Honda’s Insight hybrid marks the sweet spot

Finally, if all this coaching has bounced off the driver’s thick cranium, the computer can directly intervene to prevent the driver from wasting gas.

Press the “Econ” button and the throttle-by-wire system will replace the virtual throttle cable with a virtual rubber band. This means throttle response becomes sluggish and elastic, dampening the effects of edgy drivers who ratchet the gas on and off with an approximation of what they wanted, rather than an automatic execution of what they actually requested.

With an automatic continuously variable transmission, this effect is largely invisible, but it does help with the gas mileage, according to Honda. And if you are about to be creamed by a truck and need to go now, pressing the gas to the floor overrides the Econ filter, with the engine room replying “aye, aye” to the order for flank speed.

The Insight’s cabin, like its hybrid drivetrain, was designed with a focus on cutting costs, and it shows. But while the interior features as much hard plastic as a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe play car, the reasonably plush fabric and clean design convey the impression that designers did their best while keeping your purchase price down.

The effect is not of insulting cheapness, just of an obvious frugality that makes the Honda Civic look opulent in comparison. Still, would it kill Honda to offer adjustable lumbar support as at least a band-aid for the crappiness of the Insight’s cheap seats? (The similarly, ahem, inexpensive Chevy Aveo has a lumbar adjuster on the driver’s seat.)

As with the interior appointments, cabin space is also similar to that of the sub-compact Fit, but the low-slung Insight gives up headroom. This isn’t a problem in the front seat, but the back seat lacks headroom for six-footers, and the cabin is just as cramped side-to-side as the Fit.

Of course, neither car would be a good choice for a long-distance trip because of uncomfortable seats and a busy ride, but the era of road-hugging weight is in the rear view mirror. The Insight’s back seat’s comfort is also eroded by a seat back that doesn’t recline and seat bottoms that don’t provide any thigh support.

The doors open and close with a reassuring “thunk,” so it is not as if the car feels flimsy. And the hybrid system is smart enough that it doesn’t feel intrusive when it is regenerating power while braking. The Prius and Civic hybrid commit much more of a lurch as the generator turns kinetic energy into electrical potential energy. Such is the benefit of being the newest iteration of an emerging technology.

More on  Honda Insight |  hybrids

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