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Redesigned, Bulkier Honda Insight to Challenge Prius

Posted by timothy on from the identical-cousins dept.

In what probably amounts to good news for consumers eyeing a hybrid for their next vehicle purchase, Honda is resurrecting the "Insight" name, this time in the form of a five-seat, Prius-like hatchback. The automaker's announcement included the tantalizing statement that the cost would be "significantly below [that of] hybrids available today," but provided no further details on pricing. Although Honda may have some trouble unseating Toyota's dominance of this particular hybrid market, hopefully the Insight's reintroduction will help to make hybrid cars even more affordable to consumers. This is also welcome news to folks like myself who, after the initial flurry of excitement when the now-retired original Insight was introduced in '99, were left scratching their heads at Honda's hybrid strategy as Toyota picked up their dropped ball and ran with it.

36 of 638 comments (clear)

  1. Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by Shaitan+Apistos · · Score: 4, Funny

    What would manbearpig drive?

    1. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Hey, if they can ever make a hybrid that isn't as fugly as a Prius, call me.

      Why can't they make more 'green' cars that look svelt like the Tesla? At a reasonable price.

      I want looks, style, performance...and if they throw in the mileage, I'm interested.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    2. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 4, Funny

      What would manbearpig drive?

      She blinds everybody with her super high beams
      She's a squirrel-squashin', deer-smackin' drivin' machine
      Canyonero! Canyonero! Canyonero!

      --
      That is all.
    3. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by Hawthorne01 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Well, my Civic Hybrid looks just like a regular Civic.

      Whether or not that's fugly is a matter for debate, though.

      What gets me is that for 15 years, I was a light-truck guy (Nissans), and there are no hybrid light trucks. Zero. Zilch. Zip. Nada.

      I'd love to see a compact truck (smaller than either Nissan's current Frontier or the Tacoma) with a hybrid motor that can handle everyday use. I'd be first in line to buy one when they come out.

      --
      "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former."
    4. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by hey! · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, internal combustion engines deliver their maximum torque at over a thousand RPM. Since you have the greatest need for torque at 0 RPM, you'd have to have some kind of bulky gear train between the engine and the wheels.

      This may not be cost effective.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by hansamurai · · Score: 4, Informative

      The Prius features the raindrop design, which has a lower drag coefficient compared to most other consumer level cars. For example the Honda Civic has a drag coefficient of .36 while the Prius is .26. The Bugatti Veyron is .36 and a Hummer H2 is .57.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_drag_coefficients

      --
      Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
    6. Re:Sometimes you've got to ask yourself... by TerranFury · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yep! Also, I want to stress that real diesel engines are actually more efficient than gasoline engines, because the compression ratios are so much higher. So it's not really that diesels are dirtier, but rather that the US looks at different pollutants than European countries do.

      The two pollutants that diesels have issues with are (1) sulfur dioxide (SO2), and (2) nitrogen oxides (NOx); both cause acid rain. The SO2 is the result of burning high-sulfur fuels, so switching to ULSD, as Andy noted, will solve this problem. NOx, however, is more problematic: These oxides are created unavoidably from the reaction of atmospheric oxygen with nitrogen in the high pressures and temperatures experienced inside diesel engines (the very same factors that make diesels more efficient).

      In contrast, gasoline engines tend to produce little sulfur dioxide since they burn low-sulfur gasoline. And since the pressures and temperatures inside them are lower, there's much less NOx production. But for the same reason (lower pressures and temperatures), combustion is not as complete as in diesels, so they tend to release more unburnt hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. These cause photochemical smog, and are powerful greenhouse gasses.

      Now, this is where regulatory differences come in: In European countries, NOx emission requirements are not as strict, but hydrocarbon requirements are stricter, whereas in the US it's the reverse. So it's easier for diesel engines to meet requirements in Europe, and for gasoline engines to meet requirements in the US.

      One solution to the NOx problem for diesel engines is to treat exhaust with urea. European companies distribute an aqueous urea solution as "AdBlue" -- presumably to avoid the urinary connotations of the "real" chemical name -- and it is available at gas stations. This is a little problematic in that now you have two chemicals that you consume while driving (fuel and urea) instead of just one, and we don't have an AdBlue distribution network in the US, but it does work.

      So, that's it for the practical side of things. But before I finish up I want to throw in one theoretical note... I kept saying that diesels are more efficient -- and they are. But the thermodynamic cycle that they use (the "Diesel cycle," obviously enough) is actually not as efficient, fundamentally, as that used by gasoline engines (the Otto Cycle), for the same compression ratios. But diesel engines use compression ratios that are so much higher that they're more efficient anyway (to achieve the same compression ratios in a spark-ignition engine would require harder-to-ignite fuels, like some sort of hypothetical really-high-octane gasoline). So in practice, diesels are the most efficient internal combustion engines.

  2. The problem is... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The problem is with hybrids is that for most you end up paying more than you would your current car:

    If you have your car payed off and spend $70 a week for gas, that is a total of $3640 for an entire year.

    On the other hand, if you buy a $25000 hybrid, you might only need to buy $30 of gas a week, but unless your car payments are less than $120 a month, you aren't saving any money by buying a hybrid.

    Yes, over time a hybrid is going to save you money, but by the time you get it payed off, there will be a more effective hybrid that costs less.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    1. Re:The problem is... by maino82 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes, and don't buy that new computer now, because in a few months it will be obsolete!

    2. Re:The problem is... by maino82 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Very true, but you seem to be ignoring the fact that other cars also cost thousands of dollars. Granted, their is a premium for a hybrid, but using your own numbers as an example (and my own experiences with a $17,000 regular civic vs. a $20,000 hybrid civic), your hybrid will pay back that $3000 premium in about 6 years assuming gas stays the same price (which intuition tells me it won't). Considering my last 2 cars have lasted me over a decade each before finally crapping out, that's a pretty good ROI. Granted, past performance of vehicles is no guarantee of future performance, so there's no telling if the hybrid will last me 12 years, but it's not unreasonable to believe that it probably will.

    3. Re:The problem is... by LaskoVortex · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The problem is with hybrids is that for most you end up paying more than you would your current car:

      Yes, but a new hybrid isn't competing with old cars. Its competing with new cars. Your argument could be made of ANY new car. Better logic would be to subtract the gas savings from the cost of a new hybrid and compare that number to the cost of other new cars.

      --
      Just callin' it like I see it.
    4. Re:The problem is... by phantomcircuit · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Because nobody is trying to push BMW's as a cost saving measure?

    5. Re:The problem is... by Bombula · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's not as simple as just gas mileage. The other major factor is resale value. The Prius is currently (and for several years) the leader in value-retention. I could sell my 8-month old Prius right now for sticker price. You simply cannot do that with a Chevy Malibu or a Ford Taurus.

      So the calculus for the cost of owning the car depends entirely on what you plan to do with it afterwards. In my case, I'm financing my Prius and will sell it after 2-3 years and recover something like 1/2 to 2/3 of the sticker price. The total cost of ownership per month therefore ends up being lower than any other car of comparable quality/size/features.

      If it was just about gas mileage, you'd be right. But it's more complicated than that. So you're wrong. Sorry! :P

      --
      A-Bomb
    6. Re:The problem is... by SoapBox17 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It is possible to own a paid off car that must be replaced. I would venture that most people who are looking at buying a car have pretty much committed to buying one, its just a question of which one.

    7. Re:The problem is... by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 5, Informative
      Please don't spread FUD:

      http://www.hybridcars.com/faq.html#battery

      How often do hybrid batteries need replacing? Is replacement expensive and disposal an environmental problem?

      The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and ten years, depending on the carmaker.

      Battery toxicity is a concern, although today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.

      There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

    8. Re:The problem is... by TooMuchToDo · · Score: 4, Informative
      Wrong.

      http://www.hybridcars.com/faq.html#battery

      How often do hybrid batteries need replacing? Is replacement expensive and disposal an environmental problem?

      The hybrid battery packs are designed to last for the lifetime of the vehicle, somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 miles, probably a whole lot longer. The warranty covers the batteries for between eight and ten years, depending on the carmaker.

      Battery toxicity is a concern, although today's hybrids use NiMH batteries, not the environmentally problematic rechargeable nickel cadmium. "Nickel metal hydride batteries are benign. They can be fully recycled," says Ron Cogan, editor of the Green Car Journal. Toyota and Honda say that they will recycle dead batteries and that disposal will pose no toxic hazards. Toyota puts a phone number on each battery, and they pay a $200 "bounty" for each battery to help ensure that it will be properly recycled.

      There's no definitive word on replacement costs because they are almost never replaced. According to Toyota, since the Prius first went on sale in 2000, they have not replaced a single battery for wear and tear.

    9. Re:The problem is... by rock56501 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hybrids tended to have a minimal savings per month ~80-100 bucks~ but had a massively larger investment upfront were always smaller in size and had weaker engines than the cheaper gas car.(people seem to forget hybrids in addition to higher cost don't have good financing)

      I hear this argument all the time (I own a 2008 Prius). I paid $24K for my car. People say that I paid $10K more than a Kia (or whatever compact car you want) so I will never really see the savings.

      The fact is though, that the Prius is a mid-size car and when you compare the features to other mid-size cars, the "hybrid premium" is only $3-4K. With gas currently averaging $4.30/gal here in Hawaii, I save on average $1200/year over the Ford Escape that I was driving. That means I will have the "hybrid premium" paid off in about three years.

      As an aside that 11 year calculation doesn't take into account what happens when you need a new several thousand dollar battery - they supposedly have an 8 year life-cycle; chances are you'll have to replace it and that pushes the break-even point out to 15 years!

      Toyota tends to make very reliable cars and their warranty on the Hybrid system (including the battery) is 8 years/ 100K miles (10year/150K in Cal). The battery costs $3K (incl labor) to replace btw.

      At the end of the day, I love my car. I dont care what other people think of it cause I am the one who drives it, not them.

      Also, do yourself a favor and talk to your bank/credit union, you will see that you will usually get better financing through them than you will at the dealership.

    10. Re:The problem is... by CodeBuster · · Score: 4, Informative

      The problem is that the hybrid costs $3000 more up front and money now is always worth more than money in the future, hence the reason why interest is charged and why money has a time value. so a stream of payments adding up to 3000 six (6) years from now is actually worth less than $3000 right now so you are paying $3000 more upfront for a savings of less than $3000 (i.e. a loss). In order for the investment to really "pay off" it would have to save you more money in gas than you could earn instead by investing the $3000 difference in treasury bills (4.75% yield or thereabouts) or in other words it would have to save you more than $3000 at the end of the 6 years to be worth it. If you are looking at it purely from a financial standpoint hybrids rarely make sense (for now) because there are almost always cheaper non-hybrid alternatives no matter what you are presently driving.

    11. Re:The problem is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      This October's Consumer Reports article "Which affordable hybrids save you the most money?" disagrees with you.

      Conclusion: "Despite their higher price, many models pay off after only a year" and some models "can save more than $4,000 over five years."

      http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2008/10/affordable-hybrids/overview/affordable-hybrids-ov.htm

      |

      You also complain that hybrids have "weaker engines than the cheaper gas car," forgetting that electric motors have much better torque than gasoline engines (eg. even diesel locomotives use electric motors) so higher horsepower isn't needed.

      |

      Finally, a reply to your battery FUD: http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=954363&cid=24883785

    12. Re:The problem is... by afidel · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Exactly, there was a Prius used as a cab and Toyota bought it back after 1 MILLION miles to tear apart the battery pack to get some real world data on extended wear because they had never replaced one due to wear.

      --
      There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    13. Re:The problem is... by shmlco · · Score: 4, Insightful

      'Course, the new Insight gets 60 MPG and only costs $19,000, so it would appear that efficiency is going up and costs are going down. And all your math is predicated on a $3,000 difference, and not, say, a $1,000 difference.

      Plus you're not considering the alternatives. If you're going to invest your savings, then so can I.

      I could, from day one, easily begin banking the savings gained from one $60 tank of gas a month vs. FOUR tanks of gas per month ($240 in the SUV I'm driving now), whichs saves $180/m or $2,160/y. Put $180 per month in the bank for six years, compounded at 5%, and you get $15,077, whereas you only made $4,020 on your inital "savings" of $3,000. Some savings.

      Now, you're going to say that I need to be considering a more comperable "alternative", like, say a Jetta TDI. But a TDI only gets 45/mpg, its fuel costs are roughly 15% higher in the US due to the price of diesel, and the diesel version of the Jetta cost about $1,500 more than the gas version. Plus there's a waiting list and dealer premuim for those as well. All of which means that the Jetta comes out on the bottom when you run the same kind of numbers.

      Finally, you're assuming that the guy who saved $3,000 invested it. From my perspective, it's equally likely the idiot put $3,000 down on a $5,000 72" flatscreen TV, and is now paying down his credit card at 18% interest. Compounded daily.

      --
      Any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so.
  3. Screw this by bluefoxlucid · · Score: 4, Informative

    We need Diesel first. Then maybe double clutched diesel hybrid manuals, I don't know; using a torque converter is a horrible, horrible idea (coupling: 10% efficient. Acceleration: hahahahahahahahaha).

    --
    Support my political activism on Patreon.
    1. Re:Screw this by moosesocks · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, VW has double-clutched diesels in the American market right now. (For those who aren't familiar, the double-clutch design essentially allows a car to be driven as an automatic while preserving the superior characteristics of a manual, also allowing for millisecond shift-times.)

      Diesel fuel economy is arguably good enough that it don't need any sort of hybrid system. They're also decently fun to drive, which you certainly can't say about the current crop of hybrids.

      Unfortunately, VW probably has the double-clutch design patented to hell and back, and has no hybrid technology of its own. Seeing the two together therefore seems fairly unlikely. On the other hand, a diesel Golf/Rabbit should be making its way to American markets in a year or two.

      --
      -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
    2. Re:Screw this by hendrix2k · · Score: 4, Interesting
      You mean something like this?

      VW Golf TDI Hybrid (from May '08)

      More info:

      69 MPG Golf TDI Hybrid

      Though it will probably only be available in Europe for a while, it's still a step forward.

  4. Better mileage than the Prius by Geoffrey.landis · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The original Insight got slightly better gas mileage than the Prius-- for people who don't need the room of the 4-door, it was a nice car. I wonder if the new one will also blow away the Prius mileage?

    --
    http://www.geoffreylandis.com
  5. EEEEEVIL by evilviper · · Score: 5, Funny

    In 2005 just 666 Insights were sold.

    Good to know Honda's merger with Satan Corp. is working out for them.

    --
    Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
  6. Or maybe turnabout? by hyades1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Honda should pick up Toyota's all-electric "dropped ball" and run with it. If memory serves, Toyota used to have a 100% electric car and stopped making it. Since ALL of my weekday driving is well within about 50 kilometres of home, I'd kill for one.

    --
    I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
  7. Uhhh by moosesocks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not just buy a Civic or a Fit?

    They're both pretty nice compact cars that get fantastic mileage (~34mpg) without any fancy hybrid stuff.

    For a good bit less than a Prius (which you couldn't even buy at the moment if you wanted to), you can get a car that gets better mileage, drives better, and is likely to be considerably more reliable.

    On the other end of things, diesels are beginning to make a very big comeback, as virtually all of the traditional downsides to diesel engines have been taken care of. The fact that they get 40+ MPG makes them pretty attractive.

    Also, now that the natural gas industry has woken up to the fact that there is a metric shit-ton of money waiting to be made by packaging and selling their product as automotive fuel, I imagine that we'll be seeing quite a few CNV vehicles in the upcoming years.

    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  8. This is so discouraging by wonkavader · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The 1989 civic got 50mpg highway, better than the Prius.

    Yes, we need extra safety items. Yes, those add weight. But all the advances made in improving efficiency have been burned away on power and sportiness and cup holders.

    50 Mpg TWENTY years ago.

    And no mention of a plug-in aspect.

    Very discouraging.

  9. They're holding out on us! by juventasone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Honda already has a car that is more fuel efficient than any car they sell in North America, and would easily out-sell the Prius. But they choose not to sell it in North America.. why?

    It's called the Civic CTDi. The Civic is already the most popular car in North America. It is less expensive than the Civic Hybrid, offers a heap more power, and has arguably better combined mileage. In fact, this engine was awarded "International Engine of the Year" in 2005.

  10. The standards changed for 2008 (at least) by Estanislao+Mart�nez · · Score: 5, Informative

    The EPA changed its fuel economy standards in 2008, and perhaps other times between 1989 and then. The 2007 Prius is rated at 60 mpg city, 51 highway; the 2008, which is really the same car, is rated at 48/45. So you definitely can't compare the 1989 numbers with the 2008.

    --

    Are you adequate?

    1. Re:The standards changed for 2008 (at least) by wilsoniya · · Score: 4, Informative

      So you definitely can't compare the 1989 numbers with the 2008.

      Right, but the 50MPG figure takes into account those new standards. Hilariously, the highway mileage for that particular Civic before the 2008 adjustments was an even higher 56MPG. See for yourself. I have an 08 Civic. It's a small car no doubt, but it's a giant compared to the Civics of olde.

      --
      I can't remember the last time I forgot anything.
  11. It's not worthy the name of Insight by dinther · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I own a real 2000 Honda Insight. It is an amazing car. Aluminum bodied two seater made to last.

    The low weight and the 990 CC engine with electric assist ensure that I am the one pulling away with spinning wheels at the lights leaving muscle cars in the dust.

    This new Insight although it looks like the original one, is a stock standard steel vehicle, high curb weight. Bigger engine on even bigger weight would mean less acceleration, poorer MPG and thanks to the steel body shorter lifespan. I test drove a brand new Honda Civic last week and came away less than impressed. Just another over sized car.

    I think the real Insight showed a vision of smaller more nimble cars as frugal with gas as a small motor cycle. No you can't carry 10 bags or cement it it but that is why it is called a commuter vehicle.

    The "new" "Insight" does not do the original car any justice.

  12. Re:There's not enough natural gas for cars by DustoneGT · · Score: 4, Informative

    I had mod points I was going to use for this discussion but they didn't have a 'not true' option.

    DOE Reserve Estimates

    The reserve numbers keep going up because they keep finding more and more of the stuff and nobody is burning it.

    Natural gas is a very good option, in fact the best option for internal combustion. All combustion reactions produce CO2 and H20. Natural Gas (CH4) only releases CO2 and H20 upon combustion...no other chemicals like sulfur, mercury or other similarly nasty chemicals to have in the air. It's a big improvement over petroleum-based fuels.

  13. The missing factor in the "economics": fun + cool by sampson7 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My 2002 Prius probably cost me more than a comparable non-hybrid car would have. But I love my hybrid -- and the reasons have nothing to do with economics and everything with being a nerd.

    1. I drive the most advanced and highly engineered car on the road today (well, other than other hybrids). The engineering in my Prius is far more advanced than anything BMW or Mercedes throws into their cars.

    2. I can drive silently on electric power only. Do you have any idea how cool that is? The freak'n car shuts off at traffic lights! If I go gently on the gas, I can drive 30/40 MPH on electric only and the car is SILENT!!! So freak'n cool. I've been dreaming of electric cars since I was a kid -- and I now have one (sorta)!

    3. I feel good about having supported a fledgling environmentally beneficial technology with my dollars. My purchasing decision in 2002 played a part in revolutionizing the car culture in this country and the world.

    4. Nerdy chicks dig Priuses.

    5. I drive a damned reliable and cheap to operate automobile that I enjoy driving.

    In short -- economics was largely irrelevant to my decision. Instead of buying a sports car (also generally an economically irrational decision), I decided to go the hybrid route. Actually, when I analyzed purchasing the car, I conservatively assumed that I would get 60,000 miles from the car before it started falling apart or incurred expensive repairs. I also assumed that the car would have no re-sale value, as I expected the technology would be largely obsolete by the time I went to sell it. Even with these "worst-case" scenarios, I bought the car because it was worth it to me to be part of the revolution.

    Of course, I'm now well over 60,000 miles and have had no troubles, but that's not really the point, is it?

  14. Re:The missing factor in the "economics": fun + co by santiam · · Score: 4, Funny

    4. Nerdy chicks dig Priuses.

    Just FYI- if you are referring to more than one Prius the plural is Priuii