2010 Honda Insight

[trev0006]

2010 Honda Insight (http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-09/01-13-09page-2010-Honda-Insight.htm) - will this be the duture of cars?

[GQBalla]

the duture of all cars will not be like that -

[leec001]

Originally posted by trev0006
2010 Honda Insight (http://www.dpccars.com/car-videos-09/01-13-09page-2010-Honda-Insight.htm) - will this be the duture of cars?

Very nice little car for $20,000. 3.8L/100km (City/Highway Mix) => 40L can run 1052km.
Cost you to drive down to Vancouver for roughly $30 one-way, $60 return @ current fuel price :thumbsup:.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/2009/01/12/first-drive-2009-honda-insight-hybrid.htm

The Insight is a significant car for Honda, which hopes to sell 5,000 units annually in Canada. A major factor in its success will be the price, which in the U.S. is expected to be below $20,000. If Honda Canada can match this for the LX, it will really get people’s attention, and I suspect the car will meet or exceed its target. If it’s priced close to the Civic Hybrid, chances are the Insight will be a tough sell.

[corsvette]

looks better than the new 2010 prius.

[Sorath]

should hit showrooms spring...

[leec001]

Originally posted by Sorath
should hit showrooms spring...

will be released on April 22, 2009, which is, not coincidently, Earth Day.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by leec001


Very nice little car for $20,000. 3.8L/100km (City/Highway Mix) => 40L can run 1052km.
Cost you to drive down to Vancouver for roughly $30 one-way, $60 return @ current fuel price :thumbsup:.

We won't get it for $20K. Probably closer to $30K out the door.

Nice but the dash while duturistic, is a bit busy.

Prius just had their press release, sounds like a much more advance car than Insight for much higher price.

[Aleks]

Oil has tanked and no one thinks it will go above 75 bux in the next few years so I say who cares, gasoline is cheap enough to not have to bother with these types of cars. ;)

[leec001]

Originally posted by Aleks
Oil has tanked and no one thinks it will go above 75 bux in the next few years so I say who cares, gasoline is cheap enough to not have to bother with these types of cars. ;)

Well, still not as cheap as in 1990s............$29.99/100L @ pump

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by leec001


Well, still not as cheap as in 1990s............$29.99/100L @ pump

I don't think I have ever seen it below $0.30/L during the 90s. for a week during late 80s may be.

[leec001]

Originally posted by Xtrema


I don't think I have ever seen it below $0.30/L during the 90s. for a week during late 80s may be.

Look at 1994 & 1996

[jwslam]

ewww!
go back to 2 doors!

[Xtrema]

^ I don't live or ever set foot in any of those towns, got one from Calgary?

[leec001]

Originally posted by Xtrema
^ I don't live or ever set foot in any of those towns, got one from Calgary?

Too bad, I couldn't find it :banghead: .

But some interesting findings..............
1993 December Crude oil price was $12.83/barrel
1998 December Crude oil price was $8.94/barrel

http://www.ioga.com/Special/crudeoil_Hist.htm


Average Canada Pump Price:
1994 $38.30/Liter
1998 $36.46/Liter

Keep in mind, Calgary gas price is pretty much as as Halifax. They are always way below the Canada average gasoline price.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/txt/ptb1108.html
http://www.mjervin.com/WPPS_Public.htm

[r3ccOs]

Originally posted by Aleks
Oil has tanked and no one thinks it will go above 75 bux in the next few years so I say who cares, gasoline is cheap enough to not have to bother with these types of cars. ;)

IMO though a motivator, the price of gas is irrelevant for a number of reasons

people should become more environmentally accountable regardless...

Mind you your GTI is a very functional sporty subcompact that is quite good on gas.

[leec001]

JETTA TDI VERSUS HONDA INSIGHT

Diesel versus hybrid: An honourable tie
For today's buyer, these two affordable cars deliver high-tech answers to questions about fuel economy and emissions
Article Comments (18) JEREMY CATO

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

January 15, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST

So which is easier on your wallet: diesel or gasoline-electric hybrid?

I've run the numbers and, as it turns out, it's a wash.

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI will cost you 40 cents a kilometre to drive for the first four years, or $7,989.55 a year.

The 2010 Honda Insight will run you about 42 cents a kilometre. That number is an estimate, though a good one. Honda Canada won't announce the actual price until closer to launch date in April. But at about $20,000, Honda's newest hybrid will run you $8,327.75 a year.

The small annual difference in ownership costs between the two fuel-sippers really boils down to one thing: the price of money.

Honda is offering 7.7-per-cent purchase financing on most of its lineup in Canada and I am assuming it will do the same for the 2010 Insight. VW, however, will give you a 48-month loan on the Jetta TDI at 2.9 per cent. The difference amounts to two cents a kilometre for the four years of the loan in favour of the Volkswagen.

As for the rest, history suggests the VW will depreciate a little less slowly than the Honda. After four years, you can expect the Jetta diesel to be worth about 52 per cent of its original price, versus what I project to be about 40 per cent for the Insight.

In dollars and cents, that means the Jetta costs 15 cents/km in depreciation, while the Insight runs to 16 cents/km.

I was prompted to run these numbers after driving both these cars within days of one another. I asked myself the question so many readers ask: Which is cheaper to own?

The Jetta has been on sale since last summer, but the Insight will not hit dealer showrooms until this spring. That means I've had to estimate the purchase price of the Insight; Honda officials have hinted strongly it will be about $20,000.

That makes it affordable for younger buyers who have not been able to afford a hybrid before. For instance, the Honda Civic Hybrid starts at $26,350, while the Toyota Prius hybrid has a base price of $27,400. Both are too pricey for the buyers Honda expects will jump at the chance to buy the Insight.

Who are these buyers? Most will be 20- to 35-year-old singles who really want a "green" car. The next big group of buyers will be 50-plus types who have long been concerned about global warming and the general health of the planet. They might even have owned the original two-door Insight that came out a decade ago.

Ah, the planet. Here is where there is a significant difference. Honda says its new Insight is far better than any ultra-lower-emissions vehicle and will be rated as a Tier II Bin 3 vehicle. That's ultra, ultra clean.

The Jetta TDI, Green Car Journal's Green Car of the Year, is pretty clean, too, earning a Tier II Bin 5 number. That's as planet-friendly as any gasoline-powered car sold in the toughest place for emissions regulations in the world — California. But the Insight is still considerably cleaner, no question.

But both are hugely fuel-efficient. The monthly fuel bill for the Insight figures to about "High-tech emissions controls address some of that, but all you get in the end is a vehicle that meets the dirtiest allowable standard in California for passenger cars."

Of course, hybrids, too, are more expensive than conventional gasoline-powered cars, but Honda can boast something of a major breakthrough with the Insight. It will sell for at least $6,000 less than the least-expensive hybrid available today. So the Insight really is a massive accomplishment.

Truth is, the Insight is a nice little commuter car and one I'd consider owning myself. The exterior design is aerodynamic, the cabin is pleasant and comfortable and Honda's hybrid technology is reliable and efficient.

Essentially, the Insight's hybrid technology is an evolution of what is already for sale in the Civic Hybrid. The heart of Honda's system is what the company calls its Integrated Motor Assist, or IMA.

The IMA incorporates an electric motor that helps boost performance when teamed with the 98-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The Insight cannot start up on electric power alone, but at higher speeds the electric motor can power the car by itself for short distances.

In essence, then, the Insight is a very fuel-efficient gasoline car whose performance in terms of power, fuel efficiency and emissions is aided by an electric motor and a small battery pack.

It all works seamlessly, as I learned during several hours of driving. And to help you drive as efficiently as possible, the instrument cluster has an Eco Assist graphic that tells the driver when he or she is driving in the most Earth-friendly way. As a fuel-efficient grocery-getter, the Insight makes plenty of sense — and with the projected $20,000 price tag, plenty of dollars and cents, too.

The Jetta TDI, meanwhile, is the lowest-price diesel car for sale in Canada and the United States — with a starting price at least half that of diesels from German luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. VW also sells a Jetta wagon version with the same TDI diesel technology.

Sure, there is some diesel vibration at idle, but overall the TDI drivetrain is quiet, fuel-efficient and, most of all, loaded with torque. In fact, this Jetta has as much torque as some very powerful V-6 engines, but the Jetta is much less thirsty.

The interior has a premium feel to it, too — noticeably richer than the Insight's. Only the hard plastic door pulls mar the otherwise excellent cabin.

The Jetta certainly feels like a very well-made car, a solid sedan with sure braking, predictable handling and nicely tuned steering. Overall, this is a very enjoyable car to drive.

In addition, the list of standard features is long on even the least-expensive version. For instance, all four power windows are one-touch-up/down, something usually seen only on pricier cars.

The Jetta also comes with a nicely trimmed trunk, a good stereo and a 115-volt power outlet to run your electronic gizmos. The seats are great, firmly padded and durable-looking. There is adult-size knee and leg room in back, too.

The Insight, a smaller car inside, is nicely finished, too, but not as well done as the Jetta TDI. But then, it's less expensive and the dimensions all around are smaller, too.

Honda does enjoy a much better quality reputation than VW, though. Pick a study, Honda ranks up there with the very best for quality, durability and reliability.

To the company's credit, VW has been improving, and the 2008 gasoline Jetta gets a "recommended" rating from Consumer Reports, after years of very poor rankings.

These two cars are proof that the auto industry is committed to bringing fuel-efficient, attractive and affordable cars to the marketplace. Moreover, these companies expect to sell these cars in big numbers.

Honda, for instance, plans to move 100,000 Insights in North America, perhaps 20,000 of them in Canada every year — and a total of 200,000 Insights around the world on an annual basis.

VW, for its part, sells tens of thousands of Jettas every year and has been doing so for years. In fact, VW Canada's sales were up 82.5 per cent in December, and the Jetta diesel had a lot to do with that success.

For today's buyer, these two cars represent a growing list of vehicles that deliver high-tech answers to questions about fuel economy and emissions — and affordably, too.

The Insight, for its part, comes across as a car best suited to city errands; the Jetta TDI shines brightest when longer highway commutes come into play.

Either way, the cost of ownership is about the same.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090115.whFaceoff0115/BNStory/specialGlobeAuto/?pageRequested=1

[Aleks]

Interesting article. I wonder how he got the 52% resale value on the TDI in 4 yrs though. 06s are selling for 75-80% of their original MSRP right now.