From Ugly Betty to Jessica Alba – the 2010 Honda Insight Hybrid

Old Insight vs New InsightHonda's first attempt had great success in the hypermiling circles; but the mainstream was none to eager to drive such a repulsive looking vehicle.  But wonderful fuel savings lessons were learned and Honda might have hit a home run with the 2nd generation Insight.

The next chapter in the evolution of hybrid technology has been written with the new 2010 Honda Insight.  In developing cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicle technology and developing advanced alternatives in gasoline, no one is a more accomplished than Honda. Among these accomplishments, Honda is also a leader in the development of zero-emission, hydrogen-powered cars like the FCX Clarity fuel cell car. The new Honda Insight is also a huge triumph that should be added to that list. This new Honda Insight was first debuted on Jan. 1st 2009 and amazed everyone with all its extra features and consumer appeal; its Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology and more cost-efficient production method.

The new Honda Insight provides environmentally-conscious hybrid customers with new affordability, better performance, and a highway fuel economy rating of 40/43 miles per gallon. [Read more...]

Coming Soon the Anorexic Honda Fit

Hybrid Honda FitThe fuel efficient Honda Fit will become even more frugal next year when Honda releases a hybrid version of the fit.  The Insight sells for about $3k more than the fit in Japan, so just imagine a $16k hybrid on the market next year!  One can only dream.  As gas is back on the rise, Honda Motor Co. sees a huge market for fuel efficient hybrid cars.

The Fit has long been on the drawing board as a likely candidate for a hybrid power train but the recent spike in Crude Oil prices have caused the suits over at big Honda to push up the production to next year.  Not too much is known yet but a puny 1-Liter engine may be the power plant pushing this little car into the 60 MPG range.

Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/compacts-sedans/honda-fit-hybrid.html

Do AERODYNAMICS Effect MPG?

Aerodynamics and mpgOf all the factors contributing to poor gas mileage; your car's drag co-efficient is probably not at the forefront of your mind. Well the shape of your auto determines whether it cuts through the wind like a hot knife in butter or plunges through like a big square brick. Countless hours and millions of dollars are spent in the wind tunnels of the largest car companies trying to lower that drag co-efficient to minimal levels. A vehicle like a hummer is at the very high end of the scale with a drag coefficient of 26.5! While the compact gas sipper Honda Insight is at the low end with a paltry 5.10. So all things being equal....the body style of the Insight is much suitable for a car that can get more than 40 miles per gallon without breaking a sweat.

How many times have you heard that as a truck owner it is beneficial to drop the tailgate when driving on the freeway?  Well let me tell you my friend that the best way to save gas in a pick-up truck is to get a tonneau cover. The slicker the surface area and the less amount of direction the honda-insight-hybridwind has to change the better for your drag coefficient.  I know the wheel covers on the rear of the Insight is UGLY.  But you don’t drive a Hybrid for the looks do you?

The design of the Old Skool Insight was so 90’s.  Fast forward to today and with the release of the redesigned Insight, we get a familiar wedged shaped hybrid with almost the same drag coefficient as the ultra slippery 1-st generation Insight. Thank God the Honda engineers took looks into consideration this time around!

2010 insight

Source: Wikipedia Automobile Drag Coefficient

Get Ready for a Honda Hybrid Ninja Fight!

alligator-cropWith the release of the Insight now upon us, I wonder if the Civic is man enough to put up a good fight.  The new Insight comes equipped with shooting stars and nunchakus.  The lowly Civic only has chop sticks and Dragon-Ball Z movies.

2009 Honda Insight

The Insight comes ready to battle the best alligators? Er...Hybrids on the market.  Carrying a $19,800 price tag, the 2010 Insight is sure to sell like Mochi on a hot Sunday.  The Insight brings that undeniably Prius wedge shape that proves to be oh so aerodynamic.  The shape alone is enough to sell cars.  People immediately know your driving a hybrid by the shape.  So there is a status symbol sort of thing.  The Insight also has all of Honda’s newest stuff. But most importantly; the Gas Mileage numbers are 40 MPG in the city and 43 MPG on the freeway.

2009 Honda Civic

The Civic represents the absolute base model car available from Honda.  But these cars are by far the most popular.  Having owned one I can attest that with a Honda, everything is where it should be and more importantly, everything works correctly.  So what can you expect from the 2009 Civic Hybrid who is lurking in the shadows.

Stay Tuned for The Next Installment………The Feature Fight!

Source:

http://automobiles.honda.com/insight-hybrid

http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-hybrid/

Why Buy a Certified Honda Hybrid?

Certified HondaThe great thing about purchasing a Certified Used Honda Hybrid from a dealership is the awesome warranty that goes along with it.  This used car warranty is just like a warranty that you get with a new car in that is covers pretty much everything from the motor, to the trans;  pretty much all of the powertrain.

Honda Motor Co. states that they will fix or totally replace all parts and accessories that have a defect.  So if there is a major failure, you have absolutely nothing to pay since the certified hybrid comes with a warranty.  The Powertrain coverage varies, but what is covered under this is the engine, transmission, and anything associated with the drive train.

coverage-chart2
A 1-year, 12,000 mile guarantee is good on non-powertrain stuff like the air conditioning, heating, fuel system, suspension; things of that nature.

coverage-chart-non-powertrain1

source: http://automobiles.honda.com/certified-used/warranty.aspx

Hybrid Car Sale Causes People to Lose Minds!

carpool-lane-stickerWatch a used hybrid sale is like watching those crazy “Brides to Be” fight over Wedding Dresses at the year-end sale.  Why all the drama for a used Civic Hybrid? Well it’s that Little Yellow CARB Sticker that causes people to go completely insane!

Life is good when you’re flying by those peons stuck in Southern California traffic!  Want to become the envy of working-class drones everywhere? Well it is pretty impossible these days unless you have connections.   I mean, only 60k of these stickers were passed out by the lovely California gov.  Now they are all kaput!

There are only 2 ways to get a car pool lane sticker.

  1. Contact your local shady guy.  He will go on the black market and buy one. Then sell it to you at double the agreed upon price.
  2. Buy a car with a little yellow car pool sticker on it already.

So really, do you want a Civic or a Prius; because that’s your only choices.  Actually you can get an Old Skool Insight.  Good Luck!  Or you could buy a car that runs on Compressed Natural Gas or GNG.  But those exploded every 10k miles.

So bite the bullet, knock a few “Brides to Be” out, then buy a Honda Certified Hybrid.

A town like Los Angeles has the traffic as emotionally painful as waterboarding.  So do yourself a favor and grab a hybrid.