TrumpetTitan

Looking for a fuel efficient Honda to take over my 50 mile round trip commuting duty. I've narrowed it down to the Insight and Civic Hybrid, but the Fit is also a possibility.

What I'm looking for

Biggest priority- QUIET at highway speeds. As you can guess I'm a classical music fan, and as much as the 9000 RPM symphony helps to cheer me up after a stressful workday, relaxing classical music would be helpful too.

Second biggest priority- Fuel efficient. I expect gas prices to keep on climbing, and now that I'm about to be a homeowner for the first time, I want to free up more money for that (and of course, for doing more work on the S now that it doesn't have to get me to work, heh heh). About 16 miles of my round trip commute involves stop and go traffic, so I think a Hybrid is worthwhile for this reason.

Lesser priorities - Reliability. Ease of servicing/replacing parts. Probably the biggest on this list, but not a huge priority because I can drive the S if I have to.
- Space to move people, things.
- Bluetooth connectivity, auxiliary music input, other gizmos like that to distract me from the fact that I'm not driving my S
- Handling has to not suck. My girlfriend has a Scion xB, and I'm comfortable dailying a car with a steering and braking response of that car. But nothing that handles like my mother's Nissan Quest or the Toyota Solara, please.
-Price: Saving money is always good, but I don't mind paying more for a car that'll do me better over the long run. I want the car to be 2005 or newer, and with less than 60K miles.

What I've observed so far-

According to Fuelly.com, the efficiency of either the Civic Hybrid or the Insight depends heavily on how it is driven. The EPA ratings for both cars are very close, with the Civic Hybrid just ahead.

I think the Insight has the edge on exterior looks. I like it over the Civic, which looks bloated.


What do you guys think?

Presto123

The new fusion hybrid supposedly gets 47/47 and has a great looking exterior. It's a bit expensive at 27k though.

mzk784

Quiet is the opposite of Honda, especially the smaller ones, Civic is noisy as hell, same with the Insight maybe even worse, why aren't you thinking of a Prius?

marclee_

The CRZ is also pretty nice. You can also have fun every day on your way to work with the sports mode and driving a manual Looks awesome and the inside is roomy. Only downside is that it's actually a 2 seater.

HKStallion

supposedly big deals right now on Chevy Volt.

as in $0 down, $160/mo for 24 mo lease.

if you can find it, it may be your best bet.

tech, warranty, comfort...

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/deal...ssion/1222851/

AngryTurtle

Out of those 3 id say fit. But none are quiet. Quieter then a s2000 but not "quiet" by a long shot. Also price?

TrumpetTitan

I'm hoping for less than 20K, less than 50K miles. But exceptions can be made if I find something I really like.

And when I say quiet, I'm just hoping for it to be as quiet as a 2010 Maxima or an 06 TSX. I've been in both cars before and they were quiet enough to be comfortable for cruising. Certainly much quieter than an S2000.

alex s

Is there any reason the Prius isn't on the list?

'04-'09 are going to be below your price range, but they aren't as quiet as you may be looking for. My '08 is quiet, just not luxury quiet. The '10+ are 'luxury quiet' comparatively and you might be able to score one for your budget. I daily mine and couldn't see myself driving anything else for a daily driver. It's comfortable, has amazing mpg, and keeps me out of trouble. Not to mention it makes driving the S2000 on the weekends feel that much more awesome.

If you're dead set against a Prius though, I'd go for the Civic Hybrid. The Insight looks just like a watered-down Prius.


edit: grammar

corey415

I own a 2010 Insight EX. I average 47 mpg over 47,500 miles. Personal driving style and your particular commute will determine your mpg. While I do agree that it is one of the better looking Hondas (and better looking than the Prius), a quiet car it is not.

A couple notes:

If you like HID headlights, Insights have projector headlights, which work great with a HID kit. I believe the Civic hybrids have reflectors, so keep that in mind.
The 2011+ Insights have steering wheel mounted audio controls, which are awesome.
The 2012+ Insights have an electric AC compressor, which means that the car can remain off for longer periods during stops (the previous years have the engine turn on after a specified time to prevent the cabin from getting too hot when using AC).

If I had to redo my buying decision right now, I would probably just get a Honda Fit or a SkyActiv Mazda 3.

Reckon

I had a 2010 Insight...it was not particularly quiet especially when the engine had to work to get up in speed. It had a good ride although it didn't handle very well (but nothing does when you have driven an S). It had plenty of gizmos including navigation and HU controlled Ipod interface. I averaged about 44mpg and it had a small tank (10 gallons or less). I think the Civic Hybrid would probably do you better in fuel economy.

We traded in the Insight for a 2011 Miata for the wife...she was upset that I had a fun car in the S2K and she had her Prius (for business purposes).

I would definitely reecommend the Prius if you can get one. Execllent car in all aspects - wife averages about 47mpg while I can get 50mpg (not as leadfooted as her in the car). The hybrid system is excellent and it has plenty of luxuries.