Honda Insight 2009 road test
Written By Lee Sibbald Published On: Apr 30 2009
Honda is taking on the Toyota Prius with the latest version of the Insight, which is a huge advance on the original two-seater launched in 1999. The major selling point of the Insight is its hybrid powerplant, a petrol-electric unit that reduces CO2 emissions and provides a cleaner, greener way of motoring. And unlike the original two-seat Insight, the new version is very much a family car, with five seats and bootspace that is a match for the leading competitors in the segment. The Insight is also competitively priced, starting at £15,490, which undercuts the Prius by nearly £3,000.
Honda Insight lease prices
Honda Insight new and nearly new car prices
The Insight will be cheap to run, but you’ll find that economy diesel versions of mainstream models such as the Golf (Bluemotion), Focus (Econetic) and Volvo C30 (1.6DRIVe) are a match. The CO2 emissions are, as you’d expect for a hybrid, very low: the base SE trim level emits 101g/km, while the ES and ES-T models (which come fitted with bigger wheels and various electronics as standard) emit 105g/km. All models therefore fall into road tax Band B, meaning owners pay just £35 per year. In terms of fuel economy, the SE version returns 64.2mpg, while ES and ES-T versions return 61.4mpg (around 50-55mpg in real-life driving). Although excellent for a petrol-powered vehicle, it’s still less than the 65.7mpg of the Focus Econetic, which might be worth considering if you’re a high-mileage driver. Insurance should also be pretty reasonable for the Insight, as it’s rated as Group 6.
Read the full 2009 Honda Insight road test report
RoadTestReports.co.uk provides road tests reports written by members of the Guild of Motoring Writers. These reports are complemented by car reviews submitted by the members of the public who drive the vehicles day in day out.
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