2019 Honda Insight

Overview

Honda is taking its Insight hybrid down a different path than many other companies have followed with their gasoline-electric fuel sippers. Rather than emphasizing its green cred, Honda has designed the Insight to be a rather conventional sedan similar in character to the Honda Civic—only the Insight happens to get fantastic mpg. That's a good thing given that the Civic is one of our favorite compact cars, and the Insight benefits from the same solid handling and comfortable ride. Its complex hybrid drivetrain is mostly quiet and unobtrusive. The fact that it looks more mature and upscale than the Civic is the cherry on top of a well-rounded and likable package, which is why we named it to our Editors' Choice list.

What's New for 2019?

The 2019 Insight is an all-new model. It rides on the same wheelbase as the Civic sedan but has unique styling, a revised interior, and an entirely different setup under the hood that combines a gasoline engine with a pair of electric motors.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Likes: Smooth operation, quicker than other hybrids, comfortable ride meets precise responses.
Dislikes: Engine can drone under hard acceleration.

The Insight does a better job balancing spry acceleration with miserly fuel economy than most hybrids. It's about as quick as many conventionally powered compact cars (and way quicker than the other hybrid competitors we've tested). Its combination of a gas engine and electric motors is rarely noticeable as anything unusual. The setup provides a combined 151 horsepower, which motivates the Insight from zero to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds. It can run on its electric propulsion motor alone for roughly one mile at lower speeds but request more power and the gasoline engine will kick in seamlessly. You might notice the engine getting loud under hard acceleration, but the Insight's powertrain is otherwise quiet and refined.

The Insight is an exceedingly pleasant vehicle to drive. It is quiet, comfortable, and refined, and it handles confidently. That's no wonder, considering it's mechanically similar to the Civic sedan, which shares these positive attributes. Although it's not overtly sporty, the Insight has a nicely controlled ride and solid handling. Its supple suspension soaks up bumps well, and its quick steering helps it change direction responsively. The predictable and progressive brake pedal in the Insight suffers from little of the clunkiness that plagues the brakes of many other hybrids. The Insight's brakes feel just as good as in a traditional, gas-powered vehicle.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Honda provides two separate EPA ratings for the Insight: 55 mpg city and 49 highway for the lighter LX and EX trims and 51 city and 45 highway for the heavier, better-equipped Insight Touring. There's a 4-mpg difference between the two, and both fall a few miles per gallon short of the Toyota Prius and the Hyundai Ioniq's ratings. The Insight achieved 47 mpg on our highway test, an impressive result. In our real-world testing, the Insight Touring recorded a result that is 2 mpg better its EPA rating. Drivers who spend more time in stop-and-go driving can expect even better results; hybrids typically are even more efficient in these situations.

Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo

Likes: Well-built interior and quality materials, good mix of available smartphone-integration features, useful center-console storage.
Dislikes: Driver's seat lacks adjustable lumbar support, optional screen's menus are complicated, not as practical as a hatchback.

The Insight's interior features and finishes occupy a well-judged middle ground between bargain basement and premium. It feels a bit more upscale than the closely related Civic, and it measures up well to other hybrid competitors. A customizable digital gauge in the instrument panel can display a variety of information, from fuel-economy data to speed-limit info. You sit low in the Insight's front seats, but there's plenty of space to stretch out. Adjustable lumbar support is missing from the driver's seat, however, which is disappointing. The rear seats have plenty of room for two adults.

Honda's infotainment system incorporates a mostly modern and usable interface—and we're glad that it has a real volume knob now—but some of the menus can get overly complicated, and a tuning knob is still missing. The base 5.0-inch screen in the lower-trim Insight LX is a fairly basic affair, lacking even SiriusXM satellite radio, but at least it's simple to use. The EX and Touring models have a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen with lots more features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and available built-in navigation.

The Insight's battery pack is located under the rear seat, so it doesn't infringe on cargo capacity at all; the rear seats still fold mostly flat to accommodate larger items. Several of the Honda's competitors are hatchbacks, though, which means they can hold more stuff and their large cargo areas are easier to load. The Insight does have a very useful and configurable center console that can hold tons of stuff. There are also a few bins in the cargo area.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Insight earned a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. All Insights come with a comprehensive package of driver assists called Honda Sensing. Instead of traditional blind-spot monitoring, Honda's LaneWatch uses a video camera to display the image of what is in the Insight's passenger-side blind spot when the right-turn signal is activated. The image is displayed on a screen in the center of the dash. Key safety features include:

• Standard forward-collision warning and automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

The Insight has warranty coverage that is totally average. Honda also has shorter protection periods than Hyundai and Kia.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Hybrid components are covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance