan for oncoming traffic are the most responsive I’ve experienced and are universal to the Insight lineup. My tester also had Apple CarPlay and Android Auto supported through an 8-inch multimedia screen. Honda located the Insight’s 60-cell lithium-ion battery under the rear seats, preserving both rear seat and trunk space.
Honda is not alone when it comes to integrating hybrid drivetrains with more conventional sedan shapes. Other hybrid compact sedans to consider along this theme are the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Ioniq and Toyota Camry.