GTP Cool Wall: 1999-2006 Honda Insight

1999-2006 Honda Insight

  • Total voters
    131
  • Poll closed .
White & Nerdy

White & Nerdy

4,209
United States
Wasilla, AK
1999-2006 Honda Insight nominated by Beeblebrox237

2000-honda-insight-photo-516603-s-1280x782.jpg


Stats:
Production: 1999-2006
Class: Subcompact car
Style: 3-door hatchback
Engine: ECA1 61 ci/995 cc naturally aspirated OHC inline 3 (rated 68 HP & 67 lb-ft) backed up by electric motor (rated 13 HP & 49 lb-ft) for a combined rating of 73 HP & 91 lb-ft
Transmission: 5-speed manual, CVT automatic
Layout: Front-engine, Front-drive​

My take? Seriously, seriously uncool. Almost as uncool as the second-gen Prius. An available manual (apparently the CVT wasn't even avaialbe until 2001) is one of its few saving graces. The many, many negatives include: being probably the first production hybrid in the U.S. (it beat the Prius by seven months), bad styling (it's all aerodynamic like a supercar, but instead of being low and sleek, it's just strange looking), a fanbase full of hypermilers, and an engine so small the Chevrolet Cruze laughs at it. And it's just plain too techy, in a bad way.
 
I give it a Meh, I have no feeling one way or another.

You on the other hand are really beginning to get on my nerves. You seriously need to drop your ridiculous mindset about what a car should be, and your obsession with the Cruze is unfathomable.

You're not going to get far in life being the way you are, just drop it.
 
I love the unusual look of the car. But behind the hybrid stuff, is it special enough? ...Not really.
Meh only. But a high meh.
 
I voted cool. It is good. A good car. *sighs as @homeforsummer's gun is pointed away from my head*

Seriously though, I think it's cool it because it is quirky, original, and has helped pioneer technology that is even more relevant today.

White & Nerdy
The many, many negatives include: being probably the first production hybrid in the U.S.
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It is uncool because it was the first hybrid? I think it is cool because it has electric windows.

...I don't think it's cool for that reason, but it is an equally pointless statement to the one you made.
 
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Cool, it's unique and rare enough where the average person would probably think it's cool if they saw one. Also, it's a rare car that's entirely obtainable by the average person for a rather low price. You can also get it in a unique shade of green and any car that comes in a unique shade of green gets bonus cool points. Oh, and rustling the jimmies of people who hate technology is always cool too.

I suppose to that @homeforsummer owns one and I'm guessing he's cool.
 
Voted cool because I personally think it's a really cool car. I'd think not that many people would care for it but I have no idea what others think of it since it's so uncommon to see one.
 
One of those older cars that I wanted to buy, but was just out of price range because they held value so well.

Ridiculously good gas mileage, a Honda, and it already has aero wheel covers. : D

Cool car, made cooler by the troglodyte hate.
 
Ordinarily, unspoken cool wall rules would require me to vote uncool, or perhaps abstain from voting on my own car.

But sod it, everyone I've spoken to since owning the car has loved it - other car journalists (people who get to drive cool cars as a day job and still can't get enough of the Insight), the guys down the local hand carwash I use, more than a few petrol station attendants, the guys who did some work on the roof recently (with BTTF references), etc.

The only people who haven't found it cool are the occasional groups of spotty teenagers trying desperately to impress the girls they're with rolling out of school gates, and GTP's luddite POWAH! contingent, which amounts to emotionally the same thing. So a regular cool it is. Misses SZ because Honda hasn't made a worthy modern equivalent so I have nothing suitable to replace it with when the time comes.
Roflwaffle
The early models were awesome, the later ones are absolutely dreadful. SU.
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Except we're not voting on the "later ones"...
Joey D
I suppose to that @homeforsummer owns one and I'm guessing he's cool.
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I think it's best we never meet so I can never shatter that illusion :sly:
 
Ew. Its looks awkward and the aero wheel covers look really stupid. Also, its ugly, ugly, and its also ugly. Did I mention its ugly? Seriously uncool.
 
Whenever I go somewhere in the MX-5, someone will say something positive about it to me - people who don't know like it because it's purple and the roof is off and people who do like it because it's a Merlot.

So yesterday when someone went, "Ohh, nice car" and that someone was a motoring journalist and they were talking about homeforsummer's Insight parked next to my MX-5...
 
This just just a regular uncool compared to SU for the Prius. I would have still taken a normal diesel small car.
 
In my opinion this is uncool, I love idea of this car and have always liked it. (I also thought it was a shame that the 'new Insight' was just a naff hybrid saloon, not interesting like this one)

But for me a 'green' car will never be cool, for the pure fact that money saving isn't cool in the traditional sense. I'm not against money saving and clever tech like this, just not cool for me. Can't ever imagine seeing Steve McQueen in one.

That's only in my tradition sense of the word. Do I think it's cooler than most stuff on the road? Yes, I'd have this in a heartbeat over any generic hatch or saloon, but I'd rate then as seriously uncool due to their blandness.

I guess I just have a high standard to make something cool, (I'd say nine out ten cars are uncool) and this is just on the verge of cool/uncool.


Please don't hate me GTP, I like this car but this is my opinion.
 
Fastcarguy
Ew. Its looks awkward and the aero wheel covers look really stupid. Also, its ugly, ugly, and its also ugly. Did I mention its ugly? Seriously uncool.
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The fact that you say they look stupid is stupid in itself. Because trying to establish more economy through aero and powertrain is so stupid.

Anyways I give it a meh because I feel it did a better job than the Prius.

EDIT: I voted cool because I just went back and read the OP in recent there hasn't been comments on the car by W&N. Thus I usually read the title and then vote and then read everyone elses comments, this time I decided to do the opposite. Read comments then the OP and then Vote, and due to his ignorance this is a cool vote instead of a meh.
 
I cannot wait for @Slash 's post on this!

As for me, seriously uncool. You'd have to sacrifice every drop of dignity you have to own one of these.
 
AudiMan2011
I would have still taken a normal diesel small car.
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Yes, those are definitely cooler.
SVT Cobra GT
You'd have to sacrifice every drop of dignity you have to own one of these.
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Phew, just as well I've never had any anyway!

Though I'll have to let Jonny Smith off 5th gear and the chief engineer on Thrust SSC know, as both own one. I think Jonny may be particularly disappointed - I had the impression he rather liked it alonside his '68 Charger.

Now I think about it, I'd best inform the guy I bought it off too - I can't imagine the one he replaced it with sits well next to his Lotus Elite, Esprit and '70 Caddy Coupe de Ville. People are not gonna like me today.
 
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homeforsummer
The only people who haven't found it cool are the occasional groups of spotty teenagers trying desperately to impress the girls they're with rolling out of school gates, and GTP's luddite POWAH! contingent, which amounts to emotionally the same thing. So a regular cool it is. Misses SZ because Honda hasn't made a worthy modern equivalent so I have nothing suitable to replace it with when the time comes.
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Quoted for the truth.

The hub caps look great by the way. Cool.
 
LMSCorvetteGT2
While you're here HFS how much dignity did you extinguish to own one of these? Just for the sake of seeing how correct @SVT Cobra GT is
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Oh no, SVT's totally right, every shred of dignity I had vanished into nothingness. I'm surprised I have any friends left. Have you not seen my thread on the car? Absolutely full of people calling me an undignified bell-end.

Really my career is just a ruse. In reality I hate the automobile and everything it stands for. Absolutely detested the NSX I drove yesterday and the Rolls-Royce Wraith I sampled shortly after was horrific. V12s and shagpile carpets are truly nasty. Only a car-hater like me would ever choose a limited-run aluminum-bodied car that's subsequently influenced most of the industry.














...:D
Jet Badger
The hub caps look great by the way. Cool.
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They're actually alloys :)
SVT Cobra GT
Good job then! :P
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Always good when GTP members agree on something ;)
 
homeforsummer
Oh no, SVT's totally right, every shred of dignity I had vanished into nothingness. I'm surprised I have any friends left. Have you not seen my thread on the car? Absolutely full of people calling me an undignified bell-end.

Really my career is just a ruse. In reality I hate the automobile and everything it stands for. Absolutely detested the NSX I drove yesterday and the Rolls-Royce Wraith I sampled shortly after was horrific. V12s and shagpile carpets are truly nasty. Only a car-hater like me would ever choose a limited-run aluminum-bodied car that's subsequently influenced most of the industry.
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Figured that is what I could surmise :sly::lol:
 
Since we're talking about the 1999 to 2006 car, that doesn't include the four-door Insight. Just the two door pictured above.

Absolutely useless little car. Just two seats. Nowhere near as successful as a Prius. And if you get a CVT, the transmission self-destructs.

Sub-fricking-zero. It's an aluminum spaceship that Honda poured an insane amount of engineering into. Ultra-light, ultra-cool, and still looks decades ahead of most cars on the road. Get one with a manual, sod the hybrid system if it's busted, and you've got one of the best automotive conversation starters on the planet.

@homeforsummer - I still hate you for buying one. All will be forgiven if you buy me a beer if I ever get a chance to go over there, and allow me to pootle around the British Isles in your funny little car. :D
 
I honestly kind of like this car, but there is absolutely no way it can be anything other then Seriously Uncool.

I mean, this car is to the hypermilers what an Alfa 8C is to us petrolheads. They adore it, which means this happens:
tail-wrapped-collage.jpg
 

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