2006 Honda Insight Model Update

Entry-Level Hybrid

Honda's Insight makes up for its shortcomings with industry-leading fuel economy.

The two-seat subcompact Honda Insight hatchback was the first gas/electric hybrid to be offered in the U.S. when it went on sale in December 1999.

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The futuristic-looking Insight remains unchanged for the 2006 model year and has changed little since its debut. While its aerodynamic styling makes the Insight look like a sports car, it doesn't perform like one. A 73-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine is the primary source of thrust. An integrated electric motor/generator with self-charging batteries provides added power when needed.

The Insight's electric motor/generator captures and funnels energy dissipated during braking and coasting to the batteries. This precludes it from ever having to be plugged in to recharge.

Like other hybrids, the Insight's gasoline engine automatically shuts down during temporary stops and starts back up as soon as the driver lifts his or her foot off the brake pedal. This feature alone can go a long way toward reducing pollution and dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels like gasoline: Consider that American drivers collectively wasted 5.7 billion gallons of fuel in 2002 by simply idling in congested traffic, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Energy statistics.

Even within the narrow hybrid-vehicle niche, the Insight isn't a big seller — only 666 units were sold in the U.S. last year, according to CNW Marketing Research. But it does give Honda bragging rights as the least-expensive gas/electric vehicle on the market, and the one that posts the highest fuel economy. The Environmental Protection Agency rates it at 60 mpg city/66 mpg highway with the standard five-speed manual transmission, and 57 mpg city/58 mpg highway with the optional four-speed automatic.

Its handling is nimble, though the car rides a bit louder and rougher than many subcompacts because of its unique tires, which are engineered to minimize rolling resistance for maximum fuel economy.

Unfortunately, as with all hybrids, most owners will find their actual gas mileage falls at least 20 to 25 percent short of EPA estimates. This is because the EPA determines a vehicle’s fuel economy in a laboratory by measuring the amount of carbon exhaust that’s emitted by its tailpipe over a predetermined acceleration and braking cycle. Because some of a hybrid vehicle’s power comes from an electric motor that produces zero emissions, these figures tend to skew higher than simple miles-driven/gallons-consumed computations would indicate.

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Interior accommodations are acceptable for the driver and passenger, though rearward visibility is compromised by the Insight’s low-sloping roof and a high rear deck, under which lay the car’s rechargeable batteries. These factors likewise limit cargo-carrying capabilities.

The Insight comes with antilock brakes, an AM/FM/CD stereo and power accessories. Air-conditioning ($1,000) and a continuously variable automatic transmission ($1,200) are the only options.

Fortunately, the federal government now allows an income-tax credit for hybrid-vehicle buyers, which is estimated by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy to be $1,750 for the Insight. This credit is determined by a complex formula and will be phased downward once an automaker has sold 60,000 hybrid vehicles, so be sure to check with your tax professional to determine how much you might save in taxes.

The Insight receives four out of five stars on all National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests.