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Honda Insight Disappoints in Road Test

Insight’s fuel economy is one of its few highs

June 30, 2009
The new Honda Insight posted a lackluster “Good” overall road-test score in Consumer Reports’ testing for the August issue. The vehicle achieved an excellent 38 mpg overall in CR’s tests but fell short in ride quality, handling, interior noise, acceleration, and rear seat access.

“The Insight is the most disappointing Honda Consumer Reports has tested in a long time,” said David Champion, Senior Director of CR’s Auto Test Center. “The Insight is a noisy stiff riding car with clumsy handling that is nothing like the Fit on which it is based. Also, Electronic Stability Control is only available on the highline EX version.”

In a ratings chart of small hatchbacks and wagons, the Insight was rated 21st out of 22 vehicles, with a road test score of 54 points. It was followed by the Dodge Caliber, which scored 49.

Two new wagons, spin-offs of popular sedans -- the Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen and Hyundai Elantra Touring -- scored within a point of each other and received Very Good ratings, 80 and 79 respectively.

The Sportwagen, a new addition to the Jetta line, combines sound driving dynamics and more cargo and versatility than the sedan. It also imparts the feeling of a much more expensive vehicle.

The Elantra Touring, also an extension to its line, is an affordable and practical vehicle with good fuel economy - 26 mpg in CR’s own fuel economy tests.

Consumer Reports tested a total of six wagons and hatchbacks, including the improved Chevrolet HHR and the Pontiac Vibe (the virtual twin of the Toyota Matrix.) The Vibe will be discontinued this August given GM’s decision to discontinue the Pontiac brand.

Both the Vibe and the HHR received Very Good ratings. The test group also included the sporty Mazda3 hatchback, freshened with a new four-cylinder engine and new styling was also rated Very Good.

Prices ranged from $19,085 for the Pontiac to $24,730 for the Chevy HHR. All vehicles in the test proved to have average of better reliability in CR.

CR also tested the Kia Soul. The Soul shares several of the same attributes of the small, boxy Scion xB, and was also rated Very Good. This is a new model so the magazine does not have any reliability data and cannot Recommend the Soul.

All vehicles in the test group are Recommended by Consumer Reports except for the Insight, which scored too low in CR’s tests to be Recommended and the Soul which does not have any reliability data yet.

CR Recommends only those vehicles that have performed well in its tests, have at least average predicted reliability based on the Annual Car Reliability Survey of its more than seven million print and web subscribers, and performed at least adequately if crash-tested or included in a government rollover test.

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